Making friends out of proselytisers?

[SomeRandom]

So I’m sure we find those who proselytise to us as beyond annoying (sorry guys, I still loves ya!)

But have you ever had positive encounters?
Maybe even making friends out of such folk?
Okay “friend” might be too strong of a word, but like at least be able to sit down for a cuppa?

I realised recently that I actually legitimately miss the two little old ladies who used to always door knock around my neighbourhood. (JWs.)
They weren’t particularly tolerant of my mother trying to instigate a back and forth. And I’m sure as I was a teenager at the time I wasn’t always the most polite. But I dunno. I still miss them, oddly enough.
We would always give them food and/or water (as it is considered beyond grossly impolite in Indian culture not to.) Though they may have been scandalised by our Diwali encounters over the years.
Though they seemed to soften over the years a bit. One even tried to give my mother a present once. Which in hindsight I don’t think her friend approved of the gesture. But still. She made the effort. I think as a gesture of gratitude more than anything else.

They most likely died some time ago. As they were pretty elderly.

I recall another encounter with a bright fresh faced young Mormon I think. He would preach to me after school (door knocking.)
His companion wasn’t very nice. But he was always friendly and grateful for any food or water we gave him.
I think he has since moved out of state.

What about you? Made any friends among preachers? Lol

 

[Shaul]

They are just people too. Some are fine and others can rub you the wrong way. Be kind to everyone whether you want to socialize with them or not. Except for @Revoltingest, if he comes to the door don't answer it and pretend you aren't there.

 

[Vinayaka]

The house across our back fence was a Mormon missionary house for a period. At that time I chatted with them a lot across the fence, took one pair to a professional football game, and twice had sets of 4 over for a vegetarian meal. It was fortunate to get to know them outside of the missionary stuff, and I developed a greater appreciation for the hardships they go through. But I was always clear from the beginning that there would be absolutely no proselytising. I became quite fond of one young man, who seemed particularly unhappy with the situation.

 

[danieldemol]

I used to be a bit of a proselytiser for the Baha'i faith, and used to have a friend who was a Christadelphian proselytiser.

In the years that followed we both ended up losing our religions but not our friendship.

Sadly ataxia has made it impossible for him to return communications so we haven't been able to be in contact for a while, but wherever he is I hope his suffering is as minimal as possible given the circumstances.

In my opinion.

 

[sun rise]

They are just people too. Some are fine and others can rub you the wrong way. Be kind to everyone whether you want to socialize with them or not. Except for @Revoltingest, if he comes to the door don't answer it and pretend you aren't there.

I'd add @Wu Wei unless you want to be mauled, of course.

 

[Heyo]

So I’m sure we find those who proselytise to us as beyond annoying (sorry guys, I still loves ya!)

But have you ever had positive encounters?
Maybe even making friends out of such folk?
Okay “friend” might be too strong of a word, but like at least be able to sit down for a cuppa?

I realised recently that I actually legitimately miss the two little old ladies who used to always door knock around my neighbourhood. (JWs.)
They weren’t particularly tolerant of my mother trying to instigate a back and forth. And I’m sure as I was a teenager at the time I wasn’t always the most polite. But I dunno. I still miss them, oddly enough.
We would always give them food and/or water (as it is considered beyond grossly impolite in Indian culture not to.) Though they may have been scandalised by our Diwali encounters over the years.
Though they seemed to soften over the years a bit. One even tried to give my mother a present once. Which in hindsight I don’t think her friend approved of the gesture. But still. She made the effort. I think as a gesture of gratitude more than anything else.

They most likely died some time ago. As they were pretty elderly.

I recall another encounter with a bright fresh faced young Mormon I think. He would preach to me after school (door knocking.)
His companion wasn’t very nice. But he was always friendly and grateful for any food or water we gave him.
I think he has since moved out of state.

What about you? Made any friends among preachers? Lol

I invited a pair of JW women to a cup of tea. They even returned together with a man for a second round. They got their lecture in cosmogony and ToE and concluded that they saw no reason to talk to me again.

I'd offer tea or coffee (those proselytizing sects usually don't like coffee or even black tea) to anyone if I have time for a chat (and my flat is in a condition that's not too embarrassing) but I'd also warn them. When people want to talk to me about god my standard answer is "Trust me, you don't.".

 

[Mock Turtle]

For me, there might be too many ignition points - perhaps leading to arguments - if someone had so firm a religious belief as to proselytise such, and no matter what religious belief it was, given I have lived my life with friends who never did this. I don't really mind whatever someone believes as to religious stuff - as long as this doesn't impact on some of the more obvious moral areas - and most of my friends have been compatible with much of my thinking and beliefs such that nothing like this ever did arise to cause frictions. And whilst most of my friends probably did have the same political leanings as myself, one or two might not have, but this mainly was kept in check so as not to cause issues - mostly by not discussing such things.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I prefer friends who are open to, and capable of, rational, informed discourse. That does not disqualify all proselytizers, but it certainly narrows the field.

 

[VoidCat]

I have a friend who called me one time crying saying she didn't want me to go to hell. Real tears. She was very worried for the state of my soul because im a pagan not a Christian. She sometimes proselytizes to me.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Do they want to be friends? We had LDS neighbors that were friends for years. Our kids would play together and they would invite us to church events occasionally, which we would sometimes go to. They invited us to dinner one day, at the last minute telling us they also invited 2 missionaries, who then proceeded to proselytize. After we said no thanks, we stopped hearing from them. I only got more attention years later when I called her with possible interest in converting. Their lady friends started paying attention to me and giving me gifts. I changed my mind after a few weeks, and immediately got no more attention. They even moved away years later without saying goodbye. Their oldest daughter keeps in touch thankfully. I really thought she was my friend but apparently not. It hurts.

 

[Revoltingest]

Do they want to be friends? We had LDS neighbors that were fiends for years. Our kids would play together and they would invite us to church events occasionally, which we would sometimes go to. They invited us to dinner one day, at the last minute telling us they also invited 2 missionaries, who then proceeded to proselytize. After we said no thanks, we stopped hearing from them. I only got more attention years later when I called her with possible interest in converting. Their lady friends started paying attention to me and giving me gifts. I changed my mind after a few weeks, and immediately got no more attention. They even moved away years later without saying goodbye. Their oldest daughter keeps in touch thankfully. I really thought she was my friend but apparently not. It hurts.

Reminds me of the wonderful movie, Glengarry Glen Ross.
You exist only if you're a potential buyer

 

[Revoltingest]

Caution! Bad language in this video
as Alec Baldwin inspires the troops.
4:28: "Have you made your decision for Christ!?"
Typical training session for missionaries...

 

[Ella S.]

In all honesty, I actually really don't mind most proselytizers at all.

I understand that they're usually acting out of a genuine desire to do good and help their fellow man. I just find it kind of odd when they try to convince me that beings I don't believe exist are going to punish me for sins I don't believe in by sending me to a place that I don't believe exists. Some part of them has to know that isn't an effective approach to discourse, right?

I'm more concerned by the fundamentalist activists and the rampant issues we have in the US with right-wing domestic terrorism. A part of me is relieved when it's just a proselytizer.

I can't say I've ever befriended one. I do have a bad habit of using the word "friend" to loosely refer to someone I know who I am on okay terms with, but in reality I'm not too big on making friends in general. It's nothing against proselytizers in particular, I just have other things I would rather do with my life than cultivate close personal relationships.

 

[Heyo]

In all honesty, I actually really don't mind most proselytizers at all.

When you asked nicely, heard the warning and got an OK, you are in for hard questions and mild ridicule. But if you start preaching without warning, you are in for all the abuse that is just below the insult line.