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How to Stop Religious Door Knockers

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  • 03-16-2016, 01:20 PM
    mijator
    How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    There was a previous posting from 2008 about this that has since been closed for discussion. The summary was that pushing their religion was not considered a violation of individual rights and was considered too small of an issue for the courts.

    I am restarting this issue because the previous discussion failed (and it appears the courts fail) to consider the bigger picture of what these religious door knockers are actually doing: community profiling. That is, they are gathering information about you and presumably recording it in some database. Information like: how many people live here, what are their ages, what do they believe, etc. Presumably they use this information to decide who to do business with (or not), or who is good enough, or some other perverted reason.

    It is ironic that it's the religious groups that are doing exactly what Hitler's henchmen were doing when they profiled the Jews in their communities...but this type of profiling is also done by political parties and their door-knocking campaigns.

    So, rather than discuss the issue around selling religion and freedom of speech, what about the issue of profiling? Isn't that a violation of an individual's privacy, regardless of which group (political, police, religious, etc.) is doing the profiling? Does the individual have any privacy rights? Please excuse my ignorance...that is why I am asking.

    I am particularly interested because I live in a smallish community of around 15,000 people, so it's pretty easy for the various religious groups to compile a profile of every household. I'd like to be able to accuse them of illegal profiling and quote some individual/human rights violation/law or something similar. I am also considering doing a crowd-sourcing (or some such method) the funding to take them to court. I am hoping this forum can provide me with some knowledge about the legal issue of profiling and whether or not it has been dealt with effectively by the courts, before I take on such a time-intensive mission.
  • 03-16-2016, 01:21 PM
    Dogmatique
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    Hitler's henchmen? Really?

    You just failed Trolling 101.
  • 03-16-2016, 01:26 PM
    Pringle
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    You're using the internet. You've already been profiled by millions of companies and you don't even know it.
  • 03-16-2016, 01:30 PM
    L-1
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    I've never seen this as a big deal.

    Religious groups show up at my door around once a year. I just tell them thanks, but we already have a God, that we're not interesting in changing at this time and I close the door. It's painless, uncomplicated and takes about five seconds.
  • 03-16-2016, 01:38 PM
    free9man
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    Yeah, this is only really an issue if you engage them. Don't answer their questions and politely ask them to leave.

    Or do as others sometimes suggest and answer the door naked. They probably won't be back after that. :D
  • 03-16-2016, 01:52 PM
    Taxing Matters
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    Quote:

    Quoting mijator
    View Post

    So, rather than discuss the issue around selling religion and freedom of speech, what about the issue of profiling? Isn't that a violation of an individual's privacy, regardless of which group (political, police, religious, etc.) is doing the profiling? Does the individual have any privacy rights? Please excuse my ignorance...that is why I am asking.

    There are two problems with this. First and foremost, you are making the illogical assumption that all religious canvassers are gathering detailed data to enter into some database. There is nothing about canvassing to spread your religious beliefs that automatically compels the conclusion that information gathering is being conducted. Could some group be doing that? Sure. Do most such groups do it? No, they don’t.

    Second, like many Americans, you seem to believe that your rights to privacy are much greater than they really are. The law actually only protects your privacy in certain specified instances. For example, there are rules that specify privacy for certain information that the government, financial institutions, health care providers, and schools have concerning you. But much information about you is not protect by any law. For example, most information your employer has about you is not protected by any law. Your name, address, phone number, etc., are not protected from disclosure by most persons who have that information (aside from those institutions I've already mentioned). No law prohibits an organization from gathering such information, either.

    It is up to you what information to give out when answering your door or even whether to open your door at all. The person at your door cannot record information you refuse to give, after all. You are the best protector of your own information.

    You won’t get reglious canvassers barred on a theory that they are gathering information to be recorded somewhere because of those two flaws. Most groups aren’t canvassing to gather up information to put into some database and even if they were, that’s not illegal or a violation of any of your rights.
  • 03-16-2016, 01:56 PM
    Dogmatique
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    Quote:

    Quoting L-1
    View Post
    I've never seen this as a big deal.

    Religious groups show up at my door around once a year. I just tell them thanks, but we already have a God, that we're not interesting in changing at this time and I close the door. It's painless, uncomplicated and takes about five seconds.

    Quote:

    Quoting free9man
    View Post
    Yeah, this is only really an issue if you engage them. Don't answer their questions and politely ask them to leave.

    Or do as others sometimes suggest and answer the door naked. They probably won't be back after that. :D

    Quote:

    Quoting Pringle
    View Post
    You're using the internet. You've already been profiled by millions of companies and you don't even know it.

    Quote:

    Quoting Taxing Matters
    View Post
    There are two problems with this. First and foremost, you are making the illogical assumption that all religious canvassers are gathering detailed data to enter into some database. There is nothing about canvassing to spread your religious beliefs that automatically compels the conclusion that information gathering is being conducted. Could some group be doing that? Sure. Do most such groups do it? No, they don’t.

    Second, like many Americans, you seem to believe that your rights to privacy are much greater than they really are. The law actually only protects your privacy in certain specified instances. For example, there are rules that specify privacy for certain information that the government, financial institutions, health care providers, and schools have concerning you. But much information about you is not protect by any law. For example, most information your employer has about you is not protected by any law. Your name, address, phone number, etc., are not protected from disclosure by most persons who have that information (aside from those institutions I've already mentioned). No law prohibits an organization from gathering such information, either.

    It is up to you what information to give out when answering your door or even whether to open your door at all. The person at your door cannot record information you refuse to give, after all. You are the best protector of your own information.

    You won’t get reglious canvassers barred on a theory that they are gathering information to be recorded somewhere because of those two flaws. Most groups aren’t canvassing to gather up information to put into some database and even if they were, that’s not illegal or a violation of any of your rights.

    ^^^ All of these.

    I woke up extra prickly this morning. Coffee will help ;) :D
  • 03-16-2016, 02:10 PM
    geek
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    Quote:

    Quoting Dogmatique
    View Post
    ^^^ All of these.

    I woke up extra prickly this morning. Coffee will help ;) :D

    I made a French Press full of Kona. Mmmmm! Lemme send you a virtual cup.
  • 03-16-2016, 02:47 PM
    comment/ator
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    I have some familiarity with some of the most notorious religious door knockers, and I assure you, they're racking up points in heaven, as required in their religious credo, not gathering your data. It's okay to be fairly blunt with them as you say "No thank you, I'm not interested!" and shut the door. It will not discourage them or stop them from doing this if you answer the door naked or curse them or drive them away. They really do believe that it is their responsibility to witness to you, and that how you receive it is up to you, and that they sort of get extra credit if you are rude to them, or it's raining or cold when they do their witnessing, etc. But they aren't collecting your data for some great central data bank and couldn't collect it anyway, even if they were, unless you give them the information to collect.
  • 03-16-2016, 03:41 PM
    geek
    Re: How to Stop Religious Door Knockers
    That's all I do. "No, thanks."

    I have a No Solicitors sign but most people ignore it, so it's good to have a sense of humor.
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