rank even lower than telemarketers, IMO.

What do you do/how do you feel when those guys (always in pairs) knock on your door and "just want to share words of hope" from their "good book" of choice?

This sort of thing burns me up because I think religion is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated upon mankind, but I don't go door-to-door telling people that the "good book" is the Kama Sutra, and the "holy spirit" is Jack Daniels.  
However, out of respect for my fellow man, I try to be polite.  I tell them I'm not interested and ask them not to return.  When they say "but. but. but...," I ask them to leave my property, and remind them that I would prefer that they not return.  They leave, but a few months later another pair of glistening, grinning clones show up at my door with the same routine.  
Do they have some legal right to trespass, even though they've been asked not to come back?  Is there a loophole which allows them to come back as long as they send different people?  Or am I just being too nice, which makes them think that if they keep bothering me, eventually I'll succumb.  IMO, the last two guys who came to my door looked like they were the type who "succumb."  
Just wondering how other people (ARF.commers) feel about this sort of thing, and if you have any suggestions (short of felonious) on how to get rid of them.    

The Watchtower Tract Society is a for-profit, privately-held printing company - no lie. JWs are their non-profit marketing front posing as a religion.

Seems to have worked for them.

I need to start a cult.

Answer the door with a rifle in hand. It's amazing how quickly they leave.

I'm a Christian........


....... and still I can't stand them!

If you tell them you're an athiest, they tend to give up quickly.

I hate it. Even if you do believe and practice your "religion" they look at you and treat you like a demon even though they know nothing about you. I always use the excuse,"I have a large dog and I cannot open the door. Have a good day." Then I shut the door before they can respond.

I guess the other option is to invite them in, throw your favorite porno in the DVD player and clean your guns while they "preach" to you.

Most of those ID wearing, white shirted, dreamy eyed, simple bastards are sincere. They're just clueless, as is the case with most of the super-religious who have substituted faith for rational decision-making.

I always treat them politely but firmly and they quickly move on to more fertile hunting ground.

you have an accessible front door so everyone has the right to knock on it and bug you.  

so seal the door with an outer door or buy a little sign that says

  "no solicitations
    this means you:
religious zealot ASSHOLE!!!"

Not that I don't believe you BenDover but how do they make a profit when they dont charge for the publications they try to pass around? I had some at my place a while back and I figured I would
a) check out what they were preaching
b) get rid of em quicker if I took the mags they were offering

I asked how much and they said there was no charge? Seems like a bad way to make a profit...

BenDover, your screen name kills me!  My name is Ben, and when people ask me what my middle name is, sometimes I say "Dover."  Always get some double takes, and actually had one guy start to act very "charming" towards me as a result.
Anyway, I think all religions are cults, and I've also thought about starting my own...that's the latest craze, isn't it (considering the age of the Earth vs. the oldest recorded religion)?  

Damn, I have never got that to work.  It always seems like tell them you are an atheist makes it a challenge for them and if they convert you, they get a gold star or something.  

Keving67

It only works if you are an athiest.  If you're faking it, the'll see right through you.

[b]Yes, your being to nice.[/b] Sheeple like this "NEED" to "BELIEVE" and just got caught in the wrong net. Answer the door if you like but their wasting your time. Answer the door ARMED, tell them to get F off your property IMO., I'd think they'ed scratch you off their hit'em up again list.

I am though

Yes they can anoy you but you have to give it to them to be faithful to their religion. I attend church and see how that is all some will do. They do not go out and teach to others as what is taught in the Bible. No slams here ok.

well thats just wrong! Dont you know that insurance is the biggest fraud!

It's kinda like these guys that stand on the street corners and scream at the top of their lungs holding a bible in the air. I understand they are trying to "witness". Do they really think anyone is listening to them and that they will actually reach someone this way? I can never understand what they are yelling, just a bunch of noise.

I saw a street preacher out yelling once and it started to rain (pretty hard). He took off toward his car and I yelled out the window,"God doesn't want you out here today, huh?" I never saw a preacher get so pissed. He stormed back to his corner with his bible in the air and yelled at the top of his lungs. I just wound the window up and turned up the music.

Two summers ago I had a pair of 17-18ish young JW come to my home in order to save me.
I invited them in, sat them in the living room and got myself a beer. After finishing it, I went to get another and like a good host, offered them a brew as well.
They declined, but I told them that I would not tell anyone and it was not big deal. They looked at each other...and both accepted.

Funny...their religion doesn't let them drink.

You can take the religion out of the teenager but not the teenager out of the religion....

The most irritating thing about it is they've got this assumption that you're miserable and that they are doing you a favor- like their life is perfect....[brick]

Yep, sort of like Amway freaks... "Don't you dream of leaving your dead-end job?"

Tell them you're Jewish and they generally run.

Answer the door buck naked and ask them if they're here for the orgy.

CJ

[ROFL2]

Shows you don't know your cults.

There is no prohibition against drinking alcoholic beverages in the JWs.

It's like Microsoft Press. They do $1 billion in annual sales, selling certification and support texts to their own partners and MCSE students who want to past the next test.

You should see how much my ignorant-assed sister spends with them annually for her "study materials".

The most expensive cost in printing is usually the labor. The Watchtower has solved that problem by having all their work done by volunteers--none are paid. Second, there is no middleman to be paid--the Watchtower does all the advertising, marketing and shipping. Third, the more copies of a book printed, the lower its cost. While it may cost a secular printer $5 each to print 5000 copies of a book, that same book may only cost him $2 per book if he prints 100,000 copies. This is due to more efficient use of labor and machinery, buying paper in huge quantities, etc.

To illustrate, let's look at what a typical book on the secular market might cost:

Retail cost: $12.95

Wholesale cost to bookstore: $7.77

Cost to publisher: $3.50

Cost of materials in book: 45 cents

As in all forms of manufacturing, most of the book's cost is absorbed in labor and marketing costs. The final product may actually only cost the manufacturer 5% of the retail price with items such as cosmetics, certain fast foods, housewares, etc. The retailer, however, only makes about 30-40% in profit.

The Watchtower has an instant market for each and every new publications. To release just one new book at a yearly District Assembly brings automatic sales of at least five million books at a NET profit rate of over 50% per book.

With a magazine circulation of well over eleven million per week and approximately 16 cents profit per magazine, their income from magazines alone exceeds $1,780,000 per week. Mind you, theirs is a guaranteed market, regardless of how good the magazines are.

This circulation is carefully maintained. Two meetings per week (the Service Meeting and the Theocratic School) in the local Kingdom Halls are scheduled by the Branch offices in order to demonstrate the sales pitches for the books and magazines. Each month there is a special offer, and sample presentations are rehearsed at these meetings, as well as the morning meetings for field service held all over the world in each Kingdom Hall or private home.

In other words, each Witness is exposed to at least two and possible more hours per week in a sales meeting atmosphere, to prepare them for and to encourage them in selling as many books and magazines as possible. These same Witnesses take their books and magazines out to the public, proclaiming that they represent "God's organization" and are "financed strictly by contribution", and proceed to point out the wrongs of the churches in their passing of a collection plate!

Like I said, I think I should start a cult.

Well heres what I did one time...

My younger brother had taken some of the JW`s reading material and they would not leave him alone, sooo

One day when we knew they would be stopping by, I had my brother lay down on the porch, and I traced his outline with chalk, then I took the material these people had been leaving and tossed it all over the porch, well wehn they walked up and saw all that, they took the hint and left and never came back...

Now Mormans I like, they are some of the most pro-gun people I have ever met.....

I showed where some of the income stream comes in from the print material marketing.

Now, what's very interesting is the fact that the JWs own significant interest in several US and Canadian firms traded on public exchanges.

These firms are engaged in DEFENSE CONTRACTING including the Navy's SWARM UAV program.

SEC filings by REGI US Inc. reveal partial ownership by the Watchtower Society of at least three related companies:

Rand Cam Engine Corp: they own 50%
Reg Technologies
Rand Energy Group

[url]http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/922330/0000891020-96-000634.txt[/url]

Do a search for the keyword watchtower in the .txt document.

Partnership relations between of these companies are so tight they have called themselves "Sister Companies".

Rand Cam Engine Corp. is a privately-held company and not much data was available. Reg Technologies Inc. is a Canadian investor’s group that since 1986 has financed most of the research done on the Rand Cam engine.

Rand Energy Group Inc. was created in October 1986 and it is controlled by both Rand Cam Engine Corp. They control Regi U.S. Inc., which is ultimately controlled by its main investor: Reg Technologies Inc. Both the private and common stocks held by the Watchtower Society on the "Sister Companies" were donated. The focal point of this group is to market a new engine technology called Rand Cam (RC).

The basic research and development work done on the RC engine and other products is being coordinated and funded by Reg Tech.

REGI US Inc. was created in 1986 and it does not own properties. They currently utilize office space leased by Reg Tech in a commercial business park building located in British Columbia, Canada.

REGI’s only assets are their intangible assets, being patents and intellectual property rights. They do not have employees other than a Marketing Corporate Director and a design engineer.

REGI owns 5,073,200 shares and plans to sell shares as needed to meet their ongoing funding requirements if traditional equity sources of financing prove to be insufficient.

In September 21st 1994, Reg Technologies Inc. announced that REGI US Inc. (its subsidiary) had started trading on the OTC Bulletin board (Symbol RGUS) but the actual SEC registration is dated 06/06/1996 (REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 33-96974).

Insiders of REGI now currently hold 6,017,850 common shares, representing control of approximately 53.31% of the total voting power. Accordingly, the present insiders continue to elect all of their own directors and generally control their affairs.

Rand Energy Group, Inc. owns the RC technology worldwide rights exclusive U.S. since 1992, whereas REGI owns the U.S.A. rights to the RC technology and its variations.

In October 2000, Reg Technologies Inc. acquired a 50% interest in the rights to a H2O hydrogen separator technology.

Some of REGI’s patented products derived from the RC Technology are:

A compressor, a pump, the Cold Turbine Engine Generator and the Rotary Diesel Engine prototypes.

In 1995, REGI bought for $200,000 a limited sublicense to market and distribute in Canada the rights to Machine Vision Technology, but in October of the same year it sold it to Reg Technologies, its main investor. This technology has industrial and medical applications but is also being tested for the military’s "Intelligent Transportation Systems" for missile delivery.

In May 1994, Reg Technologies, Inc. entered into a consortium agreement with Hercules Aerospace Company to further develop the diesel version of the RC Engine in concert with the West Virginia University team.

In 1995, Hercules Aerospace Company merged with Alliant TechSystems, Inc and Alliant completed the drawings on the Diesel Engine under a contract signed with REGI US Inc.

In December 6th 2001, Watchtower’s "Sister Companies", publicly announced that a $850,000 U.S. Navy contract, topic# N01-144 (contract # N00014-01-M-0208) had been awarded to Advanced Ceramics Research prime contractor , and REGI to build and test a Naval 0.5 horsepower ceramic engine which would allow for low radar signature and high temp operation. This new motor is being developed for powering the U.S. Navy's new Smart War-fighter Array of Re-configurable Modules (SWARM), a low cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Recently, two more programs have just been funded (NAVY CONTRACT #s N41756-02-M-2026 and N41756-02-M-2037) by the Naval Surface Weapons Center for the development of high efficiency ceramic diesel engines for SWARM applications.

In its current prototype phase the handcrafted fiberglass and foam SWARM units run about $20,000 each. With injection-molded components and ramped-up production, the price should drop to about $5,000 this year, and fall to below $2,000 by 2004.

In April 4th 2002 REGI announced that they signed an agreement to grant a 5-year contract to Advanced Ceramics Research for the RC based motors up to 10 H.P. for the Navy Contract SBIR No 1-144. REGI will receive a royalty fee of 5% of the purchase price for the commercial and U.S. Navy applications.

In May 29th 2002, REGI signed a license agreement with Advanced Ceramics and Radian Milliparts to further develop their Diesel Cam technology for the US Navy’s UAVs.



Doing the Lord's work???? RIIIIIGHT!! Making a fatty-ass dollar is more like it.

And people wonder why I am adamantly critical and suspect of organized churches.

Had 2 'handsome' women w/a 10+/- yr. old girl pay a visit to me at 7:30 on a Saturday morning...

I was still 'spinning' from that (early) morning's festivities and after listening to their spiel offered to personally introduce them to their god of choice if they would just stop by another morning as I just didn't 'feel the spirit' that morning.

I've been doing this for YEARS. It works pretty good. They don't return for a LONG time, sometimes for YEARS.

Yes, insurance is definitely a major fraud, but religion came first, and you find it everywhere, that's why I think religion still qualifies as the worst fraud in human history.  IMO, of course.  But people don't try to wipe out entire groups of other people just because they go with GEICO and not Progressive.  I just wonder what sort of religions are going to be en vogue in 2000 years.  Will Jesus be put in the same class as Zeus and Apollo?  Will some future archaeologist discover a well-preserved copy of Watership Down and convince the world that there used to be a civilization of highly intelligent rabbits?    
As far as fraud goes: How about the Catholics and the Donation/Declaration/Whatever of Constantine?  Didn't this document supposedly give "the church" power over everything and anything in the land, but was later exposed as a forgery...and it didn't change anything as far as the catholic church went.  I don't know the particulars of this, just that "the church" faked a document to give themselves more legitimacy and power...if anyone knows more about it please speak up because I'd like to know more details.
Anyway, now I'm way off topic.  I don't think that just because I have a front door, religion-peddlers should have the right to knock on it.  Even though I am at a total loss as to why these people believe their BS, let alone think they have teh right to push it onto someone else, I do try to be civil to them because they are civil to me, although the get sort of snippy sometimes when asked to leave.  Maybe I should talk to them long enough to get their names and the name of their church, then call the church to formally request that no more lobotomized lemmings come to my house.    

The only time I've had it happen was a couple of mormon girls who knocked on my door. I didn't invite them in, but talked to them on the porch for a little while.  Turns out they knew one of my colleagues really well, so we talked about him and his family for a while - and I got them to give me a book of Mormon (which I've always wanted, but never wanted to call because then they'd have my phone number).


I did preface it by saying that there was [b]nothing[/b] they could say that would make me leave the Church of Denmark, so they could decide for themselves how much time to spend (i.e. waste) talking to me.

Nice of them to give me the book however. I don't mind mormons so much - as cults go, at least they are clean-cut, polite and successful.  

I am not a patient person, by nature.  However, when the JWs come to my home, I am polite to them as they are to me.  They were coming over fairly frequently and I always told them I was not interested, thank you.  The one time that I saw a pair that had visted prior, I was stern, but still polite and told them I was not interested and they should not waste anymore time on me, as I will no longer answer the door.  The only time I thought about inviting the JWs in my home is when two very hot young (but not too young) ladies stopped by.  Doe thier religion prohit three-ways?

The worst one that happened to a family member was when Green Peace visited my mom at home.  She was polite and while closing the door, the fuck put his foot out to prevent the door from closing.  My mom was a bit freaked and told my dad about when he returned from work.  While he was home the same GP fuck came around and my dad went ape shit on him and told him if he ever came back around, he will open the door only to shoot him the face.  GO never visited again.  Dad asked if he did anything wrong to my brother (a LEO) and I.  The only answer that we came up with was that mom should have shot the fucker the first time.

-934

It seems to be fairly effective to answer the door wearing a black flowing hooded cloak, and cradling a realistic looking human skull in your hands.  Don't say a word.  Just stand there.

"The worst one that happened to a family member was when Green Peace visited my mom at home"

JFC! Now Green Peas goes door 2 door?  I can understand why your dad went nuts on the guy for jamming his foot in teh door.  It's one thing to be a pathetic, brainwashed schmuck who will leave when told, but physically stopping someone from closing her own door steps waaaay over the line.  I think your mom would have been justified in giving him a nice faceful of pepper spray before your dad beat the phuck out of him.  

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Open door:

"Have you heard the word of the lord?"

"No, but if he can help me find a virgin for the sacrifice, I'd be more than willing to talk to him"

BenDover: thanks for all teh stats.  Kind of hard to argue with facts.  

When I was a kid, my mom would always let the JWs in the house.  She was a sucker for this sort of thing, having metamorphosed through several religions herself, convinced every time that the current one was "the one."  What's funny was that our town was small, so we knew all the JWs, so we knew their scandals, so we knew which one was a wife-beater or was "allegedly" screwing someone other than their spouse, but when it was time to go a-door knockin' they sure put on their best face.  F'in hypocrites.    
A good buddy of mine grew up in a Mormon family.  His parents almost threw him out of the house when he refused to go off on that "mission," or whatever it is that good little mormon teenagers go on.  He said that he tried to convince his parents that their religion was BS, but his dad had a business that benefited greatly from him being in the church, because he got fat contracts for lots of church-related things.  Incidentally, he said that his dad became a mormon after he realized how lucrative it could be for him to do so.        

JWs get run off post haste these days.  My dogs will hold a sit command until they die of old age and know they can't cross the threshold without permission.  Of course, JWs don't know that and from the look in their eyes, I think they've most been bit once or twice.

Long ago, we were sitting in the living room one afternoon with the front door open.  A couple guys walked up to the screen door.  My roommate looked over his shoulder and bellowed, "Awww F*ck!" and stormed out of the room.  I had to deal with those 2 JWs while trying to hold a straight face.  Gotta give them credit for staying on the porch after his outburst.

Had a couple mormon teens the other day.  Nice kids.  We had a pretty good conversation that I turned to how things were going with them.  It worked great.  At the end of the conversation, one of the kids says, "Is there anything we can do for you?  Vacuum your living room or something?"  What a crack up.  They're welcome back anytime but won't be as I made it clear I have never been nor ever will be a mormon although I did try to have sexual relations with a couple in high school.

It's kind of hard for people to avoid sucuming to inherent human faults no matter what their religion.

The part that always interested me was the JWs discuraged higher education or becoming politically active whereas the Mormons encuraged higher education and I assume they are politically active.

The biggest thing I hate is how religions of this nature claim if you don't belong to the one "true" faith you are not making it to heaven.  Last time I checked God didn't specify you must belong to "X" religion or face his wrath.  A particular sect is set up by people and therefor has faults that are inherent in humans.  Therefor no religion can be the one and only.  (Just like no martial art is the one and only.)

Kent

I went on a two year mission for the Mormons when I was a dumb, lobotomized, lemming who didn't know his ass from his head.  I'm pretty sure I irritated a few people during my time in Finland but I'm also sure I helped a lot more than I bothered.

Most people are pretty damn nice, even if they are comfortable in their current religion and I enjoyed meeting them. Of course there are the few assholes who are so completely closed minded that they wouldn't talk about the weather or anything else with you because you are of a different religion but that was OK cause you find assholes everywhere you go, not just when you are tracting for your church.  I heard a great quote one time that said you can measure the size of a man by the size of the things that anger him.  I don't know who said it but I have found it to generally be true.

I only had two guys open the door holding guns and I'm still great friends with both of them.  One of them was cleaning out his suppressor when he answered the door!  That was my first experience shooting suppressed firearms!

I've had a few different religions tract me out, and I've always tried to be polite to them because I appreciate someone sacrificing that much of their time and life to work for something they believe in, even if my views and theirs aren't exactly the same, they are out doing it, so you have to give them props.

There are a few bad apples amongst the people who push religion door to door, but there are a few bad apples amongst us as well.

Matt
Crashburnrepeat

Haven't got any for awhile but I just politely and firmly decline to listen. I see no need to be nasty about it.

I will resist the urge to mormon-bash, but I will tell you that when I see them coming up the walk, I answer the door with my Glock in hand and tell them they have 5 seconds to get off my property or I'll shoot 'em in the ass.

After the above incident, I have not had any others. The word spread (pun intended).

I just tell them I'm Jewish and they leave.The JW's jump out of their shoes and run like they've seen a Chupacabra [dracula]

No need to make a scene.

I've had Mormons come around when doing yard work and they've offered to help.So,I often let them come in for lunch and a cold drink. Most of the one's I have encountered or met are from Ut. or Az. so the coversation usually tends to lean on hunting and the outdoors.

Generally good guys and don't push their beliefs on me.

Invite them in for beer and porn.

The JW's come around to my neighborhood fairly often and talk on the porch and leave literature and invite me to their church but it is give and take and no pressure.  One real cutey stops by occasionally.

I was thinking to myself a few days ago that the Mormans had never visited though I see them pedalin' down the street regularly.  Now they have been by twice in the last week as I treat them pretty well and the NRA sticker was noticed by the one from Texas, who was into firearms.  These guys are pretty nice but a little too eager.  I know as a group they perform public service volunteer work here in my city which is a good calling card.  I wouldn't mind having them as neighbors but don't see myself joining up.  There's usually something in "groupthink" that leaves me cold.  I prefer the idea of the Community Church that had no specified preacher or teacher but encouraged everyone to play a part.  Also no larger church hierarchy./

I have to give credit where credit is due.

A few years ago in January I was getting ready to head out..
It was durring a thaw and we had freezing rain...which I was dressed for.

DING DONG!

Two young lads are there to "share the word" with me.

I stood in the door way snug as a bug and Chatted with them for over an hour.....and they were NOT dressed for the weather!

Of course when ladies ( even the old bats) come by I just say....sure come in. We can talk about god and have some sex!

Just tell them to BUGGER OFF!

I used to get a kick out of the JWs stoping buy my parents house. Billy Graham's got nothing on my mom when she gets started. They'd backpeddle all the way back to their car with mom preaching hellfire and brimstone to them. Me and my little brother would be in the window laughing our ass off.

If someone sticks his foot in your door to try to keep you from closing it, not a jury in the entire world would convict you if you did your level best to smash the damned thing off with the door.   In fact, the police could charge the guy with the damaged foot for illegal entry, etc.

CJ