Did any of you ever try to "un-do" a potential conversion?

whyizit

I can see from this forum that many JWs took quite awhile to decide that the WTS was not the "truth" after all. Some stayed in, even after making that decision, for various reasons. Did any of you ever come to the conclusion that some of the things you were teaching to others were not Biblical, and then try to dissuade prospective converts to discontinue their study? Expalining why? Did any one heed the advice?

I would love to hear details, if anyone has had this experience, or is perhaps going through it now.

I think I would have a hard time teaching others a religious belief that I myself was questioning. How would you get around that?

Mulan

When I realized it was all a lie, I had a BS with a young mother who had been df'd and recently reinstated. Her husband was an "unbeliever".

I don't remember exactly how I handled it, but I just couldn't continue the study and we continually rescheduled. Their marriage broke up and she moved away. I saw her a few years later at the dentist's office and told her I was inactive. She said "good, so am I". We laughed.

Beachbender

no unfortunately but strange thing this weekend out of the blue, my older brother who has been what I like to call a "side-line JW" for over 35 years and was part of the family that continued for many of those shunning me because I am DF. Some how found me through my AOL- IM name??! Nice conversation letting me know that he was DF recently due to a divorce and a new marriage to a non-JW!

NOW he has suffered the beginning rath of our *believing* step-mom who has a nasty habit of writing all of us siblings to tell us that we are "going to hell"??? and what bad people we are now that our (all of us) *unbelieving * mates seduced us away from the religion??!!

fullofdoubtnow

I was conducting a study with a young lady when I first realised that wts teachings were false. She had been studying for 3 months, and was just considering whether to attend the meetings. When I curtailed the study and told her I was leaving the religion, but would find her someone else to study with if she wanted that,she declined and decided to do some independent research of her own. Last time I saw her, around 3 months ago, she told me the jws had called a few times to try and reactivate the study, but she had refused, and was no longer interested in jwism. I was very relieved to hear that, as I was the one who had planted the seed, and happily it hadn't germinated.

Gregor

I think I would have a hard time teaching others a religious belief that I myself was questioning. How would you get around that?

Wow, Whyizit has asked the big loaded question that comes to my mind quite often, especially when I'm reading posts of active elders. One in paricular seems to only be interested in discussing left wing political positions and rarely if ever addresses the WTS subject. How does one deal with this internally?

done4good

I never had to "un-do" anything by means of a study or the like, but I will say that most of the trouble I had speaking to people in the ministry came from doubts about many things to begin with. It just took YEARS to realize it.

j

twain30

Very good post. I usually find myself conducting at least one Bible study. In a way that isn't self-incriminating, I will show the student tidbits from old Awakes, The original copy of The Finished Mystery, printed statements about dates, etc. Or I'll present a perplexing question about the witnesses to them; after going back and forth for awhile, we'll arrive at the conclusion that we'll just have to leave it in Jehovah's hands.

One of my favorite things is to quickly trivialize and gloss over complete garbaqe and concentrate on one or two things that they can use. The message is, believe in the Bible and its clear promises but don't worry about nonsense like reaching out for a position or fretting over what the Christian Cong. says or doesn't say. Its amazing how well they catch on. Those baptized are a new breed.