by Searchinggal 49 Replies latest jw friends
Here is my real dilemma, how do I stay her good friend without becoming a JW?
You can't. A full-bore dub's friendship is conditional on your being "sucked in." And, if you love your family, stop the Bible study immediately. She's attempting to impose the same mind control on you that she has fallen victim to herself. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to say "no."
Sorry to be so blunt, but that's how things work in dubland.
Gary nailed it. You're willing to be freinds but she will doubtless follow the JW teaching. It will tear her apart, but it's her choice. If you make the choice to remain freinds then its on her. You'll see if she really "loves" you. W.Once
Ask her indeed.
It will give you first hand insight on how manipulative JW's are and of what value your friendship truly is to her.
Wow, I thank you all for all of your kind replies, and so quickly. I just got off the phone with her and now she has her husband working on me too! I feel overwhelmed and amazed at how convincing they can be. They now are asking me for scriptures as to why they are wrong and I am correct. They asked me what things have bothered me the most, one of them I responded is that I don't feel that Michael the angel is Jesus. They said you can't just say that, you have to support what you say with scripture. So now I am on the hunt for scriptures to refute them, but I feel this sort of sick feeling in my stomach, as my friend says " You know in this system the devil is in power, so what do you think he is trying to get you to do? He is after you to have doubts and not trust what we are teaching you." It is now coming to a head as they are saying that I have to choose my path, the narrow or the wide. Quite distressing, I must say. I am on the hunt as I write this, as they are waiting for a response from me today.
Again, I thank you all for your help,
Searchinggal
why are you playing bible ping pong with them ? i'm not sure you owe then any explaination. I would stop the study NOW !!! if you are a religous person than they have an opening. i would say jwfacts.com would be the place to go. you are not a witness and you can bring up all sorts of interesting stuff if you want. they seem to have all the control at this point and thats not good. you have to explain? what bout them?
i would say you can keep the relationship if you STOP any conversation around religion. you can be just as stuborn as them.
" i really don't want to discuss this" or "you believe what you do and i respect that.. i just ask the same"
you won't convert them.. stop trying.. i read this and its true..
"people don't join cults.. their recruited" and thats whats happening now..
" You know in this system the devil is in power, so what do you think he is trying to get you to do? He is after you to have doubts and not trust what we are teaching you."
come on doubts ?? what a power play this is.. is this how friends act? forcing you to decide between them and the evil world..
the world is not evil.. come on !!! what a mess..
i hate this. please speak up..
Forget scripture tag...it won't work. JWs twist scriptures to fit their dogma as they please.
You're at a point where you're just going to have to say that you don't accept all the JW teachings and you're not interested in investigating it any further.
Oh, they'll probably act hurt that you don't want to be part of what they've embraced. They'll put the guilt trip on you. But remember, they chose to go down this path, not you. You're willing to be friends despite the difference in religios belief. If they can't accept you as you are, as you have always been, it's their loss.
Nothing you did, or are doing, justifies them to break off a friendship...but it's entirely possible that they will. Even if they accept your decicsion to not go any further with them on the JW thing, you'll notice over time that they'll see less and less of you.
It's tough...we know. Many of us have lost friends. Many have lost even more. Parents, siblings, even children have put this religion over their relationships with their own flesh and blood.
Good luck and hang tough
The doubts you are having is your intuition warning you that something is not right. Hold on to your doubts.
is there a way to be a close friend of a JW without being one?
I doubt that you can.. J W's are taught that they should avoid friendships with "worldlings" since "Bad associations spoil useful habits" the Bible says. If you reject what they call "The Truth" then you are a bad association.
If she is "full throttle " into it , then she has made a choice to limit her friendhips to her sisters in the faith . Her interest in you will be only as far as making a disciple
Sorry to say...
Blacksheep, your video is superb ! I loved it.
Hubert
