I will have a conversation with a j-dub in which i will attempt to understand why they are so certain that they are in the troof. The conversation will usually involve myself asking them how they know they are the true christian religion.
The answer? "We are the only ones doing God's will!"
I will accept this conditionally. It isn't neccessarily true, but i will accept it for the sake of argument, as it is at least something that they can back up with their own bizarre interpretation of scripture.
... ... ... ...
I will then ask them how they know that they are the only ones doing God's will.
The answer? "We are the only ones following the bible correctly!"
Once again, i will accept this conditionally (even though it cannot possibly be true, since the bible is open to wild interpretation), as it is at least something that they can back up with their own bizarre interpretation of scripture.
But then here comes the roadblock!
!!! !!! !!! !!!
I will finally ask them how they know that the bible is God's word.
The answer? *insert baffled j-dub face here*
The simple fact is this: the very thought that the bible isn't God's word never even enters their mind. It is a non-question to them. You may as well ask them how they know that grass is green. They simply cannot think beyond their own little mental world where the bible is God's word simply because in that little world it is God's word, period.
It is like they are stuck on their own little sphere, or a planet if you will. They cannot go upwards & break away from the gravitational pull of that planet because the planet's gravity (the thought that the bible is God's word) is simply too strong. The result is that no matter how much they think, or how far or fast they move across the surface, they only ever end up going round & round in circles on their own little mental planet, but never actually manage to leave the planet altogether.
I simply cannot understand how someone can confine their mind so much, it scares me.