Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sunday Knock on the Door

Bob answered the knock on the door to find two middle age men who quickly began reading scripture to him from a mini i-pad. With a look of panic on his face he turned to me to rescue him.

When I went to the door the man read scripture from the book of Revelation to me straight from his iPad. I was somewhat amused by this. In my religious days I carried a nice leather bound Bible. An iPad just didn't seem the same. I wanted to ask him if he thought King James would be surprised.

I was more patient that I used to be in my youth. Perhaps I've matured. I know I'm more confident about my religious beliefs, and not easily threatened these days.

He wanted to talk to me a little bit about heaven and this sinful world. I knew it wouldn't do to talk about heaven. He really would be disturbed about my soul if we did that.

He wanted to leave me a WatchTowel pamphlet, which I declined. It has been many years since the Jehovah Witness people have knocked on our door, perhaps because we live in a large apartment complex.

There was a time when we lived in Texas the Jehovah Witnesses came almost every Sunday. The houses on the corner began the phone chain that went up two blocks of our street warning the neighbors they were in the neighborhood. No one answered the door to them.

I wonder why we were so reluctant to talk to them all those years ago? I think it was fear of the unknown. Not only did we know very little about their faith but most of us weren't that secure in our own faith, and of course some people did not attend church.

These days it doesn't bother me to talk to them but it certainly made Bob uncomfortable. He said he didn't know what to say to them.

I really wish people of other faiths would respect my right to choose, and give me credit for having the intelligence to make my own faith choices.

How do you feel when people approach you about religion?  How do you deal with such incidents?

19 comments:

  1. I answer the door when the Jehovah Witnesses come and I take their Watch Tower which, of course, means they stop by the following mouth. One old guy would come by dragging his oxygen tank and even that couldn't make me invite him in. I'm not crazy. LOL

    I've written in my blog before about how I was ostracized in grade school and high school because I didn't go to the "right church" (Dutch Reform) so I learned how to avoid the topic of religion early on. I still run into too many people who want to talk about their church.

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    1. P.S. I like the new look of your blog.

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    2. Thanks for mentioning the new look. Door to door evangelism is pretty gutsy in my opinion. When I was working I resented having to spend time on my day off talking to these people.

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  2. I'm one of those people who usually duck down and hide behind the door until they finally go away. I am a church goer but this door to door tactic is too intrusive for me. I managed to smile and take the magazine last time they showed up, but it went straight into the recycling bin.

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    1. I think your action is perfectly fine. After all they're invading your space. I actually consider door to door evangelism pretty offensive.

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  3. I did (at one time) try to read through some of their literature. I can't say that I would agree with what they say. When they show up at the door, I tell them I am not interested and shut the door.

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    1. I've also told them I'm not interested and shut the door. Today they got a little further because Bob answered the door and didn't know what to do with them.

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  4. Your second last paragraph says it all. for some groups the only right choice is their choice. I think, for religious reasons, people who bang on your door are looking for power.

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    1. I'm not sure I know of a religion that doesn't have a power component to it. There's always those who are sure they speak the truth, the word of God and everyone else is wrong. These men were not aggressive at all. One looked like he'd rather be somewhere else. I just don't like them knocking on my door and trying to get into my home. I really don't like that.

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  5. Organized religion certainly has its place in our society. I can see where it provides security and comfort for some people. As well, some people use it as a means to help them control certain behaviors. None of that is bad, as long as it is of one's choosing.

    I am not religious per se, but do see myself as spiritual. I strive to live each day with kindness, towards others and towards myself.

    Live and let live. Those who try to impose their belief system on others are likely well intentioned, but it sometimes gets played out as trying to control others. We see this get wrapped into political discussions nationally and internationally.

    Be kind to others, do no harm, and at all times show respect for fellow human beings. I guess that sums up my feelings about religion.

    When someone comes knocking on my door with pamphlet in hand, I usually open the door, smile, and say "no thank-you", and then close the door.

    Love the new look of your blog!

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    1. Thanks for the blog design compliment. I share your opinions. I always wonder how these people would react to me knocking on their door?

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  6. I am usually polite to a fault. I thanked the police officer who gave me a ticket, for example. But that falls away very quickly when religion peddlers come to the door -- I would not buy a vacuum cleaner from a door to door salesperson, what in the world makes you think I would buy your religion?

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  7. I'm not one to listen to anyone who knocks on my door: salesman, proselytizer, etc . Only the UPS guy gets my attention. :) It isn't because of my faith, but there are a couple of things that bother me about this method of spreading the "word." The first is that it feels invasive to me. My home is my personal space. It's the one place that I shouldn't have to deal with uninvited strangers. The other is that I'm at a time of life when I simply don't waste my time on anything that I don't want to waste my time on.

    This was an interesting post, Linda, as were the comments.

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    1. I hear you. Exactly my sentiments. I regard telephone calls much the same way and particularly political ones.

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  8. I had a group come to my home in Florida. They were asking about the dogs so I took them on a tour showing them the dogs, foxes, cats, goats, cow and horse. I then walked them back out to the gate and they had forgotten all about why they had come there. They climbed back in the car but before they left, one got back out and sheepishly handed me the two magazines. It was a fun visit and one of them later came back to adopt one of the dogs. I find them harmless and sometimes entertaining.

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  9. The two we had on Sunday were nice men, not pushy at all. I still think the secret is all about how comfortable we are with our own faith choice. The more insecure people all the quicker they get into shouting matches. Your story is a great one. Thanks.

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  10. Depends on my mood, or what I'm doing whether I politely inform them ( JWs) I'm familiar with their beliefs, which is true, and I really am not interested in further discussion. I also then nicely refuse their literature. My husband had little or no patience with them. I also decline conversation with other denominations that have come to my door. They all think what they're doing is for others, but it's really just to meet there need to feel they're doing the right thing.

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    1. You are so right. I often wish I had a way to help these people (all religions) but I don't. I don't believe any of them go witnessing door to door because that's what they enjoy. There's a driving force that compels them. I wish they could free themselves from that force but that seldom happens. They've usually misinterpreted some holy text and there's nothing stronger than a person on a mission for God, no matter how misdirected they are.

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