Did Anything In Field Service Make You Question The Society? (page 2)

jaguarbass

I remember in my twenties, I ran into a very intelligent man in the service who was reading his bible outside. He told me the bible was just a pile of mish mash and I was wasting my time talking to people about it. That was the first person that I ever met that had actually read the bible. I held that thought and read the bible myself and damn, if he wasnt telling me the truth.

ajwnm

I was always struck by the fact that the JW's were constantly divying up elegant, fancy homes amongst themselves. You know, how this one or that one would occupy these great and beautiful homes after Armageddon. No one ever saw this as a sin- a sin against the Law given by God in the 10 Commandments- You must not covet your neighbors goods.

I never heard any of the elders take anyone to task for being envious or greedy. Besides, I thought all this "stuff" would be destroyed in Armageddon anyway and a new perfect world would take its place.

greendawn

Someone said to me once: "why the watchtower society with all its billions doesn't help its widows and orphans, as the early church used to do?" That rang a bell and I began to realise that there is something seriously wrong with them, why don't they do any charity work at all?

Zico

It didn't really make me question, but I remember having a fascinating conversation with a man about how the bible canon was formed, and how man could have effected God's word. I dismissed everything he said because 'Jehovah would have preserved it' But the things he said still interested me. I really could have learned a lot from that guy.

OnTheWayOut

As a pioneer (I did it for one year shortly after being appointed an elder) I had an encounter.

I remember one day in recruiting, I talked with a genuine hippy. The guy was a 35-ish who looked like a burnout, but
he was intelligent and lived in a nice place. He was very friendly. He asked if God was so vain that He expected me to spend
all my time praising him in this door-to-door work, and if God wouldn't forgive all the ignorant masses out there
for never believing the message of these strange Jehovah's Witnesses that come to their door with nice printed
hand-outs? It was a lengthy conversation, and I was polite, but I could not dispute his points. How could
Armageddon be imminent if the only warning God gave was nicely dressed nuts with nicely printed hand-outs?

I oversimplify the discussion. I was enthralled with what the guy said, and it was perhaps 2 years after the 1995
doctrinal change that I had wondered so much about. He asked about non-Christians that had virtually no contact
with Christendom, let alone JW's. "Would God forgive them for being born that way?"

Cindi_67

I don't remember anything from the householder that will make me question the Society, but whatever did it came from rigid rules on what to say, what to present, etc. Since recently I've felt that, of course you need to be prepared on what to say, but you don't have to present the magazine "suggested" for that month if you notice that it will not interest the householder. Just read a Bible verse or 2, let the householder comment on it and try to make a conversation with it. After 9/11 I remember just talking to a householder and just opened the Bible and read him an encouraging scripture from Psalms he appreciated that very much and I wouldn't push the magazines. I did asked him if he wanted to read something and he said no. I left it at that.

The fact that you have to report the hours, makes the service more mechanical than a personal service due to love for God, it makes it very ritualistic. Whatever service you give to God, has to come from the heart, not from worrying about turning in a field service report. Jesus said, do not let your left hand know what the right does. Whatever we do is between God and one's love for him, it shouldn't be monitored.

themonster123

Service was so freaky sometimes. The whole like "return visit" thing was fine if someone was actually interested and invited you to come back, but a lot of times, we would come back and *guess what!* the person had this kind of bewildered and confused look on their face, like "Uh,,,,do I know you?" I remember a pioneer sister giving me her return visits because I didn't have any and she was like, "Oh, here's so and so's and so and so's...I went to this one about 3 months ago, haven't gone back since." I'm like, "Uhhhh don't you think they'll think it's weird that we're coming back after 3 MONTHS!? And we know their NAMESS!??"

I was out with this elder one morning and we came to the door and some guy answered and the elder said he had previously come and discussed the Bible with that guy's friend who lived there or whatever. And the guy who answered was like, "Oh, hmm...I don't think I"ve met you before though-but you know my friend's name and stuff?" Or whatever he said.

The sisters I went out with said that you could go back on people who .... "Even just SMILE at you,"....SO, what, I"m gonna go back and be like "Hi, I'm not sure if you remember me, but we had a good conversation and you said you weren't interested, but you smiled at me, so...here's a scripture."

I'm obviously being sarcastic, but...the whole return visit thing always freaked me out. And, when we arrived on Saturday mornings when there'd be like 3 CAR GROUPS all on one street and EVERYONE gets out and starts preaching-it's seriously like 12 people congregated on one street! The neighbors should amply be freaked out.

journey-on

Even though it's been many years, I remember vividly the last time I went out in fs. It was in an area in the county but outside the city limits. It seemed that every house had a dog near the porch or in the front yard! Any other time, I probably would have walked right up, albeit slowly, thinking "oh, how I must be pleasing Jehovah." But that day, I just remember thinking: "This is stupid....just plain stupid!" I never went in fs again.

done4good

If we're coming to THEIR door to talk to them about OUR religion, why is it so horrible to return the favor to them? If they come to our hall (in actuality, usually doesn't happen) to see what we believe and having an open mind to see what we believe, how can we not do the same for theM?!

I often thought the same thing many times out in the FS. We always believed interfaith was wrong, but what if the householder held to the same standard? It just seemed so hypocritical.

j

BFD

I was 11 or 12 years old and there was this man washing his car in the driveway of his house. I walked up, introduced myself then tried to sell the "Truth" book to him. And he said, "Do you mean to say if I read that book I will gain everlasting life?" I didn't know what to say so, I just gave him the book and said find out for yourself or something like that. I am 47 now but I can remember this event as if it were yesterday. That was the first time I thought how silly the whole idea was. But, I got baptised a year or two later anyway because 1975 was coming fast.

BFD

Did Anything In Field Service Make You Question The Society?

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