Is this more dub-speak?

by Amha·’aret 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  Amha·’aret

  I've only got one sibling and she's a dub. She has given me the "where else can I go?" line a few times but recently there was a slightly different slant to it. She said to me that if I find something better than the dubs then to let her know but for the moment she thinks the jws are the best of a bad lot. I'm a completely non-religous person now and agnostic bordering on atheist and I know that she finds that a frightening position. She'd not like that lack of faith/belief to happen to her so she's sticking with what she knows is a very flawed religion in lieu of having nothing.

  Now what I want to know is, is that more dub-speak? Is her asking me to keep an eye out for an alternative religion just her way of faking open-mindedness or is she looking for an out? I'm not sure. She misses a good few meetings when she wants to, likes a night out and a drink and doesn't really let jw stuff get in the way of her life but occasionally she does get in to the religion a bit more enthusiastically and can be defensive at times when we talk about that subject.

  Any one got any experinces along this line?

  Any religious people out there who can recommend a religion?!?

  Am
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  sir82

  It's just more dub-speak. I've heard it numerous times from numerous people.

  Any alternative you would put out there would be shot down because it would be in disagreement with JW doctrine.
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  cameo-d

  I don't see how anyone can find "the truth" when they simply exchange one religion for another.

  Maybe just ask her a few pointed Biblical questions (nothing dealing with JW doctrine argument...just unanserwable questions) that will cause her to have to think.

  She needs to find her own way.

  It starts with critical thinking.
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  cawshun

  I would tell her that she is being very lazy, she want's you to find something better? Well, I would respond with: " That's your problem, you want someone esle to do the research for you." Tell her she is taking the easy way, let the WT do all the searching so she doesn't have to. Their are so many interpertations of bible scripture and she just takes for granted they have it right. All thats left is to research the history and see if all they have taught over the last 100 years still holds today. As they say, the truth does not change.
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  hubert

  I love Cawshuns's advice. Go for it.

  Hubert
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  Tuesday

  Tell them about Christadelphians, Dawn Bible Students, etc. Let her know there are 33,380 different denominations of JUST Christianity. Ask how many she has ACTUALLY done research on.
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  Quirky1

  It sounds like she is wanting to be argumentative and given the chance to defend her religion.
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  Amha·’aret

  No, she's not really been argumentative at all. I think its more about trying to blow me off and shut the conversation down because she knows how its likely to go. She's the kind of person that likes to remain in denial and I suppose she can't plead ignorance to the facts if she's heard them from me.

  I like Cawshun's idea and think that's right on the money!
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  Spook

  I think some of the on-the-fence types can be harder than die hards to turn. If they are making less sacrifices, then the basic practical reasons are gone. You can't say "If it is false, you are wasting your time" if they are not actually spending much time.

  I think the emotion of outrage to me served as a reason to leave (I walked away, was not DF'd) rather than stay and not really believe. In a sense, I wanted it known and on record before all my family and friends that I think Jehovah's Witnesses do not posess truths about the world.

  I debated an elder once over a period of two years into a sort of agnostic theism blend. But he is in his late 60's, married and not about to start a new life.

  Some of the issues like blood may be good. Long before I left, I tore up my blood card. Little stances like that build momentum. If she isn't sure enough to risk her life over it, then I'd say begin there and build on it.
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  Amha·’aret

  Good points Spook.

  But it also brings me to what's scary about that religion/cult. She's not nearly as into the dubs as I was yet when I tried to show her something about the blood issue, she almost literally closed her eyes and stuck her fingers in her ears! It was quite sad and shocking to see that reaction out of my own sister. But maybe if I try a slowly slowly approach and, like you suggest, tackle the life-and-death issues first then perhaps I can manage to share a little information with her.

  Am