I got back earlier this afternoon from my stag do.
Part one was a tremendously fun day of paintball, quad biking and clay pigeon shooting at Highland Activities. They’re based in Kinloch Laggan, on a vast estate in a beautiful part of the world where cheesy TV drama Monarch of the Glen was filmed. Part two was a night of food, music, one or two beverages and lots of laughs at a house in Contin.
It was great fun but I am now shattered.
The last thing I needed, then, barely half an hour after getting home, was some Jehovah’s Witnesses knocking on the door.
Funny really, because I somehow knew that it would be some sort of religious visitor when I heard the knock, and it was only Monday past that I had two other JWs trying to tell me something or other. Like that earlier visit, I gave them short thrift, interrupting their polite spiel to tell them I wasn’t interested and was a Christian, closing the door in their face as politely and firmly as I could.
It brought to mind that I had them at my door a few weeks ago too – and that wasn’t the first time. Always in two, always starting out with an indirect line of conversation – starting out with leaflets about drug abuse, blood transfusions or “the truth”. However, I am now skilled in instant recognition of copies of “The Watchtower” so am able to interrupt their enquiry before they get too far into their stride.
I am sure I should deal with them in a better way – by authoritatively taking apart their arguments, or showing their faith up to be an alarming misuse of the Bible; and of course I could certainly be more polite. All of the above require patience and research, however, and I have a tendency to neither, at least on this matter.
But more than that, I am a bit concerned that they have been at my door so much lately. Either they are rubbish at cross-referencing their outreach plans, or they are just hugely persistent. And am I doing something wrong? Am I only encouraging them by answering the door?
Now they know someone lives here who isn’t 100% rude or abusive (surely not that rare?), are they going to redouble their efforts? There’s a Kingdom Hall not a million miles away from my flat, so perhaps I am one of their targets – handy, unthreatening, and professing a faith they regard as close to their own.
I wonder how soon it will be before they’re round again…
Prepare some leaflets in readiness.
You know Phil, that’s a very, very good idea…
open the door in your underwear. i’m pretty sure they’d cross your name off the list of doors to knock on… {;->
No!
Darling, I don’t think that is a good idea. I don’t want to marry a flasher!
My father trained in a seminary and used to regularly have lengthy chats with two Jehovah’s Witnesses who came to our door. They came every other Sunday at about two and he made sure he answered rather than one of us and would politely excuse himself in order to cook Sunday dinner for us after about 45 minutes. I like that approach, they were able to find their common ground and talk affably (but passionately) about the areas on which they could never agree.
I took a similar approach to the Jehovah’s Witnesses I came across in Leeds. I had no interest in attending their Bible studies classes but quite enjoyed a weekly chat where the Jehovah’s Witness in question would have armed himself with a section of the Bible he thought would convert me and we would discuss interpretations of it. I like to think I was not wasting his time and was always clear that I had read about his faith but had no interest joining him. He seemed okay with that to an extent, he hoped that by holding my interest in these questions he was doing some good and I think he was.
This approach also meant I spoke to many Jehovah’s Witnesses in Leeds in the street and allowed one to tell me (very excitedly) when her daughter had just got a job as teacher as she was so very happy and wanted to share her happiness. So I see it all as a positive.
I do still dread the knock at the door though and Matthew tends to answer now. But I do prefer to chat to Jehovah’s Witnesses while making my position as clear as it is likely to get to them.
I also talk to political candidates too which is probably why the Liberal Democrats keep trying to recruit me to the party (they seem to knock on the door more often than other parties)
Maybe that’s why the LibDems are a poor third in England, Siobhan – you’re taking up all their resources in protracted doorstep discussions!