What is your reaction when missionaries come to your door?

Question

One of my coleagues from highschool just told once a guy "sorry, i'm buddhist, mom is muslim and dad is busy...."

I saw people slamming the door to their faces, others start a conversation with them on religious matters...I just prefere to say "Yes, yes, I found Jesus, yes, thank you, have a nice day." First few times I actually listened, but they keep coming and I already know I'm not interested in what they want to say, otherwise I wouldn't be that rude.

What is your reaction?

Answer 1

The last time it was Mormons. I invited them in and they proceeded to tell me, with pictures and everything, about how much happier I would be if I were to accept Jesus as my savior and become part of the Mormon church. My response was..."what if I don't want to be any happier? What if I am already as happy as I want to be? What else do you have to offer?" They became flustered...I don't believe they had ever had anyone say that to them before. They then tried to tell me (with more pictures) that if I accept Jesus, I will definitely go to heaven. I said: "But all my relatives who are dead were Jewish and so they won't be there according to you." They then told me they could be baptized after death into the Mormon church. How bizarre! I told them that if I tried to do that to my grandparents, they would come back and haunt me for the rest of my life! I told them there just wasn't anything they could say to convince me and that they should go and have a nice day.

Answer 2

I once had a Jehovah rattle my tent flap early in the morning during an otherwise very pleasant camping trip. I was rude to that guy. These days the exchange goes something like this:

Them: Hello! We're (Mormons, Jehovahs, Seventh Days....ect.) and we'd like to talk to you about (Jesus, The Truth, The coming Kingdom, Your eternal future....)

Me: Hit the street!

Followed by a beaming smile and a firm, forceful closing of the door. Then I release the hounds.........

Answer 3

HI, larissa! =)

It can get annoying when they wake you up early and whatnot, but I have never been rude to them. Sometimes I even invite them in to talk for a bit, because I enjoy talking about religion. I have never felt it was appropriate to be mean or rude to them. Quite frankly, I view it as an honorable thing to do. There are a lot of people who would been very lost if it were not religion, and if they can help some people who would otherwise be nutjobs, then I can't see a problem with it in terms of "net benefit to society."

I actually have one who I became friends with, he stops by and says hi to me every so often and we have a bit of coffee. We have shared some interesting conversations about religion, and I have learned a lot about his religion, as I am sure he has learned a lot about the way people like myself think.

If you don't want them around, politely decline and most of the time they will leave. No need to be rude or scornful.

Answer 4

As someone who used to go door-to-door (for environmental causes), I'm generally pretty friendly to them. I offer them a drink and let them know they can use my bathroom if they need to go at any point while they're walking around.

However, I also let them know as clearly as I can that they won't convince me and that they would be better off talking to people who they might have a chance at convincing. When you put it this way they'll often realize that their time actually could be better spent with someone else.

This way, it works out well for everybody.

Also, when I used to go door-to-door I got used to doors slammed in my face. If they've been doing it for any length of time it probably doesn't bother them anymore, so don't feel to bad.

Answer 5

I am an Evangelical Christian. When Jehovah's Witnesses come around, I take their pamphlet and give them a small donation, perhaps. But inwardly I know that their belief system is laughably flawed.
Same with Mormons. Only, Mormons don't hand out pamphlets.
Neither the JV nor the Mormons are up front about their beliefs. They want you to think of them as fellow Christians. Actually, they are cults.

Answer 6

Back when I was young (teenager), Jehovah Witnesses would visit our home and my mom, sibling, and me, would discuss a lot of the Bible stories, etc. Further back when I was a little child in my own country, we really got to know moe about God and the Bible itself through them. So I have this to thank them for. Nowadays, married and with close family members in ill health, and all the preocupations, worries, and the logical, normal daily routines, keeps me from talking when they come to my door.

In the few occassions they've come up to my home, I simply explain my situation. When that was not the case, and my family was healthy but still I was too busy, I was never rude to them. I thanked them for coming over and always told them I already had their two current magazines which I got at shopping center.

Answer 7

As a Christian, I find that door-to-door missionaries are never satisfied with you answering yes to their questions about Jesus or Hell or whatever, they then go further to try and challenge your specific theology about the Bible or Baptism or whatever. We've started thanking them for their concern and telling them we are fully aware of the message but for the moment are not interested but they should feel free to pray for us if they so chose and have a good day.

Engaging them only encourages them, just treat them like they are selling encyclopedia volumes for $1 million each.

Answer 8

I hate it. Not only do they come to my door but I've been stopped in the streets by them.
I've listened to them time and time again thinking perhaps there was something I could learn from them but you know what learned? That it's rude to try and shove your beliefs down someone else's throat. So now, I tell them "Don't you have sheep to save within your own flock?" and shut the door. If I wanted to learn about someone's beliefs I would ask them but for them to chase me down and push it on me is just plain disrespectful.

Answer 9

WELL I always try to be polite to them being a "Bible student myself I always like to engage them in a conversation, I reason with them I believe that ;my religion is the true one, if you can show me from the scriptures that I'm wrong, then I would like to change, wouldn't you? well they always say yes, but when I show them scriptues that contridick what they are teaching, then their yes becomes a no. thats too bad, In Jesus time many did recoginize the truth & did change their mind, take for instance the apostile Paul
1 ti 1:12-16

Answer 10

I explain that I don't buy anything sold door-to-door,
including religion.
Then I smile, wish them well, and close the door.
At least they're less pushy than magazine salespeople.

I figure most of them believe they're trying to do something good for me, so I'm not going to be rude, but I'm not going to engage in discussion either because they're not there to listen equally to my ideas, only to promote their own.