h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Okay, the best two ways that I've ever seen to avoid people coming to your door:

1) Draw an outline of a human body on the floor of your stoop, porch, whatever. Scatter Jehova's Witness pamphlets around the area.

2) Simply say "No" to there questions and invite them to a "Stimulating prayer to ask for guidance in our upcoming lives." I have never known a person like that to accept an invitation to pray.

*Wonders why, on Earth, he's encouraging this sort of thing*

I would just like to point out that some of my close family members are Jehovah's Witnesses.

I've got several close friends who are Jehova's Witnesses. That's why I'm wondering why, on Earth, I was contributing to that.

I'm probably just jealous of them. I wish I had the endurance to do some of the things that they're stereotyped as doing....but I don't.

I can't say I know anyone who professes to be a Jehovah's Witness. Can't say I've been doorstepped by any religious types either, which makes me wonder if I'm missing out on some great life experience

Amy, the Egyptian earthquake sounds scary. I might have been curious about earthquakes before, but now I'm definitely scared of them. Luckily, we hardly get any in Scotland.

I know we're all too civilised to get into a fight over religion, but... my take on anyone's religion is that it's a good thing for that person if it fulfils a need for them. I have no problem with religion on an individual basis - as long as someone who is a Catholic, a Muslim or a Jehovah's Witness has made their own choice to follow that faith. Unfortunately, it never works that way, because all major religions become community-based, and communities don't think like individuals. People inside the community lose freedom of choice, and friction begins outside: "My faith is the only true faith, and the invading army behind me is going to show you the errors of your ways."

We'll probably never rid the world of those types of fights, but I think most of us would at least be thankful if we didn't get callers at our door who seem to pity some need that they perceive in us and want to show us how to fulfil that need.

Of course, that caller could equally well be a double-glazing salesman...

One of many reasons I would like an electrified knocker on my door. We have a ton of missionaries wandering about SLC. The good part about that is I am not home during their normal operating hours.

Don't get me wrong...most of my friends go to a church of one stripe or another. I have JWs, Mormons, Catholics, and a two good friends, one of whom is an Episcopal priest and the other, a noviate in a monastery. Obviously, it's not the religion I have a problem with, it is the hard core conversion tactics. Really, I believe in God, but my God doesn't have to be YOURS. That is what gets to me...it's like the Southern Baptists saying that Jews should be actively converted. All that makes me think of is the conversos in Spain in the late middle ages...can you say inquisition? While I admire their convictions, I would prefer to be left alone to my own theological path.

Although, Marv, I do like the idea of the buzzer...

Marv
I was wondering, since your in SLC do they use you as a training ground for their new missionaries?

I bumped into a couple of LDS missionaries on the tram back from Croydon last week, but I managed to avoid getting dragged into conversation with them in my best London commuter manner.

They were obviously fresh out of missionary school and recently flown in to the UK.
Judging from where they got off they have been deposited in Phipps Bridge, which is a large estate. I think they are going to be on a steep learning curve if they go door stepping round there .
Although I would have to admit the place has got a lot *less interesting* since the tower blocks were pulled down.

Amy
I take the line
"Everyone is free to hold their own religeous views, so long as they don't attemt to inflict them on me."
Which is why the Jehova's Witnesses and the Mormans tend to get the worst of me, as they tend to be the main offenders on my doorstep.

As to double glasing salesmen, the only reason I still have wooden windows (rotten) is because I refuse to buy anything from companies which go in for cold calling whether on the doorstep or on the phone.

I wonder if there are any double glasing companies left who I haven't been very rude to on the phone when woken up by their damn telesales people, just after I've just got my head down following long shift.

Bloke, The LDS Missionary Training Center is located in Provo Utah, about 30 miles south of SLC. There, the missionaries learn how to annoy... errrm... Bring the word to us heathens. They also learn the language of the local that they will be serving in. They do not pratice here, but they do get trained.
Growing up protestant in SLC had me butting heads with many of the dominant faith. At least now I have learned how to live in peace if not harmony with them in general.
As with others I seem to only dislike the ones who push their faith on me. As I earlier said, the vast majority of LDS follower outside of UT are pleasant if a little quixotic. Do not offer alcohol to them and you should remain friends.
The missionaries are trained in the heart of LDS land (BYU the LDS college is located within minutes of the MTC) and some of them tend to pick up the worst traits of the faith. Others are very tolerant and do nto push anyone that is not interested.
One of my closest friends in the world is a very good practising mormon and other than the fact that I will not be allowed to his wedding (you have to have a temple reccomend to gain access to the temple) I am glad to be a part of his recieving line when he gets married. He went on a mission to North Dakota and is now a member in good standing to the Church (always capitolized here in Utah). Another very good friend went to the Philipines, another to Japan... I could go on.

I wear my brown hair long, and I've got a beard. I'm thinking of getting a white robe and, when a missionary of any faith arrives at my door, adopt a messianic attitude.

SPINY-

i live in California (aka Earthquake Land) not too far from the San Andreas fault line. i've been through quite a few earthquakes, basically anything since november 1983 when i was born here. they're really not that bad, certainly nothing to have a phobia of.

i remember one morning in... 1993 or so (i believe, and sometime in January) i woke up to the ground shaking angrily. i thought it was steamrollers coming down the street because they were supposed to repave my road that day, but i quickly realized that it was another earthquake. i had spent the night at my friend's house, and was sleeping under a large chandelier in their den- which, incidentally, was swinging wildly. fortunately, that chandelier is held to their roof by a bolt that is about an inch and a half thick and a foot and a half long, so it was in no danger of falling.

that earthquake was (if memory serves) a 6.3

the good thing about CA is that the buildings have to be built according to the earthquake code, which requires an insane amount of reinforcements. sadly, that didn't help San Francisco in the 1980s (?) when they had a 7.something quake and part of the freeway fell down.

oh, yes, i might add that the small quakes can be rather fun...

So can small amounts of electro shock therapy.

now THAT'S what i call twisted...

Morning all!

Red, I don't think Episcopal priests count quite the same as the others. (I feel perfectly justified in saying this, because my father is one. )

I think that the best way I've ever seen to get rid of GBs is my fathers. He has - naturally - several different translations of the bible sitting around the house - including 2 Greek and 1 Hebrew (OT only). And he rarely wears the collar at home. (Dreadfully uncomfortable, you see.) So, when the GBs come to the door, Daddy invites them in. They pull out their bibles and start reading to him. Then he pulls out *his* and shows them the different translations and how they affect the meaning of the message. Right now, only newbies are sicced on him. We figure its kind of a rite of passage.

I do like quoting the Song of Solomon, too though. And asking Mormons how exactly it was that an entire tribe of people was misplaced. Quite entertaining.

G7

Bald Bloke said 'Amy
I take the line
"Everyone is free to hold their own religeous views, so long as they don't attemt to inflict them on me."
Which is why the Jehova's Witnesses and the Mormans tend to get the worst of me, as they tend to be the main offenders on my doorstep.'

I'm in agreement with your sentiments but I still found the chalk outline comment tasteless. I would have found it equally upsetting had Affy said salesman. But having family members who are JWs, I assigned a very personal shape to that chalk outline and I was upset. Not angry, not likely to lose sleep over it, not wanting to pick a fight but upset enough not to want to be further upset. So I said what I said to avoid future difficulties.

[b17, just catching up ]

Here in Utah we only get the little quakes so far. The only one I ever felt (we have thousands of little(less than 3.0) ones per year) was one that hit while I was giving an oral presentation in Zoology class with a 8' Colombian red tailed Boa draped about my shoulders. She constricted when the quake hit and I had to work to get her off my neck. So I was nearly killed by a smallish quake due to a nervous snake .

oh, dear...

Slept right through the nearest thing to a big quake (about 3 I thinmk) I've been in. Was while I was at uni, so I probably wouldn't have noticed had it been during the day either