People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

[Maulus]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

We used to get a lot of Mormons around Derby Town Centre, thinking about it, i haven't seen any around for the last few months... possibly too many questions about Magnets..?

M

[Bjorn]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

Its inevitably the same reaction.

My eyes roll and my shoulders slump as if to say, "AGAIN?" And then I have to interrupt them right away and tell them that I'm not interested in any sort of conversation... if I'm feeling nice I'll add, "about their god unless they want to meet mine with the same open mind they're asking me to show them." But I don't usually add that. Because people don't ever want to discuss things and I don't ever feel like I should have to defend my beliefs against others because we're all wrong anyway.

[OpenHands]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

Oh my, Artemaes, that would have made me uncomfortable too.

I'm a quiet and polite person by nature, so my typical reaction is to just say "No thank you." and continue on my way. I've never had someone come to the door, but short-and-polite is my usual tactic whenever possible.

I had a Christian classmate in college try to convert me once when I answered her question about my religion honestly. She was an intense person so the conversation was rather intense too, but I tried to keep the tone light and answered her questions without letting her back me into a corner. I think she went away baffled, but I felt like I handled myself well and we maintained a friendly acquaintance until graduation.

I also had a very devout Christian roommate that year, which didn't go as well. We were two very different people stuck in a small room together and...well...after some initial attempts to discuss Christianity with me, she gave up and wrote me off as a complete weirdo, I think. I was having an emotionally tough year with some family issues happening so I didn't have it in me for much more than civil silence. I wasn't appreciative of the conversion efforts, but I still wish I handled things a little differently. Ah, regrets.

[KashakuTatsu]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

The biggest group I get is scientologist while going to the apothecary, they have centers on both sides of the street. But they don't put up as much of a fight as other pagans do. Those I've ended up going off on with some form of "if you want tolerance from me, tolerate my views."

[Ophidia]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

It's kind of funny, after reading everyone's responses and thinking about it for awhile - I don't care about the message so much as the delivery.

I don't like people coming to my house uninvited. Period. Doesn't matter if you're a salesperson, census taker or relative. When someone I don't know rings the doorbell or knocks on the door, I view it as an invasion.

[Witcher]

[Anu]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

A few times I just had a conversation with the people trying to convert me. I always make it clear I'm pretty strict in my ways, but I like listening to different views. Normally they've been fairly understanding of this, and appreciate I'll listen. I tend to have success with "I'm interested in what you believe, just please don't try to actively convert me. None of this 'you know Jesus loves you' stuff, please."

Alternatively, when I was in the hospital (and I was fairly fond of wandering the halls because there's not much to do there) there was a young man who followed me around absolutely trying to convert me. It was annoying. He blatantly disregarded my request for him to say what he believed or explain what he enjoyed about his religion, and just kept telling me Jesus loved me. Eventually I informed him "If I don't believe in Jesus, then it doesn't much matter if you say he loves me." He still didn't get the picture, but I was quite happy when he was discharged because I could finally wander in peace.

[Caelia]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

I usually leave it at a polite, "no thank you". When they persist they're fair game.

I've mellowed out more than how I used to handle things. Lemme put it this way: I scared Brother Jed's wife away from my alma mater's campus. Now I just ask a few questions that Martin Luther posed with the occasional question about consciousness in other creatures. It's enough to send their head's spinning.

[LadyGarnetRose]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

Most of the time I try to be polite and say, "Thank you not interested." The last time though I had just driven 55 miles home and really needed to use the restroom. I see these 2 older women knocking on my door as I'm getting out of my car and I ask, "May I help you?" and they go into the, "Jesus loves you" speech. "Thank you not interested." I open my door, and they try to follow me in, I couldn't be arsed told them, "Listen you need to leave my house RIGHT now I don't have time for this." I mean I hadda GO now. "If you don't make time now...." "Ladies I gotta GO and you gotta leave." I go to the bathroom come out and they are on my couch talking waiting for me.

They left, but not after I brandished a gun at them.


20 minutes later there's a knock on my door, sheriff's deputy asking why I threatened those women's lives. I told him what happened. He starts smirking when I get to the point of walking out of the bathroom and seeing those two ballsy broads sitting on my couch... When I tell him, "So I walked into the bedroom, got the shotgun walked into the living room, not aimed at them even, and said, 'You can leave in one piece or you can leave in pieces your choice, now get the EF outta my house." Poor man was laughing so hard he was crying. But I gotta tell you, nobody's tried to convert me up here since.

[Ophidia]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

[quote author=LadyGarnetRose link=topic=1426.msg29520#msg29520 date=1295389794]
Most of the time I try to be polite and say, "Thank you not interested." The last time though I had just driven 55 miles home and really needed to use the restroom. I see these 2 older women knocking on my door as I'm getting out of my car and I ask, "May I help you?" and they go into the, "Jesus loves you" speech. "Thank you not interested." I open my door, and they try to follow me in, I couldn't be arsed told them, "Listen you need to leave my house RIGHT now I don't have time for this." I mean I hadda GO now. "If you don't make time now...."
[/quote]

I would have politely listened to their spiel as I peed on their shoes.

[Kestrel337]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

They usually show up at my door with a leading question. Like the one who said "if you died today, are you absolutely sure you'd go to heaven?" I just said "yep, thanks."

Or the ones who showed up on easter sunday, the whole family, dressed in their best. The patriarch opened the discussion with "what is the source of happiness and fulfillment in life?". I guess I could've said "dogs" since both of mine were trying to get through the door to greet their long lost best friend. Instead I told him that serving others and giving back to my community were the most fulfilling things for me.

In both cases they were confused as soon as I went off-script, so they left. Sometimes I could see them coming and guess who they are (Mormon? JW?) so I picked something to be and lied. Nowadays I just keep a sign on my door:

No Solicitors
No Missionaries
No Canvassers
No Vuvuzelas

[Artemaes]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

Reading all of these responses just reminded me of when the johovas witnesses visited a while ago. First they parked their car ON my flower bed. I didn't even bother answering my door. Instead I called my neighbor, which was my mom at the time, and told her not to open her door and why. The next thing I know she comes running outside an early morning hygienic mess) in her robe only,with a shotgun aimed at their heads, screaming a strand of expletives which can probably still be heard today, if you hold your breath, and the wind blows just right. After that, they resorted to delivering pamphlets under our doors in the middle of the night ....gutsy little SOB's!

[Medusa]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

No one has ever tried to convert my soul. Just what's wrong with it ?!
*cleans off soul.

[thalassa]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

I just don't care so much anymore...

So what? Try to convert me. Waste your time. If it makes you feel spiritually enlightened to ram your head against a brick wall, you can do that too.

Sure, there was a time in my fiery youth where I might have bothered with a dozen different wittily sarcastic, intellectually superior or just downright obnoxious remarks to anyone that crossed my path with with the intention of saving my soul with their brand of Jesus...but that just made me look like an ass. So I listen to the sales pitch, I politely decline (as in "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested, and thank you for your concern&quot and I move on with my life. Most people aren't pushy. And the ones that are, well, I make an exception and THEY get treated to my verbal boot in their ass.

Now, if you want to know how I deal with THOSE people, thats infinitely more amusing.

[CttCJim]

Re: People who try to convert you, and your reactions.

Last time a soul hunter came after me was years ago. I was carrying armloads of groceries home and some girl in a sundress is coming the other way. (They use pretty girls to get your attention. Sick.)
She greeted me, so I knew something was off, because pretty girls don't do that.
"Hi!"
"Hello"
"How are you?" (she turns around and falls into step beside me)
"Um... fine, you?"
"Great, thanks! I was wondering if I could share something with you."
I bit my tongue, since I was in a relationship and should NOT be saying what I wanted to say to this pretty girl who was offering to "share" with me. Instead, i went with:
"Not if it's a religious something."
I think she was new because things got awkward after that. She followed up with:
"Okay... well, is there anything else I can do for you?"
MAN OH MAN was there something else she could do for me. But we were walking by a school and again I wasn't single.
"Uh... you could help carry my groceries."
"Ha ha."

Then she left. In hindsight, I should have offered to listen to her pitch while she carried half my bags home. I just wasn't thinking that day.

Today I'd probably be more enlightened about it, and propose a fair trade: "I'll listen to you talk about Jehovah if you listen to me talk about Sekhmet."
If they are willing to accept that, then good for them.