by individuals wife 26 Replies latest jw friends
Yes, the House-to-House work is a sham. It doesn't work because people <i>just don't want to be bothered</i>! I don't want to be bothered, so why should other people?
Funny, I know of a family with about 40 members in the 'truth', most have pioneered at one time or another, and they have NO house-to-house conversions in their 45 years in the organization!
ArgCampeon: Ha ha! So typical of a JW.
Growth = God's favor/end near
Decline = God's favor/end near
Wars/crime increase = sign of the times/end near
Wars/crime decrease = nations say 'peace and security'/end near
No matter what happens the 'End is Near'. What a joke. Didn't you get the memo? The 1914 GENERATION has died and oops, GENERATION refers to some jibba jabber about a 'time period'. jibba jabber jibba jabber jibba jabber. What you talkin 'bout foo!
Good points. I live in a rural area and I think part of the problem here, I'm sure as with anywhere, the territory is saturated. It's so bad where I am, that before you even go to the door,you already know what the person will say or how they will react. We have spoken with the same people so many times, they know who we are. Some even resort to hiding or just not answering the door anymore. Door to door service is not really all that effective. If you are lucky, someone new may move in, but what are the odds of getting a study, etc.
All the years I went in service, I was always bothered by fellow Witnesses attitude toward people at the doors that would not favorably respond. Witnesses need to remember that to the average householder, the JWs are the weirdos. I have heard JWs say that people just don't want to hear the "truth". How does the person at the door know it's the truth?? Just because you offerd them a Watchtower or Awake mag? JWs again are even judgemental toward the people they are supposed to be "saving".
JUDGE JUDGE JUDGE.............
Actually, it's called being positive. But you do have it right, everything works for the benefit of Jehovah's purpose. Whether you see the signs or not, the end is near.
See for example, the Christians in jerusalem between the years 66 A.D. and 70 A.D.. Jesus fortold the destruction of Jerusalem and many wars, crime etc. Many might have reasoned that since the Romans suddenly pulled out in 66 A.D. that Jesus must have been wrong. All of a sudden the Jews felt as if they were victors in their battle with Rome. Those four years must have felt like an eternity for the Christian that was waiting in the mountainous regions for the prophesy to be fulfilled. Then it happened, the Romans returned in 70 A.D. and destroyed Jerusalem. Never doubt Biblical prophesy.
Vitameatavegamin:
You are right. This is the attitude that I am trying to change in the friends in our congregation. I think to myself also that the householder thinks I'm the weirdo. So I am very friendly at the doors, I even joke around with the householders to make them laugh. I always try to be very positive and people listen.
Thanks to the title of this thread, I now have that godawful kingdom melody stuck in my head. "Of course ... it's not ... at every door ... we find ... a hearing ... eeeeeeaar ..." Thanks a lot, IW. [>:(]
Ha ha - wondered if anyone would pick up on that.... many apologies to you dedalus!
As the last remaining sheep are gathered, the work would slow down. This is another sign that Jehovah's Day is near.
ArgCampeon, thank you for your observation but may I ask what you mean when you say 'another sign'? As far as I can see there are no signs that show that Jehovahs day is near. We have the same types of problems now that we had centuries ago, there is nothing clearly defining this period of time as being the time of the end.
No one in my family has ever made a convert through the door to door work. My parents have been witnesses for 55 years and their number is O. They are intelligent articulate people who are very knowledgeable.
Funny, I know of a family with about 40 members in the 'truth', most have pioneered at one time or another, and they have NO house-to-house conversions in their 45 years in the organization!
Joelbear and NotBlind - my thoughts exactly - so why does the society flog a dead horse by still pushing people to go out knocking???
Ah yes, the sign of the times. Forget about the fact that wars in centuries past were much more deadly, plauges much more deadly, hunger much more common, etc. Things are SO BAD now. I wish I lived in the 14th century, I could have had the plauge, been hungry w/ all my teeth rotted out, been drawn and quartered, or scewered like a human shish-kabob for doubting the churches offical beliefs. Or perhaps I could have lived a long and healthy life (40 years) before some new tyrant king came to my village raping my children and killing me. Ah the good ol days ...
It's been documented elsewhere, but other Christian groups have grown from very small to much larger than JW's today, largely through what JW's would term "informal witnessing". This is a much more friendly way to be approached rather than cold-calling.
The JW's continue in their door-to-door mainly because they are urged on by the WT Society to do so, because the Society tells them it's the backbone of the Christian ministry, and they are told that it's the way that has its roots in the 1st century. However, it is ineffective, the householders in general don't want it, and the publishers in general (deep down) don't want to do it!
ArgCampeon,
Thanks for posting here. Your views are welcomed, but they will be challenged!! As far as the end being near, you are so intensely into your study and preaching work, you have yourself believing it! How often since the 1840's have minority Christian groups (Bible Students and JW's included) stated "the sky is falling, the sky is falling", when in fact that statement was a lie! The statement "Millions Now Living Will Never Die", made by 1925, was false, based on the idea that the system's end was "just around the corner". I am amazed that the Society still quotes the title of that talk. Sometimes they even have the gall to change the title as if it said "Millions Now Living MAY Never Die". I couldn't believe that when I saw that twist in a Watchtower magazine, oh about 10 years back.
And what about the 1989 Watchtower magazine which stated that "the preaching work will conclude in this century"? (meaning the 20th century) If the Watchtower was right, why are you now going out door to door in the 21st century???
To see a multitude of other examples of failed prophecy, please read the carefully documented thread at http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=10530&site=3
I appreciate that you try to be friendly with people, and I appreciate the sincerity of what you believe. I am just fearful that you're placing an emphasis on the wrong time period.
By the way, this has NOTHING to do with believing or disbelieving Bible prophecy regarding whether there will be last days or not (that's a whole 'nother topic). It has everything to do with examining your own personal beliefs, and whether you should believe everything spouted by the Watchtower Society "lock, stock and barrel". Remember, I quoted above 2 time prophecies that turned out to be way too daring. Any more time prophecies by the Society, and I would say they're being deliberatly misleading!
GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Arg,
nice to see your posts.
Door to door sometimes simply boils down to an "exercise in faith" for many witnesses, especially in territories that are overworked.
It does teach persistance...haahaah! I found the training valuable to me while I was selling insurance and mutual funds (shhh...I am a recovering insurance agent...no more in that cult, haahaa!)
When I was an active JW going out in the field work was one of the ways to be with the hardcore JWs, that made me feel better about being in the religion. Of course, that was before I started seriously questioning the doctrines.
But anyhoo, I have never understood how anyone could claim to be a devout JW and not go out in field service. It is clearly a HUGE part of the religion. Those who won't go once in a while shouldn't bother going to the meetings at all. I always hated it when people sat on the fence.
No offense meant...just my two cents.
Arg said,
>The negative figures in the U.S. can be looked at positively. As the last remaining sheep are gathered, the work would slow down. This is another sign that Jehovah's Day is near.<
The figures can mean anything you want them to mean. I know you're just trying to be positive, but your comment is meaningless. This same "sign" is being read by others in your organization as indicative of something other than Jah's blessing. And the "day is near" loses it's force after 20, 30, 40 and more years of "doing the work". In reality, ther is no way you can prove your statement that the figures are a "sign that Jehovah's Day is near." Were you to actually embark on a research assignment to do just that you will soon find yourself facing your own crisis of conscience.
I spent more than 20 years confidently spreading the very same message you are currently engaging in. I taught people that the "generation" was passing away and that we were very close to the end. I could explain the 607 to 1914 chronology backward and forward and I still can. I believed it fully and was very good at convincing others of it's validity. Then the WTS said I should no longer teach the "generation" theory and has abandoned the emphasis on the 607 chronology while also waffling on the "seperating work" doctrine and clouding the identity of the "holy ones". All that I used to teach has changed. I was asked to learn new techniques to explain the "truth" in modern terms. But how could I take back all that I had confidently preached to hundreds and thousands of people? How could I explain that I was mistaken? What I was teaching as the "truth" was in fact not the "truth". It has changed and now the "truth" is morphing into what I was taught to be part of an evil "Babylon the Great". Believe me, you do not know what you are talking about. You may be sincere and really want to help people. But you do them no service by parroting what the WTS is telling you is the "truth". They will tell you something else tomorrow and expect you to support that as the "truth" whether it resembles what you preach now or not.
It intrigues me that you are here posting in this board. You are defintely welcome here. But the WTS has been very clear about sharing with "apostates" on the Internet. Perhaps you feel you can inventive and work out your own method of reaching out to people who may be searching for the "truth" here but are otherwise being mislead by "weak" ones. I don't know your motives. But it does belie any claim you may have to obedience to Jehovah's Faithful & Discreet Slave. So, you may already question their claim to be God's Channel and His only interpreter of scripture. If you really want the answer you will find it here. But you may not like the way it make you feel. No one like to be called a fool, but you cannot escape that if you really want to know the truth. Are you strong enough?
Sean
