How do you handle it when someone tries to convert you to their way of thinking or religious beliefs? What do you do when someone comes to your door?

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I am always polite to them, but tell them that I will listen to what they have to say about their religion only if they agree to listen to what I have to say about mine.

If they offer me books or pamphlets, I offer my own in return.

With Jehovah's Witnesses, it's always easy to tell which is the "old-timer" and which is the "new-comer". I always ask the new-comer, "And which one of the 144,000 are you?" At which point, the old-timer usually remembers a previous engagement....

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Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control;
these three alone lead one to sovereign power.
Tennyson

If circumstances allow I try to build bridges of understanding.

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Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart!
They that believe in vain thoughts forsake their own mercy.

I tell them that I am an atheist and am totally content with my atheism, so they would be wasting their time trying to convert me. If they persist, I close the door.

I listen attentively and then explain that I have a Faith and am content and my spiritual needs are met. I also thank them for their time.

I am always polite, and if I'm not in the middle of something, I will usually talk to them for a few minutes. If I'm busy, I will usually just pull out my ID and hand it to them (or give them a business card). Nine times out of ten, when they find out that I'm ordained, it doesn't take them long to excuse themselves. If they don't, I politely but firmly tell them that I have tasks that need attending, and excuse myself.

I invite them in, ask them to take a seat, offer them refreshments.

I considerately listen to what they have to say, then I pull out my own bible and proceed to share with them a new understanding.

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"There is one thing that organized religion is not qualified to teach and that is an individual's purpose."-GOD

I was in the field of social work for some time...and a fellow used to work for us was into Avon products and a particualr variety of Christianity that I've now forgotten...So any way this fellow would push his Avon products and religion on everyone and everything... We'd go out to lunch and he'd be working on the waitress ... I talked to him about but it didn't seem to do much good .. fianlly some clients began complaining that he was pushing his religion on them and we had to act on that by letting him go...

I told him that he may be a good salesman and to go into that field full time..I said as a social worker I wasn't a good salesman myself and that maybe as a salesman he wasn't being a good social worker either.

- Art

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"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
- Johannes Kepler

I have no desire to 'convert' anyone nor try to convince them that they are wrong and my beliefs are right. In the broad sense of the question, when I'm having a discussion with someone and they begin trying to 'convert' me I simply state that I respect their right to their beliefs and I request that they do the same for me and that I would like to change the topic of conversation. I love to have spiritual discussions but not when they are trying to convert me.

As to the question of when someone comes to my door with their 'good news' I simply tell them that I already have a spiritual practice that I am completely comfortable with and wish them a good day.

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So much to learn and see and do

I remember, "mine is not a better way, mine is but another way."