this is amazing. especially:
I think you’re more concerned with where you’ll be than where you are.

yep, one of many reasons why dogma is not for me. on one hand, it would be neat (daring, brave, ballsy) to try to talk some sense in them and give them a different perspective such as the one you write here, but on the other hand, i think they're too far gone to even have an openmind enough to "get" it. so silently forgiving them is probably the best way... it's what i do, too.

One of the ironic things is that it doesn't ever really feel like they are at your door because they really care about you. You just have to forgive and move on.

This is more eloquent than my "I BELIEVE IN SATAN!" (I don't) at 8am 2 weekends ago.

I am printing this so that I can grab it and read it the next time they try to get in my biz.

Print away. Let me know if it works.

They really force you to buy stuff, huh? That is pretty unpleasant, especially if done repeatedly.

They don't force, but there's a lot of really pushy suggestion.

Balance.

FTMFW.

It's all there is to it. And it's easier to see when we get it right.

Thanks for this.

I actually have huge issues with missionary work in foreign countries, but now is not the time to go off on that.

On this post I will just say...folks, please dtop knocking on my door. I know what I stand for and that cannot be changed.

Exactly. We are in control of our lives just like they are of theirs. And, if we weren't, it's not like we wouldn't know how to come find them.

Very well said.

Thankfully, I have never been the one at home to open the door when they come knocking. Next time, and there will always be a next time, I might just print this out and have it handy to give it to them.

It's just so not cool that there's apparently a presumption of there being an open invitation at our front doors. I'm nice and respectful, but it happens way too often.

"I believe that the only religion I need is an unabashedly human one."

I haven't had a religious someone knock on my door in ages, but if/when it happens, I hope I remember this line. Because it's *perfect*.

If I walked into a church, a much more "public" place, walked up the pulpit and started talking about not believing, I'd probably make the news and maybe even get arrested for creating a disturbance. But, for some reason, it's totally acceptable to walk up to my house and talk to me about believing. I don't understand.

I like this a lot. I get frustrated with those who go door to door, making it seem like theirs is the *only* religion. Even if I share some of the same very very basic tenets. This is an excellent outlook.

And I love this: "but because faith, much like love, is best communicated by example." Yes.

I'm glad. I don't think we at all have to keep what we believe secret from each other. But we can't walk around assuming everyone wants a lecture.

Best story I ever heard was when 2 Jehovah witness knocked on the door of a rectory and a priest came out w/ his Roman collar. All 3 were confused that is actually happened. Was this a bad joke?

The priest invited them in for coffee. After 2 hours, the Jehovah witnesses left confused about what they believed in.

I don't think I'll ever invite anyone in. The person would have to be immediately and incredibly endearing.

Beautiful post on such a time-honored subject. Somehow The Mister always seems to be the one that gets stuck with the religious folks at the door. I should print out your post for him.

It is a getting "stuck" kind of thing. You don't want to be rude and tell them to bug off, so you listen much longer than you want to.

The I felt I really, really, really adored my very big dog (who is actually an angel of love), is when he decided to bark furiously at the bible-God-sellers knocking at my door on a Sunday at 8am. They turned around and left.

Sunday at 8?! Wow. Unacceptable.

EXCELLENT POST!!!!!!
(My mother use to answer the door with our two snarling dobermans and politely ask "Do they need to be saved as well?"- they didn't come to our door often.....)

That reminds me of my cheetah, Stalks.

I really couldn't have said it better. I usually don't say it with as much patience.

Thanks.

Patience is gonna get the best of me, one of these days.

I just pretend not to be home when people come, but once I accidentally answered the door to two very nice Mormon boys in a tank top with no bra, thinking it was my sister (who I was expecting). They were too flustered to get too into the full spiel.

Sooo, the answer is tits.

But failing that, this is awesome and I will keep a couple of copies handy.

Tits. I've been doing some push-ups lately but I doubt I've got enough on top. And no way am I flashing balls. I never do that sober.

If by sheer coincidence somehow discovered the cure for cancer or AIDS wouldn't you want to share it with the world? Even if it meant going door to door or shouiting off rooftops so that everyone could hear? Or would you keep it to yourself for fear of ridicule or backlash?

Not that I ever open the door, mind you. I've got better (heathen-ish) things to do with my time. But I do find myself respecting the fact that they feel they have found the way to salvation... The secret to happiness? and want to share it with the world.

I am glad that they feel secure; I am. But with cancer or something, if they said, "Hey, you have cancer. Wanna cure it?" Either I don't have cancer, and they suck for scaring me, or I do and I know it and I'm excited to get a cure. In other words, cancer is tangible; it's factual. Pretty much all reasonable people agree about that. But reasonable people disagree about how the way I'm living will affect my soul after death, whether my soul goes anywhere after death and whether I even have a soul. So to ignore that we can reasonably disagree about that and insist one way is better than another is what irks me.

Followed a link from Shine. What a well written post! As someone who has spent her entire life as the object of conversion efforts (being a Jew in a very WASPy neighborhood), I know exactly what you're talking about. Why is it necessary to force your beliefs on other people? It seems hypocritical to me.

Thanks for sharing, you're very eloquent.

Welcome (and thanks). But right: I don't like being forced or pushed. It makes me less likely to listen.

I think people cringe when I tell them I'm religious, but to be honest I can't stand people like the ones you mention. Let people be and let them believe in what they want to believe. How ever the hell they think they are better than others, I'll never understand.

When they come up to me, I'd like nothing more than to kick them. But I refrain and simply say NO (very firmly).

Oh and if they ever did come to my door? I wouldn't open.

Well, I hope they stop cringing. Because that's ridiculous. As long we treat each other with respect, whether we do it because we've learned to through religion or because we learned some other way doesn't really matter to me.

this is my favorite post of yours that i've ever read.

Wow. Thank you so much.

why are those mormon boys that always knock on my door always so hot?

Because god actually loves you. They are gifts.

Soo you're saying we're all gonna see your balls in a couple weeks?