The roomie is OUT!
She started out understanding why I left and she was supportive of my decision but she still believed the WTS to have the truth. I understood how she felt. I was there. But slowly and methodically I would bring up points that I was learning here on the forum and in Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom and I could see her wheels turning.
She would never pick up either of the two books to even browse through them. Often, on my way to bed, I would leave one sitting on the coffee table opened to a point we had just discussed and I would notice it untouched the next morning. She would not object to me reading her a segment directly from the book but she would try to argue down the point every time. I was very patient and made myself not get excited or let the conversation dissolve into a heated debate. In time, her attempts to defend the organization disappeared.
So many turning points in her approach to our conversations. It was wonderful watching her have one “ah-ha” moment after another until last night she admitted that she had been “duped by the organization.”
The main things that got her were:
- Spirit anointed claims of a body that relies on a 2/3 vote for policy. I told her about the alternative service for conscientious objectors being offered by many countries but the witness brothers are still in prison because although a majority of the GB voted in favor of allowing alternative service, it wasn’t quite 2/3.
- The identities of the faithful and discreet slave class are not even known or their whereabouts recorded, let alone their counsel sought in participation of the feeding program. I read her the portion from In Search where Franz details a zone visit(?), having meetings with so many people about so many things except other members of the slave class.
- She saw how some of the elders treated me even after my reinstatement due to the gay issue and she was repelled by that anyway. Like most, she chalked it up to imperfect men. But with that as her attention-getter, the self righteous claims of spirit-directedness accompanied by clear misapplication of scriptures (primarily the shunning thing) rendered her unable to fight for the almighty organization
In the meantime, we keep having our bible reading and discussion together twice a week and our occasional conversations about whatever I am reading in the moment in In Search. She’s asking questions about how we should format our worship from here on because she “does NOT want to go to one of those other churches.” I assure her that we will develop it as we go and I’m confident Jehovah will steer us in a direction he finds acceptable.
Just so you know, I have plagiarized so much of ya’lls material from this site and I intend to continue shamelessly. Your contributions to this forum have helped me help my best friend. With so many different points of view and experiences, you have not only brought topics of interest to the table but you have helped me develop tailor-made avenues of argumentation that I knew she would respond to.
I used to think some of you old timers hanging on this forum after so many years away from the organization were just bitter, angry old hags that needed to get a life. It didn’t take long to recognize my error and the value you folks bring to the rest of us. You helped save another one today.
All my gratitude!
Jason