I went outside and to the car this morning for some items and saw some walkers (very slow walkers) approaching, in pairs, a few homes away. I knew I had a little time to think. When the doorbell rang I was ready.
We've got a few more days here in Houston, just north of Braes Bayou and near Stella Link Rd. Close friends are on vacation in China and asked us to stay in their home during the time so we jumped at the chance to stay in brand new quarters that probably cost close to 1 million -- and that doesn't include the cost of the lot.
Having lived near Houston many years ago I had much catching up to do now that wife and I are retired. Museums, the zoo, a horseshoe pitching tournament-- are a few of the many items on my list. Talking with JWs was not one of those items -- but all I needed was a few minutes.
There were 4 on the front porch. A young man whose name is Jonathan Ubuntu (pronunciation and spelling), a 40ish accompanied by what may have been his mother. Then, 2 youngsters less than 7 years old. The little boy handed me a folded (closed) Awake. I welcomed them all warmly and played with the children a bit, asking their ages and other trivia.
Then I opened the folded magazine and acted as if I just discovered who they were. "You must be Jehovah's Witnesses", I said. After his startled remark, I stated that I used to study with them many years ago.
"You stopped studying?", was his comeback. "Oh, yes", I replied. "I learned that instead of the lack of contradictions in their doctrine that seems to be their constant claim, I found far too many of them to believe that they are directed by holy spirit -- which is their claim."
"What do you mean", he said.
"Take the resurrection of the Sodomites. Watchtower has taught 6 different positions on this teaching, that is, whether or not they will get a resurrection. Be mindful that I understand the Witnesses feel that new light is constantly brightening their belief system. However, they started in 1879 believing that those folks back then would be awarded a resurrection, then years later, they taught they wouldn't, and on and on - - yes, no, yes, no, yes, no -- count them (as I held my fingers up). A gradual brightening of some light doesn't happen by going on and then going off like a flashlight."
I added that my early studying motivated me to research their religion, along with a few others, in detail. That I even had the WT library on CD and asked if he had that one. He said he did. Well, I added, you can check out the Sodomite resurrection teaching for yourself. All but the first instance (the teaching back in 1879) is on CD.
He asked what their position is today. I said "no resurrection" and asked how long he has been a JW. He said since 1988.
I said that is quite ironic because it was close to that year in a span of less than 2 years where they changed their position 3 times.
He seemed visibly shaken but was feigning to take this all in stride; but I noted that his mother was very uneasy and squirming.
He asked if he could research this and call back later and talk about it. I explained what we were doing in Houston but shook hands and wished them all well, then went inside.
Len Miller
ps: this topic will probably remain fresh in my mind because of the research on my essay.
