Do you shut the door on Jehovah's witnesses?

Miraculously, two of them just found my house.  I listened to what they had to say, took their magasine articles, and told them when they could stop by to discuss these articles with me again.

In my youth I would simply not answer the doors when I suspected Jehovah's witnesses because I was one of those obnoxious, angsty, closed-minded teenagers.

These days I figure these people just want to be heard and express their beliefs.  I believe they believe in what they do, but I don't necessarily believe in it, too.  I will listen if you catch me in a good enough mood.

A little contradictory to some of my past statements, but humour me here.

So the question stands, if you see Jehovah's witnesses lurking in your neighborhood, do you shut the door, close the curtains, and pretend to not be home or do you listen to what they have to say and pray with them?

I don't get many Jehovah's Witnesses here but I get a lot of random Christians. Someone spots me in the neighborhood and sends a couple of the English speaking members of their church to my apartment (not sure how they knew eactly what apartment was mine). I had a couple of people come to my house at 10p the other night. I only answered the door because I thought it was my co-worker who lives above me. I was being polite and listening and was going to take the magazines they had until she started saying that the people in China and Myanmar, etc had these disasters happen to them because the end is coming.
I laughed and told her no thank you and to please not come back to my apartment.

When I lived in the States, I'd be polite and just tell them I already belonged to a church and was not looking to change.

That's what these magasine articles are about.  Are all of these naturale disasters God's way of saying, "This is the end!" and is it because of our sins.

Oh, how cute.  There's a little activity in these books, but you need a bible to do them.  Damn.

unless it's a kid selling chocolate, i'm pretty abrupt with any stranger who knocks on my door.  if i wanted what they're selling, i know where to find it.  if i'm out-and-out rude to the JWs, it's only because they tend to show up on saturday mornings when i'm in my pajamas, unshowered, and being a bum.

I don't not answer my door... I don't accept there religious materials, I just politely tell them I'm not interested, I have a church home and to please not come back....... if they say anything else after that then I just close the door.

I'm equal opportunity.  I don't open the door for anyone unless it's one of my neighbors or someone I otherwise know when I look out the peep hole.  I'm not trying to be mean, but there is too much crime, and I'm usually home alone with my toddler when people ring my doorbell.  A few months ago, a few streets over, two men dressed as construction workers rang a doorbell, the nanny let the kids answer the door, and the "construction workers" tied them up and stole a lot of their stuff.  You never know who you're opening your door to, so I just don't open it. 

Thanks to cecilyb03's story I'm going to start answering the door with a rifle in my hands.

I answer the door when they come by and greet them. Right away after their opening lines I tell them my mom is JW. And if and when I'm ready for "the truth" I'll can get it from her :) I say this nicely and they get the message. I believe JWs keep records of responses so they don't waste too much time going around again...

They will be glad to lend you a bible to do those activities CD!

Yeah, but I don't know how to read a bible.  I tried it once before.  The way they word their sentences confused the hell out of me.

I like it when they come. My whole family is atheist, (me too,) but religions fascinate me. If someone is willing to explain their religion to me patiently and help me understand it, I'm delighted. 

 

Moly, you should get a story bible. They read like a kid's book, much easier on the brain than the Old Testament. 

hee hee, the JW bible is made to be easy to read!! Plus they will work with you to study it :)

Ehh...  Eventually I want to have a decent understanding of as many religions as possible, just for **** and giggles, and incase our kids some day have questions on religions, we can answer them.  I'll probably some day get a bible, but for now I'll focus on picking HK's brain about Jewish...ness?  Jewishy?

I'm always polite. even when I don't want to be. I tell them I can't talk because I left my 3 year old alone upstairs (I live in a 3 flat), but that doesn't seem to matter, and they always continue talking, and I continue being polite until they leave.

I grew up in a very strict christian household. I've shaken off every thing strict about it, but i still hold some core beliefs. If heaven truly had only a few thousand spaces, they'd be full by now.

Everyone has a right to their own beliefs, but don't vomit your nonsense all over me, I just had this cleaned.

well, a Jehovah's witness has never come to my door, but I'd probably close it on them.

Living in AZ we actually get more LDS than JW folks knocking on the door.  But there was one Saturday my dog was going crazy barking at someone outside in the front yard I saw this elderly man hunched over and hardly able to walk ( reminded me of that characer Arte Johnson played on Laugh In) I swear it took him a good 3 minutes to get from the street to my door then he just laid the Watch tower on the step and walked away I was so afraid he'd fall over the rocks in my yard and sue me.  I think maybe if the dog hadn't barked so bad he might have rang the bell. 

I don't like door to door sales no matter if they are pushing religion or magazines or even the girl scouts.

The best way to handle them I think is to say that you're busy.  At that point, if they're polite, they'll get the hint, give you their literature, try and make a few more paltry attempts at getting in the house, and then leave.  We did this so many times that we actually trained our jehova's witnesses.  As soon as we opened the door, they would say, "Well, we know you're busy, but here's the latest issue of whatever their magazine was" and leave.  It took about two years though, lol. 

You don't have to listen to them if you don't want to.  I know that you want to be polite, but if you have interest in what they have to say, and don't want to convert, then you're just wasting their time, as well as yours.

I have first hand knowledge of JWs and their practices.   If you tell them "please do not call on my house again" they have to write it down on a paper record as "do not call" and your house will be removed from their list.  Also, if you put a "no trespassing" sign up they are instructed to not tresspass onto your property.  If you do not answer the door they will keep coming back to try to speak with you.  Answer the door and specifically tell them not to return if you do not want them to return.  If you hide and don't answer the door, they mark down on a piece of paper "not at home" and will try to return on another day. 

I have a sign on my door.  The pastor down the road converted two of them. That was cool!  Don't come to my house selling stuff or call me on the phone.  Everytime I take a nap or get in the shower the phone rings. I'm unplugging it for now on.

Don't really get very many around here, but when they do appear.....yes I do.

I actually had some visit my house yesterday.  I pointed out the "No Soliciting" sign and told them to get off my property.  I can't stand religion pushers.

I used to like to mess with them. Once as a teen I debated a JW for over an hour until she finally got flustered and left.

One time in my early 20's I was visiting a friend. She was lesbian and the guy upstairs had given her his old playboy magazines to look at. We saw the JW's coming around the complex. The door was open with no screen. We took the mags and spread them out all over in front of the door. Then the two of us sat real close together on the couch holding hands. When they came up to the apartment door and saw us, we pretended to kiss each other. Then one of them looked down. Then the other looked down. Then they both looked at us again. Their faces were so red they looked sunburned. They turned around real fast and left. We laughed til we cried.

Any more, I just answer the door and tell them I'm not interested and I never will be interested. If they try to insist, I tell them I'm a witch and I'll put a spell on them. They tend to leave pretty quickly after I say that.