When I was in high school a classmate of mine listed of names of girls she wouldn't want to mess with. My cousin, my best friend and I were on that list. Now, please don't think we were bullies- pushing down small people, smoking in the bathroom, giving wedgies or spreading false gossip. We were good girls, goodie two-shoes and honor roll students. I guess we just exuded confidence and acted all tough.
Well that classmate of mine probably wouldn't put me on that list now, because I am a pansy.
I saw a strange car pull up in front of my house and two women got out. They had backpacks and were wearing long black skirts. "Oh noooooooo!!! They are either Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons!" I thought. I didn't have time to think. I have always heard of missionaries going door-to-door, but I have never ever had to deal with a situation like this!
They knocked on the door and I couldn't hide because they had seen me through our front window. I opened the door to two very young, pretty girls- probably college age.
They asked me if I had ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I said yes. They asked me if I knew about Jesus Christ and his Gospel. I pointed to the large crucifix in our living room and said yes. They giggled in surprise. Then I said, "We're devout Catholics, so I'm not really interested in hearing what you have to say." As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. They sounded so mean. Yeah, they are the truth, but I could have said it in a more charitable way. I mean these people walk door to door in the cold, probably get cursed at, made fun of, doors slammed in their face, and they are all doing it because they truly believe they are doing the right thing. They believe what they are doing is good. They do it for Jesus. I immediately apologized. I told them I didn't mean to sound rude. They smiled and said I wasn't and then asked if there was anything they could do for our family. Then they left. Thankfully Joe was in my arms so he broke up the awkwardness.
I know some people invite missionaries in and debate theology. Some people agree to take a pamphlet if they can give the missionaries a pamphlet of their own denomination. Some people hide or say, "No thanks," and slam the door.
How do you deal with missionaries of different denominations when they come knocking at your door? Are you rude? How do you treat them with kindness? Do you take this opportunity to share your own denomination's beliefs?
In closing I would like to share a joke with you that my Uncle Alan has recently told my family:
There was a knock on the door this morning, I opened it and there was a young man standing there who said: "I'm a Jehovah's Witness".
I said, "Come in and sit down."
When he sat down I asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
He said, "Darned if I know, I've never got this far before!"
9 comments:
LOL at the joke!!!!!!! My dad was painting a porch for an upcoming wedding. Two of them approached them. He said (very kindly) "I am Catholic and plan on staying so. If you want to come and talk to me about becoming Catholic let's talk. If you want a lemonade, just let me know." They had a nice glass of lemonade and moved on. :)
I always wimp out. But hubby dear LOVES to talk and discuss. He always talks them away from our door. I think they are shocked when they see him come out with his Catholic bible to "compare notes".
I am probably more of the pansy type. I am worried that I don't know how to phrase what I'd want to say properly and I would sound rude, or I would sound more ignorant than I am. Either way, I'm happy to say, I haven't had an opportunity (yet). I like the idea of having my Bible handy...I read it a lot more lately than I used to...but still, I'd probably wuss out.
I love Patty's husband's approach - it's perfect :). Now if I could just remember it and DO it.
My hubby really likes to talk with them. The problem is that most of them have never encountered truly well-formed Catholics. When they do, they realize that they aren't going to "win you over" and leave.
I am always polite and wish them well. I share with them whatever they are interested in knowing (provided there isn't a screaming child who needs my attention!) and send them off with God's blessing.
Hope that helps!
I really enjoyed this one...
...honestly, in the past, I would've responded by saying that I'm a Catholic. Now, after all that I've come across, I would actually probably ask missionaries about their value system, and thank them for upholding the morals and values that I share, that have disappeared from mainstream society.
I remember when I was little, my dad used to debate the Jehovah Witnesses. I dont think I would. But, I was raised in Washington state, the most unchurched state in our nation. So, looking back, even though I find the ideas behind Jehovah Witnesses (only 144,000 people are going to Heaven) and the Mormon faith (Jesus was a prophet) scandalous, their presence raised the awareness and need for faith in our agnostic/atheistic state.
umm, i'm the one who wants to invite them in and talk with them. not debate per-say, but learn 'from the horse's mouth'. i've tried to talk with my mormon friend about certain things but it always ends with 'you should just talk to the missionaries' so, i guess that's probably what i should do.
that's funny i read this today because i just saw some down the street and thought, i hope they stop by! ha!
i guess i should say that i don't actually believe the mormons have the truth, i just find their theology so crazy that part of me is convinced i have to have it wrong. it really can't be that crazy...can it?
Wow I'm definitely a pansy. I haven't had to "deal with this" in a long time, but the last time I did (probably high school), I hid. Flat out hid under the window sill.
Now I know I have answers for their questions, so I hope I would engage.
Hi, I'm Lynda - Found this website while searching about Don Harman's death and saw the photograph of the 2 missionaries and followed it. My answer to them, when they found my college apt., was a complete lie, that I'd just joined the Methodist church the week before and wasn't interested. (I'd been baptized at birth into the Presbyterian church on the father side of the family, had the Catholics on the mother's side of the family, attended Methodist while growing up until teenager. Then at 21, a college roommate said I was becoming an alcoholic and needed to get help, so I began cruising all the churches to see if there was one I could find that agreed with the Bible in order to find a long-term support system to get over my addiction--I'd just formulated what was bothering me to drink myself into depression--I'd asked myself, "Is this all there is to life, eat, sleep, work, and play, with everybody playing with alcohol, drugs, or sex? Is that it, or is there some purpose to all this?") The 2 missionaries on our apt. porch started to leave, and one of them turned around and asked if I'd like to hear the history of their church. Since I'd dated an RLDS once upon a time, who claimed to be athiest, I agreed, and my roommates and I listened. To our amazement, the crazy myths about their religion was just myths--Jesus Christ is the corner stone of their religion, he's not considered a teacher or a prophet, but is the Son of God. After a solid year of studying everything about them and their religion, one of my roommates and I joined their religion, while the other roommate kicked us out of the apt for "getting religion" and "betraying" the apt. "rules" of "living free." The irony was that for the first time I actually felt "free" to be me, and was able to drop the alcohol cold turkey. That was 43 years ago, and have learned even more about the true gospel the way Christ taught it and how it can sustain you through all of life's trials (suicidal thoughts during separation, then learned about the adultery-porno addiction-child molesting ex-spouse to be and tried marriage counseling for each, then the final divorce), including "but not limited to" rejection for being a Mormon based on all those media myths and hypocrite examples of the church that people judge you from.(forgetting that all churches have hypocrites) :-))) Heard a woman downtown yesterday telling another woman that she'd never vote for Romney "because he's a Mormon." I just smiled, since it wasn't up to me to butt into their private conversation, but I thought to myself, "Lady, I wouldn't vote for him, or Huntsman, neither one, and I'm a Mormon!" LOL!! Too many things they've said/done that do not reflect the religion they profess to belong to, and that's not being judgmental, just quoting the published facts in the media where they've taken a public stand that contradicts their religion's doctrine (abortion, RomneyCare, pro-wars, pro-torture, pro-amnesty, NAU/SPP treaties with Mexico for the State of Utah! etc.), so watch the media play with that one for the next year!
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