You would not believe how my JW friends responded to Flippers' comments (page 4)

wha happened?

ah yes. The Social club. The few JW's I speak with are so brain numb. It's easy to bring out a point in the WT and watch them squirm.

mouthy

NONE SO BLIND
AS THOSE WHO
CANNOT SEE!!!!

I haven't tried anything with the 6/15 WT yet. I wait until around WT study time, since most here don't ever read that far ahead anyway. I try to be very impersonal about highlighting Botchtower stupidity. I don't expect them to come up with an explanation. I just sorta point out what's right there... that some will admit that they noted too. I find it most effective with the locals to just state the obvious facts, raise a rhetorical question, and walk away. Sometimes, I raise questions as field service conversations, "What would you say if the householder asks...?"

I've already brought up, several times, the number of anointed, now ever increasing. When the stats are right there and they see it's almost 10% more than last year, and the past several years the number has been going up, you don't have to confront them with "why?". Often, they'll ask me "Why?" since I was the bethelite. And I'll say, "I dunno, but they've really opened the door for anybody who thinks they're anointed." Then, the conversation can go any direction with them and how much they already know and acknowledge. I don't get aggressive, just have the facts in order. Something just to make them stop and scratch their heads. I try to do hit-and-runs fairly often. Yeah, they seem to ignore the questions, but they have often brought the issues up later.

If somebody starts with some bizarre explanation, I like to use, "Have you got a scripture for that?" Rarely, if the situation calls for it, I'll get condescending with, "yeah, I was only in Bethel for over a decade, so I must be pretty stupid, right?"

B the X

AnnOMaly

When discussing (matter-of-factly like B the X) the upcoming FDS articles with my dad, I told him about the credibility gaps in the study for this weekend - like the part where the 'slave' (GB) is appointed over the 'slave' (rest of anointed) so maybe they're preparing the way for the GB being the 'slave' and the rest of the anointed just being 'non-slave domestics.' Quick as a flash he said that would be a return to Russell's day, when he alone was the 'faithful steward.' Good point, I said. Never thought of that.

He reiterated that 'they' were becoming more like the Catholic church (meaning centralized and authoritarian) and hardline. It niggles him. I confirmed it, adding that it's nothing new but ... (at this time, watch him mentally pull down the blinds in anticipation of what I'm going to say - it's in his eyes) ... there has always been hardline, power-posturing since early days - it's there in the literature. He half talks over me so I look him in the eyes and repeat it. At that point, a welcome distraction interrupts.

He has the questions. He has the beginnings of answers. I'm sure he senses where those answers will lead. But he can only go so far before the self-preservation mechanism trips and he restores his default settings.

I don't blame him. His life is more tightly locked into the JW community now than it was before. Too much to lose.

OUTLAW

Your going to drive those poor Jehovah`s Witness`s "Crazier than a Dog in a Hub Cap Factory"!!................LOL!!...OUTLAW

loosie

You are getting them to think...but thinking scares them.

ziddina

"BonaFide, if you get the chance, I wish you could ask these people why they think it's "critical" to simply mention what's in the literature and what the latest "new light" is. If you're helping them learn to think, help them to see that all you did was bring out what the WTS said IN ITS OWN LITERATURE and that THEY, not you, became upset by it. Why were they upset? Don't they trust the FDS? Don't they accept the New Light? Ask them why they are so defensive~is it a sign they aren't putting their trust in the GB?"

Good one, StAnn! Nice 'turning it back on them' with a twist!!

Moshe - "and had an actuary look into it in the early 80's. Starting with the figures given in the 1930's for the partakers and asumming a a very young average age of 35 for them, the actuary claculated that there should only be about 3500 partakers left alive by 1984- less than 1/2 of the numbers given in the yearbook. By 1994 it should have been no more than 1000 and the last one would have left the building by the year 2000..."

Wicked! Cool!

Good points, Winston Churchill; "WTS is taking advantage of that, and they have learned form their previous fisacos, so they start with an obscure QFR (that most won't even read), then they put in ambiguous words in a study article, kind of hidden..." "

Then comes a CO/DO at an assembly and presents that same information in a very sensationalistic way, twisting it to make it look like (a) we're closer to the end; and (b) FDS is soooooo wise, that everyone now 'understands' and applauds. If and when the 'new understanding' falls apart, WTS can always hide behind the fact that they never said there was a change."

and leavingWT; "Understanding new light is pointless to an active JW...... Why bother? It will simply change again."

TrevorScott, I think you're attributing waaay too much intelligence to the Governing Body.... But I loved your comment anyway!

OUTLAW - "crazier than a dog at a dinosaur dig!"

Loosie! Thinking is what those nasty, Satan-inspiredcollege graduates do!!

Zid

junk mail

Homerovah the Almighty

Its stories like this remind of the foolish arrogance of a typical JW.

They constantly maintain an air of superiority above other religious faiths, when their very own is wrought

full of inaccuracies, stupidity and of course commercialized formulated bullshit.

Spiritual stupidity void of intelligence

drew sagan

What it means to be a JW in 2009 is very differant than what it meant to be a JW years ago.

From what I have experienced it seems that contemporary JWs are more fixed on generalities (e.g., ideas about brotherhood, unity, non participation in armed services, and corrupt "doctrines" in other churches"). The systematic narrative which used to be a central feature of the religion has now become a side story so to speak. It is difficult to comprehend (or as JWs say "deep"). This mainly has to due with the fact that the theology was based more on specific peroids of time, peroids that have since passed. The replacement theology for this outdated model is confusing leading many JWs to focus on other reasons why it is "the truth".

What the JW are described as doing in this story pretty much is in line with my own personal experiences with JWs. From what I have found JWs tend to believe the outcomes of their faith (perception of worldwide brotherhoods, organized preaching, "truth" based doctrines) not only justify that they are in fact the true religion but in some ways also validate the exsistance of God. These get more attention than doctrines that link the organization to the bible directly.

lache

Bonafide,

I can't decide if that story was insane to the point of being awesome, or awesome to the point of being insane.

No matter, you did an outstanding job. I enjoyed the whole "i'm an innocent dub like you guys, I just want to talk about he new light" way of approaching the group.

Well done sir!!

-- lache

You would not believe how my JW friends responded to Flippers' comments