Dear witness of jehovah,
I understand that you are under the direction of a group of men who are called (at their urging) the "faithful and discreet slave". I have a few observations and a question if I may.
For many years I have noticed you. On days blistering hot, heat bouncing off the pavement, I see you in a three peice suit looking very business-like and professional. I also notice the sweat pouring down your brow. I notice that suffering look of misery, that you try so desperatly to hide behind a smile. I notice that you carry a briefcase as you walk from door to door tugging at your collar.
I see you too Ma'am. Your friend stays behind in the car while you trudge through the fallen snow, your cheeks and nose red from the cold. I hear your children pouting in the car. I see you have brought your oversized book bag again. I notice you have no hat despite the blustery weather. I assume that it is important that I see your well coifed hairstyle?
I notice your families gathering at "kingdom halls" three time a week. I often wonder how you do it. How you can bathe, dress, and ready your children and yourselves so many times a week. I wonder if you tire at the pace. I wonder where you find time to just be a family together. I wonder if you have time to sit and enjoy a meal together.
I notice that occaisional newspaper articles mention that jehovahs witnesses are very devoted to "bible-based principals". I assume you have bibles in those briefcases and bookbags because the articles always mention how you only want to share the "word of god" with people. I ponder to myself why people at the doors you knock on seldom accept a free bible, and why I never see you offer one to the resident. I do see you handling small magazine type literature, and I see you visit doctors offices, hospitals, and laundrymats to leave them on tables and benches.
I wonder how much control the "faithful and discreet slave" holds over you. How much time in your life is devoted to the bible and how much is devoted to magazines, and tracts is something only you can answer.
I know that the leaders of your organization enjoy a seemingly good lifestyle in NYC. I read a newspaper report recently that told of a minor jet plane accident while shuttling some of those leaders to an Alaskan fishing expidition. Since the watchtower corporation owns that jet, I wonder if you get to use it to take your family on vacation once in a while. I always see you working so hard for the corporation, so I hope so.
I wonder what you do in your "kingdom halls" three times a week. You have been attending those meetings for most of your life, so I assume you must have read your bible from front to back many times over. Your bible knowledge must be immense after all that time in deep bible study.
I have heard that jehovahs witnesses are very family orientated, and that makes me wonder why I saw you the other day, driving past your eldest daughter with your face set straight ahead. I know you saw her, so I wonder why a parent would ignore their own flesh and blood.
Mostly, I notice that jehovahs witnesses seem to all behave in a certain way. You all dress alike, and speak with the same terms. Words like : system of things, wicked, apostate, disfellowshipped, reproof, judicial committee, district convention, literature placement, pioneer, governing body, bethel. And terms such as " Babylon the great", christendom, demonic control, theocratic warfare, and "turning your time in". I have looked in your own bibles and I cannot find most of these terms. I know they must be, because you speak of these things all the time, and spend all those days and nights in meetings studying the bible.
Obviously I am using some sarcasm here, but also trying to convey to you what we "worldly" people are thinking when you come to our doors unprepared to discuss the bible. It is our experience that you want to talk about watchtower literature, not the bible. I hope that you will consider for a moment how much time you really spend in "gods word", and how much time you spend learning to "place" literature. I hope that you will take note of what you are sacrificing your time for. The next time you dress in your three peice suit in 90 degree weather and head for the households, ask yourself what is in that briefcase. And who it is that you are really serving.
And now for my question. If the presses of the watchtower stopped tomorrow, would your life and faith change? Without those magazines, would you feel comfortable in using only the bible for comfort and for teaching?