This morning I called my parents to let them know my father-in-law made it through the night (he's got some blood clot problems). My dad answers.
Some of you probably have read how we have had issues in the past. Just yesterday, I had called him after reading Captives of a Concept to share with him some of the issues I had with the whole 'invisible return of Christ in 1914' thing. Because as that book makes perfectly clear, the entire theology of the JW rests on the idea that Christ found them alone worthly in 1914 when he invisibly returned, making them the 'Faithful and Discreet Slave'. Our conversation goes nowhere. Mind you, my dad will let me share my apostate ideas, but he never really is open to them. Any flaws in the organization that I point out are, "increased understanding, new understanding, the light getting brighter, etc". But he will listen, and we agree to disagree.
My dad feels that the reason I seek out knowledge all the time on the organization is because inside I am struggling because I deep down know it's 'the truth'. That's not the case, but whatever.
But anyway, he's really nice on the phone this morning. And he wants to know if it's okay if he sends my daughter a pocket-sized Bible (who wants to bet it's a NWT?) Anyway, I tell him she already has a Bible and she really doesn't read it yet, but if he wants to send it, fine. He also says he wrote a letter to her apologizing about our recent fight over religion. See, he told my daughter that our new church is run by Satan and she had horrific nightmares. So he's written a letter apologizing for what he said and explaining how adults just have different views about God. That's what he SAID it said.
So I'm hopeful. Maybe my dad is really sincere and he will quit trying to shape my daughter into a JW. Maybe he finally has decided that the decision is ultimately up to her.
Maybe. We'll see when we get the package containing the letter and the Bible.