BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Atheist Atheism

The area of town I live in, although not "run down" has quite a bit of very low income and struggling families. The local Churches seem to think that this area, compared to others in our small town is especially in need of "saving".

I'd say 4 or 5 different "church vans" come through this area picking up children to go to church. About 2 years ago there was quite a big scandal when it came ot be known that the 30ish man who drove the van for the Pentecostal Church was taking young boys to his house and molesting them.

All of us tell our children not to talk to strangers, but these people come up to kids when they are doing their "neighorhood visiting" and ask they children if they would like to ride their vans to church. Or they come by and hand out fliers about some Church activity and give the children candy.

I lost my temper the last time with one of them. I was in the back room of my house when I heard a knock on my door and before I could get to the front door I heard a man ask my children if they would like to ride the van to church. My children are 7 & 8 years old. I got to the door and I really jumped on him and I told him no that my children did not want to go.

But there are alot of parents here who DO just let their kids go. They have no idea who these people are, but they assume Church = Good person.

All some sick child molester would have to do is buy an old van, paint it up to look like a church van and parents would practically give their children to him if he came by to pick them up.

Moonshadows, you should have done more than just tell him your children didn't want to go. You should have threatened him with legal action and warned him not to come to your house again. Maybe there isn't actually any law that would cover what he's doing, but the threat might have some effect. And I would certainly talk to the police about it and find out how far religious solicitation is allowed to go and still be legal.

Of course, when I owned a home, I always had a very clear printed notice right by the door, warning the idiots to stay away. And that included sales people and anyone begging for charitable contributions. If someone ignored it, I pointed it out, asked them if they knew how to read, and then shut the door.

It is just not in my personality to be that confrontational with people, although at times I wish it was. But I think what you suggested would probably have been a good way to have handled it.

What exactly does the notice on your door say? Is it something you printed up yourself or purchased?

I never used to be confrontational either, rather the opposite. I was always worried about hurting other people's feelings. But I learned to do what was necessary.

I made my own signs and they varied, depending on my mood, and the types of intruders that were most typical in the area. I live in a locked apartment building now, so I don't have to deal with that kind of nonsense at all. If I had to put up signs these days, they wouldn't be very polite. <img src="/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

My daughter's inlaws have quite a long a sign up on their door, in Spanish, saying something about "This is a Catholic Home", all I could read of the Spanish. I guess they put it up to keep people of other religions from coming up to their door pestering them.

I think it MIGHT be a good idea to put up some kind of a sign to maybe keep others like the one I mentioned coming to the door in the future, but then again I don't want to come off hateful sounding in case of friends just dropping by and chancing to read it and thinking "Jeez, what is with them?"

Anyone have any suggestions on how to word such a sign?

No soliciting?

I don't remember exactly what I used, but it was probably along the lines of "NO religious, charity, or sales solicitations." There might even have been a period of "No soliciting of any kind, including by religious idiots."

At one time or another, I know I added something like "Don't bother to knock. This means you!"

It helps to print clearly and in letters large enough that they can't miss it.

It's my usual practice to just ignore what I find unnecessary, but I think having a sign near your door to keep away those you don't want at your house is way beyond acceptable. Rather a brilliant idea, actually.
After all, the point of property is that your rules pretty much are the ones that apply (or it should be that way). <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Right to the point is GOOD, of course, but I was thinking maybe something a bit more memorable! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />