So an elder came by and asked me if I have found another Church

by bluesapphire 18 Replies latest jw friends

  • bluesapphire
    bluesapphire

    Very nice brother came by who comes about every 6 months or so. I really like this guy and knew ahead of time that the next time he came over I was going to be friendly to him. He came by during a storm and was obviously cold. I invited him in and offered coffee or tea. He sat down and we began to chat:

    So, have you found another church?

    "I don't want to say because I know the consequences of that."

    Oh. I see. Well I respect that. But JWs are the only ones who do the preaching work as Jesus commanded.

    "Well, I can see that JWs have a reason to boast about their large Excel-type spreadsheet worth of digits about this many hours and this many studies, etc. etc. But I can also see that other Christian groups and personal friends do their ministry 24/7 by the way they live their lives and the way they share Jesus and the Bible. So, it's more than having a database with numbers in it, to them it is alive and beating with a heart."

    Hmmmm. But living as a JW is the best way of life. As imperfect people, we still have a much better lifestyle than anyone else.

    "Standing from a JW's limited perspective, I can respect that you feel that way. However, unless you live anothers' life, you cannot compare. For example, the friends from work that I have who go to Calvary Chapel have very fulfilling, moral lives ... better than most JW I've met. I also know Jewish families who are moral and have a strong network. I can go on and on .... but the bottom line is that Paul said if this is not the truth then he was the most of all men to be pitied. So if a person is spending countless hours in the full time ministry knocking on doors and it is not the truth, then really it is something to be pitied."

    If you don't believe it's the truth why don't you write a letter? I'm not telling you to do it but I'm wondering why you have not done it.

    "Why should I? I have no ties to the JWs. It is a mute point.... irrelevant in my life and frankly, not worth the time."

    Well, as long as I don't see you out there with picketing signs then I don't see any need to start anything in motion against you.

    "hahahahaha ... (little does he know)"

    He asked my husband if he would come back to the meetings and my husband told him that if he was interested he knows where the KH is and doesn't need periodic invitations. His mom is a witness and would just go with her....

    Such a nice man. I could not bear to be mean to him. But I was true to myself and that's what matters to me. I wish him nothing but good in life. It's hard to write down my tone. I said what I needed to say in a very nice way and with a smile on my face.

  • bluesapphire
    bluesapphire

    PS ... it's been 11 years of fading. I have grown so much since then and it feels good not to care about being shunned. I couldn't give a flying rats arse what they do. But I'm not going to hand it over on a silver platter either.

  • StoneWall
    StoneWall
    So an elder came by and asked me if I have found another Church

    You could have said, "why are you looking for one too?"

  • flipper
    flipper

    BLUESAPPHIRE- You handled the guy well. He may be nice- but never underestimate the Nazi interrogation tactics he used means he meant business. " If you don't believe it's the truth why don't you write a letter ? " And this little jewel of passive aggressiveness " Well, as long as I don't see you out there with picketing signs then I don't see any need to start anything in motion AGAINST YOU. " He may have acted " nice " in initially calling on you - but his motives for being there were to seek information about you to use against you. Believe me, I know. I've been on the receiving end of the " elder interrogation sessions " before. Hopefully he will leave you and your husband alone and not bother you again

  • yknot
    yknot

    Wow.....every six months!

    Do you plan on asking his opinion of the generation change in next June?

    Kinda gives me a little hope and encouragement in my own 'invisible fade'......

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    Since when is it their damn business anyways? Are you finding them another church? If not, then you do not owe them an answer, and I would intentionally try and waste as much of their time trying to investigate the situation. Every hour they waste trying to find out if you are at another church is an hour they cannot be going to their own boasting sessions or out in field circus, or taking care of other matters in the congregation. And, if your "other church" is where they are not expecting, they could be wasting many hours trying to find it and catch you going into or coming out of it. Which is time they will probably be missing a boasting session.

  • chickpea
    chickpea

    even the nice guys are brimming with hubris

    we still have a much better lifestyle than anyone else.
  • blondie
    blondie

    ANOTHER CHURCH?!

    Inviting you to write a DA letter....not so nice....an insulting question.

  • zoiks
    zoiks

    Well done; hopefully I'll be able to recall some of your points if the occasion calls for it.

    11 years of fading - wow!

  • FreeAtLast1914
    FreeAtLast1914

    You go, Blue! I love the spunk. And I know what you mean when you talk about some of the JWs being nice. I'm one who deals with these types with respect. They are truly victims unbeknownst to them. They don't understand what they're involved in.

    And, definitely don't play their DA game. Let 'em chase away.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit