Two young guys came knocking at my door...i live in belgium, so im not very familiar with mormons..but after some googling it appears they do these kind of things alot.
Problem is im the kind of guy that has a hard time to simply say "no". Especially since i live in a city that is pretty hostile, people keep to themselves here. So it was a change of scenery to see two well-dressed guys, a few years younger then me knocking at my door and being more polite then anyone i have spoken to in ages. They asked if they could return sunday to talk about their faith..they also said they have a book to give, but that its entirely free and that they just wanted to give some information together with the book (book of mormons????).
My first thought when they came knocking at my door was that they were out on my money, so i was suprised when they said they had no such intentions...people in this day and age dont go from door to door without getting something in return, you never see that.
Maybe you american TL'ers got more experience with them? I also dont know why these guys are in belgium, when the religion is based on some american dude? They did have an english accent, it was very noticable. What will they tell me? Are they going to try and convert me? I dont believe in religion...yea maybe there is something out there, but im sure as hell not going to waste my time worshipping something that "might be".
Whats the polite way to not offend them without promising them that you will go to their church or whatever?
I dont hate these guys, i admire what they are doing, they seem very polite and if more people in my city were like these guys it sure as hell would be a better place. Its just that im a busy man and i really have no time for what is more then likely religious bullshit. How do you usually deal with these guys in america?
on the side note: Having many wives does seem like a good idea haha!
Yes, they will try to convert you and they may send crap to your address. Other than that they will probably treat you well... they do have an interest in leaving a good impression of their religion. In general though I don't think it is a good idea to talk about religion with them that much. They will likely be pleasant but they are not going to yield at all (why would they?) and you have to remember that they are going to try to convert you.
I would just tell them thank you and that you are not interested (and not interested in getting the free book).
Oh, and as good as polygamy sounds the modern LDS church has distanced itself from that practice quite a bit.
Ah damn..ok...then i definatly dont want to become mormom...might have considered it if i could have many wives! :D
Ah well, ill just listen to their story and at the end thank them for coming and say bye, i guess in the end its a good experience to see how these people are living and how they view the world.
What is it about where you live in Belgium that makes you describe the area as "hostile"? This seems odd to me; I honestly wouldn't even describe most of Detroit as hostile.
On February 21 2014 09:24 farvacola wrote: What is it about where you live in Belgium that makes you describe the area as "hostile"? This seems odd to me; I honestly wouldn't even describe most of Detroit as hostile.
Well, our city is 54% immigrants, most of them have no job, and half of these different cultures seem to be at war with eachother. We even had a turkish organisation bombed at the street where i live, things like knife fights etc are also not uncommon... And yea, people keep to themselves... its not very uncommon for people to not even know who lives next door.
On February 21 2014 08:58 SupplyBlockedTV wrote: on the side note: Having many wives does seem like a good idea haha!
I'm not too sure about this one ^^ I feel like one female in the house is exhausting enough xD
Oh god please listen to this man.
And your city sounds like an absolute shithole. O.o I have friends in belgium and ive not heard of anything that bad lol.
I really wouldnt lead these guys on though, they can be really pushy despite being polite and end up not leaving you alone / spamming your address and you with crap. Best bet is to just politely say you arent interested in a firm way and let them move on.
If you're legitimately interested though..go for it?
First of all, all religions are scams. Like any scam, they pretend to ask for nothing, and promise you everything. The easiest way to avoid people is to pretend to not be home. They will knock on the door for awhile then walk away. If you accidentally open the door, simply invite them in for some coffee or soup or something. They will refuse at first because they are instructed not to enter people's houses, but be friendly and insist they do. Have them sit down in the living room and just start chatting with them about this and that, and be friendly. They will be very nervous and wonder what the hell you are doing. Then, simply say "Hey, how about we watch a movie together?" and they will say "No, we simply must get going." and you reply with "I'm going to be honest... I haven't many friends. I really enjoy your company and I promise I will come to church next sunday if you watch a movie with me." Once they finally agree, go to your DVD collection, and pick out "A Serbian Film" and pop it into your DVD player. Hand both of them a bowl of popcorn and tell them to enjoy your favorite film with you.
On February 21 2014 08:58 SupplyBlockedTV wrote: on the side note: Having many wives does seem like a good idea haha!
I'm not too sure about this one ^^ I feel like one female in the house is exhausting enough xD
Oh god please listen to this man.
And your city sounds like an absolute shithole. O.o I have friends in belgium and ive not heard of anything that bad lol.
Most cities are okayish in belgium. But yea, we used to have coal mines which attracted alot of immigrant workers to our city, and later on a big Ford factory...which also recently closed resulting in many losing their jobs in our city. Out of all of belgium our city (genk) has the highest percentage of immigrants. Cities like antwerp and brussels arnt very great either, but it mainly depends on the neighborhood....ive known enough people who have been robbed or assaulted (and even a friend of who got stabbed in the stomach when he didnt want to hand over his money), there are just some areas that you are better of avoiding :/. We even have places in belgium that are so bad that the police declared it a no-go zone.
Ofcourse its a few rotten apples and its not that bad in the end, its these few rotten apples that ruin it for everyone else... but yea, ive had my fair share of being provoced on the streets by youngsters, also gotten into many fights when i was still at highschool...its better now that i am older and alot bigger, but this is definitely not a city where i want my kids to grow up in.
On February 21 2014 09:46 ninazerg wrote: First of all, all religions are scams. Like any scam, they pretend to ask for nothing, and promise you everything. The easiest way to avoid people is to pretend to not be home. They will knock on the door for awhile then walk away. If you accidentally open the door, simply invite them in for some coffee or soup or something. They will refuse at first because they are instructed not to enter people's houses, but be friendly and insist they do. Have them sit down in the living room and just start chatting with them about this and that, and be friendly. They will be very nervous and wonder what the hell you are doing. Then, simply say "Hey, how about we watch a movie together?" and they will say "No, we simply must get going." and you reply with "I'm going to be honest... I haven't many friends. I really enjoy your company and I promise I will come to church next sunday if you watch a movie with me." Once they finally agree, go to your DVD collection, and pick out "A Serbian Film" and pop it into your DVD player. Hand both of them a bowl of popcorn and tell them to enjoy your favorite film with you.
On February 21 2014 08:58 SupplyBlockedTV wrote: Two young guys came knocking at my door...i live in belgium, so im not very familiar with mormons..but after some googling it appears they do these kind of things alot.
Problem is im the kind of guy that has a hard time to simply say "no". Especially since i live in a city that is pretty hostile, people keep to themselves here. So it was a change of scenery to see two well-dressed guys, a few years younger then me knocking at my door and being more polite then anyone i have spoken to in ages. They asked if they could return sunday to talk about their faith..they also said they have a book to give, but that its entirely free and that they just wanted to give some information together with the book (book of mormons????).
My first thought when they came knocking at my door was that they were out on my money, so i was suprised when they said they had no such intentions...people in this day and age dont go from door to door without getting something in return, you never see that.
Maybe you american TL'ers got more experience with them? I also dont know why these guys are in belgium, when the religion is based on some american dude? They did have an english accent, it was very noticable. What will they tell me? Are they going to try and convert me? I dont believe in religion...yea maybe there is something out there, but im sure as hell not going to waste my time worshipping something that "might be".
Whats the polite way to not offend them without promising them that you will go to their church or whatever?
I dont hate these guys, i admire what they are doing, they seem very polite and if more people in my city were like these guys it sure as hell would be a better place. Its just that im a busy man and i really have no time for what is more then likely religious bullshit. How do you usually deal with these guys in america?
on the side note: Having many wives does seem like a good idea haha!
Hi. Former mormon (from birth till I was about 22 years old - 25 now).
Essentially, you can ask them to not come back politely, and they'll understand. The only thing is that I can't guarantee someone won't be back in a year or so. Some of them do door-to-door, others may have recommendations pouring out their ears that they don't need to go door-to-door. It sounds like you got the latter, which means they'll be back - Not them in particular, but another pair will be back. I don't know when, but they will be.
So my answer is: Just tell them you're not interested. Don't try to challenge their beliefs because the more you ask about them, the more likely they're going to return. If you've already ask some questions, chances are they'll keep coming back. You just have to be direct with them and let them know you would appreciate it if they didn't come back simply because you're not interested, but if you are, you will give them or the local bishop a heads up.
Yeah, nice guys I bet though. I have a had several friends go on missions, and have been called all sorts of things. I understand that people get annoyed with them, but see it from their side: They're a million miles from home trying to accomplish a goal set forth for them for the next two years. They have little to no contact with their families, and they can't even give females hugs. I know you're annoyed, but the nicer you are to them, and the more direct you are about them not showing up again, the easier it will be for both parties.
If they keep showing up every week though, I think the best thing to do is to get stern with them. No one should put up with that shit, even if they are in a situation that may not seem too great.
every Mormon I've ever met has just been the absolute nicest person.
Even if you tell them straight up you're an atheist and won't convert, they'll likely be more than happy just to talk and spend time with you.
I played board games with some mormons once. never once mentioned their faith. they were just happy to hang out and be generally friendly and cool dudes.
On February 21 2014 08:58 SupplyBlockedTV wrote: Two young guys came knocking at my door...i live in belgium, so im not very familiar with mormons..but after some googling it appears they do these kind of things alot.
Problem is im the kind of guy that has a hard time to simply say "no". Especially since i live in a city that is pretty hostile, people keep to themselves here. So it was a change of scenery to see two well-dressed guys, a few years younger then me knocking at my door and being more polite then anyone i have spoken to in ages. They asked if they could return sunday to talk about their faith..they also said they have a book to give, but that its entirely free and that they just wanted to give some information together with the book (book of mormons????).
My first thought when they came knocking at my door was that they were out on my money, so i was suprised when they said they had no such intentions...people in this day and age dont go from door to door without getting something in return, you never see that.
Maybe you american TL'ers got more experience with them? I also dont know why these guys are in belgium, when the religion is based on some american dude? They did have an english accent, it was very noticable. What will they tell me? Are they going to try and convert me? I dont believe in religion...yea maybe there is something out there, but im sure as hell not going to waste my time worshipping something that "might be".
Whats the polite way to not offend them without promising them that you will go to their church or whatever?
I dont hate these guys, i admire what they are doing, they seem very polite and if more people in my city were like these guys it sure as hell would be a better place. Its just that im a busy man and i really have no time for what is more then likely religious bullshit. How do you usually deal with these guys in america?
on the side note: Having many wives does seem like a good idea haha!
Hi. Former mormon (from birth till I was about 22 years old - 25 now).
Essentially, you can ask them to not come back politely, and they'll understand. The only thing is that I can't guarantee someone won't be back in a year or so. Some of them do door-to-door, others may have recommendations pouring out their ears that they don't need to go door-to-door. It sounds like you got the latter, which means they'll be back - Not them in particular, but another pair will be back. I don't know when, but they will be.
So my answer is: Just tell them you're not interested. Don't try to challenge their beliefs because the more you ask about them, the more likely they're going to return. If you've already ask some questions, chances are they'll keep coming back. You just have to be direct with them and let them know you would appreciate it if they didn't come back simply because you're not interested, but if you are, you will give them or the local bishop a heads up.
Yeah, nice guys I bet though. I have a had several friends go on missions, and have been called all sorts of things. I understand that people get annoyed with them, but see it from their side: They're a million miles from home trying to accomplish a goal set forth for them for the next two years. They have little to no contact with their families, and they can't even give females hugs. I know you're annoyed, but the nicer you are to them, and the more direct you are about them not showing up again, the easier it will be for both parties.
If they keep showing up every week though, I think the best thing to do is to get stern with them. No one should put up with that shit, even if they are in a situation that may not seem too great.
Hey thanks for the advice. Yea i can imagine they are sacrificing alot to do this. And i can imagine alot of people being very rude to them...its probably requires alot of mental stamina to do what they do. Ill just be honest to them in a polite manner. Or maybe they'll want to play some starcraft and grab some beers. :D
mormons are good people, they are usually really nice and are actually very genuine. they can be intensely devoted to crazy beliefs though. They can be annoying but you should be nice to them because they have the best intentions. A lot of people confuse their devotion and niceness for a scam, but its not.
be warned, if you give them any indication that you are interested in learning more about mormonism they will NEVER leave you alone. They make great friends if you can get to know them outside of that.
On February 21 2014 10:46 Fighter wrote: every Mormon I've ever met has just been the absolute nicest person.
Even if you tell them straight up you're an atheist and won't convert, they'll likely be more than happy just to talk and spend time with you.
I played board games with some mormons once. never once mentioned their faith. they were just happy to hang out and be generally friendly and cool dudes.
That sounds like a really fun idea actually. When I finally get a place of my own and some Mormons stop by, I'm totally inviting them to play Scrabble with me.
EPT
