Interesting reference to "plugging the leaks" at headquarters. Any more info on that?
AuldSoul, this would be a great new topic. Think about it, please.
As for Johnny Chip's way of doing things, it can work. I'm an example of that. I was tactless, unloving, impatient, demanding, etc. in the way I got my husband out. He was raised in it BTW and I wasn't. He has told me how I hurt him when I turned his world upside down ... and then he says, "But nothing else would have worked!"
And he's right about that. He was too lazy to do any research on his own. Put it this way, he had NEVER read any of the magazines cover to cover in his whole life! NOT EVER! And he was an MS! I had to challenge him to prove 607 w/out the society's publications and then he realized he didn't even know about 607! It was just a religion for him. He didn't even really know how to explain any of the major doctrines, just that it was the "truth". And thus he was defending something he couldn't even explain. We argued many many hours for many many months. I was a bitch! And I guess bitch does work with some people.
I've been working on my husband's friend for years using the soft casual approach. Boy, it's like pulling teeth! He's finally beginning to doubt and question but it's NOT thanks to me. My husband has been in constant arguments with him over the religion and I really think that somehow some of the points my husband has made are what has stuck. Basically, my husband makes fun of things and his friend gets resentful. But then his friend has to go home and think about how my husband is right. He's all but stopped going to meetings.
The only thing I think I've accomplished is I HAVE managed to peak his curiosity because I always seem to know things before he does. Like I knew they were changing the blood doctrine in the KM and also that they were going to have to study the Revelation book yet again. The last time I talked to him about it he asked me, "How do you know these things?" I said, "I have my ways. I'll tell ya when you're ready." That's kind of insulting, like I'm saying he can't handle it. So it sets him up to prove he can handle it.
I've seen him a couple of times since then and none of us has brought it up. But I can tell he wants to. I'd rather wait for him to bring it up. You know, the suspense factor works too. Let him REALLY REALLY want to know. I have a feeling once he comes on here he wont be coming off any time soon.