Annoying People Is Not Courageous

[nutella addict]

Hahaha I'm loving these JW/Mormon stories.

My dad refuses to answer when people come door-to-door, or opens it long enough to say "We don't need anything, thank you." and slams it right away. I love when I answer and it's the JWs (no Mormons here and no other denominations in my area evangelize) though, I have so much fun with them. They tend to come on Christmas, and my dad is usually fuming, and I'll answer and they'll say "Ma'am, we were wondering if you knew the reason for the holiday blah blah blah" and I'll say, very sweetly, that we have more than one Bible per person, and that we went to church this morning, thank you very much. And then they'll be a bit baffled because they're not sure how to say that my church and my Bible aren't the same and I'll use this as an excuse to shut the door. If they actually do come up with something, then I challenge them about changing all the variety of names for God in the Bible to Jehovah and not believing that Jesus is the son of God, using Scripture if I have to, just because it's fun to see them get flustered. They're perfectly welcome to believe what they want, but if they're going to tell me my beliefs are wrong then I'll happily counter. I'm a sucker for debates.

I once met an evangelical Christian preacher who got the youth group of JWs at his door, and told them that God's gift of grace and salvation was free, and their counselor was appalled by him, and to top it off he chased them down the street (the whole van of JW kiddies) saying "YOU CAN GO TO HEAVEN!" I'm not fundy or even conservative, but I would have LOVED to see that. Apparently, these JWs were preaching something very much not sola fide, and insisting to the youth group that they were going to hell unless they had this many hours of witnessing and a bunch of other things.

Back to the point:

I've only seen a street preacher once, actually, at my state university, and people just generally get their laughs from him, I don't know how often he's heckled or even how often he's there as I didn't study there. I think once upon a time there was a facebook group about him - back when facebook was a college thing and the groups were still on your profile and all that. My sister did study there, and I'm not sure if he was the guy giving out free Bibles, but on Free Bible Day she and her housemates would have a competition about who could get the most free Bibles over the course of the day.

[ladypuglover]

, but on Free Bible Day she and her housemates would have a competition about who could get the most free Bibles over the course of the day.

There is a group of men that will stand outside the high school my teen goes to and they will pass out stacks and stacks of NT bibles. These bibles are unlike almost anything I have ever seen as it doesn't match up verses or even books in my bible. It may not be the same religion but what an odd thing to do.

[daharyn]

JWs once came to my apartment building, and rang my bell. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I went down to the front to see who it was rather than automatically buzzing them in. As soon as they began explaining themselves (there was a small crowd), I said, "No, thank you," and moved to shut the door. The woman in charge tried to stop me by putting her LITTLE GIRL in the doorframe and telling her to run on by me! Well, f--k that. I got the girl out of the way, shut the door, and said "now don't you dare come back!" Letting a whole crew of people into an NYC apartment building, where they could just run around and knock on doors and harass my neighbors? I don't think so!

I also live near an "urban ministry," so you'll sometimes see their people roaming the streets, but for the most part it seems to be a fundie-lite place which brings Christian teens to the big city. They'll get on the subway in packs of 20-odd (often it seems like a thing for church youth groups?) and go somewhere other than our actual neighborhood to evangelize.

Not all Americans failed to learn that religion is a private thing--I don't disclose my faith with hardly anyone. (In part, I admit, because it's not very fashionable to have any and my peers are often shockingly judgmental of anyone with religious conviction--but mostly because it's no one's business other than mine.)

[duplessis3]

The Nam Yo Renge Kyo people used to be active in SF> ONe started bugging my friend with "If you chant nam yo renge kyo you can have whatever you want!" She replied "If I chant, will you go away?"

[Katiebug]

I just get the JWs who really don't ever shut up but I love getting the few Mormons who fall into my snareknock on my door. Once after being confined to total bedrest for 6 months, they came knocking. I was a hot mess with 6 months worth of bad bed head, leaking breasts and a body that made the Pillsbury Dough Boy look like a Playgirl center fold. I had a newborn in my arms, a toddler at my feet and 3 other sons drapped randomly over the front porch. I was desperate for adult conversation and after 20-30 minutes they were running down the street trying to escape me with me running behind crying comeback, I have cookies! Good times, good times. :shifty:

I don't mind at all when the Mormons are out. We see them perhaps once or twice a year. They're such polite young men (kids, really) and non-pushy. I make it clear that we're Lutheran and not even remotely interested in the LDS faith, but I'll ask where they're from and offer a bottle of water if it's hot. Last year I was 8 months pregnant when they were going through our neighborhood and they asked my husband if he needed any help with the yard work he was doing - I really think they would have done it, too.

The JW's are insane and pushy. They come around in packs of 10-15 people all crowding onto your front steps and they will not go away. The one time I made the mistake of opening the door to tell them we're not interested, a man moved to block me from closing the door with his body - he actually tried to step into our home. I told him that if he didn't remove himself from my entryway immediately I would be using my pepper spray and calling 911 to have his ass hauled off to jail for trespassing. The asshat moved but flung a Watchtower magazine into the entry and they finally left. Ever since, when we see them going around the neighborhood we just don't go outside (because they'll follow you if you're walking) or answer the door. For some reason they like to go around our neighborhood on roughly a monthly basis!

[Patsy]

Mormon culture values politeness, and you don't need to convert anyone to go to heaven, you are just encouraged to try (by going on mission). If they're not converted, they might still not go to 'hell', they just won't go to superheaven.

While Jehovah's Witnesses have a limited number of people who can go to heaven and actually hang out with God (tens or hundreds of thousands - there are more Jehovah's Witnesses than that now, but wouldn't have been by the first predicted apocalypse), but the rest of JWs get to go to heaven, and I believe non-JWs poof out of existence. Maybe that provides a more urgent logical reasoning. That and I think they're just trained to be more zealous in the first place.

[LIzzieB]

We don't have evangelists in the style of the USA, but we very occasionally (like once a year) have JWs or LDS come knocking. I usually find that a bright, cheerful, "Thankyou very much for coming out, but I'm not interested!" seems to work. I tried the grumpy way and they just tried harder.

We had some JW's doorknock when I was a teenager, and my sister ended up chatting to them for ages because she was too nice to tell them to go the hell away. They kept coming back and asking for her by name for months.

My dad was brought up Roman Catholic and knew many bible verses by heart, so used to engage in bible-sparring matches at the door. If he was feeling particularly naughty, he would invite them in, "because we're just about to start a black mass!" :lol:

The numbers of evangelical Christians seem to be increasing though. There's been some fire and brimstone street preachers in a local pedestrian shopping area, who the council unsuccessfully tried to ban. They turned up at an event I was running where Richard Dawkins was a guest speaker. They wrote Christian slogans all over the footpath, including "Darwin is dead! Jesus lives!" and tried to get people to take their DVDs. If I hadn't been dressed in the event t-shirt with ID, I so would have grabbed one of them to see what they were all about! They knew their rights though, so they were tough to deal with, although I really enjoyed sneaking Mr Dawkins out the back door with a security guard. It felt like something out of a movie. They hung around for AGES afterwards, so I went out and had to break it to them that their quarry had left an hour beforehand. :roll:

[Effie]

We don't have street preachers over here. I'm almost certain they they would be arrested for "offensive behavior" if they stood on the street screaming that homosexuals will burn in hell. Pastors are not allowed to preach that homosexuality is a sin, even in church. (I have mentioned this before, but pastor Åke Green was arrested when he told his congregation that homosexuality was a "deep cancer tumour" on society). Freedom of speech is not about offending or targeting people.

[Triplet3]

The numbers of evangelical Christians seem to be increasing though. There's been some fire and brimstone street preachers in a local pedestrian shopping area, who the council unsuccessfully tried to ban. They turned up at an event I was running where Richard Dawkins was a guest speaker. They wrote Christian slogans all over the footpath, including "Darwin is dead! Jesus lives!" and tried to get people to take their DVDs. If I hadn't been dressed in the event t-shirt with ID, I so would have grabbed one of them to see what they were all about! They knew their rights though, so they were tough to deal with, although I really enjoyed sneaking Mr Dawkins out the back door with a security guard. It felt like something out of a movie. They hung around for AGES afterwards, so I went out and had to break it to them that their quarry had left an hour beforehand. :roll:

If you don't mind me asking, whereabouts do you live (roughly)? I presume from what you say that you're British. I'm from Hertfordshire and have never seen a fire and brimstone preacher, either in my home area or in London. Maybe I just go to the wrong parts of London though...

We do get the odd JW come round, and possibly Mormons too, though I haven't personally encountered a Mormon for ages. I think the last time the JWs came round, about a year ago or so, I just fobbed them off by taking a leaflet (which I later chucked in the bin). They didn't try to argue with me or anything. I don't know if this is true, but I get the impression that in this country they are generally much less pushy than they can be in the US.

[JesusFightClub]

I'm in the UK. We have Mormons and JWs. I've encountered street preachers, mind. But they usually just stand with signs on and play music and they might say a few things but not big rants about gay people, etc, that wouldn't be legal I suspect.

JWs we've had come to the door a few times. My flatmates range from polite "I am sorry, no one in here will be interested" to rude. I normally say "Not interested" and shut the door on them. When I lived at home my dad told them to fuck off and never come back, in those exact words.

Mormons I've seen (the two young guys with their name badges and suits walking along) but not encountered.

[clarinetpower]

I've had JW knock at my door, but they just invited me to an event at their church, with a pamphlet, and politely wished me a good day. They probably said 2 sentences. Not pushy at all. Didn't mind them in the slightest! :)

Mormons have come knocking, but I simply said, "I'm alone with my children and dog, and my husband would not like it if I let strange men into my house. I am sure you understand." They always do. He totally backed me up on this, BTW. He's a sensitive new-age guy Mahayana Buddhist.

And if anyone pushed it, I know my dog would tear their leg off. She's part Chow Chow, and I am her Alpha.

[LIzzieB]

If you don't mind me asking, whereabouts do you live (roughly)? I presume from what you say that you're British. I'm from Hertfordshire and have never seen a fire and brimstone preacher, either in my home area or in London. Maybe I just go to the wrong parts of London though...

I'm from Australia. Street preachers are incredibly rare, although as I said, there's one group who hang around the main shopping precinct in the city centre on Friday nights yelling at the shoppers. There's also a little old man dressed in an army uniform who hands out bibles. He doesn't say anything nor is pushy. I kind of like him.

There does seem to be an increase in "fundie-lites" around, or maybe it's just because I have more contact with them. I have a couple of friends who attend pentecostal style churches (the modern style with big worship bands, lights, AV etc) and bible college. We met through membership of a music group.

[ladypuglover]

I don't mind at all when the Mormons are out. We see them perhaps once or twice a year. They're such polite young men (kids, really) and non-pushy. I make it clear that we're Lutheran and not even remotely interested in the LDS faith, but I'll ask where they're from and offer a bottle of water if it's hot. Last year I was 8 months pregnant when they were going through our neighborhood and they asked my husband if he needed any help with the yard work he was doing - I really think they would have done it, too.

The JW's are insane and pushy. They come around in packs of 10-15 people all crowding onto your front steps and they will not go away. The one time I made the mistake of opening the door to tell them we're not interested, a man moved to block me from closing the door with his body - he actually tried to step into our home. I told him that if he didn't remove himself from my entryway immediately I would be using my pepper spray and calling 911 to have his ass hauled off to jail for trespassing. The asshat moved but flung a Watchtower magazine into the entry and they finally left. Ever since, when we see them going around the neighborhood we just don't go outside (because they'll follow you if you're walking) or answer the door. For some reason they like to go around our neighborhood on roughly a monthly basis!

The ones around here are very pushy, just polite while they do it. I don't why they act so P/A but by the time they reach my house in the extreme back of the town, they are just plain pushy.

I have had the same with JWs even to the point of ordering them off my porch and they saying they wouldn't until I convert.

Why can't a no, thank you stop these people from trying to barge into my home and spend hours trying to convert me and my family? I'm not going to convert to a religion that I would have zero hope of ever going to heaven. I have had a blood transfusion, so I can't go to heaven in the eyes of the JWs I have spoken with, so why bother?

[Triplet3]

I'm from Australia. Street preachers are incredibly rare, although as I said, there's one group who hang around the main shopping precinct in the city centre on Friday nights yelling at the shoppers. There's also a little old man dressed in an army uniform who hands out bibles. He doesn't say anything nor is pushy. I kind of like him.

There does seem to be an increase in "fundie-lites" around, or maybe it's just because I have more contact with them. I have a couple of friends who attend pentecostal style churches (the modern style with big worship bands, lights, AV etc) and bible college. We met through membership of a music group.

Oops, sorry, shouldn't have made assumptions! I think it's really interesting how Australia and the US have such different attitudes towards religion, despite the fact that both are huge countries that were initially colonised (in modern times) mainly by the British. I'm sure there's lots of factors involved, not least the Puritan influence in the US.

[GoJiRa]

There were street preachers in other countries before there was America

[ADoyle90815]

I found one way to get rid of JW's is to wear a t-shirt from a blood drive, they haven't been back since. The Mormons seem to leave me alone even though they have an apartment down the street from me, probably because I once answered the door wearing a bikini top and shorts.

[LIzzieB]

There's no doubt that there were street preachers in other places - I believe in fact, that much of English-language Christian street preaching would have started in the UK... It's just that the UK and Australia seem to have become more secular while the USA is becoming more religious.

The interesting point though is that despite Australia and the US nominally being secular societies, that the attitudes are quite different. I spent 3 weeks in Southern California earlier this year, on a study trip. The university was Lutheran, and having attended a number of Lutheran services with friends or as a musician (we have a big Lutheran population where I live), I thought that I knew what to expect. I was stunned at the involvement of God in EVERYTHING, both at the university and at the local church, where followers were encouraged to proselytise to neighbours, go on missions, and bring as many people into the fold as possible. It made me feel very uncomfortable - a bit like a sitting duck! It was a lot more akin to "fundie-lite" than I would have expected from a fairly traditional denomination.

Having said that, the SoCal Lutherans are an amazingly friendly and generous bunch of people. I was welcomed into their homes as one of the family and they helped me in more ways than I can mention.

[FlorenceHamilton]

No street preachers here in Rural South Carolina. Don't need 'em. EVERYBODY tells the "good news" as part of their daily conversation.

[latraviata]

In Finland religion is considered to be a very very private issue and people get annoyed if opinions are forced to them, even if they are believers themselves. I haven't seen a single Finnish street preacher in my life. Public preaching is a strange concept but there a few and they are usually categorised as village idiots...

I have seen a few silent ones, though. Those who march with signs in their back and chest but they don't say a word, just march around.

Same here in the Netherlands

[anniebgood]

One Sunday when I was at church some JW's came to our door. Now to get to our front door, you have to walk down a long walk, open a gated door and then walk to the patio. They woke up my husband and he was crabby. He put on some shorts and he came to the screen. They wanted to talk to jeff. Jeff doesn't live here anymore.

I told him he could have said, Jeff's still in bed and I don't think he'd want to come out right now.... or he should have gone to the door in all his naked glory and said whaadya want?

I don't think they will come back again. I'm going to get a sign to put on the gate door to go along with the one that says don't worry about the dog, worry about the owner!

I've seen street preachers in downtown LA, and lots of very odd people. Not so much down here.

[Guest Anonymous]

As well as our new street preacher, we do have one local Baptist church that posts a newsletter through the door monthly, and often accompanies this with door-knocking. Those people have such a damn annoying air of entitlement about them that you can hear them approaching from down the street. They talk to each other in booming, jolly 'evangelist' tones of voice and even carry on talking loudly while they are knocking at different doors.

The only good thing about this is that I can safely ignore them and not answer the door, because I always know exactly who is there.

[Patsy]

I'm not going to convert to a religion that I would have zero hope of ever going to heaven. I have had a blood transfusion, so I can't go to heaven in the eyes of the JWs I have spoken with, so why bother?

Have you ever tried telling them that?

[LIzzieB]

It's sort of topic, but coincidentally, relates to my last post on the rise of pentecostal churches in Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-29/p ... es/2812876

You can tell that this kind of worship is still rare in the fact that it's actually news on our national broadcaster's website!

[Topaz]

We get people standing in the city center with a microphone proclaiming something - it isn't always obvious what. Again, in proper British fashion everyone just pretends they aren't there. There are also people, usually elderly men, who give out small leaflets with some Bible verses on. They are usually sweet and not at all pushy. I also once met some mormons who were over from the US on a mission who were very polite but quite insistent. We get the JWs coming to the door but they travel alone or in pairs. They are difficult to get rid of because they keep talking but they aren't pushy like some of the ones mentioned in this thread. You would think they knew they were on to a loser turning up on the vicarage doorstep but they keep coming. It looks quite odd having a copy of the watchtower floating around in our hallway :D

I also get stopped a couple of times a year by the Hari Krishna (?sp) monks who are collecting money to feed the homeless, and usually try to sell me a book as well. At this point I explain I am a Christian and they let me go so I don't know what they would usually do next. Again they are polite but insistent.

[Vex]

We get them in Australia too, but they tend to be far less in-your-face. Some hand out card-sized calendars with their church on the back, some just preach and don't address anyone specifically, some offer Christian newsletters.

I've only ever encountered one 'American Fundy-Style' preacher. He was preaching on a bus on the morning commute. I took out one of my uni books on human evolution and began reading that out loud too. He began yelling over me and he followed me off the bus and into the university. I led him towards the campus security office and he finally backed off. On the bus, everyone was ignoring him until I spoke up. Some awesome people applauded me. Apparently they were regulars familiar with the preacher and didn't appreciate being lectured at on their way to work/school.