Posted by:
summer
(
)
Date: November 21, 2011 12:04PM
As usual, the Mormon church is 40-50 years behind the times. Not even the Girl Scouts go door-to-door anymore. They set up tables (with permission) outside of local supermarkets, and make a killing in a few short hours. Want a vacuum cleaner? You're most likely not going to wait for a traveling salesman to spill dirt on your carpet and offer to vacumm it up (seriously, people used to do that,) you're going to go to your local big box store and decide if you want to spring for the fancy-schmancy machine or just get the same brand that your grandmother got. If you want your driveway repaved, you'd be a fool to go with the person who knocks on your door, and will be here today and gone tomorrow. You'll look for a reputable local contracter instead.
It was different in my grandparents' and parents' day. My grandmother got ice deliveries for her ice box and purchased knives from a traveling vendor with a cart. My mom had her dairy products and dry cleaning delivered. I rarely remember our doors being locked growing up, but now my door is locked and dead-bolted.
Nowadays, everyone works, and the last thing that you want after a long, tiring day is some fool knocking on your door. If you open your door to a stranger, you are risking a home invasion as per reports in my local newspaper.
But here you have the Mormon church, still sending missionaries door-to-door like it's 1962. Other churches put listings in the "Sunday Services" section of the newspaper, letting you know what their weekly sermons will be about. Sometimes they take out small ads. They send notices and pictures to the newspaper about their events and activities. They sponsor festivals and fairs, and they invite the community. Some of these events are so popular that you have to park your car at some distance from the church in question. They have fun activities to which members invite their friends (without proselytizing to them. Imagine that!) They put money into constructing beautiful and impressive chapels that people want to visit. And they are thriving.
The Mormon model is broken. What nonMormon wants to see religion-pushers on their doorstep? What Mormon wants constant church visitors intruding on their family time? Push, push, push. I'm not surprised when some of those who have been intruded upon repeatedly finally decide to push back.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2011 12:31PM by summer.