So...
I was sitting on a train, across from me was a middle-aged man reading: "knowledge that leads to everlasting life"
It was in English which is not the native language here.
It was underlined so I figured he was either a foreign Jw or a study.
I was thinking of how I might be able to "help" his family and potential children if I could just say something...
If someone would have done that for my parents/grandparents, maybe things would have been much different. I would proudly never been born, but still. :P
Most people never get that, nobody gives them another point of view or says something that makes them think.
Unfortunately I am not comfortable talking to strangers like this and where I live, NOBODY talks to strangers like this.
The man bought som nuts on the train and offered me some. I saw the opertunity and took it :)
I asked about the book he was reading, he did not say much. He almost seemed a little reluctant to talk about it.
He said something about growing closer to God. He then asked me if I believed in God, I told him honestly that I don't know (agnostic).
Why not, was the next question. I said that the problem for me is that there are too many God's to choose from. If I am to belive in God, which one should I pick? The Muslim, Christian or some of the Hindu God's?
(My intent was not to argue against his believes, the thought of saying that since there is no proof for God's existence we can not conclude that he exists. But my focus was to warn this man, not discuss Gnostic Theism Vs Agnosticism)
He said that the only true God is the Christian God.
I asked him if he believes that Jesus is God. Of course he said and showed me the cross around his neck.
I told him that the reason I asked was because I recognized the book and I told him that "they" don't believe Jesus is God, they think he is an angel.
He told me that he was just curious about different views he also told me that we NEED someone to help us understand God's message...
I asked him which branch of Christianity he belonged to and he told me that it was all about Jesus and the Christian God and that the rest was irrelevant. He told me that him, me, everyone was God.
So I asked him if he meant that everyone was part of the body of christ or if he meant that everyone's collective essence was God.
I don't think he understood my point, so he changed the subject.
This is just my rough recollection of the conversation, we talked about a few other things but I don't remember it all.
It was a short conversation because I had to get off the train at the next station. I thanked him for the conversation and told him to be careful about "that" referring to the book.
I hope I might have messed with someone study :P
Unfortunately his confused beliefs are going to be picked apart by the Jws which will make him more prone to accept what they will be feeding him. Hopefully he will think twice because of my warning, or he will be even more curious, who knows...
I probably did a poor job of "helping" him, I can think of many things I should have done differently... But I am just happy that I actually said something :P
At least he got a warning which I think many (in hinecite) would have loved to get when they where in his situation.
Got me thinking about the saying: the only thing needed for evil "win" is for good men to do nothing.
I forget the exact wording.
It feels great to think that I might have done some good today, maybe he will start to question the information in the book and other publications. At least that is my hope :)