We naturally loathe the smug face of the holier-than-thou JW, don't we?
The look down their nose and make some snide remark to put the "others" in their place.
And, why shouldn't they? They are the Chosen ones! They alone have the Truth with a capital T.
Everybody but them is wrong, wrong, wrong.
And so we once were the smug bastard with the absolute certainty. It was a Faith Unshakable based on.....amateur theology and duct tape!
I'll bet quite a few of us still have what I'll call "semi-friends" inside the Organization who are true blue JW's...but, who might secretly talk to us
now and again in private.
4 or 5 years ago I'd have lunch once a week with my former "best" friend. He was the guy who pulled me in to the JW's back when we were very young teens. We shared growing up together. I had married his sister. You know the drill.
He had a bad habit of making snide remarks. Not to be cruel, especially. But, because he was SOOOOOO RIGHT and I was soooo wrong.
But, by nature, I'm what you call a counter-puncher. I don't throw the first blow. But, if the other guy tags me I'm back in a flash!
My mouth outruns my brain :) Something comes out of my subconscious before I can stop myself. Do you ever do that? Well I do.
Anyway, over the years I've said a few things that actually shut him up. And that ain't easy, folks!
It isn't motivated by one-upsmanship. It is more rebuttal and the scathing retort at work.
Here are few examples:
JW: "Don't you want your children to live forever on a Paradise earth?"
Me: "Aww, if Jehovah feels that killing children is the right thing to do--who am I to interfere?"
JW: "Terry, time is so short now, if you don't return to Jehovah, Armageddon will overtake you and you'll be lost forever!"
Me: "Funny you should say that. I bumped into Brother Coulter 23 years ago in front of this same coffee shop and he said the very same thing!"
JW: "Wouldn't you want to see your Mom and grandparents again in the resurrection?"
Me: "And who's gonna stop me? Amateur bible experts? If Jehovah looks into my heart and thinks I should be there---some old geezer in Brooklyn won't carry much veto power!"
JW: "What makes you smarter than god's chosen anointed Organization?"
Me: "Oh, I dunno. I've got a broken watch that's right more often than they've been. Jesus had to shave when you and I joined up and now he gets to wear a beard. Who whispered THAT wisdom in their ear?"
JW: "Only Jehovah's Witnesses actually change what they believe when they discover they are wrong!"
Me: "Well, they've had plenty of practice at it--haven't they! Admitting you're wrong when you've shit your pants in public isn't exactly going to win you a Nobel prize!"
JW: "How many other religions can claim they don't believe in hell, the soul, the Trinity, the cross....?"
Me: "Jehovah's Witnesses are in the "Don't Believe" business --that's not FAITH, that's ill-tempered cynicism! What exactly are you FOR? Charity? Women's shelters? Education? Oh-wait--excuse me...you are FOR the NOT partaking of the Lord's Evening meal! Let's go celebrate that one why don't we?"