<p>I havent’t had LDS missionaries come to our block- perhaps my sister put us on a “don’t waste your time list”
( Her family is LDS and she has one daughter who was interested in fulfilling a mission, she is currently in Chile- her other 4 kids are either too young or not interested)
The guy with the “deaf” card, I also was suspicious of, I had just read " train go sorry" & we know a couple people who have profound hearing loss- enough that we have learned a few signs although communication is still very difficult- and I felt that even if he was actually deaf, that it would have been harmful to give him money.</p>
<p>I agree that the LDS kids are innocuous, I worry about them too, cause they seem very young and less than worldy, but I don’t think there is pressure on them ( at least in our area) to do a mission, but I do crack up when they are sent somewhere like Bellevue to convert people & in Chile, where my niece is, the church adjusts its definition of what it takes to be a member to account for the influence of animist and Catholic religions.</p>
<p>Many years ago, there was a knock on my door at 8:00 am on a Saturday! Those were the days when I would catch up on my lack of sleep and stayed in bed until noon. (Yes, single, no kids) I was active in our church, so when the doorbell rang and I asked who it was through the door, and they said, “_____ from the Church” I opened it, because that’s what we always said when we called each other, etc. But they weren’t from our church, but from the Baptist one down the next street. I didn’t want to just shut the door in their face when i was asked, “Are you saved?” My belief is that I do my best, believe I can be, etc., and that God will make the final determination when the time comes. Well, I said this, and the barrage was incredible! I should KNOW! I couldn’t get rid of them! Finally, I told them that “I would know when I died, and She told me if I were saved.” That did it. They hightailed it out of there. However, I was an officer in our Homeowners’ Assn., and a Baptist minister (different church from that of the missionaries) was the Pres., and at our next meeting, he asked me why work was getting back to him that I was a heathen. I told him the story, and he said he would tell them not to ring anyone’s doorbell until after 9:00! He did tell me that he knew me and didn’t think I was a heathen. As for the LDS kids, they are always polite and leave when I tell them I am happy with my religion. BTW, they don’t have to go for hours and hours without sustenance, etc., because the houses of the local LDS members are open to them for meals, etc. My neighbor around the corner does dinner, another does lunch, and they can stop by for drinks anytime.</p>
<p>I don’t mind the LDS kids, I think they are young and polite young men.
I think I’ve always had aversion the the “Jehovah Witness” who would come out in droves on Sunday and looking eagerly trying to convert somebody. The minute I see them in my neighborhood, I get on my car and drive somewhere.</p>
<p>In addition to the Chabad literature, and if they still bother me after I tell them I’m Jewish, I’ll use the old WWJD line: “Isn’t it true that Jesus was Jewish? Well, if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me!” That usually ends it.</p>
<p>I just tell them that I am very happy with my religion but thank them and wish them good luck. With the mormon kids and other kids selling things, I tell them sorry but no thank you and if it’s hot I always offer them a bottle of water and wish them better luck next door. My brother is deaf and he NEVER went door to door nor has any one he knows. Learning a few easy signs would send them away quickly I should think. I alway buy Girl Scout cookies and usually what ever the Boy Scouts are selling</p>
<p>My friend told me this story. A bunch of Mormons showed up on her doorstep and offered a copy of their “bible”. She tried to be very polite with them and told them that she’d read it if it were in Russian, and they disappeared. A few days later, she found a copy of the book on her porch. Yep, in Russian!</p>
<p>For me, I think the shepherd does the trick. But if I see Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, I always buy their cookies and popcorn.</p>
<p>Bad neighbor? Nah.
If you were a bad neighbor, you would sick them on YOUR neighbors!</p>
<p>We have three dogs, one a belgian shepherd who barks very aggressively at the door, hackles up. I let them think he is just as vicious as he looks (not true - he is a big mush) and that the barking is so loud I can’t hear them anyway.</p>
<p>in our community, religious solicitors are legally required to register with our village hall before making door-to-door calls. They have to pass over homes that have a “No Religious Solicitors Invited” sticker at their front door, so I never get them anymore. If they do ring, and I come to the door, the first thing I do is point to the sign, and they apologize and leave.</p>
