by insearchoftruth 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
My wife is again studying with a jw sister, and earlier this week the sister was telling her about how wonderful it is to witness for Jehovah.
Well since I have known my wife, she has never spoken positively about the JWs to anyone. When can I expect her to be told that she should be sharing this with others. What is strange to me is she is extremely evasive about the studies, meetings and everything, not only to me but also to her friends.
Every person is different. Many swear they'll never go door to door - but they eventually do.
If your wife has spoken negatively about the witnesses to her friends then she'll have to get over her embarrassment before she lets them in on the latest news.
She may not be discussing it with you because you are going to try and reason her out of it or she may also be embarrassed and not want think about you looking down on her intelligence for studying, especially after the negative talk (not that you do look down on her - it's an irrational fear - everyone has irrational fears).
I would say that when she does start openly mentioning it and telling others - she's bought it hook line and sinker. You have until just before she starts telling others to get her out. First comes her internal decision of acceptance and then after an unknowable period of time comes her verbal affirmation of her internal decision.
Great analysis Listener.....I think you know her better than I!!
One other addition, I think she knows what her friends are going to tell her, because at least one of them has seen her do this twice before!
I think it happens around the time you start to give up holidays and various other "worldly" things that involves associatiating with people who are not in the religion.
I waited as long as I could, because I knew my family and friends would treat me cruelly and give me the third degree. I needed to be as knowledgeable about the bible as possible first.
For me, it was the first holiday I decided not to take part in; you really have to tell then.
When in London, where I was associating, say part time, with JWs, I mentioned to the people whom I was with in a pub, after a horse riding class, that I was frequenting JWs, thinking that we would engage in a conversation on the subject. The teacher stared at me and just said : I'd rather be a heavy drinker than a JW. I bate a prudent retreat...
She will probably be encouaged first toward incidental witnessing to friends and to family. In this way, she will not have to go from house-to-house for awhile until she is instructed by the Service Meetings. This is probably the most difficult aspect of preaching. Many Jehovah's Witnesses never did get use to this public form.
One of the first things she will be "warned" about is the reaction that other people will have when she tells them she is studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. It will be presented as "evidence" of how Jesus and the disciples forewarned how the message would be rejected by the majority. And when people react in this way, she may think that the Witnesses are right because they forewarned her. It becomes sort of a self-fulfilled prophecy. What is not told is the fact that people have a negative reaction to JWs because of their intolerance toward others and their insistance that only their religion is correct. There is quite a difference between the message that Jehovah's Witnesses spread today and the "good news" that early Chrisitans preached.
No wonder they stress studies so strongly in September and October. That way, the new study is going to have to deal with Christmas right away and have to tell people early. Giving them less of a transition between being worldly people and becoming witlesses.
At least if they start studying in January, they will not have to worry about the holidays for another 9 or 10 months. Which will give them plenty of time to look at other sources and decide not to join the cancer. And that would be bad for the Washtowel Slaveholdery.
Back in 1971 my mother was studying with JWs. At the same time her sister was studying with JWs. Neither knew the other was having a Bible study. It was only down the track when they were both contemplating getting baptised at the International District Convention that one of them plucked up the courage to tell the other; to great shock and relief.
I know of very few JWs that proudly tell non-JWs what religion they belong to.
