They Came Knocking At My Door

Sunday I had another religious solicitation. That is, someone knocked on my door to promote their church and in hope that I would abandon whatever belief I have and accept theirs. Most of the time these unsolicited and unappreciated visits are from either Mormon, Jehovah Witnesses or some Protestant faction that sends out church members to try to enlist new members or to wrangle a cash donation indirectly.
I tell myself that this is a free society and that anyone is welcome to walk in a neighborhood and knock on a door. Thus, I treat all of those solicitors with respect , if indifference. usually, when it is a religion promoting something I simply say, "Excuse me. I have my own religious belief and I do not discuss those in public". Surely , I like discussing religion with friends and acquaintances I like and trust, but it is pointless for people who are strangers to try to proselytize others at their home. When I give them my line, they usually say thank you and leave (often handing me literature that I do accept but rarely read).
I feel some empathy for people who walk neighborhoods and who know they will meet resistance, rudeness, even hostility form people who feel put on that a stranger would dar challenge their religious belief in their own home. So I smile, am polite and manage to get rid of them pleasantly.
Haha I had a friend who used to love to get rid of those religious visitors with a strategy he said never failed. if the solicitors didn't; take his hint that he did not wish to discuss the subject, he would pretend that he was destitute and ask them for money. "Excuse me..your religion sounds great and I think it can help get me out of my financial troubles. Maybe your church could lend me the $1000 I need to pay my credit card bills."
Haha He said they stammered and fled faster than the devil leaving a high mass. He liked playing "devil's advocate" and debating the groups from time to time, but I think it is fruitless to discuss religious belief with those one does not know. Oh...today's visit was by the Jehovah Witness religion but a very brief and strange visit it was. As I opened the door a young man and a child smiled and the gentleman politely said , "Would you please read this? Have a blessed day" At that he turned and left. Ha! Never before had received such a passive solicitation from one of those religions. I felt rather sorry for he and the child. They probably had ugly confrontations earlier in the day and (perhaps the little girl was his own child) and I sensed the man was embarrassed for the child that she had been exposed to such rudeness and unpleasantness.
Oddly, today that very brief meeting I had with the young man and child had the biggest impact of any of those kinds of previous visits, for it made me feel empathy for the people (not their religious views) who trudge door to door, perhaps annoying some homeowners in the process, but who face a barrage of ugly and rude behavior they do not deserve.