How do you discourage religious solicitations to your home?

[demnan]

The Watch Tower folks came again yesterday. I wasn't here this time so they just left their shit on the door. When I say "shit" I mean their stupid little pamplet about the end of the world. Well I've printed up a sign that says, "NO RELIGIOUS SOLICITATIONS" to put on the door but will that help, really? I mean the last time they were here I told them, "There's no hope I can't be saved and shut the door." What do I have to do to get rid of these creeps?

It seems that Woodbridge, Virginia has a whole raft of religious black conservatives who canvass for Republicans and deliver Watch Tower to my door. I've seen them on election day and I see them now. How do I reach them? How do WE reach them?

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. My neighbor would play some nice death metal when they arrived.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Put a Pentagram on your door.

And goat's blood.

[SCDem]

3. Live in a condo complex

on side of the little drive into the complex it says no solicitors. Does the job well!

[bahrbearian]

4. Rottwielers seem to work pretty well.

[RebelOne]

43. You are right about that.

I have a Rottie and the fundies pass up my house.

[bahrbearian]

61. As soon as I got my "Devil Dogs" they passed me up to.

I love the big gullets.

[mhr]

5. Don't Open The Door!

eom

[CO Liberal]

6. When They Come to MY Door....

...I show them the pentagram pendant I wear around my neck, tell them I'm not interested in their bullshit, and close the door.

[madison2000]

7. Huge "beware of dog" signs discourage solicitation of all kinds

and dismantling the doorbell helps you ignore them

[2Design]

8. bill maher says - religion is a neurological disorder - that fits

most today - so many want to shove their religion down your throat
we have the bush christians against bin laden muslims
fundamentalists are the worse case of cultism that I have seen -
then we have kkk and other such groups who are also very sick

they all need therapists to help unbrainwash them

[underpants]

9. Ask them if they have a Bible with them-ask them to open it

http://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/B40C006.htm

The Book of Matthew


5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.


6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

[Cadence]

41. Verily, verily, verily life is but a dream...

I don't understand what that number 5 is saying.


5 So when you pray, you should not be as the hypocrites are: they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, so that other men may see them. I say unto you, they have their reward.

What does it mean by reward? The reward of hypocrisy?

[underpants]

45. Not being a Biblical scholar.....

let me offer my reading of this

They will have their own reward while those who pray without others to see will be rewarded openly.

Basically those (the hypocrites) have a reward of their own-self satisfaction or self promotion. Verse 6 says that those who pray for the purpose of prayer and faith/obedience to the Lord will be rewarded BY GOD. God prefers the latter (verse 6)

That is my take on it.

[Cadence]

48. Oh o.k. that's what I was thinking

their own self-satisfaction or self-promotion... but I had to check.

Tricky business trying to understand that language. Thanks.

[LDS Jock]

46. that has nothing to do with sharing the gospel

and it doesn't mean what you are implying either. In context, what the message is about is vain repetitions of prayers in public for the desire to be seen. It does not mean there shouldn't be public prayers. And it certainly does not mean the gospel shouldn't be shared with others.

Also from Matthew, Chapter 28, verse 19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

[calico1]

10. Tell them you are sorry you can't wait on them

because you will be late for your satanic worship meeting.

[Silverhair]

11. Jehovah Witness are non-political.

It is against their religion to even vote. http://quotes.watchtower.ca/vote.htm

You may have noticed that it is always a different team that visits, so whatever you tell one team will not make any difference as the next team won't be told.

I am always polite to them. It doesn't hurt to be polite.

[barackmyworld]

15. oh great, a rule that says you can't vote

how...citizenly of them

[Silverhair]

19. That is their freedom. NT

[LincolnMcGrath]

28. I work closely with a witness everyday.

He is one of the nicest, most decent human beings I have ever met.

Please treat JWs the way you would like to be treated when you are pounding the ground for the next Dem candidate.

[LDS Jock]

47. thank you!

this is the most respectful post I've ever read on this subject on DU. I'm not a JW, but I respect them for their devotion. You make a great point.

[ernstbass]

64. Ask the JW's how they feel about gays

[Redstone]

12. I take off all my clothes

before opening the door.

Redstone

[Bridget Burke]

13. There's a window in my door...

There are serious security reasons not to open the door without seeing who's out there.

If the visitors appear to be solicitors (but not ax murderers), I'll open the door & stick my head out. Then, I'll smile & say a quick "No, thank you" before shutting (not slamming) the door. No need to be rude, but no need to waste anybody's time.

[goju]

14. How bout ask them nicely

Not to come back, and to tell others the same. When all else fails, be nice. Youd be surprised what an impact a calm voice and pleasant demeanor can have on people. :shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. They all go in the basement, with the rest of 'em

[LincolnMcGrath]

29. lol

[MountainLaurel]

17. A secure entrance on our condo building

Don't have a swipe card or someone specific to call to buzz you in? -- CAN'T GET IN!

[CottonBear]

18. Answer the door wrapped only in a towel

or better yet just answer the door naked! My good friend used this method (towel) to get rid of some Jehovahs Witnesses. I should mention that this was their third visit and my friend is very short and very plump! She made the mistake of talking to them the first two times. They just wouldn't take "no, I'm not interested" for an answer.

[DBoon]

32. I did this once in college

It was a secured apartment building. The only time the door bell rang was when my upstairs neighbor wanted to get high. I assumed it was him that time, and found a group of totally mortified middle aged black women instead.

they never came back

[liberalmuse]

20. I just tell them I'm atheist...

to them, it's akin to saying I'm a satanist and eat live babies for breakfast. Of course there were those persistant Mormon missionaries a couple weeks ago who considered me a challenge. After telling them I was atheist, they suggested I pray and ask god if their church was true. Then they gave me a picture of Aryian Jesus. I mean. Fuck.

[RebelOne]

44. That's doesn't work with the fundies in my area.

It just makes them all the more determined to save my soul.

[flvegan]

21. 130 pounds of Great Dane on my side of the door usually does it.

He's not a "when you're in the street" barker. He's a "when you come on my porch" barker. I've actually SEEN him scare the bejeebus outta the solicitors.

Now, when I get someone approach me in my yard, and they INSIST on leaving me literature, I accept, on the condition they take some of mine...and I hand them a copy of "Why Vegan?"

[Coastie for Truth]

22. LDSers

I like LDSers (Mormons) at work and in community activities (my cubicle mate my first year in the Coast Guard was an LDSer - and my two best bosses were LDSers).

But I do feel that anybody who proselytizes at my door is really insulting my faith.

I try to be cordial and civil. And I offer a "Let's trade" - Chabad Lubavitch tracts for LDS tracts - and we have a good laugh.

The last LDSer team who came, I got them diverted onto why Sen Reid will be a good Senate Minority Leader (which got into a polite discussion on stem cell research -- more polite then some DU fora).

[tjwmason]

65. Agree about the L.D.S.

They're frequently in my local town centre, they politely ask shoppers if they have time (they always avoid mothers with hoards of children &c.) and always take no for an answer.

I've had a couple of chats with them, and made it clear from the beginning that I'm a Catholic, they were always respectful of that. Fascinating chat (didn't help that they were pretty gorgeous too, let's be honest), and I gratefully accepted a free copy of the Book of Mormon.

[SkipNewarkDE]

23. Make out with another man...

... as I open the door, in my underwear. It pretty much scares them off.

[demnan]

26. ANOTHER man?

God, I'd be glad to make out with just one!

[demnan]

24. These were all great ideas, thank you

My condo doesn't have a no solicitations sign, sadly.

I like the part about reading from the bible. Maybe I'll keep one by the door with that passage bookmarked. And if all else fails I'll start removing my clothes . . .

It must be different groups some deliver the Watch Tower, the Republican bunch must just be evanglistic Christians who do believe in political activism. Thanks for the info.

[Drifter]

25. My neighbors have a sign on their door ...

that reads.

No Soliciting
No Witnessing
No Kidding

I'll bet it works.

Cheers
Drifter

[DBoon]

27. a large Virgin of Guadelupe mural might work

seriously, once we put a small fence with a locked gate in our front, we haven't been bothered at all

[Samurai_Writer]

30. I grab my Satanic bible...

put on my upside down cross pendant, and open the door. I then tell them I will join their church if they join mine. Scares them off really well... have not had a solicitation in years. I'm probably on some 'watch list' of evangelicals somewhere. LOL

Peace,
Bella, who is really an atheist.

[Skittles]

31. I don't see any need to be rude to them

I think they mean well so I just tell them no thank you. I do get tired of "Christians" whining about "persecution" - they should try it from the other side; they have no freaking idea how annoying they are.

[Joe Power]

33. For Jehovah Witnesses, a Bible usually scares them off

For actual Bible-thumpers, I use a firm "no thanks" and just shut the door.

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. I politely say that I am all set with my spirituality, thanks anyway

[no name no slogan]

35. If they're Witnesses, they DON'T canvass for Repubs

...or Dems, or any other party for that matter. The Jehovah's Witnesses are "non-political" and pacifists, too. They do not vote, do not salute the flag, and do not serve in the military. Therefore, it's impossible for them to be canvassing for Republicans.

I work with a couple and they're just normal people, except very religious. I've even had decent discussions about religion with them. They respect my opinion, and I respect theirs.

If you don't want their stuff, just tell them so. They'll go away. If they leave it at your door, just toss it.

It's really that simple! :)

[Mr. McD]

36. Fortunately our local JW's only want speak with people who speak Spanish.

Once they find out we don't speak the language they leave. All others a polite "I wouldn't be interested thank you" sends them on there way.

[jswordy]

37. 3 dogs in a fenced yard works for me...if they do catch you...

...out in the yard or something, just tell them you love Jesus and thank them for coming, then go back to what you were doing. I used to invite them over to participate in a sweat lodge, but that just egged them on as they tried to save me. So now when they do catch me outside, I just tell them I love Jesus and am saved, and thanks for the booklet. (And the books are very useful to help start my woodstove fires.)

[guitar man]

38. 80 lb Pit Bull

works wonders. :evilgrin:

[RubyDuby in GA]

39. By putting this right next to your doorbell:

http://www.evolvefish.com/fish/stickers.html

I did and haven't been bothered since :)

[AllegroRondo]

50. I had one of those!

when I lived in Texas.

and I would still get the occasional weirdo who thought it didn't apply to them.

[RubyDuby in GA]

59. What I love about it is

that you can see the great big smile on the sticker. One more giant fuck off to the people who like to wake me up at 8am on a Saturday.

[Ellen Forradalom]

40. "No thanks, we're Jews."

n/t

[ZenLefty]

62. Same with us Buddhists

They just look at their feet and walk slowly away. Kinda weird.

[arwalden]

42. We Have A Plastic Engraved "NO CHRISTIANS !!" Sign.

It works wonders!

[progressivejazz]

49. I simply say...

"Please leave my property--immediately."

Years ago I tried to reason with them. It doesn't work. They are not reasonable.

Luckily I've been home the few times they've come around, so I haven't had to deal with their literature. Guess I'd deal with it like junk mail.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

51. Ask them if they'd like to fuck

[no name no slogan]

52. Invite them in for some crack cocaine (n/t)

[China_cat]

53. We haven't had any in a long time.

Probably because of this

[fit4life]

54. STUDY!

Learn about them, then invite them in and make it the most painful visit they've ever had. After a couple of visits, I can guarantee they'll blacklist your address.

[Reverend_Smitty]

55. One time a pack of Mormons descended on my house...

My grandfather was home with me at the time. I learned that day that my grandfather was quite the biblical scholar. I guess 12 years of Catholic education will do that to you, and the fact that nobody could beat him in an argument. He talked circles around these kids, pointing out a bunch of logical fallacies, it was great. Needless to say they never came back to our house again. He did the same thing with the Jehovah's Wittinesses.

[Blue-Jay]

56. A shotgun works.

[amazona]

57. I don't open the door and please remove that sign

My good friend who used to sell door-to-door said that his hopes always popped up when he saw a "No Solicitation" sign because he assumes the person knows himself best and the person has already marked himself as a person with low sales resistance. He made good money in a job where most fail, so I tend to believe his analysis.

Take down the sign, and simply refuse to open the door to anyone you don't recognize.

They'll still come around ringing the doorbell but if you don't expect guests, no reason for you to come running every time the bell rings. My friends and family know to call in advance and if I don't answer the bell, they use their cell phones to call me again and let me know they're at the door.

If you must sleep during the day or otherwise can't be disturbed a ringing doorbell, wire the switch to turn off the bell while you are sleeping. My partner had the doorbell wired like this for years, and it was great. We don't need to do it now, apparently, everyone is trained to figure out that we don't answer the door to the unexpected.



Try it, you'll like it.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Tikki]

58. Just happened to catch them as they....

were heading onto my driveway...

I stood there and shook my head "no".
... then one of them appeared to be getting agitated at my actions. She move up the driveway, closer to me...again, I shook my head "no"...

This lady actually stomped her foot a couple times when she and her posse turned around and left my property.

I think what made her mad was that she never got a chance to 'say a word'...

[Maine-ah]

60. they showed up one time

this was when my brothers and I were teenagers, summer vacation and our parents were at work. we were having the typical arguments, yelling and swearing, and one of my brothers answered the door in only a towel. they handed him a bible and said "i think you need this" and left. we were in stitches for hours.:evilgrin:

[ernstbass]

63. I open the door with my 4 large snarling barking dogs

and tell them I'm not interested (I don't know if they can hear me over the cacophany of barks but they don't linger!)

[Zuni]

66. A minefield in the front yard

and a machine gun nest covering the street