How to get someone out of the JW's

by Help123 11 Replies latest jw friends

  • Help123
    Help123

    Hello all,

    Im writing because I have two sister in-laws that are faithful JW . Any kind of talk becomes to involved in that. I guess from reading some of your comments. I was wondering how is it that you have been able to leave that religion.. I want to help them see that they are wrong but they get very offended when we talk about religion. Any suggestions would be helpful.. My bigest concern are my nephews and all the scandals revolving around the JW

    Thanks, and HELP!

    Edited by - help123 on 27 January 2003 18:55:41

  • Buster
    Buster

    Welcome. Stick around. I have a hunch you're gonna get a load of information.

  • Dogpatch
    Dogpatch

    There is a brief slide presentation up at:

    http://www.watchtowernews.org/howto/index.htm

    Randy Watters

    Net Soup!

    http://www.freeminds.org

  • Xander
    Xander

    If they get pissy whenever you talk about it, your options are limited.

    Your best bet would be to ask for a 'study' and you pick the subject matter for it - carefully. Their 'study' program is designed with carefully suggestion questions they will have the answer for (of course). Stick around here, browse around the web, for the sticky points you can break their answers down with.

    If they won't talk religion informally, that's your only option. And never present too much at once - the org brainwashes in certain defenses. One, obviously, you've already run into. The sudden dis-interest in talking religion when you argue a point. It feels like arguing with someone with their head stuck in the sand, doesn't it?

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere
    I want to help them see that they are wrong but they get very offended when we talk about religion

    I find it odd that most JWs are like that. Their main goal in life is to go from door to door preaching about the bible... but talking about religion gets their panties in a knot.

    They will talk to you... so long as you agree with them or they think they can get you to agree with them. Otherwise, they pull up and leave... "My way or the highway."

  • hooberus
    hooberus

    Help, it is important to realize that the Witness is trained to place his/her faith in the Watchtower Organization as much as in God. Therefore before you "attack" the WT Organization it is often necessary to separate the Witness faith in God from their faith in the Organization. A fully indoctrinated witness cannot separate their faith in God from their faith in "God's Organization." The below WT arcticle can help you do this.

    The January 15, 1970 Watchtower p. 37-40 contains arcticle titled:

    "Which Comes First- Your Church or God?"

    "The "first man" represents the believers who remain faithful to their church out of loyalty to the religion they were brought to believe in. Thier attitude is: Right or wrong, it is my religion! Is that the way you feel? If so, you are certainly a loyal person. But to whom do you owe the greater loyalty-to your church, or to God? With so much disbelief rife throughout the earth, you are to be commended for maintaining your faith, but where should your faith be placed-in a religious organization, or in God?" p.37

    "The "second man" mentioned in the Nouvel Observateur represents those Catholics and Protestants who stay with their church because they do not know where else to go. They havebeen taught that their church represents God, and they do not want to turn away from him. They disapprove of many church practices or doctrines, but they hope to reform their church from within. Typical of these are the 744 French Catholics who, in November 1968, sent a long open letter to the pope. In it they stated: "Today the Christian needs to live in a 'true' Church . . . Therefore all that is false, contrary to the Gospel and scandalous within the Church today wounds the Christian." Then followed a long list of grievances against the Catholic Church and it current teachings and practices. Yet, toward the end, these catholics expressed their unconditional adherence to their church by alluding to John 6:68 and stating: "Who could we go to? In her [the Roman Catholic Church] we find the One who has words of eternal life." p.39

    I beileve that this Watchtower arcticle can with a few simple questions be used effectively to separate the witnesses "Loyalty to God" from "Loyalty to the Organization". The Issue of faith in a religious organization being separte from faith in God is addressed nicely. Also issues of "where else to go" and the misappication of John 6:68 from Christ to a "church" or "organization" can be very effectively brought up using this arcticle.

    In an earlier post the follwing was given by a former witness as some of the reasons for staying in the Watchtower Organization.

    "Obstacles/hinderances: Loyalty. Thinking that there was no where else to go. Fear of the unknown. Believing God and the Watchtower were inseperable. Believing we would lose Gods protective barrier and bring death on our family (Like Job) if we left."

    I believe that the above article can be used effectively and non-offensively to deal with these common issues.

  • hooberus
    hooberus

    The freeminds website referred to earlier also contains an excellent arcticle called "opening the closed mind" it can be accessed by clicking on the "Psychology" subheading of the freeminds site.

  • Help123
    Help123

    Thank you so much... WOW I can't believe all I have seen in just this little time..

    I really like the website with the short presentation.. I will have to view it more at home because im being denied access to it here at work..

    Thank you all for your help I will continue to read all your wonderful replies ( they really do help) I was to the point where I wasn't sure if this religion wasn't all that bad just because they are so protective over it.

    It's to the point were one of them has her 7 year old carrying one of those No blood card around her neck just in case....

    Thanks, Again

  • Adonai438
    Adonai438

    HI there!

    I don't get on this site as much as I'd like but I ran across your post.

    I am sorry to hear about your family members-- If you'd like to talk about more specifics or have specific questions you can email me anytime-- [email protected]

    I left the WT on my own at 15 years old- I am now 23- after reading the bible for myself. It was shocking the differences. After leaving I did and still do - tons of research into everything. Their scandals are horrific and the biblical dishonesty is maddening. I am now a christian and am very experienced in witnessing to the JWs and other cults- I have spoken in person to hundreds and online to hundreds more. A few have left but many are very stuborn- I pray that the doubt grows until its to big to ignore for them.

    Life is wonderful out of the WT but they don't know that- they have been brainwashed with fear and refuse to think for themselves in fear that it would be wrong. The anger they display towards you and religion is out of that fear and out of their hatred for everyone but them--

    Stick around here and email me if you'd like

    You'll learn ALOT and get lots of support.

    Love, <><Angie

  • truthseeker1
    truthseeker1

    The main thing is they have to want to leave, or see something themselves. JWs have the auto shutoff switch when they hear anything negative, and if you try to trick them into listening to negative things, thats evil(according to them) on you. One main thing is when you let them know a false teaching, replace it with something that they could believe. Try to build them up rather than tear their worlds apart. They are living in a big lie, and all will become apparent to them eventually.

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