I was just visited by the Jehovah's Witnesses!

[Nothing2CHere]

I'm home on maternity leave, windows and doors wide open, when I noticed two older men in suits and hats walking up my neighbor's driveway. Next thing I knew, my doorbell was ringing too. Jehovah's Witnesses! The men were very polite, and since I was holding my newborn they didn't keep me long, and I just smiled and nodded and took their literature so i could get back to feeding my baby (I'm bottle-feeding, but too bad I wasn't breast feeding or I could have answered the door with him attached to me :twisted: )

So the literature was the most recent copy of The Watchtower, as well as a copy of Awake! which has the cover story "Is your food really safe?" What has me worried is that they commented that they're around the neighborhood often. Am I going to need to keep my house shut up for the rest of my leave?

If anyone's interested in any of the articles from the literature, let me know and i can transcribe some of them if LittleBabyNothing decides to nap.

[snarkbillie]

If they are bothering you just ask them to take you off the list of visits next time they come by. It's worked for me with Mormons and JWs. The more politely you ask the better it works.

[ElphabaGalinda]

Can you see the front door from a window? I can and if I see it's Jehova's Witnesses, I just don't answer and eventually they go away. If they do come often you'll probably learn what they look like.

I'd love to see some of those articles, if you have time! Jehova's Witnesses once gave me a pamphlet about why abortion is evil, I don't know why. The Watchtower can have some hillarious articles. Great snarking possibilities:)

[Sola]

I'm home on maternity leave, windows and doors wide open, when I noticed two older men in suits and hats walking up my neighbor's driveway. Next thing I knew, my doorbell was ringing too. Jehovah's Witnesses! The men were very polite, and since I was holding my newborn they didn't keep me long, and I just smiled and nodded and took their literature so i could get back to feeding my baby (I'm bottle-feeding, but too bad I wasn't breast feeding or I could have answered the door with him attached to me :twisted: )

So the literature was the most recent copy of The Watchtower, as well as a copy of Awake! which has the cover story "Is your food really safe?" What has me worried is that they commented that they're around the neighborhood often. Am I going to need to keep my house shut up for the rest of my leave?

If anyone's interested in any of the articles from the literature, let me know and i can transcribe some of them if LittleBabyNothing decides to nap.

If they come back in the next few weeks, have your boob hanging out anyway, they don't know you are bottle feeding :twisted:

[Avalondaughter]

A JW tried to talk to me at the train station once. She asked me if I was concerned about what was going on in the world and if I was afraid of what was happening and did I worry about the world being too messed up or some such thing.

I told her no. She was shocked.

I then went on to say that the world has always been messed up. I said I could have it much worse. I could be a medieval peasant or live in Nazi Germany. I said that everyone thinks the world they live in is the most messed up world ever.

She left me alone after that.

[geniebelle6901]

I don't even bother letting them in. The last time one knocked on my door, my feline headship started hissing and was ready to chase them off the premises. For whatever reason, those that knocked on my door hate cat. I've never had Mormons knock on my door, though.

[Jessica]

You might want to invest in some nice thick curtains.

[lilwriter85]

A friend of mine was a SAHM for a couple of years when her sons were toddlers. She had two JW sisters who went to her house several times. My friend didn't mind being friendly with them in the beginning, but over time they annoyed her. The JW sisters stopped going to my friend's house because one day friend's hubby was home and he answered the door to them and told them not to come back. The last time a JW came to my house was maybe 1 or 2 years ago. I work mostly of out of my home and one day I went to a work related meeting. I came home and I was getting stuff out of the car and two women approached me in my driveway. They were polite and they gave me a copy of The Watchtower and a copy of pamphlet that was titled "Evils of Technology" or something like that. I think they could tell I wasn't interested and they left.

Since JWs haven't come to my door, but I do think they might have come to my neighborhood when I haven't been home. I wouldn't worry too much about them going to your house again. They might end up going at times when you aren't home. I have heard some JWs do take breaks from going to certain neighborhoods. In the town I grew up in, there were four or five JW families and often times people recognized their vehicles and many people in the town admitted to not answering their doors to JWs.

At this point, don't worry too much about them going back, the thing I would worry about is the possibility of encountering an aggressive JW. If polite JWs visited my home again it wouldn't irritate me too much.

Also congrats on your baby.

[Jessica]

They were polite and they gave me a copy of The Watchtower and a copy of pamphlet that was titled "Evils of Technology" or something like that.

Were the pamphlets hand-written?

[lilwriter85]

Were the pamphlets hand-written?

They weren't hand-written. The technology pamphlet was well designed and it had pictures of smart phones, laptops, and video game consoles. I read through the pamphlet once, it made some good points about people being addicted to texting and video games etc.

[Godlesspanther-2-]

I had a pair of Mormon missionaries stop by the other day. I had a conversation with the boys and told them why I do not believe in any sort of deity, why the most rational conclusion is that all religions are merely the expression of human imagination, and I believe that supernatural explanations are not adequate.

I highly doubt that the two of them tossed their Books of Mormon and Holy Bibles in in the circular file and picked up some Dawkins and Sagan after that -- but I did get them thinking.

The JWs have not stopped by for a couple of years. Last time a pair did, a man and a woman, middle-aged, and I offered them a glass of Merlot. I was listening to Sonny Rollins and drinking wine -- they declined my invitation to join me.

Many years ago the Seventh Day Adventists did the door-to-door gig, but I have not seen them for 20? 30? years? I don't know, but I suspect that they discontinued the door-knocking.

I see no reason to be mean to them, they just do what they feel they ought to according to the leaders of their cult. It appears that I scare them away with my intellectual prowess.

Or is it the gorilla suit?

[Deleted03]

If you're polite with them they will go away (at least in my experience). I usually say, thank you but I am not interested, have a good day!

[tacky]

The Mormons come around here every so often. They're always very nice and polite. I tell them I already have a church and they thank me, hand me a pamphlet, and leave.

[fakepigtails73]

The JWs (2 women) came to my place last year. I politely told them that I wasn't interested, and they removed me from their list. I actually saw one of the girls cross my adress from their sheet, and I haven't been disturbed since. Never had any LDS missionaries ring my place. Now salesmen selling magazine subscribtions, on the other hand...They are the most annoying!

I wonder how many converts do the JW and LDS get by going door-to-door?

[Squeaky]

I wonder how many converts do the JW and LDS get by going door-to-door?

I don't think it's very many, but I remember reading a while back that (at least for Mormons), the 2 years of required missionary time is really more to solidify the faith of the people doing it--they don't convert too many people, but they come back convicted as hell, apparently.

[doggie]

A JW tried to talk to me at the train station once. She asked me if I was concerned about what was going on in the world and if I was afraid of what was happening and did I worry about the world being too messed up or some such thing.

I told her no. She was shocked.

I then went on to say that the world has always been messed up. I said I could have it much worse. I could be a medieval peasant or live in Nazi Germany. I said that everyone thinks the world they live in is the most messed up world ever.

She left me alone after that.

so how are they going to fix it all that's what you should ask. Are they going to pray the bad away or better yet witness it to death?

[Nothing2CHere]

Our house has been visited by religious solicitors before (not sure what denomination they were), but usually it was during colder weather and we saw them approaching and just ignored the door. But since today I had the house wide-open with the TV on, it was harder to just ignore them. They weren't very pushy at all, though, and yea for the newborn, which caused much gushing. Although they may try to send some of their "sisters" to my house if they visit again, since the one man made a comment about how their "sisters" are always willing to help out with children.

Oooh, I don't have to retype any of the articles, I found a bunch of them online here! readwatchtowerandawake.blogspot.com/

I also wanted to share this article from Awake! called "Young People Ask, Are we just friends - or more?" and found not just a copy of the article online, but with snark commentary, too! http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchto ... snarkiness

[Sunnichick31]

FYI they DON"T like it when you turn the tables on them and try to convert them to your religion. True story. Never saw them again though! :D :lol:

[holothuroidea]

I am a SAHM, and in my old apartment complex there was a pair of mormons who came by often. The lady was older and had a cane, so I always invited them in to rest. Sometimes they would even stay for lunch. Of course I got all the literature (and read it afterwords, shaking my head, lol) but we did spend a lot of time talking about Jesus, and the Bible, and religion but also about babies and things.

One day she asked me what church I belonged to and I told her I was an athiest and I think I broke her heart. She was very upset, and was so sure that I had to be a Christian because I was so "generous and hospitable." I really shocked her. She knew that I knew a lot about the Bible and the religion, and she didn't have any ammunition for conversion.

They never came back to visit after that. I guess my generosity and hospitality was no longer enough to be considered good company.

For the most part, though, they really genuinely believe they are on a mission for good, to seek out people and make sure they are saved. They want everyone to go to heaven, I think, and they worry about good people ending up in hell because they aren't saved.

[BelieveinScience]

If you had a no soliciting sign on your door would the JW/mormons etc.. ignore it?

[ExCatholic]

Oooh, I don't have to retype any of the articles, I found a bunch of them online here! readwatchtowerandawake.blogspot.com/

I also wanted to share this article from Awake! called "Young People Ask, Are we just friends - or more?" and found not just a copy of the article online, but with snark commentary, too! http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchto ... snarkiness

Well I know what I'm doing tonight!

I'm kind of jealous. There is a JW temple right down my street, so when we moved in two years ago we mentally prepared what we'd say to them. No visits yet though. How am I going to expand my pamphlet collection if no one tries to convert me?

[Jessica]

If you had a no soliciting sign on your door would the JW/mormons etc.. ignore it?

YES.

eta - Last summer after I left "the Morg" I put a no-soliciting sign on my door. 2 weeks after I put it up, I already had 4 copies of that "Daughters in My Kingdom" book, 2 visiting teaching lists, and an invitation to a baby shower for someone in the ward dropped on my doorstep.

[Sprocket]

If you had a no soliciting sign on your door would the JW/mormons etc.. ignore it?

You need one of these:

[Sprocket]

Or in vinyl if you prefer...

[BelieveinScience]

You need one of these:

Thats funny. It's totally what I was aiming at too. I've never had mormons/JW knock at my door.