How do you handle religious solicitors?

[Bubblegum *sugarless*]

About twice a month 2 very sweet, older women come to my door singing the praises of their religion. Being polite, and easy to walk all over, I'm always stuck listening. Even though I have told them I have my own church I attend (okay basically for funerals and weddings). They still insist they are just trying to "spread the good word" to everyone. Since Sept. 11th, their visits have become more insistent.

Does it pay to actually be rude to them? I don't want to piss anyone off, but when they show up at 5:30 on a Wednesday afternoon, it kind gets me pissed.

How do you handle it?

 

[SweetCherry]

I haven't had to deal with them in ages. I remember when I was younger, about 10, my mom would make me answer the door and tell them she was sleeping and didn't feel well. They rarely would talk to a little kid. After a while, we would just pretend nobody was home. Hard to do tho with little kids.

 

[Cheyenne]

They usually try to get me on Saturday mornings. I use the same approach with everyone- religious recruiters, etc. I look through the peep hole in my front door to see who is standing there ringing my doorbell. If I don't recognize them as anyone I know, I don't answer the door. Just because your doorbell rings doesn't mean you have to answer it.

 

[crystalhunting]

Tell them this in a low tone and with a smile.

I have tried to be nice ladies,but if you cannot take the hint..I will call the police and report you for tresspassing.


If that doesnt work.....find out which church they represent..and call em and say roughly the same thing in regards to their members.

Like most buisnesses they usually have capable administrators that will take care of it.


There are other ways....but they arent very nice.


CH

 

[Willing and Unsure]

put a sign on the door that says you dont believe in paper.. that will probably confuse them more than anything.

just like telling a telemarketer that you dont believe in plastic works really well too.

 

[Marxist]

Be honest and tell them you're not only not interested in what they have to say, but believe that they're damned for not believing in the right God. Slam door.

 

[TN_Vixen]

A friend of mine

used to say several different things. We have a plethora of Jehova's Witnesses down here for some reason and they are constantly knocking on doors. He would say several things:

"I'll save you some time. There is no God and the sooner you realize it, the better you'll be. Good day."

"Listen, can we talk later, I'm about to perform the monthly sacrifice?"

"I AM one of you, didn't you get the memo?"

...... heh

Maybe this comes off better in person?

 

[Elizabeth]

"Get the fuck off my porch!" works pretty well for me. We get the JW's often because their Kingdom Hall is just down the street. I use to be much nicer about it but they became pests. I haven't really had any other religous groups knock on my door. To them I am polite, say I'm not interested and buh-bye.

 

[AZoutdoors]

ISET MY DOGS LOOSE ON EM......A GERMAN SOLICITERS......A GERMAN SHEPARD......A PUREBRED CHOW.....THAT USUALLY WORKS [/COLOR]

 

[Phoenyx]

WE have a sign on our front door that says Jehovas witnesses not welcome on the premisess in Greek and English (Cause those bastards send the greek ones after us). Underneaththere is a cross.

We havent been bothered in years.

 

[Pokerman]

Tell them that your religion is the one true religion, and you have some literature that they should read...

 

[Cheyenne]

I still say not answering the door works well. It isn't any different than using caller ID on your phone. You don't have to see or talk to anyone that you don't want to!

 

[Mischka]

That works very well, Cheyenne, unless you have a large cut glass insert in the middle of your front door. Then, try as hard as you might to ignore them after they've spotted you inside, they will simply stand there and keep knocking until you answer. When they are that persistent, I would open the door, smile, and say, "Thank you, but my own mind is my own church." It's a quote from Thomas Paine from the Age of Reason.

 

[teresafannin]

I have a "No Soliciting of Any Kind" sign posted on my door. Even when the door is open for the cat to run in & out, the sign is still visible. One of my friends used to tell them she was a Satanist & they could explain their views to her, but only if she could then explain her views to them. It was really funny.

 

[Cheyenne]

That works very well, Cheyenne, unless you have a large cut glass insert in the middle of your front door. Then, try as hard as you might to ignore them after they've spotted you inside, they will simply stand there and keep knocking until you answer. [/i].

I'd let them stand there and knock all day long if they wanted to. In fact, I'd turn on the tv, sit down to watch, and make sure they could see me sitting in my living room ignoring them.

Of course, I'm also one of those people who is saying "I'm not interested" and hanging up the phone as I can hear the sales pitch person still talking at me. Nothing better than hearing that "click" of the phone turning off while the salesperson is in mid-sentence.

 

[Bubblegum *sugarless*]

LOL.

A lot of great ideas.

I have the same problem in ignoring them, since most of the time my front door is wide open as my oldest runs in and out.

I'm gonna do something to keep them from coming back. Actually, I may try the No Soliciting sign.

 

[Marxist]

I'd let them stand there and knock all day long if they wanted to. In fact, I'd turn on the tv, sit down to watch, and make sure they could see me sitting in my living room ignoring them.

Of course, I'm also one of those people who is saying "I'm not interested" and hanging up the phone as I can hear the sales pitch person still talking at me. Nothing better than hearing that "click" of the phone turning off while the salesperson is in mid-sentence.

YES YES YES!!! Hanging up on sales people is very fundamental to quiet around the house.

 

[p_p_man]

Depends on my mood...

If I'm feeling particularly bloody minded I say I'm a Satanist which usually shocks them into silence. But if I've got the time and fancy a chat and a cup of tea I invite them in and settle down for a decent argument. Problem with the last solution is that after 1/2 hour they usually can't wait to get away.

 

[batter]

they can be a pain in the ass cant they?
this worked at my other house.
i had a sign outside on the mailbox which is right beside the front door. it says in HUGE letters...NO..and in smaller ones "door to door salesman , agents OR preachers!"

if they still knock i open the door, look at the sign and say loudly, "Yep, it is still there" and close the door.

it didnt let me down.

 

[Thomas Paine]

Polite firmness is usually the best approach for me. I try to recognize that phone solicitors and door-to-door pests are just doing their jobs but I am not obligated to listen to them. "Thank you. I have my own beliefs/I'm really not interested..." followed by movement of the door toward closure usually does it.

However, if the same people are coming to your house twice a month on a regular basis, that rises above proselytization and approaches harassment. If it were me, next time they showed up I'd tell them politely that they have bothered me once too often and I want the recruitment campaign to stop. If that didn't work, a to-the-point letter or visit with the ranking clergy of the church in question would be my next step. After that, land mines...*g*

 

[Bubblegum *sugarless*]

After that, land mines...*g*

The ultimate solution.

 

[Todd]

Tell them this in a low tone and with a smile.

I have tried to be nice ladies,but if you cannot take the hint..I will call the police and report you for tresspassing.

If that doesnt work.....find out which church they represent..and call em and say roughly the same thing in regards to their members.

Like most buisnesses they usually have capable administrators that will take care of it.

There are other ways....but they arent very nice.
CH

That is the best advice that I use with such said circumstances. If the church is responsible enough you will be taken off the visitation list.

If they are not sponsored by said church then go to the local authorities, and report them and thier visits.

If they persist after both then start pressing charges.

 

[Gilly Bean]

Next time you talk to them, ask when they will be stopping by again. If they want, actually schedual an appointment.

Then, before they get there, put on some form of a witches costume, dress only. Make it look real, and not like a halloween rip-off.

Then, rat your hair all around your head, make it realllllly big and messy looking.

After that, put on white face paint, blend it in really good, and add black eyeshadow and lipstick for effect.

Take some fake blood and give your face the splatter effect.

Then, kindly tell them that they have interupted your ceremony for sacrificing small furry critters to pagen gods, and that you still need to dance merrily around thier flaming corpses. Ask politly that they wait a few minutes, and you will be back to talk to them while the corpses are being burned for dinner.

If they don't run after that, I don't know WHAT to tell you.



Seriously though, I am the same as you. I can NOT tell em to go away. I just sit there, smile and nod. One time, at our old apartment, we had this really nice younger girl come to the door. She was probably my age. Before long, I was having her and some of her friends over once a week for a leangthy bible discussion. All because I couldn't say no. That didn't last long though, I just started making sure I wasn't at home when they were schedualed to come over.

 

[WriterDom]

I invite them in and have them sit down. Then I pull a mannequin head that has been dipped in red food coloring out of the closet and ask if they'll be joining us for dinner. By the time I start the chain saw up, they are usually long gone.

 

[lobito]

who handles them?

I actually just had two come to the door not more than 10 minutes ago. I can tell when two people come to the front door with bibles in their hands, that they aren't here to make MY life better. It may make them happy, but I've got enough religion in my life when my sister comes to visit, and even then, I'm ready to kick her out when she get's all religious on us.

I do however know someone in the neighborhood that simply opens the door, and tells them that Satan loves them. that seems to work pretty well, but I don't have the heart to do that. I just don't even open the door.