How should I respond to a JW friend? (Australia) (page 3)

summerinvincible

Snoozy - when my friend was in high school, she started having flashbacks about being abused by her father. I asked her about this recently, and now she claims it was never her father, it was her brother. Hrmmmm

The mindlessness of this "religion" really gets to me. "Men aren't perfect" is not an answer for anything!

My friend actually even wrote to me, "If I'm wrong, I haven't lost anything"... What the!! I find that simply mind-blowing! So she believes she's right but hey, if she's wrong, then nevermind... Her entire life will have been a lie, but whatever. (Insert emoticon banging head against wall)

I've had to keep the irritation I feel out of all correspondence with my friend, of course. I remain friendly, open and interested.

Witness My Fury

1914 is the whole foundation of the religion and any claimed authority that the Governing Body gives to itself.

1914 is a can of worms the majority of witnesses never really get to grips with and those that do most will exit the JWs once they see it's bogus.

If you haven't already ask how they arrive at 1914. What she wont tell you is that they have had to shift historical facts back by 20 years to arrive at the 607BCE date for the destruction of Jerusalem, she may well be unaware of this.

I'm PMing you a link for your own research and that you can send to her once the ball is rolling. (do the double checking of PMs as there's a glitch with it here)

summerinvincible

OK she replied! Sorry for the lack of spacing/punctuation - I copied as is... she's obviously not computer literate.

i didnt know that Harold Camping had an explanation!!interesting tho...there are afew things in the Bible that were prophesied to happen that would be ïnvisible"so to speak but would have signs to point to that could be recognised.One is concerning the coming of Jesus Christ to rule in the heavens(but not actually be ruling over the earth yet as such)..a time period was given as to when this would occur but that it would be invisible physically as in not see him,and the date ends up as 1914!!!(can send the explanation later)...also,the "sealing"of the 144000 annointed ones who will rule in the heavens with jesus for 1000years would be invisible.But,i assure you this,when he comes to judge the earth,EVERYONE,will know about it,it will not be invisible!!

Would love to hear some suggestions for replying to this?

Thanks heaps everyone!

Black Sheep

and that you can send to her once the ball is rolling

No ..............

Never show them why they are wrong. They just run away.

Make them show you they are wrong. Act dumb. Ask questions only.

Ask if the Watchtower predicted Christ's return in 1914? They didn't, but don't tell her that.

Ask what scripture says it would be invisible, or if that is just what her church says after Jesus didn't show up, like Camping did with his Judgement Day?

summerinvincible

Thanks heaps Black Sheep!

When you say "Ask if the Watchtower predicted Christ's return in 1914? They didn't, but don't tell her that." ...

where is that leading to? What do you think she will say to that? And how will that show they are wrong?

InterestedOne

Wow summerinvincible, you sound like me, and your friend sounds like my JW friend. Even the confusing grammar in her response is the same (like "as to" and "but that"). I have often wondered if the confusing grammar is intentional. It puts me in a position of having to ask her to clarify the sentence. Then, with the back and forth, it makes me out to be the bad guy - like I'm being overly analytical or "nit picking." Although I have failed many times in the way I have interacted with my JW friend, as I read your friend's reponse I was thinking something similar to what Black Sheep said - what are the "a few things" that the Bible "prophesied" would be invisible. Where does the Bible specifically say these things would be invisible?

However, when I ask questions like that of my JW friend, I usually receive a bombardment of nonsense and more confusing grammar that I find difficult to untangle. It might be interesting to try and get a clear answer though. I could envision her responding in a way that wanders away from the invisible part, so try to keep her on that if she doesn't provide you with a satisfying specific answer.

Black Sheep

A lot of them don't know they didn't predict it. At the time they were saying that Jesus had returned already, in 1874.

I want to establish what she does know, then try to get her to make statements that are not true, then have to retract them after doing research to find answers for you.

I also want her to see the parallels with Camping and realise that she can't rubbish Camping without using logic that rubbishes her own church, and can't excuse her church's failures without letting Camping off the hook.

summerinvincible

Hi InterestedOne, glad I'm not alone. It's very frustrating, especially knowing I have very little chance of getting her to wake up.

I'm just grateful that at least most of her brothers and sisters have gotten out (she's one of 9 kids).

I'm also grateful that I wasn't born into this horrible cult! To be brainwashed, and not know you're brainwashed... scary stuff.

summerinvincible

Ok Black Sheep, that sounds brilliant. I shall ask her those two questions and see what she says.

She and her husband have just become "pioneers" apparently.

summerinvincible

I phrased the questions this way:

"So, did the Watchtower predict Christ's return in 1914? Is there a scripture that says it would be invisible?" (I left out the "or if that is just what her church says after Jesus didn't show up, like Camping did with his Judgement Day?") :)

How should I respond to a JW friend? (Australia)

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