That was the first thing out of my mouth to the two women witnesses who came by yesterday to talk to me, their Return Visit™. I had wanted to talk to them since last Saturday, one of the women came by with a fellow and offered me the magazines. She asked, "Do you think the world will ever be filled with peace?" I immediately replied, "No." It didn't phase her one bit; she went on to say something that Jehovah was going to do about it, which immediately turned my attention span off. This told me she was either born into the witnesses, a die hard dub, or both (which was my opinion). She asked if she could come back and talk to me about this, and I told her, "Sure." I was busy that morning but did want to speak to her. That was after all, what they wanted from me as well.
I kindly explained to her that (and I'll try to remember word for word, here): "The WTS destroys families, and one of the ways this is done is by shunning. I don't understand how you people can come knocking on people's doors knowing this and not telling anyone. When someone doesn't agree with what the WTS teaches, they are shunned, and it's not right. It is simply NOT right!"
Then Sister Ms. C began to say that what I'm talking about "is the practice of disfellowshipping. Disfellowshipping is done out of love, and protects the congregation. Everyone has their rules for the household, right? Jehovah has rules on how to worship him, and people sometimes want to worship him the way they want to rather than the way he wants us to. He is our creator and the creator of the universe. If people don't want to do that, even if it is our loved ones, than they are not loving Jehovah. Look, I have a brother of mine who is disfellowshipped, and I still talk to him."
She continued on stating the religions he's then gone and joined--Muslim, Baptist and now Pentecostal. I said, "Yes, he's been searching." Statement ignored. She said, "He knows it's not the truth but he goes there due to the singing. But, I still talk to him....if there's something that has to do with the family and legal matters, we speak.
It's like drugs {yes, she likened this $hit to drugs}, would you allow someone to live with you if they're selling drugs?!"
I said, "No. With that comes guns and violence, etc. But drugs are also illegal! Drugs are dangerous. People can be KILLED when dealing with that environment. Disagreeing with what men teach is not worthy of being ignored and family choosing to no longer be involved in people's lives, here!"Sister Ms. K said, "Lonelysheep, members are not disfellowshipped without warning. It is a process. They are given a fair notice before being disfellowshittedupon disfellowshipped." By then, the NWT was open and she proceeded to say that "blah blah blah chapter says this..." I told her, "Yes, and the bible also says plenty of other things in there that we ought not do in this society."
Ms. K then said, "Do you believe the bible is the inspired word of god?"
"No, I said."
"Do you believe in god?"
"No."
"Okay."
Back to the subject at hand, shunning. I told them, "My stepmother doesn't talk to me anymore and stopped doing so when she realized I wouldn't be going back to meetings. I have friends whose parents don't talk to them, and whose children will not speak to them." Shunning is wrong and destroys families!" That is NOT love. Few other religions practice this, but you are the ones who knock on doors without explaining this. [I didn't know about this when I started studying.]
Ms. K. said, "Lonelysheep, we are here out of love. We get up early in the morning and come out in the cold because it is for love of Jehovah and people on this earth."
I replied, "Yes, I believe you." She was sincere, and I felt it worthless to get into the reasons with them as to why people seek rewards from religion.
I said, "Doesn't it make you feel any type of way that people come back to the KH for their families and friends?"
They both abruptly said, "Oh no, Lonelysheep, people don't come back for their families. They do it for themselves. They want to make a change for their own lives and serve Jehovah once again."
Then, and this is what did me in, Ms. C said that (1) circumstances change in life, and you may change your mind in the future. Ms.K said, "I have a book that explains what the bible says compared to facts of how we got here, and I think you'd be surprised by what it says. I'd like to bring that by in the future. (2) Sorry that I can't remember the name of it right now."
"Sure, I said. Nothing wrong with knowledge." By then, she knew that if I had to pick something, a theory on how we got here, that it is evolution. I also told her no one knows everything, but I will certainly look to science before religion. I'm done with religion (by that, meaning regardless if I believed in the supernatural or not).
They both thanked me for allowing them inside (it is now cold in NJ).
(1) My life circumstances changed, and that is when I started studying with the jw's. "How pathetic," I thought. Duping people when they are desperate is so pathetic.
(2) Does anyone know what book she could be referring to? Since she forgot the name of the book (there are tons they print from the factory, huh?), I told her she was welcome to bring it to me. I didn't know if it was something I had ever had or not. All of my publications and bible were thrown out when I moved.
Afterward, I felt very aggitated. There are definate points that were made through their speech, and that is: WTS/JW's=Jehovah and Not Argreeing with WTS=Not agreeing/LOVING Jehovah. You know, we realize this conclusion after our minds see the borg for what it is, but seeing it now, objectively even, made me realize just how far gone their thinking is.