# Atheists at the door **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124 "2013-06-04T16:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/1 "2013-06-04T16:58:02Z")
How would people react if atheists went door to door trying to convince people that gods didn’t exist? Would communities be as accepting of them as their are of people going door to door for their religion, or would there be a backlash? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/2 "2013-06-04T17:01:51Z")
There would be violent backlashes. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/3 "2013-06-04T17:11:47Z")
Who’s “accepting” of people going door-to-door for religious proselytizing, anyway? I never heard of anyone (except perhaps those of the evangelizing faith in question) who considered visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses and such to be anything but unmitigated nuisances. Yup, atheist proselytizers might well be received with more open hostility than those of other denominations (although not as much as Muslim or in some places even Mormon evangelizers, I’d bet), but it’s not as though anybody actually **welcomes** unsolicited conversion attempts of **any** kind. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/4 "2013-06-04T17:25:50Z")
They would react like [this.](http://thinking-critically.com/2010/07/18/door-to-door-atheists-bother-mormons/) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/5 "2013-06-04T17:34:40Z")
How would people react if someone went door to door trying to convince people not to use vacuum cleaners? Would communities be as accepting of them as they are of vacuum-cleaner salesmen? > [@Kimstu](#): > > Who’s “accepting” of people going door-to-door for religious proselytizing, anyway? I never heard of anyone (except perhaps those of the evangelizing faith in question) who considered visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses and such to be anything but unmitigated nuisances. Yeah, this was my first thought—who _does_ accept door-to-door religious proselytizers? Actually, if anyone actually does welcome those door-to-door Jehovah’s Witness (or whoever) proselytizers, I suppose it might be people who… (1) enjoy a good argument, and look forward to a chance to debate or even do some reverse witnessing of their own; (2) support in principle the freedom of all people to express their views, to go where they want and say what they want; or (3) are so lonely and isolated that they welcome any human contact. People who fall into one of these categories might well be just as happy with atheist proselytizers. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/6 "2013-06-04T17:36:49Z")
I’d treat them the same way I treat any door-to-door type. Polite refusal at first, escalating as needed to convince them to de-ass my property ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/7 "2013-06-04T17:38:07Z")
I do not welcome any type of door to door solicitation, and honestly our secluded location combined with our dogs means we do not _have_ to deal with any door to door solicitation. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/8 "2013-06-04T18:18:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How would people react if atheists went door to door trying to convince people that gods didn’t exist? Would communities be as accepting of them as their are of people going door to door for their religion, or would there be a backlash? Much the same as with theists who go door to door I expect. I don’t know about anyone else, but I HATE ANY door to door solicitation type things. Basically, if I want some sort of service or a new vacuum cleaner…or a chance to know about God…then I’ll ask. Otherwise, just leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/9 "2013-06-04T18:21:20Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Who’s “accepting” of people going door-to-door for religious proselytizing, anyway? Thirded. I, too, would like **Czarcasm** to explain what he had in mind when he wrote that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/10 "2013-06-04T18:28:04Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Thirded. I, too, would like **Czarcasm** to explain what he had in mind when he wrote that. How would local communities, and the organized religions within them, react to an aggressive type of atheism that actually tried to recruit through door-to-door outreach programs, direct mailings to the general public, and other such things that religious groups do from time to time? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/11 "2013-06-04T18:32:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How would local communities, and the organized religions within them, react to an aggressive type of atheism that actually tried to recruit through door-to-door outreach programs, direct mailings to the general public, and other such things that religious groups do from time to time? Would depend a lot on where you were in the country…and how obnoxious the folks doing the door to door thing were. My WAG is that some of the more fundamentalist oriented communities would react badly…as they do when folks from other religions try and proselytize and poach on their territory…but mainly, I doubt most people would care beyond the annoyance factor that most seem to think about ANY door to door horseshit. But if you want to give it a try and let us know what happens, I think we’d all be interested in the results. Especially if you post the videos on YouTube. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/12 "2013-06-04T18:39:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How would local communities, and the organized religions within them, react to an aggressive type of atheism that actually tried to recruit through door-to-door outreach programs, direct mailings to the general public, and other such things that religious groups do from time to time? As a total WAG, I’d go with 50% garden-variety irritation, 10% bemused enthusiasm, 39.99% shock and offense, and .01% violence. But really, it all depends on the where and the how. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/13 "2013-06-04T18:54:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How would people react if atheists went door to door trying to convince people that gods didn’t exist? Would communities be as accepting of them as their are of people going door to door for their religion, or would there be a backlash? What makes you think that communities are terribly accepting of evangelists? In my experience, with the exception of people looking forward to having a good argument, most people find Jehovah’s witnesses about as annoying as door-to-door salesmen. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/14 "2013-06-04T18:55:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How would local communities, and the organized religions within them, react to an aggressive type of atheism that actually tried to recruit through door-to-door outreach programs, direct mailings to the general public, and other such things that religious groups do from time to time? Local communities wouldn’t react. (Of course some communities have banned all door-to-door solicitation.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/15 "2013-06-04T19:03:07Z")
I bet there would be shotguns in at least some cases. And it is amazing how much religious crap is allowed to bother me. I get those Jesus prayer rugs, I get mailings from the local church when I move into a place, I get religious affirmations. I do not get religious people at my door, thankfully. But all of the rest is considered just fine…whereas I’m pretty sure if I sent out atheistic or even secular humanitarian pamphlets I’d be branded as a pariah pretty quickly, in my fairly Christian neighborhood (and honestly, what neighborhood in the States isn’t “fairly Christian”?) ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/16 "2013-06-04T19:33:14Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I bet there would be shotguns So how much money are we talking about wagering here? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/17 "2013-06-04T19:36:02Z")
I admit I’ve been tempted to do this, mostly so I can ask them “Have you heard the bad news?!” and hand them a Chick-style Cthulu tract. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/18 "2013-06-04T19:40:54Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > What makes you think that communities are terribly accepting of evangelists? > > In my experience, with the exception of people looking forward to having a good argument, most people find Jehovah’s witnesses about as annoying as door-to-door salesmen. You and most everyone else. I think our OP wants to hear that people would be WAY more up in arms about atheists doing something when in reality people pretty much despise anyone who tries to go door-to-door with just about anything. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/19 "2013-06-04T19:41:42Z")
In many places, probably the same way atheist clubs in high schools are treated - [often not well.](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/02/atheists-group-takes-on-high-school-/1#.Ua5Br4FIqAk) Where I live there would be no problem, but I suspect in some places they’d drag out obscure laws and claim that atheist solicitors weren’t covered by the First Amendment. Or else have cops hassle them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124/20 "2013-06-04T19:42:57Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > You and most everyone else. I think our OP wants to hear that people would be WAY more up in arms about atheists doing something when in reality people pretty much despise anyone who tries to go door-to-door with just about anything. I think the OP wants to hear your thoughts on how the general public would react to a more active atheist movement…but that’s just my opinion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-at-the-door/660124.md?page=2)