What to do with door-to-door proselytizing non-Catholics

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Princess18

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I’ve heard the bit a million times about when a JW, Mormon, or anyone else knocks on your door, to just answer the door naked with a beer in your hand and they won’t come back. I’m sure that might work but I just don’t have it in me. Additionally, it’s not usually the exact same people over and over again so while one JW might go away mortified it won’t stop the next one from knocking. I live in the deep south so we also get non-denominational-just-started-a-new-Bible-based-church Christians.

There’s something about our neighborhood apparently. Almost every day that I’m home someone knocks on the door. If I’m out then I come home to printed material. Every once and a while I’ll answer the door, step outside while the dogs go ballistic, and politely listen waiting for my chance to say “Thank you so much for your concern, but I’m Catholic, and I am happy with all the answers that my faith provides”. Usually that ends the conversation, but occasionally they fire out a few scripture quotes and tell me that now they are even more concerned for my soul. At that point I smile politely and say “I’m closing the door now. Take care.”

I looked online today for no soliciting signs and most of the ones I found that specified religious visits seemed rude. I don’t feel that I can be ugly before they even knock. I was wondering if anyone had a polite sign idea? Also, I was thinking of keeping some printed material for the Church and maybe the cheap plastic rosaries, and pass those to whomever knocks? Anybody else do that?

Thanks!
 
I greet them with a big smile and I say, “HELLO! I am a member of the Church that Jesus HIMSELF founded. I am saved, I am being saved and I hope to be saved. I believe in the Holy Trinity and I believe that unless one eats His Flesh and drinks His Blood they will NOT enjoy Eternal Life. If you have any other questions about Truth, go ahead and ask!”.

Then I wait.

And usually, they run away.

One young Mormon man stood and asked me questions.

He contacted our DRE about a week later.

He is going to be coming Home to Truth next Easter, God Willing. Unfortunately, he had to move out because his mother and father disowned him.

The JW(s) no longer come to my house because of that particular greeting I shared - with them, I added, “Of course, I am a Christian. I mean, it’s not like I believe Jesus was St Michael the Archangel or something ridiculously heretical like THAT!”.

I also handed them a Pillar of Fire Pillar of Truth pamphlet…which you can get from this site.

Go get 'em…but remember…with LOVE.
 
for some reason armies of Spanish speaking members of these various sects target our street of English-only winter Texans weekly, you’t think they’d get fed up… but what works for me is the altarcito opposite the front door w/OL Guadalupe, candles etc, large wall rosary, above it huge crucifix w/palms. One look at that display and they just run, I don’t have to say a thing.
 
how about start a discussion with them centered on John 17. We are called to be one. The church is divided (Catholics admit that Christians exist outside the church-Vatican II). So why dont you start a constructive conversation that builds unity or if nothing else should stop ignorant stereotypes of catholics, instead of: 1- trying to scare them off, or 2- tell them they aren’t saved b/c of them being outside of the catholic church.
 
Daddy used to answer the door in his bathrobe and tell them we were nudists and if they wanted to take off their clothes they were welcome to come in. 😃

I have not had many of them here in Kanukistan, where religion is considered something shameful by most people, but I did have Baptists come to my door once and ask me, “If you died tonight would you be sure you were going to heaven?” and I replied, “Of course. Aren’t you?”

When Mormons come I cross-examine them on the idea that heaven consists of a man with a harem who was given his own planet and populates it with his “children” who then worship him. I point out to them that eternal pregnancy is not a woman’s idea of heaven, but spending eternity knocking up women was certainly the fever dream of a high school boy. Generally they go away pretty quickly. (I used to be a Mormon; I did not hear about this absurd doctrine until I had joined their church.)
 
I’m like LSK,

I usually have very good chats with them, but one nice sweet JW old lady started shaking when I tried to hand her a copy a Pillar of Fire. She refused it and left, quickly. I enjoy taking with them, which I think is a much better witness for Christ then being rude or short with them…🙂
 
Once upon a time, about a year ago, I had a family of JW’s visiting me regularly. The 18 year daughter seemed to be given ‘my house’ as her assignment and she always brought Mom or Dad with her. Well I invited them in. We had a chat. Next week they brought an ex-Catholic with them. I invited them in. We had a chat. She never came back again.
Then one week I invited them for lunch. We had a very nice lunch. I had the sense that the 18 year old was genuinely interested in what I had to say and sometimes very confused by what she heard her parents say. Mom got very irritated with this at the last meeting and they stopped coming by. At one point I asked them for their address so I could visit them on a Saturday morning some day… they weren’t willing to share…

I think I must have gone on a black list because no one comes by to chat with me anymore!!:confused:
 
Last time the JWs stopped here, I was already having a bad day.

They started by saying they’d driven a long, long ways to see me, I responded that I couldn’t care less: they weren’t invited, and I wasn’t interested.

They said ‘But we want to share the good news of the Bible with you’, and I responded that if they had the least clue about what the Bible actually taught, they wouldn’t be Witnesses.

I closed the door…
 
Oddly enough, the only people at my office who have offered me tangible consolation have been JWs. One girl even brought me a couple of things to read. Catholic Family Services has a 3 month waiting list for grief counseling and suggested I call the State Agency (which I had already done, to be told that I dont fit any of their categories and private counseling is probably my only option) or $140.00 per hour private counseling! And my priest has not even asked how I am doing, since I told him 2 weeks ago that I had been out of town because Daddy had died.

The JWs may believe some pretty outrageous things but at least they are out there caring for the folks. That has to count for something.
 
Since those who knock do not have the fulness of truth, and/or have been lead completely astray, we all have a responsibility to correct them. This requires a deeper knowledge of our faith. It takes time, but the results can be worth it in the long run. Most doorbellers are confined to one of two groups: LDS (young men) or JWs (older women). It is fairly easy to do a quick study of their faiths and reveal, through scripture, that they have been mislead.

JWs will not accept anything from you, so kindly decline their corporate publication. Stress the truth and always implore them to keep seeking the truth. But, learn your faith first. Signs only keep them from hearing the truth.
 
po18guy said:
Since those who knock do not have the fulness of truth, and/or have been lead completely astray, we all have a responsibility to correct them. This requires a deeper knowledge of our faith. It takes time, but the results can be worth it in the long run. Most doorbellers are confined to one of two groups: LDS (young men) or JWs (older women). It is fairly easy to do a quick study of their faiths and reveal, through scripture, that they have been mislead.

JWs will not accept anything from you, so kindly decline their corporate publication. Stress the truth and always implore them to keep seeking the truth. But, learn your faith first. Signs only keep them from hearing the truth.
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Yeah, I should have corrected the JW the other day, but I didn’t. I want to also get to know how to talk to Hare Krishnas, SDAs and the rest of the common ones around here.
 
If I have the time, I let them talk. I enjoy it and for me, I think it’s important to understand the “competition.” Several times people have asked me questions about my beliefs out of curiosity simply because I was friendly. The Mary questions are always right up front. You never know when you might have the opportunity to correct perceptions of Catholicism. Once when some LDS kids came, one poor kid fell asleep on my couch and the other didn’t even have a good grasp of what Mormon beliefs are - he couldn’t answer any of my questions and wasn’t at all familiar with the Bible. They were surprised I let them in and gave them soft drinks. They’d been run away from doors all day and were tired, hot, hungry and thirsty. If people are really pushy with me, forget it, but if they’re friendly, I enjoy talking to them. I know; I’m weird!!
 
If people are really pushy with me, forget it, but if they’re friendly, I enjoy talking to them. I know; I’m weird!!

I don’t think that is weird. I think it is Christian to be friendly. I like to keep in mind Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. It is not the person who is the same religion as you who is automatically your neighbor, but rather the one who is kind and full of compassion who is your neighbor.
 
I so agree with you, M Leakos! It seems to me it’s our job to set the example and let God work on their hearts.
 
Appleby said:
Oddly enough, the only people at my office who have offered me tangible consolation have been JWs. One girl even brought me a couple of things to read. Catholic Family Services has a 3 month waiting list for grief counseling and suggested I call the State Agency (which I had already done, to be told that I dont fit any of their categories and private counseling is probably my only option) or $140.00 per hour private counseling! And my priest has not even asked how I am doing, since I told him 2 weeks ago that I had been out of town because Daddy had died.

The JWs may believe some pretty outrageous things but at least they are out there caring for the folks. That has to count for something.
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Actually, there was a story I read, and it may have even been here, on Catholic Answers, about a JW woman who worked in a hospice. She worked there really on purpose, so that after the family members had died she could take advanatage of their grief if they did not have strong religious beliefs. She would wait for their family member’s death, then inappropriately get their personal contact information and write them letters about being with their family members whent they died. She did this for the sole purpose of converting them.
 
Princess18 said:
There’s something about our neighborhood apparently. Almost every day that I’m home someone knocks on the door. If I’m out then I come home to printed material. Every once and a while I’ll answer the door, step outside while the dogs go ballistic, and politely listen waiting for my chance to say “Thank you so much for your concern, but I’m Catholic, and I am happy with all the answers that my faith provides”. Usually that ends the conversation, but occasionally they fire out a few scripture quotes and tell me that now they are even more concerned for my soul.

Thanks!
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I underlined why they keep coming back to you. It is part of their tactics. Find and easy target…Not saying you are but 99.% of catholics are. Its like fishing…they say ooooooooooh I got an easy lunker here.

The beer in hand trick wont work…If you want them to leave tell them that your are a dis-fellowshipped ex JW…they cannot talk to ex-JWS it is considered a huge sin to do so
 
deb_in_MI said:
We had a chat. She never came back again.
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That seems to be my pattern too.

We have a chat. I know my Scripture better than any of the door to door folk. So For at least twenty yrs. I’ve been able to ask them questions that they can’t answer, they say they’ll come back and they don’t.

As a Catholic convert, I find that Catholic Tradition is the best response to any protestant or sectarian group. They all have their own “lens” that they interpret scripture through. I tell them that I think mine is the best and here’s why.

The side with the most information and empirical evidence is the side that wins the argument.

Bottom line is: You gotta know what you believe and why you believe it, then be able to give a reason for the hope that is in you.

When I was 18 and met my first JW at the door, it really shook my faith. I didn’t have any response for him. It challenged me right then to get to know my faith.

When I was protestant, I realized it was my “interpretations” against theirs. Well, the Bible says one thing to me, but it “says” a completely different thing to the JW. That’s the problem with individual interpretation. Two people can be completely sincere in their devotion to God and to Scripture, but come away with two totally different “interpretations.”

That’s why I feel way more equipped than ever as a Catholic responding with 2,000 years of Tradition on my side.
 
Why are you fighting with these people who go door to door talking about Jesus Christ? Don’t you remember what Jesus said when the disciples came to Him and said they had found some people going around in His name but since they weren’t with them they told them to stop and Jesus said, “You shouldn’t have done that…”
Especially in this day when you have all the media and entertainment industry “preaching” an anti Christian message we should consider these people as our allies, not as some bothersome people that we can embarrass or scare away from our home.
 
M_Leakos said:
Why are you fighting with these people who go door to door talking about Jesus Christ? Don’t you remember what Jesus said when the disciples came to Him and said they had found some people going around in His name but since they weren’t with them they told them to stop and Jesus said, “You shouldn’t have done that…”
Especially in this day when you have all the media and entertainment industry “preaching” an anti Christian message we should consider these people as our allies, not as some bothersome people that we can embarrass or scare away from our home.
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M. Leakos, the Jesus of the JW is not the Jesus of the Catholic Church… in the sense that Catholics believe that Jesus is God and JW’s do not. The new testament tells us to hold fast to the faith, and that there will be some who will not tolerate sound doctrine. I think that fits JW perfectly.

The quote from Jesus that you made does not fit here. They are not “for Him” because they do not preach the truth.
They could convert uncathechized Christians who might thereby abandon the Church and the Sacraments.
 
my usual response is to put on a pot of tea unless of course it is the LDS and then i bring out the orange juice along with my bible and catechism.
 
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