I posted this on Sunday but I think the demons got to it lol, so here it is again.
I should have known that on a beautiful Saturday morning that dubs we be crawling the neighborhood. We've been living in this neighborhood for about a year and a half and we are usually home on Saturdays. This was the first visit we?ve gotten from them. I?ve long since faded and my husband was never a dub. Needless to say I had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to one of them at the door. I was cleaning the kitchen when I heard the doorbell ring.
My husband got up to answer it. I hear ?hello beautiful day isnt it? We?re in your neighborhood this morning sharing some good news with our neighbors.? I hear my husband go ?uhhh hang on a second, Honey!!!!?
I walk to the door. There?s an older gentlemen who looks to be in his late fifties. He already has the mags in hand. There is young phillpino boy around 10 year?s old standing next to him in a hawiann shirt and slacks. He looks bored to death.
The older man starts his sermon over again. He introduces himself as John and then introduces the young boy. I look at the boy and say ?hey it?s a beautiful day outside! You should be out swimming!? He looks a little surprised and then grins sheepishly.
The older man chuckles a little nervously and then finishes with offering me the magazines. He then states that there are scriptures in the mags and blah blah, then ?are you a bible reader??
?Yeah I?ve read the bible but I don?t think it?s the inspired word of god.?
?Oh really??
?Yeah, I think we can use some of the things in it as a guide, like love your neighbor and stuff like that, and there are some good stories in there, but that?s about it.
?oh well let me share this brochure with you then, so he hands me the ?a book for all People? brochure.? He asks if im familiar with ?the work of Jehovah?s Witnesses?
I say oh yeah I?ve read a lot about you guys? My husband is standing there too, and I turn to him and say ? oh wait, actually I think there was a show on tv about you guys, wasn?t there honey hmm what show was that, do you remember??
My husband thinks for a minute. ?Hmmm I think it was dateline or 60 minutes or something like that.?
Yeah one of those, but it was about all the child abuse cases being reported in your church.
Silence
?One of the representatives of your church was saying that there had to be two witnesses to the abuse. That just shocked me, I mean, how can that be so? Would Jesus approve of a group of people that protect the perpertrator rather than the victim?
?Well we always investigate any accusations made throughly and if they are found to be true we would definitely report them to the authorities. The two witnesses? policy is just a guideline?
?I see, well there seemed to quite a few cases where that didn?t happen?
?uhm well you have to understand that sometimes the media portrays these things in a negative light, and uhm you know a reporter can pretty much make a story seem a certain way without it necessesarlily being true.?
?Ok, so you?re saying none of those cases are true??
?Well no, its just uhm we may not know the full story?
We always investigate any case throughly and what you also have to understand is that if the accusation is false and its been made public that this could really ruin the life of the person that has been accused.
?Hmm well shouldn?t the main concern be about the victim though??
?Well yes and like I said we investigate any accusation throughly?
Shouldn?t that be left up to the authorities?
Well see?.. (he repeats what he said earlier) and our policies are definitely bible-based and a lot of people don?t really understand are policies or put them in a negative light like they may not understand why we don?t take blood, but we can prove in that bible that?.
?Ahhh theres another one that I have questions about?
He shows me the scripture in Acts
So you would refuse a life saving medical treatment because of that?
He goes on talking about how you can get Aids and other diseases, blah blah
My husband says ?well that may have been the case 20 years ago but not now, besides any major surgery has its risks?
I say ?how do you know that scripture means blood transfusions specifically??
?well it doesn?t but, we take it to mean all blood which would mean blood transfusions?
He didn?t really answer my question but ok ( I was going to bring up blood fractions, but I thought perhaps I would give away too much)
I say ?I suppose you reserve the right to refuse any medical treatment for yourself, but what about your young child?? how can you make a decision like that for a little baby or a child when they may have a chance to survive??
Well we belive blood is sacred and represents life and it isnt respecting life to take blood
I look shocked
So you would die rather than take a blood transfusion which could save your life? That doesn?t seem like repecting life to me, in fact that seems like just the opposite.
Silence
?Well you have to understand that we research and examine the scriptures throughly and those that havent been taught bible truths may not fully understand why we take the postitions we do.?
?but if someone in your church decided to take a blood transfusion you would excommunicate them rather than respect their decision??
uhhm well (stammer stammer) sort of
?see that?s what I don?t understand, you reserve the right to refuse medical treatment, but why enforce that policy on members of the church?
He repeats what he said earlier about examining the scriptures and how people who become JW?s make a dedication and agree to certain principles.
?so then if they decide they one of those principles is wrong that?s curtains for them?
?Well it just means that they no longer choose to be one of Jehovah?s Witnesses?
But you don?t talk to them any longer?
I could tell he really didn?t want to talk about dissfellowshipping. He started to open the bible but then diverted the converstation by saying how it was really great to meet such friendly people, and how he would like to continue the discussion another time. I could see the car group waiting on the street. I took mags and then said, ok well next time you come back I?ll have a list of things I would like to talk about.
I hope I didn?t scare him away for good. LOL!
Until next time.
So guys what do think we should talk about next? The United Nations? The 144,000? How about Malwai?
-Doodle-V