Remember that old movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood with Erroll Flynn?
There is a scene where Robin wants to cross a creek by walking across a log used as a bridge. Friar Tuck is determined to stop him.
The are both standing on the log over the creek opposing each other with not-all-too-friendly banter.
Somebody is going to end up in the water!
This is your position right now. You are out on that narrow log trying to maintain your balance and forward motion and you are blocked by the Jehovah's Witness version of Friar Tuck!
Here are 7 things to consider:
1.Never let any JW frame YOUR POINT OF VIEW. Immediately REframe any negative they try to impose on you. Do it with an assured, friendly tone as though they are a child and you are their loving dad.
Example: "You've become prideful in leaning on your own understanding."
You: "I can see how that might be easy to assume. But, that's not really it. I take my dedication vow seriously. I'm confident that any questions I have are more like what the Boreans were doing when they were "examining the scriptures daily TO SEE IF these things were so."
2.Don't allow your discussions to be about LOYALTY to the men of the Governing Body! That is a trick wedge issue.
Example: "Are you saying the Governing Body is not properly doing its job and that we should doubt them, brother?"
You: "I'm confident the Governing Body really means everything it says. They've told us many times they are not prophets or inspired and that they have made mistakes in the past. I believe they tell us that for a reason: so that we don't end up Loyal to Men RATHER than God."
3.Smile when you are confronted and don't look haunted by doubt. Convert negatives into positives. Tell them you are counting on their love and support. Remind them we are not to judge one another and cannot see into the motives of a person's heart.
You: "We both know that even Christ Jesus was deeply troubled in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even to the point of begging and pleading to get out of his sacrificial death. That wasn't doubt, that was humanity struggling inside him. We wouldn't accuse Jesus of "trying to take the easy way out or leaning on his intellect" because he wasn't. And I'm not either. We ALL struggle with things that DON'T MAKE SENSE.
4.Don't allow an Us vs Them dynamic. Always "INCLUDE" your interrogator with language such as "Us" "We" "All of us". Cite examples of faithful bible characters who confronted their own Leaders such as David and Saul, Jesus and Pharisees, Peter and Paul.
You: "You and I know that when the brothers in Jerusalem called Paul to justify his strange teachings about circumcision for Gentiles- they thought of themselves as THE Governing Body, right? But, Paul wasn't punished or disfellowshipped or warned not to get ahead of the Jerusalem understanding, was he? The Focus wasn't on LOYALTY to men-in-charge or who had Authority over who. The focus remained on RIGHT TEACHING."
5.Never answer a scripture quote WITH A COUNTER-scripture quote. That is a fight you cannot win! Lovinging thank them for sharing their point of view. STAY ON MESSAGE. Obedience is to Jehovah, loyalty is a side issue that is earned by right teaching.
You: "I love that scripture you just read! Thank you. I appreciate your loving concern in sharing that with me. We are all imperfect men struggling to do what is right. Jehovah knows even the best of men make mistakes and no-one is above correction. Look at Saul--Jehovah's anointed! David had to balance between respecting his anointing and avoiding getting sucked in to Saul's crazy-side!" We all face problems like that, don't we?"
6.When you are ganged up on employ verbal Judo and use their superior authority to unbalance them by proper use of LEVERAGE. Leverage
allows a weaker force to dominate a greater force. It is entirely a matter of where the POINT of the FULCRUM is placed! Stay on point!
You: "We all agree on the number one priority of every honest christian on earth. What comes before everything else? LOVE JEHOVAH and then, EACH OTHER. What we do and say and believe must come from LOVE and not loyalty to men."
or
"I know Jesus tried to be loving when the leaders of his own religious body tried to counsel him. They were just trying to be faithful in their own way and had a huge responsibility. But, they were fumbling with so many rules, duties, burdens placed on the rank and file! Mathhew 11:30 shows how gentle Jesus' contrast was: My yoke is easy and my burden is light". We are here to UNBURDEN our brothers and sisters and not to work them to death. I appreciate the LOVE. Thank you."
or
"We all agree we don't go astray when we use Jesus as our model of behavior. Jesus was a rabbi in Judaism who had to love and respect the leadership. Jesus had tremendous zeal for Truth and only human patience for the questions and confrontations of the Pharisees constantly trying to catch him out and trip him up. When we ask each other probing questions it is hard to be Jesus and not the Pharisees, isn't it?"
7.Authority is power. Elders rely on their power more than their brotherly love. Power comes easier than love. They have to CARE about you to love you. Remind them how much they love you! Compare them to Jesus in being willing to "leave the 99 and go out to carry back the stray 1 in his arms." Why? Elders get up in everybody's face about LOYALTY to the GB and forget the "little ones". Instead of nurturing, gentle, kind, mild support they more easily become traffic cops handing out tickets to speeders. Remind them how we strengthen EACH OTHER. We are all "in this together".
Otherwise, they squeeze you like a pimple until you pop!
Always frame your position in terms of Jesus vs the Establishment who probably seemed like a troublemaker rather than an honest critic who loved them.