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Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in going to people’s homes to spread the word of their religion and make disciples of all people. [1] X Research source They have their own literature including a Bible and Watchtower Magazine. They wish to share the literature with the people and will then offer to bring a Bible study to their home. If you do not want any of these things, you can politely send them away.
Steps
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Answer the door. This may seem counter-intuitive to getting rid of someone, but the fact is that if you don’t answer the door, they are likely to mark you as “not home” and return in the near future. If you truly want to be rid of them, you will need to answer the door and let them know.
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Interrupt them. It sounds rude, but doesn’t have to be. They are likely to delve right into their script and it will only become harder to get a word in. Politely interrupt to take control of the conversation.
- When a Jehovah’s Witness starts talking, interrupt with a polite, “Excuse me” to get their attention.
- Try raising your hand an holding it between the two of you at chest level with your palm facing the other person and begin your interjection with, “Hold on.”
- If you wait until the Jehovah’s Witness asks a question, you can simply reply with, “I’d rather not have this conversation.”
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Be honest. If you make up a reason for not wanting to talk to them, they may see this as an invitation to come back at another time. This also initiates a conversation.
- Be honest and direct with your response in order to get your point across and avoid one of their conversation starters.
- Avoid making up excuses. They are trained to respond to specific protests, and may consider returning in the future if you are just too busy right now.
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Politely decline. Choose very few words to decline their invitation to talk. It is unnecessary to be rude, and arguing will only spur on the conversation. A simple, polite decline will do the trick.
- Once you have a chance to speak, try a simple, “No thank you.”
- You can also be direct saying, “I’m not interested, thanks.”
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Close the door. Don’t slam it in their face, but understand that they have been trained to keep the conversation going. Once you have declined, close the door gently. This is important, because, like telemarketers or any solicitor, they are not likely to accept the first, “no” and will do their best to reengage you. [2] X Research source
- Closing the door may be the only way to end the conversation.
- If this feels rude to you, try saying, “sorry” as you close the door.
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Ask to be removed from their list. Even though you decline a conversation, it is still possible that another member of the organization may return to your home. If you want to ensure this doesn’t happen, ask that no one comes back. This is the equivalent of being put on a “do not call” list and they are likely to track this information and respect your request.
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Build a fence. If you really don’t want people coming to your door, consider closing the area off with a fence. According to trespassing laws, it is illegal to trespass on land which is fenced in. You can also put a lock on the gate so they can’t reach the porch. [3] X Research source
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Post a no trespassing sign. These signs are easy to find online using a quick Internet search. You can ask anyone to leave your property at any time with or without a sign, [4] X Research source but it is helpful in deterring people from coming to your door. Once the sign is posted, you can still grant permission for someone to access your property. [5] X Research source
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Contact your local Kingdom Hall. While most Jehovah’s Witnesses will respect your wishes after the first visit, every large group is made up of individuals. Some of those individuals may behave differently than others. If the visits persist after you have turned them away and asked that they not return, try calling your local Kingdom Hall.
- Report the situation. Let the leadership know that someone in their congregation is not respecting your wishes and is acting outside of their expectations.
- Be firm in your wishes to be removed from their rotation.
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Call the police. If someone has entered your property, you have every right to have them removed. Simply asking them to leave is usually sufficient, but if they are not respecting your wishes, you may need to involve the authorities to enforce trespassing laws. [6] X Research source Those laws are enforceable because:
- They meet the requirement under the law of having intentionally entered your property rather than accidentally.
- They have knowledge that you did not give consent if you have a fence, have posted a no trespassing sign, or have asked them to leave.
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Follow up in court. If you have had to contact the authorities, you will need to continue on in court to complete the process and lead to a conviction. Like any legal action, this could take quite a bit of your time and some financial resources, but will guarantee that your privacy is protected.
- Fines can be issued in a large range from tens to thousands of dollars.
- Jail time is rarely enforced, but has been in some extreme cases, usually involving entering the person’s home.
- Probation can be enforced. The average length of time for this probation is 12 months. While on probation, they cannot commit any crimes and must pay all of their fines. They may also be assigned a probation officer.
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Prepare yourself by becoming familiar with their training on how to respond to people who try to stop the conversation. While they are not expected to force anyone to listen, they are encouraged to do their best to further the conversation using specific tactics.
- ”I’m busy” will elicit a reaction of acknowledging how busy you must be, followed by the importance of the message as well as a promise that they will be brief.
- ”I’m not interested” will be followed with a series of questions regarding what you aren’t interested in. These include the Bible or religion in general. They are trained to ask whether you used to be part of organized religion and found hypocrisy in the church.
- “I don’t want to become a Jehovah’s Witness” will likely lead them into explaining facet of their religion to you under the assumption that you don’t have enough information to make that decision. They are trained to lean heavily on scripture in this response.
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Know what they believe. Jehovah’s Witness consider themselves part of the Christian religion, but Christians do not recognize them largely due to the fact that they do not believe in the Holy Trinity. There are several beliefs which separate them from other religious sects.
- Witnesses believe that we are living in the “End Times” and that Armageddon is approaching, when God will rule the earth. [7] X Research source
- There is no hell. They believe people outside of their religion simply cease to exist after death. Witnesses can live forever in heaven if you are one of the chosen few, or with God in paradise on Earth.
- Only 144,000 people will go to heaven. The rest of the witnesses will live in paradise on earth. There are only about 12,000 positions left in heaven since many witnesses have died and filled the available positions. [8] X Research source
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Note their practices. Beyond having specific beliefs, these play out in a system of practices. These practices often make Jehovah’s Witnesses stand out within their communities and effect the way they function and interact socially.
- The Bible has asked them to go to people’s homes. This ministry is expected to stay in good standing with the congregation and requires an average of ten hours per week. [9] X Research source
- Holidays and birthdays should not be celebrated. The holidays are often considered to be honoring pagan rituals or putting government ahead of religion. Birthdays were not celebrated in the Bible or by early Christians and celebrating them is considered displeasing to Jehovah. [10] X Research source
- Witnesses are expected to remain neutral. This means that they are discouraged from voting, participating in the armed forces, and holding government offices. [11] X Research source
- Blood transfusions are rejected. The Bible commands that they reject blood. It is also seen as life-giving, which is considered to be God’s place. [12] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionShould a Jehovah's Witness go into a home of minors with no parental consent and start teaching?Community AnswerNo, it would not be appropriate for a Jehovah's Witness to enter a home without the consent of an adult.
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QuestionWill acknowledging that I am a practicing Christian deter Jehovah's Witnesses?Community AnswerNo, it would not deter them.
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QuestionWhat do I do if I'm gay and my friend is a Jehovah's Witness and doesn't approve of it?Community AnswerIf your friend is unwilling to put aside their beliefs in order to respect you as a person, you should end this friendship. If your friend tries their best to be respectful to you, perhaps you could just avoid discussing each other's personal lives.
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Tips
- If you are currently busy, but still interested, you can tell them to come at a better time and they will.Thanks
- If you are placed on a "do not call" list, then Jehovah's Witnesses will make every effort to ensure that no one comes back to you. However, if you move, there will be no way to transfer your status to your new address.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/door-to-door/
- ↑ http://lifehacker.com/im-a-telemarketer-heres-how-to-get-rid-of-me-1540911401
- ↑ http://thelawdictionary.org/article/laws-for-posting-no-trespassing-signs/
- ↑ http://thelawdictionary.org/article/laws-for-posting-no-trespassing-signs/
- ↑ http://thelawdictionary.org/article/laws-for-posting-no-trespassing-signs/
- ↑ https://www.findlaw.com/realestate/land-use-laws/trespassing-basics.html
- ↑ https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/bible-teach/what-is-judgment-day-1000-year-reign/
- ↑ http://americanhumanist.org/hnn/details/2012-03-on-jehovahs-witnesses-as-told-by-an-ex-jehovahs-witn
- ↑ http://americanhumanist.org/hnn/details/2012-03-on-jehovahs-witnesses-as-told-by-an-ex-jehovahs-witn
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want Jehovah's Witnesses to go away from your home, answer the door when they arrive because if you ignore them, they are likely to return at another time. After you answer the door, briefly explain that you do not want to talk by saying something like "I'm not interested. Thanks." Then, gently close the door. If this feels rude to you, say "Have a nice day" or "Sorry" as you close the door. If they return again, ask to be removed from their list or consider putting up a "No Trespassing" sign. To learn how to understand the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, keep reading.
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