How are Bible Studies Conducted?

by Band on the Run 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Band on the Run
    Band on the Run

    I never found a victim and then I was out. May I ask you how it felt to have the umbrage to go to someone's house, bring a Bible, and Witness lit, and teach another person about the Bible. The Witness lit was always so dorky. It seems preposterous to me. Of course, it takes two to tango. I would feel like super duper geek nerd and feel I had to be perfect. I tried very hard and the lit never made sense to me. What I did was follow scrips perfectly. I practiced and practiced. The problem was that the housekeeper had no script. Going door to door as a child and teenager, I memorized the script. I despised placing the books. WTs and Awakes were easier to place. The women would always announce as though I was the saddest thing from hillbilly country that they were Methodists or Presbyterians and close the door.

    Today I have the attitude behind the door. I felt so incompetent. Also, who is going to do a Bible Study with a ten year old. People do. I just realized we were part of a pyramid scheme, Amway time.

    I have several JW relatives who all had many book studies. Frankly, I love them deeply but I can't imagine how they would handle someone going off topic. What if someone says "I thought this was a Bible study but we are not reading the Bible." Knowing what I know from college and casual reading over the years, I know so little. Maybe those who go off script would make lousy witnesses so they are dumped early.

    M

  • allelsefails
    allelsefails

    Its funny. JWs actually teach you to read the bible more at bible studies. It is very easy to make the Bible say... whatever you want it to say. There is a gradual build of "facts" from scripture that work to "principles" we follow that lead to nonsense we believe. But if you reject the nonsense you have to reject the scriptural facts that it was built on. If you are willing to do that then you are dumped.

  • Retrovirus
    Retrovirus

    Hi BotR (or M?)

    I'm a non-jw and so can only give you the "other side" perspective.

    I'd never asked for a Bible study. My ex-SIL asked people from my local congregation to approach me because I was "interested". In fact, I was just keeping communication lines open with her, we exchanged letters every couple of months.

    So these two very pleasant ladies came and mentioned SIL's name, and offered to answer any questions. Silly me, I set a time with them.

    When they returned, full of friendly and warm chat, they brought the "Really Teach" booklet. They wanted to say a prayer, and very nicely made me aware that I would not contribute or take it in turns. Gentle disapproval when I declined the suggestion to "go through the book and answer the questions". Absolutely, the literature was dorky. But neither lady thought so; they were so certain, and I didn't want to upset them.

    As allelsefails said, there was much looking up of the Bible. but only the verse that was referenced.

    I felt the jw ladies were doing me a favour, and in hindsight, they encouraged me to think so. When I asked difficult questions, they brought their computer and the DVD. Eventually my lack of progress and refusal to attend meetings or conventions brought things to a halt.

    Nor have I heard from my SIL since I "failed" the study. . . ah, well.

    L.

  • the-illuminator81
    the-illuminator81

    They read cherry-picked scriptures from their own biased translation, and are instructed beforehand what to think about the scripture that is going to be read and this is then later reinforced by asking questions and having the student come with the answer he learned rather than what he might really think. Pretty soon the student is trained not to think but to eat absent-minded from the great spiritual banquet provided by the WTS. Et voila, another mindless cult zombie is born.

  • White Dove
    White Dove

    This is what a Bible study with someone looks like:

    1. Pray

    2. Read paragraph

    3. Ask question

    4. Student answers printed answer within the paragraph.

    5. Read a scripture

    6. Read another paragraph

    7. Rinse

    8. Repeat (but don't read anymore scriptures)

    9. Pray

    10. Leave right after threatening to quit the study if person doesn't study ahead next time.

  • dm6
    dm6

    what white dove said.

  • Aussie Oz
    Aussie Oz

    11: Make them feel like they have a problem if they are not considering baptism before the end of the little book of selective indoctrination.

    12: feel ashamed that you had to go onto a second book

    13: End study when it become aparent that the householder is resistant to jehovah because they wont give up facebook.

    oz

  • blondie
    blondie

    Band on the Run, you never went on a "study" with someone else conducting? Anyway, they never studied the bible, jws study their WTS books with people with a few scriptures sprinkled in to make it look good.

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    The studies are conducted with the idea of scamming people into the cancer. At first, they read just enough of the Bible to get people interested in the book. This book gradually introduces the problem (the "evil world"), and the solution. This is what motivates the person to continue with the study. At first, that is all that's required.

    Soon in, however, other things become required. They will start asking the student to attend the boasting sessions. The book will continue being studied weekly, and about this time the conductor will start expecting the changes to be made. The big changes are first--outward manifestation of belonging to another church, attendance at another church, idols, spiritism, and holiday celebrations are among the first to go. Usually, they will be asked to comment at boasting sessions in the format that is directed by the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger (currently, comments that are effectively in the words of the paragraph).

    A time passes. The student goes through the doctrines. They are introduced to the Trinity doctrine and why the Washtowel claims it false. They are told "the truth" about hellfire. They discuss 607 BC, and its ties with 1914, to get them into a panic to get them to do something without proper research. At some point, they are asked to get rid of things that might undermine their potential at the Theocraptic Misery "School(??)". They will be advised to quit smoking, break up or marry their partner if they have one, and discontinue all holiday celebrations they continue doing. This is when they often take things way beyond where they need to--like associating eating certain foods with celebrating holidays.

    As the studies continue, and the student learns the doctrines with just enough Bible support to make it look genuine, they will soon be giving talks. Soon after, the conductor will start going through their private movie and music collections--any "bad" items have to be tossed. Before long, they discuss whether the student is ready--having busted up with, or married, their partner if any, quit smoking, discontinued all ties with other religions, and so on, they are called on to spread the cancer. At this point, they become "unbaptized publishers".

    Soon after, they keep tabs on the student's field circus hours. If these continue, the person will be hounded into baptism. They then go through the baptismal questions. All the while, the weekly studies continue. When they get through the questions, the victim is baptized at the next a$$embly. The study continues until the material is exhausted. But, as soon as the person is baptized, they are required to recruit others--matters not whether they are successful, as long as all their time is wasted.

    Now, some times things don't go as planned. Often, a student is never home. Sometimes they are regular but never prepare ahead. This can be seen when they get through a chapter where a change is required, but none happens. The conductor will start nagging, threatening with the destruction unless they make the needed changes. Sometimes they will regularly study but never attend the boasting sessions. I have seen a few students complete the Suffer Forever book and maybe attend one or two boasting sessions, if that. They will usually hound people at this point, because they are useless if they are not themselves wasting all their own time.

    I never myself got anyone into the cancer. However, that didn't stop them from wasting my time--to them, the waste of my time was more important than whether or not I got anyone else to start wasting their own time.

  • punkofnice
    punkofnice

    I conducted several Binle studies thinking it was what my imaginary friend who lives in the sky wanted. I truly thought I was doing what was best for them.

    I'm happy to say that they all left the bOrg at some stage and are now my aposta-friends. Every cloud has a silver lining!

    Oddly though, I felt the dublications were a bit dumbed down and childish but thought: 'Oh well, the GB are directed by Jar Hoover so it must be the correct way to go!'

    Bear in mind I was 'born into' the cancer so had nothing else to reference it with. I was raised with minimum education, so not very smart, and had no friends either in or out of the cancer. I had no girlfriends because unlike the illustrations in the literal-trash there either weren't any or they looked like a kagarillapig with a personality to match. I was lonely, afraid of Jar Hoover, afraid of demons, afraid to LIVE!!

    I remember doing a 're-enactment' of a study at a boasting session. However, the 'experience' was totally exaggerated and ended up being nothing like the original; 'Wanna study?' 'Yer, alright then!' It was 'theotwatic warfare' strategy to 'encourage' victims and the 'mind cleansed' in the audience.

    The one good thing that came out of it was the aposta-friends I now have!!

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