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Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Imperfect Community Forum Index -> Freedom of Religion?
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kathyjm
Noticably Flawed


Joined: 17 Sep 2003
Posts: 702
Location: California
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:10 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Hi Guys...first, this is in no way an attempt to offend anyone but an honest question!

What is a polite yet firm way to say "no thank you " to Jehova's Witnesses when the come to your door? We have a few regulars that come to our door and one of them is a mom of a girl in my daughter's class so I really want to keep things friendly. Here's the most recent exchange that happened this morning...

It's 9 AM and i'm desperately trying to get a project done for work in time for 10:30 meeting. I'm in my pajamas (I'm the stereotype for working at home!) my toddler is napping (woo hoo). I shouldn't even have answered the door! So I proceed to tell her, no thank you, my husband and I are both very strong Christians, we go to church, bible study, youth group etc...and are very knowledgeable about the bible. She says "but can I read you just one scripture?". I say I'm very busy, I'm working and have a deadline to meet (I see with hindsight I should have said no). she says, "it's short, I promise". I said (remember I have to see these people at school and school functions)"If it's going to be real quick I really have to go". So she reads the psalm and asks when she can come. Again I explain to her that my husband and I are very strong in our faith and are not interested. by now I'm checking my watch. she proceeds to hand me her pamphlets. Not wanting to be rude I take them. She finally decides it's time to leave.

So, given that I want to stay friendly, and "no thank you" doesn't work, anyone have an effective, respectful one liner to give to these people so they will LISTEN??
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Petulant Pixie
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 22 Apr 2002
Posts: 4140
Location: flyover country
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:30 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
How rude! First off, SHE maybe ought to be thinking about how to be on friendly terms with you, instead of vice versa, you know? I think you handled it fine. If she comes around (or someone else comes around) again, I would say "Yes, I know, you've been here before (or someone else has been here before) and how about I contact YOU if I have a change of heart? Good-bye, God bless" and close the door with a smile. If she (or the other person) starts to say something else, just act as though you didn't hear and keep closing the door.
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crushmama
Slightly Flawed


Joined: 23 Jan 2004
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:34 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Amazingly enough, they quit coming to my house when I hung a mezuzah. I guess Jewish mothers scare them Cool
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DietCokeHead
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 29 Apr 2002
Posts: 3805
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:36 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
I just say "I am not interested" and shut the door. If you give them a chance to talk, they'll hypnotize you and induct you into their cult. Wink
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prescott
Community Techie


Joined: 21 Apr 2002
Posts: 3347
Location: Outside your window
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:55 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Here are some good ideas.
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crushmama
Slightly Flawed


Joined: 23 Jan 2004
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: More of a question... Reply with quote
prescott wrote:
Here are some good ideas.

Laughing Laughing
Sorry to guano on thread, but Prescott, where is your sig line from? I know I should know, but I'm too lazy to go over to IMDb.
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colby
Seen Better Days


Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Posts: 340
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 4:27 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Man!
The Jehovah's in my neighborhood are really lazy.
They just kind of shoved the Watch Tower at me, and then said, read it if you want to, and walked away.
Bizarre.

I'd either tell them I'm an atheist or just not answer the door..that is, if they weren't so blase in my neck of the woods!


BTW - signature line on Prescott - PEE WEE!!!!!!!!!
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Scout
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 20 Dec 2002
Posts: 3390
Location: home of the blues
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 4:44 pm    Post subject: Re: More of a question... Reply with quote
crushmama wrote:
prescott wrote:
Here are some good ideas.

Laughing Laughing
Sorry to guano on thread, but Prescott, where is your sig line from? I know I should know, but I'm too lazy to go over to IMDb.


I think it's "Rebel Without a Cause."

Last summer a couple of JWs knocked on my door. One of them was a very, very large woman with very dark skin and it was about 105 outside and our usual 1000% humidity. I thought she was gonna drop dead on my porch. I told her I wasn't interested but asked her to come in for a glass of water. Somerset was just born, I remember she was sleeping. So of course as she drank her water she started up and I told her very politely that I'm an atheist. She was shocked becasue I had been nice to her, even though I was clearly a satanic heathen. See how that works Wink . She tried to put up a couple of arguments, and I very calmly and politely shot them down. Then she asked me a bunch of questions, which I answered as honestly as I could. She left seeming amazed and asked if she could come back to see the baby since she had been asleep the whole time, and I said ok. She did come back another time with a different woman. She had thought up a couple new things to say and the conversation was similar to the first one. She did get to see the baby that time, and at some point I nursed, which she also found fascinating (you wouldn't think devil spawn could do such a thing, I guess Laughing ). I wasn't busy at the time and I guess I saw it as a chance to do a little reverse evangelism and prove that atheists are people too Very Happy
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DietCokeHead
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 29 Apr 2002
Posts: 3805
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 6:51 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Quote:
I wasn't busy at the time and I guess I saw it as a chance to do a little reverse evangelism and prove that atheists are people too


Laughing

I cant believe you told her she could come back! My paranoid mind would have been certain she was returning with reinforcements to steal the baby and have her converted.

This is sort of OT, but what do you think of this-- several people at my school like to use our district e-mail system to send out religious e-mails to the entire staff. Not that I dont have enough to do already, now I have to delete lovely stories about Jesus. I do enjoy Jesus, but I keep thinking that a public school is really not the place for this. I have complained several times but have been blown off. Mad
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Shrimp&Grits
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 2218
Location: Just slightly right of Granola-ville
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 7:09 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Annie I wouldn't put up with that at all. I would tell the administrators you feel harrassed by having religion forced upon you. I hate chain emails. HATE HATE HATE them.
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prescott
Community Techie


Joined: 21 Apr 2002
Posts: 3347
Location: Outside your window
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:22 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
Colby got it! Yea! Glad to see I'm not the only big fan of Tim Burton's best movie -- did you know that Phil Hartman co-wrote it? For those of you who only saw it once and poo-poo Pee Wee, watch it again sometime and look for all of the subtle humor...

All right, I'm geekin' out, gotta go...
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prescott
Community Techie


Joined: 21 Apr 2002
Posts: 3347
Location: Outside your window
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:29 pm    Post subject: Re: More of a question... Reply with quote
DietCokeHead wrote:
I do enjoy Jesus, but I keep thinking that a public school is really not the place for this.


Since it's circulated to the staff of the school and not the students, I think this is a different issue than religion in a public school. I would say this is inappropriate in *any* business/employee setting. My boss sent out a "mass" (well, there's only 5 of us) email with one of those "Chicken Soup" type spiritual messages about Columbine and such happened because of the lack of God in our society, and I actually told him that I didn't appreciate it. Hey, believe in whatever deity you want, but now I get this weird vibe that I would be looked down upon and even perhaps looked over for opportunities because I'm not on the same religion team.
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DietCokeHead
Queen of Imperfection


Joined: 29 Apr 2002
Posts: 3805
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 9:09 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
OM- I hate chain emails too! I have asked several friends to stop sending me forwards, I have no time for that crap. I did complain to my principal but he told me it was a "gray area" and he was not sure if it was against rules or not. I know he is full of it though. Maybe he's afraid Jesus will be mad at him if he puts a stop to all the emails!

Scott- With the public school/religion thing, I was thinking that we are spending taxpayer money on computers, internet, etc and that we should not be using those resources to promote a specific religion in any way. I really am just bitching for the principle of the whole thing, not that it really offends me, but still......... Cool
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Princesso
Noticably Flawed


Joined: 22 Dec 2002
Posts: 547
Location: California
PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 10:34 pm    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
A family friend of ours once pulled a jehovah's witness guy into his house and then witnessed to HIM for about 2 hours, noone from the jehovah's witnesses ever came back.


I just tell them thanks very much, but I have a religion I am happy with and it would be a waste of their time and mine for them not to leave.
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crushmama
Slightly Flawed


Joined: 23 Jan 2004
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:11 am    Post subject: More of a question... Reply with quote
I exercise my right to delete. And FWIW, I believe in Messiah and think the world needs to know Him. I just don't think annoying folks in their homes or sending stupid emails is the way to go about it. Furthermore, what is UP with, "If you aren't ashamed of Him you'll pass this on."? Excuse me, unashamed does not give me the right to annoy everyone I know Rolling Eyes Okay, I'm going to stop because it's that time of the month and I could really get going Razz

I loved Pee Wee. I should rent that for dd.
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