My new neighbor was raised a JW and still feels guilt...what do I share?

megsmomma

Hi all!

I need some help with what to share with my new neighbor. My hubby and I were talking to her yesterday when they realised they went to the same school and knew some of the same people. She mentioned one guy my husband knew and said she went to the same chuch as he did and then she said "he was a JW"..so I asked her if she was, and she said she was raised as one. I told her I was too, and we went on to talk about our "status" now. She is married to a military guy and going to college...she was never baptised and has a sister who is DF'd, yet, she still feels guilty about holidays and is still in the JW mind-set....yet, she and her husband wishes she could get over the guilt.

Where are some good places to start with simple things I could print out for her so that she doesn't get scared to even talk to me? A couple things we discussed were how the KH's do not have collection boxes (which she felt was the right thing) and I mentioned Beth Sarim (I know.....very random of me..lol)

So, wonderfull smart apostates...HELP ME!!!

changeling

Just be a friend. Share the UN info maybe. Most of all help her to feel comfortable in her own skin. It's a sad thing to think JW's have the "truth" but you can't live up to it.

changeling :)

AK - Jeff

Just a suggestion without knowing her thinking on things.

Give her a copy of CoC and tell her it helped you 'get over it', let her discover the facts and investigate them. If that is too strong, get her thinking by printing out Tom Cabeen's essay : Does God Work Through an Organization ?

http://brci.org/Attachments/Org.pdf

I know for me, CoC capped it. I could have never gone back after reading that - but she may be different.

Jeff

jamiebowers

Can you find out why her sister was df'd? That may be a good place to start.

The Oracle

Tell her we all make mistakes.

Associating with the JWs was just one of those mistakes.

Tell her that she should be thankful she got out when she did, and that she didn't expose anyone else to the movement. No harm no foul.

You want guilt? Try reflecting on the number of people you helped bring in to "the truth" through a bible study. Ouch. That one really hurts. If she didn't engage in the bible study work she can be thankful that no one else was brought in to the clan.

The Oracle

BFD

Hi Megs,

I agree with Changeling. Just be her freind. Maybe you can just share with her your experience of what made you wake up and take it from there. It sure is a small world!

BFD

megsmomma

Thanks for the responses. I am going to try to just be her friend/neighbor and not to "rag" on the subject too much.

I did print out some great info on the UN (like the letter from the UN)

The quotes from the Society on how you SHOULD research your religion (from jwinfo.c_m)

Some info from the same source on Jesus being the mediator for only 144,000...

Some info on the dates they said the big "A" was coming (from the same site)

and some info on the Bible verses they changed to support their doctrines (from jwfacts.c_m) She mentioned she and her husband comparing Bibles and him pointing out little differences (with words like "meadow and field"...just wait till he see's the other changes!!)

I think I have a nice balanced "apostate packet" for her that doesn't come off as "too apostate".

I will let you all know what she says as life goes on.....

StAnn

Megs, I really like Don Cameron's book, Captives of a Concept. It really forces them to look at the organization, not the teachings. It doesn't reek of "apostate" either. It's hard to break free until you're convinced that they are not the F&DS.

StAnn

hubert

Meg, does she have children?

Show her some of the articles that the W.T. printed about not wanting to belong to any church that has child abuse issues, then show her the newspaper articles that show how hypocritical the W.T. really is.

One quote about this is in the km37. The Catholic priest paragraph.

I also agree on "C of C" by Ray Franz.

Hubert

My new neighbor was raised a JW and still feels guilt...what do I share?

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