by PenelopePaige 75 Replies latest jw friends
What do I do? I don't want to go through this every month.
You know what to do. When you're ready, you'll communicate your true feelings.
"You deserve what you tolerate." <------- I saw this sign hanging in a co-workers cubicle. Obviously, it's a little dogmatic, but I drew some strength from it.
The only way they're going to leave you alone is if you directly tell them to never come back. And even then they might still knock on your door while doing the territory. The only way they'll surely avoid you is if you directly challenge them on beliefs or corrupt practices of the organization. Or if you're just plain evil about telling them not to come back.
Sometimes, being tough enough to say no is a quality I wish I had a lot more of. Well, your life goes down the crapper when you're like that, because most people simply aren't. If you keep them around, yours is swirling the drain as we speak.
--sd-7
Oh, but the perfect way to stop the visits is to ask to be put on the 'Do Not Call' list. Then they'll avoid ye like the plague.
--sd-7
I'm surprised that everyone is so shocked at me liking the magazines. Holy crap, should I not be reading them? They seem okay to me. I'm really shocked that everyone has an issue with me liking the magazines....
That sounds just a little too naiive. Are you for real, girl?
On the benefit of the doubt I suggest you take the advice of the people in here who've been around the block a time or two with the Witnesses and cut it off immediately. Be as rude as you want or as polite as you want, it doesn't matter. This one you're describing I've seen before. Not the same person, of course, but a clone of her. The second you firmly draw the line in the sand is the second she will want to have nothing to do with you. There's a good word in the vernacular that describes what you are to the Watchtower. You're a mark. If you play ball with this woman she will zero in on that objective with the tenacity of a pitbull. They are otherwise going to take you for everything you've got and turn you into a slave of the Watchtower, which all of them are proud to declare openly.
Hi. Well done on having the guts to tell her you want to stop the study, but I hope you realise that you are still having one if you let her keep coming back. That 'true worship' article that you mentioned is part of a series that are used to conduct doorstep studies, without someone realising it. It's strongly encouraged that jw's use them to lead into the bible teach book. Just a suggestion, try to show her any pages that you print off from jwn or a site like jwfacts, or question her on the nonsense you've read in a recent mag, and see just how 'nice' that she is then. Do you realise that we are actually trained at the meetings in how to speak politely/respectfully to people, to smile, even befriend the person? She'll do whatever it takes to count the study, and as long as you keep her coming back, you're wasting both your time and hers..
The Quiet One- Agreed. Wasting her time and mine. I guess I just don't know how to say, "I do not want the magazines. Do not come back." I know everyone will say, "that's exactly what you say!" but I was so receptive in the beginning and when I told her I no longer wanted the study, she asked, "well, I'll still bring the magazines, you like don't mind that do you?" which caught me off guard and I was like, "no, of course not, that's fine." So now, it's going to be kind of hardcore to say , "No more magazines. Do not come back." but I guess that's what I'll have to say.
Btw, if anyone has any advice on how to nicely and respectively end this, I would appreciate it-
I'm afraid I agree with what so many others have basically said: she's milking you for another Bible study and another hour or so of field service time. In effect, she's using you to make her report card look better at the end of the month. JWs are very opportunistic, which is a shame, really. But it's true of many of them.
I would tell her--politely, if she'll let you--that you really meant what you said when you told her that you don't want to continue the study. Which is what she's tricking you into doing. But tell her you'd still like to be friends and you'd still like the mags.
Let's see if she's still your friend after that. Odds are, she'll stop coming. At least for a while. If she runs out of Bible studies in the future, she might come back to see if you'd like to restart the study.
If she doesn't let it go at this, you'll have to be more forceful.
BTW, many here have a very different opinion of the literature than you seem to have. Which is fine. But that's why you're getting all these reactions. Maybe you should try fact checking the articles some time. I think you'll begin to see why we're raising our eyebrows at you if you do.
Good luck.
Btw, if anyone has any advice on how to nicely and respectively end this, I would appreciate it-
Seriously? Ok. End it like she's carrying a plague bacillus, because what she's trying to infect you with is about as bad. Leave her with no doubt that you DO NOT want to be bothered by her or anyone else from the Kingdom Hall ever again. Tell her to go away and not come back or you will call the police to get a restraining order. (but I somehow think you are much too sweet and nice a person to do that. Polite but firm might work, too).
Nickolas- Sorry, I know you're not trying to be funny but I can't help but laugh. Like I said, I recognize this is my fault for being so receptive in the beginning. I just need a nice, one-liner that won't offend. And then if that doesn't work I'll think about the police. :)
Btw, if anyone has any advice on how to nicely and respectively end this, I would appreciate it-
There is no nice way to tell a JW to go away..
You might have to use a Cattle Prod..
......................;-)...OUTLAW
