If you could say just one thing to help free a JW...

by Mr Ben 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mr Ben

  Ok,
  I guess it's seven years or so since I left, and back then I knew exactly what I would say when members of my cong would come and see me about my absence. Strangely, no one, not one, came and talked about my sudden absence. I had actually planned a small speech that I could use when friends or the elders eventually came to see me. It never happened.

  But now, although - or probably because - I know so much about the lies, I think I would be stumped if I had a window of opportunity to speak about just one subject in order to help the hapless Witless. Time has taken its toll and I want a bit of help.

  So my question is this, if you had the opportunity suddenly to speak to a Dub – to help them out of the Borg – what would you say to them?
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  Homerovah the Almighty

  Satan writes all of the articles for Watchtower and Awake magazines
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  AudeSapere

  I had 'left' 13 years before I learned the truth about the 'truth'. I think the single most impactful thing for me was 607.

  -Aude.
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  JimmyPage

  Tell them "I've met a lot of Moonies in my area that need to hear the truth. So I read a great book by a former Moonie named Steve Hassan. In the book he lists several things that identify the Moonies as a cult." Then show them those identifying marks and hope some lights go on. "Wait a minute," says their brain, "Those sound like the same things I see in the Truth (TM). Loaded language, information control, shunning, etc. Let me read more of that book."

  Okay, maybe their responding to this is unlikely, but I was raised to give optimistic presentations like this for books in service.
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  Hope4Others

  I don't think its possible to just say one thing, it took years to embed the cult firmly and it will take time

  to de -program, it will be several 100 takes with work, books, articles, things in print. Seeing things in actual print helped me a lot.

  hope4others
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  Hortensia

  I don't think you can really say anything unless the person is already doubting somehow. But I think we should always tell the truth about why we don't believe, given the opportunity. Also, we need to let them know we are at least as happy as they are, and we are outside the org.
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  Mr Ben

  But if you had a chance to say just one thing - to plant a seed - what do you think would be most effective? If you wanted to make an impact, and you just had a minute or so, which topic or detail would you choose?

  Perhaps the lie in the introduction of the NWT about always translating JEHOVAH in the "Christian" scriptures (NT) the same way?

  Or ask why they were/are? not allowed to believe in chimpanzees?
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  Hortensia

  well, once I said to some JWs at the grocery store that I remember when they were saying millions now living will never die. I asked when that was going to happen. And another time I said back in the early seventies they told us that the preaching work was almost over. I asked what happened to that? Next time I'm going to try to remember to ask why they keep celebrating the memorial since Jesus said to do that until he returned, when according to them he returned in 1914.
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  Black Sheep

  I just tell them my story.

  I was in my late teens/early twenties during the 1975 debacle.

  They try to deny WT culpabilty, so I know how to quote WT literature of the era like they know how to quote a bible.

  I have never had a JW accuse me of lying or misleading, without me being able to quote a WT document to back me up.

  Not one JW who has promised that they will contact me about my doubts has ever done so.

  I don't know if any have left after talking to me, but I bet there has been a few sleepless nights.

  Cheers

  Chris
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  jaguarbass

  1976