How do you reason with unreasonableness ?

by troubled mind 12 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  jam

  Conversation with older brother on the golf course yesterday.

  If our mother (died, not A JW) could hear your remarks about the

  Bible she would be very disappointed with you.

  Brother: you can not believe everything you read on the Net.

  Me; true, I do not believe all I read. But somethings it makes you

  think. For example did you know there are other Jesus (not by

  the same name) mention before Jesus was born, who perform

  the same miracles as the Jesus you know.

  Brother; where do you come up with this stuff.

  Me: Do you know whats written in that book?

  Brother: Yes, I know enough.

  Me; so you believe in the flood, six days of earth creation,

  man only 6000 yrs. old and A talking ass.

  Brother: talking ass, what book are you reading. Where

  do you come up with such crap.

  Me; A ass spoke in the Bible.

  Brother: that,s the most ridiculous thing you have ever said.

  What bible are you reading.

  Me: it,s in your Bible.

  Brother: show me.

  Me: Numbers22;28.. God opened the mouth of the ass.

  Brother: well that,s different.
• 

  jgnat

  Hey! I've got experience with this!

  A young psychiatrist promises to empty a mental ward. He will use reason alone to guide people past their delusions. His first patient thinks he is God. The psychiatrist asks the patient if God is mortal? Of course not. Can God bleed? No. The psychiatrist leans over and jabs the patient in the finger with a sterile needle. The patient stares at the spot of blood with amazement "Well, what do you know? God CAN bleed."

  How much time do you want to invest with this person? Most people are happiest remaining in their delusion. If you have an overwhelming desire to see her mentally free, you will need to take some time to understand her "natural" person, her interests and desires. Speak to that person. Forget the language of reason; use the language of love.

  I don't bother using reason with the unreasonable. There is some other trigger. Find out that trigger and work away at it.

  For my delusional son, I use dozens of strategies to bring him closer to reality. Most often, I tell him he is certainly not going to die that day. If he challenges how I must know, I tell him years of experience. The phantom voices threatening his imminent demise have failed every time. I use a buddhist strategy reminding him that they are "only thoughts" and he needn't pay attention to them. Then I tell him I love him and to have a good night.

  They say that stable relationships help a schizoprhenic be more stable themselves. Now, that study doesn't say much on how I keep my own sanity...
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  JAM, just another case to prove that MOST JWs really do NOT know the Bible. Many have never really read the Bible, cover to cover. They won't admit that. They figure that they've gone thru the Bible enough times in the TMS that surely they have read it at least once, helter skelter as it may be. Fact is, IF they read ANYTHING, they read WTS publications first.

  Try this: Ask them to explain the meaning of Zedekiah 3:24-27.

  Most will flip through the minor prophets over and over until it finally clicks.

  DOC