Posted by spoonman Thursday 6 March, 2008 05:36 PM
If you think that bible bashing at your front door should be stopped, then here is your chance to make it happen.
Everyone has the right to practice the faith of their choice in Australia - fair enough.
But what rights do people have to prevent others trying to force their version of religion down your throats, at your place, at a time that is not of your choosing?
Apparently none at all.
I was woken by my intercom buzzing madly at 9.30 last Saturday morning.
I was in a deep sleep. Being a shift-worker of many years, getting a half-decent sleep is bloody hard at the best of times.
It was the Jehovah's Witnesses. But it could well have been a couple marauding Mormons, or the ones who just describe themselves as 'Christians'. One or the other.
My initial grumpy inclination was to abuse them for disturbing my peace with no good reason other than to save my heathen soul, whether I wanted it saved or not.
But I was uncharacteristically polite - "Not interested. Go away."
So how come I don't have the right to not be hassled by the god- botherers at my door?
They invade your space, without invitation, on the weekend, and at hours of the day many are still sleeping after a tough week.
Around 25% of the adult population do some kind of shift work. Times have changed, something the door-knockers don't seem to care about.
They don't care about you, despite their noises, or they wouldn't do it.
Believe what you want by all means, but do it in your own home, not in mine. Respect my right to chose a belief system, or not.
These misguided fools truly believe their believe message is more important than anything going on in your life.
They also drag their children along with them in an attempt to head- off the abuse they no doubt expect. To me, that is child-abuse.
Former child members of both JW and LDS (Mormon) who called the show agreed, having been among those kids used as human shields.
So I am calling for a ban on the god-botherers door-knocking. Yes, a total ban.
'Do Not Call' registers and signs on doors or gates have little effect. One young mum who called the show this week said she put a 'Mum and Bub asleep' sign on her door before having a much-needed nap. But it didn't stop a self-righteous bible-basher ringing her doorbell anyway.
They need to be stopped, so let's see what we can do.
Please leave your comments on this blog and I will - along with your calls to the show from this week - send the lot to the Federal Attorney General with a view to having a bible-basher ban introduced.
If that doesn't work, I'll try the State governments.
Now, no doubt there will be some stupid section of the Trade Practices Act, or the like, allowing these annoying people to do what they do.
But any law can be changed. So let's do it.
Do you want to ban door-knocking peddlers of religion?
Over to you.....
