Has going door to door become a thing of the past?

[elfdream]

I saw two people walking up our dead end street just now and went into a momentary panic. It was either people just taking a morning walk or missionaries of some sort but they went on by.

It made me think of how long its been since I had ANYONE knock on the door. We used to get JWs from time to time....and Mormons and the occasional fundie but for so long there has been no one. Its been years.

We have a nice big 'No Soliciting' sign on our front door (although that didn't deter some Mormons a few years ago) but I haven't even seen them in the neighborhood. Or in the town.

I haven't been in fundamentalism/evangelicalism for years so I have no idea if they even still do this. Do they? How about the non-denom fundy- lite churches?

Not that I'm complaining.

[pastor's wife]

We're in an inner ring suburb of a big city. JWs come by every now and then, one pair just last week. Still tried to give me her Watchtower mag even though I told her I was a minister's wife. Usually I say, "I believe Jesus is God and I've accepted Him as my personal Savior and I'm not interested. Goodbye" as quickly as I can because I don't even want to wish them "god speed."

Once a few years ago, a local IFB church came by and we sometimes get band students soliciting. Usually though people just leave door hangers nowadays. Some boy scouts left a flyer asking us to leave out bottles on a certain day. We did, and they must have come by and collected them because they were gone. It was funny to have an entire transaction completed on my front porch with no face-to-face interaction.

[WifeofBill]

We have JW's in our neighborhood all the time, but they've never come to our door. Not sure why they avoid us, not that I'm complaining. no fundies in our neighborhood that I've seen, but some did approach my 7 year old daughter when she was selling crafts at the town fair. I dont like that they approached her and ignored her dad who was sitting there.

[ddandb]

I had some JWs visit a few times. Nice looking young women each time so I didn't discourage them.
When my wife asked me why I don't go to church with her more often I told her because the Baptists won't send out young good looking women to visit me. I got hit along side my head for that remark. Next time she dealt with the JWs. Never saw them again.

[redbeardiam]

We are right in the 'city' part of a small city. We get JWs occasionally, but that might have something to do with Mrs. Redbeard being too nice to turn down their literature that one time. We've also gotten kids selling magazine subscriptions.

[Phatchick]

Let's face it, door to door is getting a bit too dangerous nowadays and even fundies are accepting that fact. Probably because they all know how they'd react to a stranger ringing their doorbell.

[zeusTHEgoose]

Gee, I think the last time I got door-to-door visitors was 2007, a pair of Hispanic J-Dubs inviting us to some potluck shindig at their church. That was back when our family lived in a poor part of town. Not that I live in a lavish district right now, but I haven't had any doorknockers since I left that neighborhood.

[Papa Bear]

We get the JW's about once a year or so. I am polite and non-commital, but I always accept their literature, as an ex-JW told me it drains their resources. We moved back to the town where I attended Fundy High (most of my family lives in the area) and in the eight years we have lived here, someone from that church came by once. It was the teacher I had the most conflict with when I was there (now he's senior pastor of the church) but he pretended not to recognize me at my door, even though he did recognize me when I went to a wedding reception at the church. I said I was saved, and gave the right answers to his questions, and he went away.

We do get the Boy Scout food drive. The only other people who go door to door are political campaigners distributing literature and asking us to put up a yard sign, people selling windows, siding, and other home improvements, and people selling newspaper subscriptions.

Back when I was a Fundy teen, I went along a couple of times on Thursday night "visitation" ("calling" in the South). The youth pastor and I were the only ones who showed up. They couldn't get even the deacons to come. They weren't cold-calling, they were following up on people who had filled out a visitor's card (another reason not to fill one out) and they were two years behind.

[Bob M]

We have people in our large downtown evangelical church who do it. Mostly they go downtown and talk to strangers.

[beth]

I sincerely wish it were, but, no. Our local white IFB church sends door-to-doors pretty often. In fact, Tuesday, as I was making a wedding cake, and at a point that I couldn't stop, our doorbell rang. I told my husband that I couldn't get the door, but neither could he. Now, the person lingering at the door could hear the discussion, as the kitchen window, right beside the front door was open. I get to a stopping point 5 min later, and this person is still milling about my door. I go to the door. Who, oh, who should it be but the IFB "Soulwinner." I told him "I am very busy. I cannot talk to you now. Please leave" in a very curt tone. My husband nad I were griping after the guy left. My husband pointed out that the only people dude's going to find home at that time is women taking care of their kids (my husband is on leave this week). Dude will also find 3rd shift workers home at that time as well. They're a really surly lot when rudely awakened (I used to be one!).