Reasoning With Your JW Family
An honest review of WT literature reveals that the FD&S believe that they are Jehovah, or are at least synonomous with His authority and salvation characteristics. Here's a quick review:
"come to Jehovah's Organization for salvation"
"Jehovah God and his spirit directed orgagnization"
"Displaying Loyalty To God's Organization"
Ok, you get the point. There are thousands of quotes and WT sayings that support this view. However, I believe that most people don't start off wishing to be welded at the hip to an organization, they just wanted to be on good terms with God and live a good life. Through indoctrination, the identity emeshment of the two happens over a period of time to the point where they are no longer indistinguishable, and each term is routinely used interchanagebly with the other.
This interchanageability is very convenient for the WT and is absolutely critical to thier phobic control over members. For example, have you ever had a conversation that went something like this?
The organization magically turns into Jehovah:
Q: How can the organization drag its feet in making certain changes?
A: We must rely on Jehovah and appreciate that his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We must wait on Jehovah.
Jehovah magically turns into the organization:
Q: How can Jehovah destroy 99.99% of earth's people?
A: For over 125 years the organization has been performing a sifting work and warning people of all nations of God's coming wrath. Jehovah does not delight in destruction but wants everyone to get life.
There are two questions that you can ask a JW family member that will help to separate the two.
1. Is there anything that Jehovah could do that would make you leave him? Of course they will say no. Jehovah is perfect.
Now here's the rub:
2. Is there anything that the organization could do that would make you stop going to the meetings?
If they say no:
It is clear that they are worshipping the WT and assuming its infallibility. They might be able to see this if you compare their answer to the answers from followers of the Reverand Mooon, or the Nazi devotion to Hitler. Of course they will say that the FD&S aren't murderers or destroyers of families like a cult. At this point, they have declared what they are not. They must then support this statement. So you simply ask them hypothetically of course, if the WT leadership were murders or destructive cult leaders would they then leave them? After a great deal of resistance they will be forced to say yes. Then you simply tell them that you have evidence of murder, and lies. Then challenge them. Ask," How different is it from NAZI Germany if evidence is all around and it is simply ignorerd.
If they say yes:
Then, you could ask them, "How different is it from NAZI Germany if evidence is all around and it is simply ignorerd."
Of course, a real conversation will try to get off course and sagway into obivilion if not continually redirected back on topic. And, other questions will no doubt become necessary. But, I believe the above line of argument could be very effective to get some to thinking about their ethics....at least after they have left the converstion. Any honest hearted person must justify how they are different than Hitlers NAZI's or cult followers.
If any conversation with a JW is to yield anything of value, the enmeshment of identities must be first separated. Without that, you are simply encouraging them to reject God in their mind.
Edited by - Perry on 3 November 2002 9:14:35
Edited by - Perry on 3 November 2002 9:16:4
Edited by - Perry on 3 November 2002 9:29:53