How do you handle proselytizers?

[Miss_Kitt]

Neverfly -- Texas is a lot more "churchy" than most of these United States. I would be astounded to see anyone ticketed--let alone charged--for answering the door of their home in a state of undress. Especially if one has wet hair and is clutching a towel or a bathrobe and then loses one's grip! If you're on your own property and not visible from the street, then the visitors are on private property and have no right to claim that they were publically exposed to something harmful.

You seem to be deliberately obtuse on the subject.

Up here in the People's Republic of Seattle, you can ride your bike naked and it's considered 'freedom of expression'. Unless you do it on someone else's private property without permission...

I handle JWs and Mormons in one of two ways:
(1) -- Patient mode: "I'm not interested, thank you." Close the door.
(2) -- Impatient Mode: "The Prophet does not permit us to speak with Infidels!! Leave at once!" Slam door.

 

[Neverfly]

Neverfly -- Texas is a lot more "churchy" than most of these United States. I would be astounded to see anyone ticketed--let alone charged--for answering the door of their home in a state of undress. Especially if one has wet hair and is clutching a towel or a bathrobe and then loses one's grip! If you're on your own property and not visible from the street, then the visitors are on private property and have no right to claim that they were publically exposed to something harmful.

I think you're deliberately obfuscating this.

There is a big difference between accidental exposure and intentional exposure for shock value.

You took the example given: Deliberately answering naked and scratching the balls purely for the sake of shocking the visitor- and changed it to something totally different- then accused me of being deliberately obtuse?

Let me also point out that I am not FROM Texas. I Live in Texas NOW.
I moved her FROM California- a state that had very similar laws.
I have also lived in Fourteen different states in the course of my life.

 

[Ducky]

I think you're deliberately obfuscating this.

There is a big difference between accidental exposure and intentional exposure for shock value.

You took the example given: Deliberately answering naked and scratching the balls purely for the sake of shocking the visitor- and changed it to something totally different- then accused me of being deliberately obtuse?

Let me also point out that I am not FROM Texas. I Live in Texas NOW.
I moved her FROM California- a state that had very similar laws.
I have also lived in Fourteen different states in the course of my life.

Of course this then makes up for your lack of being a lawyer when dispensing legal advice.

Shall we drop the derail now folks?



ETA: On a side note I wish to thank Neverfly for referring to my testicles as "the balls." Not even my wife finds them so preeminent as to refer to them with such authority.

 

[Neverfly]

Of course this then makes up for your lack of being a lawyer when dispensing legal advice.

No, I responded to a demand for cites- which I provided.
When things got in depth- I said you would need to talk to a lawyer.

Shall we drop the derail now folks?

Agreed.

ETA: On a side note I wish to thank Neverfly for referring to my testicles as "the balls." Not even my wife finds them so preeminent as to refer to them with such authority.

You're quite welcome.

 

[ConspiRaider]

I think you're deliberately obfuscating this.

There is a big difference between accidental exposure and intentional exposure for shock value.

You took the example given: Deliberately answering naked and scratching the balls purely for the sake of shocking the visitor- and changed it to something totally different- then accused me of being deliberately obtuse?

Let me also point out that I am not FROM Texas. I Live in Texas NOW.
I moved her FROM California- a state that had very similar laws.
I have also lived in Fourteen different states in the course of my life.

What about a hologram? If I projected my nekkid self in my living room out onto the eastbound exit to the 101 Freeway, could the hologram be listed as Sex Offender? I didn't mean to disrupt traffic, I was just goofing off, you know?

 

[Marquis de Carabas]

My most recent encounter with a proselytizer:

[MdC is walking through the quad one lovely sunny day on his way to Financial Aid to install some printers, when he is accosted by a Proselytizer pushing the largest pram known to man]

Proselytizer: Excuse me.
MdC: [removes cigarette from mouth, exhales] Yeah, what ya need?
P: I'd like to tell you how Jesus Christ can help you out.
MdC: Does he install printers?
P: What?
MdC: Does Jesus Christ install printers?
P: That's not the kind of help I'm talking about. I'm talking about-
MdC: Then I don't need him right now. [puts cigarette back in mouth, walks off]
P: [continues hollering after MdC about souls and hell and salvation and blah blah blah]

 

[Ducky]

What about a hologram? If I projected my nekkid self in my living room out onto the eastbound exit to the 101 Freeway, could the hologram be listed as Sex Offender? I didn't mean to disrupt traffic, I was just goofing off, you know?

Please do this and videotape the results. I would love to youtube that bit of hysterics.

I'm envisioning a semi-naked ConspiRaider dressed up with Mothra wings wreaking havoc...

 

[Hokulele]

I'm envisioning a semi-naked ConspiRaider dressed up with Mothra wings wreaking havoc...

Hey! Some of us just finished dinner, ya know?

 

[CORed]

Have the Jehovah's Witnesses in your area taken to bringing small children (aged 5 to 9) with them to do the witnessing, on the theory that no one would be so cruel as to shut the door in the face of a child?

That was the latest around here. However, for some reason, door-to-door Jehovah's Witnessing seems to have dropped off lately. (And now I've probably jinxed myself.)

ETA: I simply say, "No, thank you," and close the door. Small child or not.

That would explain what I saw Saturday morning while walking the dog. I saw two men and a boy (about 8 years old walking down the street, all three wearing suits and carrying briefcases. I was pretty sure that they were Jehovah's Witnesses or other proselytizers, but I have not had any of them come to my door with a kid yet.

 

[JihadJane]

so many good ideas to remember!

My favourite is to pick up my sword (im into western swordsmanship as an explanation) and notify them they have a five second head start.

Then i put my sword down and go back to watching transformers.

I dislike stupid people (magical thinking)

but as an antitheist these people actually cause me to suffer "stupidity rage"

Could you (or anyone else similarly afflicted) say more about suffering "stupidity rage".


Thanks.

 

[godless dave]

I say "Not interested" and close the door. After I close the door I always kick myself for not pointing out the "No Soliciting" sign which the proselytizers disregarded.

This only happens once every few years at my house.

 

[Elizabeth I]

Neverfly -- Texas is a lot more "churchy" than most of these United States. I would be astounded to see anyone ticketed--let alone charged--for answering the door of their home in a state of undress. Especially if one has wet hair and is clutching a towel or a bathrobe and then loses one's grip! If you're on your own property and not visible from the street, then the visitors are on private property and have no right to claim that they were publically exposed to something harmful.

You seem to be deliberately obtuse on the subject.

Up here in the People's Republic of Seattle, you can ride your bike naked and it's considered 'freedom of expression'. Unless you do it on someone else's private property without permission...

I live in Texas and would be surprised if anyone were arrested or ticketed in Texas, too.

We used to have a guy here in San Antonio who bicycled all over the city, did yard work, and more, wearing nothing more than what was essentially just a jock strap. There was an article in the paper about him, but that was about it.

That would explain what I saw Saturday morning while walking the dog. I saw two men and a boy (about 8 years old walking down the street, all three wearing suits and carrying briefcases. I was pretty sure that they were Jehovah's Witnesses or other proselytizers, but I have not had any of them come to my door with a kid yet.

On the other hand, with the suits and briefcase maybe they were trying to convert people into becoming accountants.

 

[Neverfly]

I live in Texas and would be surprised if anyone were arrested or ticketed in Texas, too.

We used to have a guy here in San Antonio who bicycled all over the city, did yard work, and more, wearing nothing more than what was essentially just a jock strap. There was an article in the paper about him, but that was about it.

Up here in Austin, we've got Leslie.

Either way, all that is required would be someone offended and shocked enough to call and report it- the perp to have been shown to have exposed himself deliberately and a prosecutor willing to push the case.

Now Travis county is a bit more realistic. I've known two people that had public exposure charges for trying to do a certain deed in a car- that managed to get the charges dropped.
I know one other, that did a deed in a private swimming pool with another person- he was charged, convicted and registered.

 

[applecorped]

I'm waxing my anus sores, what do you want?


That seems to work.

 

[Roma]

Plenty of proselytizing Latter Day Saint kind of people where I live, their church is just a block away from my house.

They come in very handy for carrying my grocery bags , emptying my lawnmower bag, installing my ink cartriges/printer paper/cable cords etc.....Why would I want to get rid of them?

(I think they're starting to avoid me now)

 

[arthwollipot]

Could you (or anyone else similarly afflicted) say more about suffering "stupidity rage".

It's that rage that you get when you have explained the situation more than four times and they just... don't... get it, and you want to just pick them up and shake them, shouting "WHY DON'T YOU GET IT?????" into their face before turning them upside down and bashing their head against the floor repeatedly in the hope that multiple impacts will force them to understand what you're saying, before realising the futility of this and duct taping them to the road.

 

[proudnonbbeliever]

stupidity rage - like road rage, but triggered by the prescence of stupid thinking, instead of bad driving

didnt see above post, had to recover as i fell on the floor lmao.
perfectly said.
i think i peed a little...

 

[Bluefire]

I invite them in to have a thorough intellectual discussion about why anyone would or should believe in god. I think of it as sort of a hobby of mine. Some Jehovas witnesses return a few times before they've been scared away by the arguments. Mormons rarely do. I bring out "Atheism: the case against god" prominently together with my bible and book of mormon.

Funny story; one pair of mormon missionaries that had visited me and had a good 3 hour discussion later met my father and sister in the city center and started their act there.

The missionaries didn't know they talked to relatives of me but when dad finally introduced himself with his last name (same as me obviously) as he retold it : "one of the missionaries turned totally pale. He just about went down in the pavement. What did you do to them ?"

 

[PrincessIneffabelle]

I used to be polite, patient, and respectful with proselytizers. Then I realized that they are counting on me to be nice and using it to their own ends. My good social behavior was being used against me!

Now I just don't open the door to them. If I do end up face-to-face with them in a social situation and they start really preaching (not just discussing), I change the subject or excuse myself and walk away.

 

[Seanrmr]

My main exposure is to the mormons, here in brisbane their main church is at the climbing spot in the city so they come talk to us while we are trying to belay or set up our safety at the top. My usual response to them is that I'm concentrating on what I'm doing and can't talk right now, if they catch me when I'm just finishing something though I try to convert them into climbing and not let them get a word in about god till they do. They usually start the conversation with the idea that climbing looks interesting.

One time at my house I did the naked thing as well though I warned them I wasn't dressed properly it's not my fault they pressed the issue. My house was free of them until I got one as a housemate.