can't fault them for trying...

[brightlotusmoon]

Last night around eight or so, we got a knock on the door. Two young children, with an older man, stood there holding fliers. The younger child, probably no more than eight, started reading haltingly from the flier, about a community meeting taking place on Thursday to talk about "how sex before marriage is wrong and what you can do to stop people from having sex before marriage." During the speech, the man turned around and walked out the gate, leaving the little boys to stand there looking lost and worried. I was biting my cheek. I smiled politely, held out my hand, and said kindly, "Well, I don't agree with your beliefs, but I will take a flier." (just to show them the effort wasn't totally wasted). They left immediately, in a hurry, with no outward expression showing what they thought about my comment. After I shut the door, I crumpled up the flier and threw it in the trash. I was shaking my head and sighing.
I really don't believe that it's a good idea for people with a message to use children to spread a religious or moral opinion to the masses. I feel it's like cowardice -- and I'm sure this wasn't the only time an adult ushered kids up to a stranger's door and then turned and walked away to let the kids do it themselves. But I guess they think people will be less insulting and scathing to kids or something...

Either way, I told Danny about it and he was still giggling an hour later. I'm glad he wasn't the one who opened the door. Danny's list of premarital sex escapades is, shall we say, quite long. I'm not sure he would have been so polite.

Comments

[ncalrod.livejournal.com]

" I feel it's like cowardice -- "

It is cowardly. Its also blatantly manipulative which irritates me almost as much as the message. Its pretty clear that the adult in question thought it would be harder to say no to a cute kid than to a self righteous holier than thou such as him self.

I think I fall on the same side of the fence as your friend. I really doubt I would have been as polite. Of course I'm often impolite to people I don't care for but that's just me.