Ding dong with 4 JWs this morning

by Qcmbr 50 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  AGuest

  Good for you, dear Q (peace to you!)! Gives a whole new meaning to that "do not ahead plan ahead as to what you say," doesn't it? The words just come, sometimes... and in such a way that they (JWs) either MUST agree, CAN'T dispute, get angry... or are rendered speechless. Sad thing... is that probably all (but perhaps the 24-year-old, who may take a "closer" look, now) will completely dismiss what you said, albeit true, reasonable, and rational... and press on even harder and deeper into that harlot (no pun intended, truly, but appropo, IMHO).

  Tell the missus that some folks think you did a good deed... for at least four of mankind, even if those four don't know it...

  Good show... and peace!

  A slave of Christ,

  SA
• 

  tornapart

  I've been lurking on the site for weeks now and felt I needed to reply to this comment. I don't know how many of you still believe in God and Christ but those of you that do should really rethink your responses to this post.

  You must remember how destroying to the soul it is to have everything you've ever believed all your life ripped apart. To know that you've been lied to for decades and worse that yu as an intellient person actually believed them. That this organisation you looked to with respect for guidance from God is nothing more than the Wizard of Oz.

  I was ready for it. It was the new 'generation' idea that set the ball rolling for me. I've been around long enough to see several changes to it. I was there in the 60's listening to the hype about 1975. But still I believed. I couldn't visit sites like this, it felt wrong. So I started with Wikipedia. What I read on there was enough for me to find out about Ray Franz. I downloaded his books and read them from cover to cover. Over the years I have had many doubts about many things but chose to 'shelve' them, this was like opening Pandora's box. Now I have to start a new belief system all over agiain and it's a real struggle. I'm starting with my bible... on it's own.

  These poor women may not be ready for this. You cannot tear someone's beliefs apart on the doorstep. All you succeed in doing is distressing and humiliating them. Apart from anything else it's unkind. Did Jesus rip apart the beliefs of the people in his day. Those that were blindly following their leaders? No.. he felt pity for them because they tossed and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd. He patiently, lovingly and kindly taught them something new and wonderful. The scathing words he left for the 'top men'.

  I just want to ask the poster. What was your motive behind this? Did it make you feel good? Did you get it all of your chest? Did you enjoy airing your great knowledge and wisdom? Or were you really interested in helping these poor women? I remember once many years ago coming aross a borna gain christian. She made a huge impression on me on the doorstep because her genuiness in wanting to save me shone through. She was kind, tried to show me where my beliefs were wrong, at the time I couldn't see it but her parting words were that she'd pray for me. She truly meant it. She wasn't trying to make me feel bad, she wasn't airing her knowledge. She was showing me love. And I've never forgotten it. Someone like you I am dreading meeting on the 'ministry'. Yes, I still have to go out and do 'my bit' for fear of being shunned. I have to live with it. I'll be with someone else who I can't say anything to about what I now believe. So on your doorstep I would have to listen to all this... and take it in silence.

  Maybe you feel proud of yourself for what you did and what you said but please think twice next time someone calls on your door.
• 

  ThomasCovenant

  Hello Tornapart and thanks for joining the forum and commenting.

  You raised some very interesting points.

  You said ''You cannot tear someone's beliefs apart on the doorstep''. And yet that is the most basic operating system of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  My mother (still a Witnesss) said to me ''why don't you just let us be with our religious beliefs?'' I said ''yes that's fine, but why don't you do the same to the people you door knock?'' Hypocrisy. Nothing else.

  You said ''Did you get it all of your chest?'' Living a lie is a great burden so yes for me it felt great to get it off my chest.

  You said ''What was your motive behind this?'' I can't speak for Qcmbr but for me it would be a valid response to someone who is coming to my door trying to tell me how I'm wrong and they are right.

  You said ''Did it make you feel good?'' Again speaking for myself the answer would be 'yes'.

  There is no one correct way because we are all different.

  Thanks again and welcome, please keep asking and commenting.
• 

  Black Sheep

  Hi Tornapart. Welcome to the forum.

  All you succeed in doing is distressing and humiliating them

  The church teaches them that they have all the answers. There is no 'nice' way to find out that a belief system you have invested most of your life in is a just pyramid publishing scam and doesn't have the answers at all.

  Think of it as tough love.

  These JWs had no doubt had doctrinal errors pointed out to them 'nicely' on numerous occasions while door knocking. It didn't work. Householders and ministers don't understand how to cut off their escape routes and keep them on topic until they get the point.

  If you have a painless way of convincing a cult member that their leader is scamming them, there are a helluva lot of people that want to know what it is, and while they wait to find an answer, cult recruiters are out seeking more suckers.

  Cheers

  Chris
• 

  tornapart

  Thomas, thankyou for the welcome. And I completely understand where you're coming from. Personally I hate going on the 'ministry', when I I do I respect people's right to turn me away and I never push it. To me a 'no' is a 'no'. If someone is happy to talk then that's great and I enjoy getting to know someone a little and leave with a smile. I just mean that there are different ways of saying things, depending on one's motives. If genuine love and kindness are there on both sides there is no argument, just a difference of opinion. It may be easy for some of you to say, 'well, just stop going out then'. But when you were a 'born-in', have been in for decades, all your family is in, all the friends you grew up with and the alternative is to lose them all, you just have to keep on. I could go inactive but it would be very difficult without being asked why. I do the bare minimum, I can't do any less.

  However if you get a bolshy, self righteous JW (of which I know a few) knock on your door then I would say go for it. But many of us are well meaning and sincere and we have feelings. These two sisters sounded genuine to me, from the posters description. I'm just saying for everyone to try showing a little more human kindness if possible.
• 

  peridotgreen

  Witnesses never come around here. This is not the area in which I became a Witness; it's in another state and maybe the congregation isn't as active here but still. Twice in 9 years isn't much. Maybe they figure we're all goats here or something. It's not as though JWs don't prejudge everyone anyway.

  But I digress.

  4 Witnesses is 4 too many. You did a great job, btw. I could never do anything like that.
• 

  peridotgreen

  PS I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall of that car on their way back to the KH.
• 

  Azazel

  Qcmbr man you must have been thinking quickly.

  Mind you to the little average rank n file JW it was a bit of a shooting fish in a barrel scenario.

  10 Points for your effort tho.

  

  Bet it felt good to hold the "gun" of logic on them.

  Az
• 

  tornapart

  Living a lie is a huge burden. I wish I had the freedom to turn my back it. I wish I never had to turn up on anyone's doorstep uninvited. I would love to be able to tell all my family and friends the TATT. I have to keep silent and it's killing me slowly inside. Posts like this are very hard for someone like me to have to read. It's all painful stuff.
• 

  jwfacts

  QCMBR - that was an amazing deconstruction of Watchtower beliefs in a very succinct way. For anyone listening that was not completely indoctrinated there could be no doubt that it is not a healthy sect to belong to. Unfortunately those present will likely not benefit in the short run, except possibly the younger sister.

  TORNAPART - welcome. It is great to have you on board. Your comments are interesting. I don't think there is any single method that works, but more so an accumulation over the years. Cognitive dissonance will protect those that were there, as people generally don't just throw in their beliefs until they are able to cope emotionally. I think an intellectual attack as from QCMBR is great, as it will sit in the back of their minds that there are people that do understand the Watchtower beliefs and have good reason not to accept it. It will be one of many varied encounters that will eventually have an affect on some of those listening. As you state though, for some people a more delicate approach may have a stronger affect.