How do you handle unwanted evangelists who knock at your door?

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Most of my neighbors are much too polite to ever try to preach at us. However, we do occasionally get folks from the city and they don't tend to be polite at all. If they realize we are both non-Christian AND gay, it can get ugly, so I tend to cut them off at the pass, so to speak. Usually I see them coming, see that they are strangers, and tell the dogs to speak. Sugar, our GSD, will even sing for them, generally standing on her hind feet with her front paws on the glass doors about 2 feet above their heads. It is amazing how quickly they think of someplace else to be!

At my age I find myself unwilling to be put upon by others, especially on my own front deck and most especially when it comes to religion and sexual preferences.


Rusty (who ain't the "kindly old gent" type!)

 

[Dunkopf]

I'm not actually hostile to them. i just open the door and let them know I am an atheist and we really just don't have anything to talk about. i bid them a good day and say god bye. I do the same thin when the credit card company has someone call me to try and get me to sign up for their insurance. i don't hang up because they will just call back and I realize they are doing a very difficult job. I cold called for the Obama campaign and it's not a lot of fun. I imagine that evangelism is pretty close to the same thing.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't answer the door to anyone, carrying anything in their hands, whom I do not know personally. Saves a lot of time and awkwardness.

 

[MobyQuail]

when I was a kid, my mom used a .222 aimed slightly over their heads and fired into the mountain to discourage their advance up our driveway.

I have a do not solicit sign posted on the door, if they can't read, and I have to open the door, Grace usually sticks her head out first, its a lot bigger now, and she can make a bigger mess of anything.

 

[AnaD]

Our anti religion bumper stickers do a good job of keeping them away. When that doesn't work we ask them a lot of questions they almost never know the answer to. Funny how Atheist know more about the bible than people who are devout.

 

[classicsredone]

We mostly get Jehovah's Witnesses proselytizing out here. I wouldn't mind it so much, but they are VERY persistant. At our old place, they would come every Tuesday during my then toddler's nap time. I asked several times for them to stop coming by, and they kept coming. I finally put a no soliciting sign on the door. They knocked once after that, and I pointed to the sign and said that I would report them for harassment should they come again. They finally stopped.

At this house, they act like they're from the neighborhood and get you out on the porch by talking about crime in the area. "We wanted to talk to our neighbors about the rise in crime in the area, etc." Funny, because crime has dropped dramatically here in the last few years. (Even then, it was car break-ins.) My husband got laid off, and he answers the door to them. I ignore it. If you're here to spread the word about Jesus, SAY IT. Don't try to trick me.

My dad had his own methods. First time he'd be polite, point to the church down the street, and tell them that if they'd like we'd be glad to call our pastor down to tell them how we'd been saved. The second time, he'd answer the door in nothing but his underwear and sweater of chest and back hair. They didn't come back.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
That dog looks like he/she has been a bad boy and is wanting to know what you are going to do about it. I love pits.

 

[Stacykins]

I've been fortunate to never have the ultra persistent bible thumpers come to shove religion down my throat. They often look for easier prey once they realize they can't do a darn thing. I tell them up front I am atheist, very firm in my beliefs. If they persist, I inform them that I have attended theology courses at a Jesuit University, and pretty much know more about Christianity and theological views than them. They usually put their tails between their legs and scamper off.

Now, persistent coworkers, yes. I had to file a report with HR because a coworker kept attempting to convert me instead of leaving me in peace to accomplish, ya know, WORK?!

 

[chickened]

When I was in my late teens I had two 40ish JWs' women that would always show up at the time I got home from a long hard day in the woods when it was 95 degrees. They would want to talk and I just wanted a shower and a cold beer. One day they knocked when I was in the shower I answered the door dripping wet and naked... they never came back.

 

[debilorrah]

I usually handle them the same way anyone would want to be treated. A polite no thank you and close the door the first time. The second time I tell them that I am Christian and if I give you 20 minutes, you give me 20 minutes. It usually ends right there.

However, I have a funny for ya. When we lived out in the middle of nowhere, a pair of JW's came to my door. Now first of all, who was cruel enough to dump those boys out someplace where it is a mile between houses and secondly, they totally ignored my NO TRESPASSING, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK, BEWARE OF DOG, BEWARE OF GOATS and BEWARE OF WILD HORSES signs stuck to our fence.

I opened the door RIGHT before Bert was gonna head butt one of them and I scare him off. The kids were both wide-eyed and frozen in place. I told them they were lucky they didn't get knocked on their arses, peed on by the goats and kicked across the yard by the horses with the dogs sitting there laughing at them. I walked them back out the gate and asked how in the world they could miss ALL those signs. They very sheepishly admitted they ignored them. I gave them bottles of water and told them to REALLY pay attention to the next guy over. He lives by his THIS PROPERTY PROTECTED THE SECOND AMENDMENT sign. And I had to explain it to them.