Door-step Proseletizing

Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her|Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
edited September 2010 in Debate and/or Discourse
Were the people on this street right to act in the way they did?
This is a group from a church at the end of my street. Apparently they have been grouping in front of a [lesbian/gay] couple's house and reading their bible loudly for the past 7 years. They may have also driven another couple from the area as well by doing the same thing. Tonight most of our neighbours came out and were successful in getting them to leave. The people who go to that church don't even live in our area! Police came by shortly thereafter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHpiXmPWPwk

Personally (as an atheist, as are many others in D&D) I always ... (skip to 10:24) rather than dismissing them outright.

Zilla360 on
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  • Cameron_TalleyCameron_Talley Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    There are laws about this kind of thing, you know.

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  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    This isn't so much door-step proselytizing as harassment.

    Couscous on
  • HonkHonk Honk is this poster. Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited August 2010
    Couscous wrote: »
    This isn't so much door-step proselytizing as harassment.

    Indeed.

    Honk on
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  • HeartlashHeartlash Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    His questions wasn't about legality, it was about whether or we thought people acted rightly.

    Personally, based on the video, it looks like the situation was resolved without an overabundance of conflict. It certainly wasn't amicable, but the neighborhood asked them to leave and they left.

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  • Metal Gear Solid 2 DemoMetal Gear Solid 2 Demo Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    not sure if there is much to debate or talk about here

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  • reVersereVerse Attack and Dethrone God Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Zilla360 wrote: »
    Were the people on this street right to act in the way they did?

    Which people? If you're talking about the religious fanatics, no, they weren't right when they decided to harass someone. If you're talking about the neighbors, yes, they were right when they asked the fanatics to leave.

    reVerse on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    if they were on public property it would be more of a judgement call as to if they were disturbing the peace or not

    nexuscrawler on
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    What? Did the neighbourhood get together and confront the church goers?

    I think it's morally right and I wish more neighbourhoods were like this. They banded together to peacefully remove a nuiscance from their area.

    Sipex on
  • emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    You can proselytize once. If the stranger reacts negatively to your message, move on. Don't be a nuisance. Don't be a dick.

    emnmnme on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    See, this is totally the wrong way to handle this.

    The correct way to handle this is for the gay couple whose house they're doing this in front of to get together with a bunch of their LGBT friends, and show up in front of their church on Sunday morning dressed in their Gay Pride best, and make out while the religious fanatics are trying to take their children to church.

    Bonus points if they live in an open carry state and show up armed to the teeth.

    Thanatos on
  • ronzoronzo Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Couscous wrote: »
    This isn't so much door-step proselytizing as harassment.

    this thread was over by the 3rd post

    ronzo on
  • emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    So using make out sessions like it's a weapon to offend and disgust the Christian churchgoers is a ... good thing? I thought you against that dude who wanted to build a gay bar next to the NY mosque/community center, than.

    emnmnme on
  • wwtMaskwwtMask Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Thanatos wrote: »
    See, this is totally the wrong way to handle this.

    The correct way to handle this is for the gay couple whose house they're doing this in front of to get together with a bunch of their LGBT friends, and show up in front of their church on Sunday morning dressed in their Gay Pride best, and make out while the religious fanatics are trying to take their children to church.

    Bonus points if they live in an open carry state and show up armed to the teeth.

    I was gonna say that the gay couple should respond by making out right in front of them, but I suppose this would work as well.

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  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    emnmnme wrote: »
    So using make out sessions like it's a weapon to offend and disgust the Christian churchgoers is a ... good thing? I thought you against that dude who wanted to build a gay bar next to the NY mosque/community center, than.
    You'll have to quote me for that...?

    Thanatos on
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore. With global communications the way they are, I don't know a single person in the first world who hasn't heard of Jesus. So it just comes off really annoying and does more harm to the church than help.

    joshofalltrades on
  • wwtMaskwwtMask Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Oh, and also I'd like to say fuck door-to-door proselytizing. I have better things to do than listen to your gush about your stupid religious denomination.

    wwtMask on
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  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited August 2010
    I'd have exercised my right to drive down the street, and said they were jaywalking.

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  • Darkchampion3dDarkchampion3d Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Fuck them and their smarmy self righteousness. Should have just called the police and gotten them for tresspassing/harassment.

    Religion is a cancer upon the human mind. Why can't people just be happy with worshipping their imaginary friend and leave the rest of us alone?

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  • NuckerNucker Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore. With global communications the way they are, I don't know a single person in the first world who hasn't heard of Jesus. So it just comes off really annoying and does more harm to the church than help.

    You must not live near any Mormon or Jehova's Witnesses hotspots. I grew up Mormon, and at 18 we were expected to head off somewhere in the states or abroad to knock on doors and spread the word that Mormons aren't actually sociopathic nuclear families.

    Sometimes they even managed to wrangle a few people in to coming to church on sunday, too.

    Nucker on
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Our apartment complex got raided by Baptists the other day. It was odd, as we live in the greater Seattle area and its rare that happens.

    When I lived in a heavily Mormon area it wasn't so bad, as they usually traveled to places that weren't 2/3 LDS to preach their spiel.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • BubbaTBubbaT Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Oh, and also I'd like to say fuck door-to-door anything. I have better things to do than listen to your gush about your stupid chalky overpriced candy bars and your stupid class trip to DC.

    BubbaT on
  • NuckerNucker Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Really, there's nothing wrong about door-to-door proselytizing, so long as a) they aren't harassing and b) they leave when you tell them to leave. From the missionaries I talked with, if they saw "NO SOLICITORS" sign they didn't knock at that door and moved on. For someone that wants to be left alone, that'd probably do the trick. I'd put door-to-door religion on the same level as door-to-door political campaigning and door-to-door sales--I'm not interested, so leave me alone.

    For people who might be interested...?

    Nucker on
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Nucker wrote: »
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore. With global communications the way they are, I don't know a single person in the first world who hasn't heard of Jesus. So it just comes off really annoying and does more harm to the church than help.

    You must not live near any Mormon or Jehova's Witnesses hotspots. I grew up Mormon, and at 18 we were expected to head off somewhere in the states or abroad to knock on doors and spread the word that Mormons aren't actually sociopathic nuclear families.

    Sometimes they even managed to wrangle a few people in to coming to church on sunday, too.

    Even if you convert a few, I'd be more than willing to bet that you'd completely alienate a substantially higher number of people.

    joshofalltrades on
  • NuckerNucker Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Even if you convert a few, I'd be more than willing to bet that you'd completely alienate a substantially higher number of people.

    As long as they're being polite, how are the missionaries alienating people? Rather, the people who feel alienated by polite missionaries--are these people who are going to wake up one day and think, "Man, I should go to that neat church I saw the other day!" or are they people who already have prejudices against the religion knocking on their door and are never going to join anyway?

    Nucker on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I had someone come door to door selling magazine subscriptions, and then proceeded to ask if I know anyone who sold pot in the area.

    That was the weirdest fucking thing ever. Then because the litter box was right at the door my cat took a huge dump in front of them. Bless that glorious cat.

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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Nucker wrote: »
    From the missionaries I talked with, if they saw "NO SOLICITORS" sign they didn't knock at that door and moved on.

    I wanted to respond to this part of your post in particular, but it's a side issue and I made a new thread so this one doesn't get sidetracked.

    joshofalltrades on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Nucker wrote: »
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore. With global communications the way they are, I don't know a single person in the first world who hasn't heard of Jesus. So it just comes off really annoying and does more harm to the church than help.

    You must not live near any Mormon or Jehova's Witnesses hotspots. I grew up Mormon, and at 18 we were expected to head off somewhere in the states or abroad to knock on doors and spread the word that Mormons aren't actually sociopathic nuclear families.

    Sometimes they even managed to wrangle a few people in to coming to church on sunday, too.

    Well, I guess now the perception if Mormons is that they're all door-to-door proselytizing dudes in ties instead of sociopathic nuclear families. Might be an improvement, but still not exactly "normal".

    A while ago there was an episode of "This American Life" where they interviewed two of the Mormon canvassers for one of the segments. From what I remember, they said actual converts were extremely rare. Like, they'd never heard of a single one.

    KalTorak on
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    The guys who came to our door asked me if I knew where I was going when I died.

    Seemed kind of a personal question when I had already told them I wasn't interested.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • Rear Admiral ChocoRear Admiral Choco I wanna be an owl, Jerry! Owl York CityRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    emnmnme wrote: »
    So using make out sessions like it's a weapon to offend and disgust the Christian churchgoers is a ... good thing? I thought you against that dude who wanted to build a gay bar next to the NY mosque/community center, than.

    Man, who would be against that, anyway? If the guy was actually set on doing that and managed to get a permit, let him do it.

    I have to say it was actually kind of nice to see those people coming together and getting rid of a nuisance to the neighbourhood, though. It shows some solidarity that I don't feel exists in a lot of places, at least around here.

    Rear Admiral Choco on
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Nucker wrote: »
    Even if you convert a few, I'd be more than willing to bet that you'd completely alienate a substantially higher number of people.

    As long as they're being polite, how are the missionaries alienating people? Rather, the people who feel alienated by polite missionaries--are these people who are going to wake up one day and think, "Man, I should go to that neat church I saw the other day!" or are they people who already have prejudices against the religion knocking on their door and are never going to join anyway?

    I think most people who are on the fence would rather talk about religion with somebody they know and trust instead of some random stranger who shows up at the door.

    joshofalltrades on
  • emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    KalTorak wrote: »
    A while ago there was an episode of "This American Life" where they interviewed two of the Mormon canvassers for one of the segments. From what I remember, they said actual converts were extremely rare. Like, they'd never heard of a single one.

    They don't do it because it's effective - they do it because that's what Jesus said to do.

    emnmnme on
  • Modern ManModern Man Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore.
    What do you mean by this? Do you mean legally, or are you just saying it's not an effective way to get converts?

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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Modern Man wrote: »
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore.
    What do you mean by this? Do you mean legally, or are you just saying it's not an effective way to get converts?

    The latter.

    joshofalltrades on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    The guys who came to our door asked me if I knew where I was going when I died.

    Seemed kind of a personal question when I had already told them I wasn't interested.

    They were trying to comparison shop for graveyard plots.

    KalTorak on
  • PhantPhant Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Nucker wrote: »
    Even if you convert a few, I'd be more than willing to bet that you'd completely alienate a substantially higher number of people.

    As long as they're being polite, how are the missionaries alienating people? Rather, the people who feel alienated by polite missionaries--are these people who are going to wake up one day and think, "Man, I should go to that neat church I saw the other day!" or are they people who already have prejudices against the religion knocking on their door and are never going to join anyway?

    Personally I find it a bit insulting. I live in America, for starters, so of fucking COURSE I've heard about "The Lord". Beyond that, I personally know plenty about your religion, I've read your holy book, and its quite possible I know more about theology in general than YOU, Mr or Mrs Knockonmydoor, do, because I'm intellectually curious like that.

    Now that doesn't mean I'm rude or hostile to these people, I'm Minnesotan and thus such a thing is not in my nature, but still I'm less inclined to have a discussion about religion with you because you come knocking on my door, probably interrupting me while I was doing something, and sort of act like I've been living under a rock since the rise of the roman empire.

    Phant on
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    KalTorak wrote: »
    The guys who came to our door asked me if I knew where I was going when I died.

    Seemed kind of a personal question when I had already told them I wasn't interested.

    They were trying to comparison shop for graveyard plots.

    I told them "Ohio" then slammed the door on the fucks.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    In Houston, there are a handful of Christian church commercials that air during the local news.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaxCdf_b1Is

    emnmnme on
  • YamiNoSenshiYamiNoSenshi A point called Z In the complex planeRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Modern Man wrote: »
    I don't think Christians can door-to-door proselytize anymore. Shit, I don't think they can proselytize at all anymore.
    What do you mean by this? Do you mean legally, or are you just saying it's not an effective way to get converts?

    The latter.

    They can't exactly spread the word in the missionary sense anymore. Everyone knows what their religion is, and the bulk of people have already made a choice before somebody comes a-knocking at the front door.

    YamiNoSenshi on
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    The reality is that the number of people they "alienate" doesn't really matter to them, because all the people they are talking to aren't churchgoers anyway. If I come away from a knock on a door with a (somehow) more negative impression of the mormon church than I had previously, that isn't really a problem for them.

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  • YamiNoSenshiYamiNoSenshi A point called Z In the complex planeRegistered User regular
    edited August 2010
    The reality is that the number of people they "alienate" doesn't really matter to them, because all the people they are talking to aren't churchgoers anyway. If I come away from a knock on a door with a (somehow) more negative impression of the mormon church than I had previously, that isn't really a problem for them.

    That's a good point. If they knock on 100 doors of people that don't go to church, and 99 people hate them more but one person tried going to church really hardcore, they made a prophet on the day.

    YamiNoSenshi on
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