AT least in the Spanish circuit, demon or paranormal stories were not foreign to assemblies. The slowly started to banish, as I guess the internet not only exposed them but also the fact that many of these stories were presented as original to JWs when in reality, they were taken from other religions.
Stories I heard at assemblies, presented from the platform..
- A man who claims was into black magic, after converting to JW, he decided to burn his magic books but the fire would not damage them. Only after he prayed and mentioned the name of Jehovah did the book began to burn down
- A man who claims he was preaching with a friend when he stopped by a house where no one dared to stop. He claims most JWs were wary of this house as they said a weird man covered in tattoos lived there and was known to do bad, mysterious things. The two JWs approached the house and knocked. The man came out and chatted with them. The story goes that the "bad man" confessed that he was constantly beaten and harmed by demons (he apparently show them his injuries) and that he would normally not open the door because the demons tell him they will hurt anyone who enters the house. The man told the JWs he decided to open the door in this case because he could see they were not alone. When the JWs told them it was just them two, the "bad man" told them they were not alone, that he could see two angels walking right along with them. (this story was supposedly to be proof that the angels do accompany JWs in their preaching and it quickly became an urban legend among JWs in the South Texas area)
There is also a story from a family we knew pretty well and well known by most of our friends in the congregation. This is certainly not the first time I hear a story from what I feel is a reliable source but just to make it clear, none of these has ever happened to me. I also know there are several "paranormal" events that can be explained away but at the same time I also feel that sometimes we throw everything under the same label. Like every UFO is a consequence of swamp gas, not matter how many more details there are to the story that does not line up to swamp gas. I do not dare to prove or deny anything, I simply prefer to stand in the "that is weird and I do not know how to explain it field until one day someone can".
On with the story.. A family of 5 JWs, leaving in a nearby town. One of his children was the quite type.. too quite actually. Although he was 8 year old, he hardly talked and no one knew why. The school had already referred the parents to have him checked for autism and the like. Also because on top of everything, he seemed to have a fascination with drawing this ugly monsters. One his smaller siblings, as he was getting to an age he could articulate and communicate better, started telling his mom that the chickens they had in the backyard would laugh at him and mock him. The mother thought the kid was saying those darned things that kids always say. This was until some time later when their sister, who was 12, said that she had also heard the chicken talk and laugh and that she had not said anything because she thought it was just her and that no one in the family was going to believe her. FInally, one day, the quite kid, confessed to his brother the monster he was drawing were the monsters that visited him in his room at night. The family was shocked at all of this so the father got everyone together so they could all tell whatever they knew. The oldest of them all, a 17 year old girl, was the only one, asides from the parents, who had not seen or heard anything. The father started blaming her for the kind of music she listened to (typical JW reaction) so she started saying that they kids were making it all up as they were children for the most part and that she was not afraid of anything. The story goes that the monster finally appeared to the fearless 17 year old and started beating her, challenging her by saying "Go on, say the name of your God and see if you can even open your mouth".
This was, supposedly, what finally prompted the father to talk to the elders. The father decided to move his family out of the house that same day and went to live with a relative. To this day no one can say that this family has ever shown any signs of drug abuse, drinking or anything you would imagine. Active imaginations do happen. It just tickles me that there can be so many in one house and some with the same story to tell. Either way, who knows... This is weird and I don't know how to explain it. All I know is that this family has a reputation which does not include making things up.
