I was waiting for the bus this morning (which didn't come until I decided to drive, THEN it showed up, naturally, after I already got on the road) when a JW approached the two people next to me, offering a tract. She showed them Psalm 83:18 first--same old, same old. But hey, at least I admire her courage in sharing the scriptures with people, even if that particular scripture is, apparently, more important than any message from the Christ that could possibly be shared with people. He came to bring attention to God's qualities more so than to say, Look! God's name is Jehovah! I mean, that's great, of course, but...that's not the good news of the kingdom Jesus told his followers to preach.
I'm going off on a tangent, and I can't help it. I'm reminded of when Paul gave his speech at the Areopagus, to the people of Athens who made a statue to an "Unknown God". Did he stand up and say, "Men of Athens, this Unknown God, his name is Jehovah! Says it right here, bet you didn't know that, huh?" No. He acknowledged that this "God" was in fact, not one who dwelt in handmade temples, but one who had furnished proof that he was real and was going to judge all mankind by means of Jesus, who God raised from the dead. That was the good news. Jesus was the heart of it, the conclusion and bottom line of Paul's message. This glorified the true God, Jehovah, of course. But the attention was drawn to Jesus and his pivotal role in having a relationship with God the Father (again, Paul referred to God as 'God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' repeatedly in his letters). I suddenly see just how different the JW approach is to the good news Paul preached.
So, I start freaking out because this is the first encounter I've had with a JW since the Borg came and assimilated my family and made my resistance futile. So she goes into her same presentation with me. "Do you know what God's name is?" She had her Bible already open to Psalm 83:18, so technically I could've just looked there. Or I could've said that I heard it in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, or maybe I just studied a lot of theology somewhere and happen to know that. But I told her the answer she was looking for, "Jehovah." "You're studying, aren't you?" she asked. "How did you know that?"
Comical, and yet sad, as I remember having such similar ignorance about what other religions teach. People who are serious about the Bible and Christianity know about the Divine Name. It's not Jehovah (TM). It's not owned by Jehovah's Witnesses.
My response to her was, "Well, it is in the Bible." Even though I bought a KJV in college and found the Name in there, even saw one in a dollar store and found it in there, clearly, no other religion or independent study could have told me about God's name, right?
She continued pressing me, although I gave no answer about my origins or true nature as an evil agent of Satan bent on destroying the faith of others. First she asked, "Do you know what God's Kingdom is?" "It's a government," I replied, all but verifying JW influence on my belief system.
She asked me, "What do you think is necessary for us to be a part of that Kingdom?" My response? My mind said, "Fear, guilt, shame!!" My mouth said, "To follow in Christ's footsteps. To live as he lived, to teach others the things he taught."
Her response? "What else?"
WHAT ELSE? How could there be more to Christianity than that?
She basically concluding by assuming I'd studied but hadn't gotten baptized and lecturing me accordingly. "What is preventing you from getting baptized?" she asked. "Nothing, really," I replied with a near smile.* She said she would pray for me and told me to have a good day.
*Note: Following Jesus' footsteps would include getting baptized! I thought that was implied. That was the first thing he did before starting his ministry! If I imitated him, by all logic I've got 2 more years before I need to get baptized anyway!
I suppose I could have warned her that she'd be praying for an evil apostate and all, but that would've spoiled the fun. I realized that there was little opportunity to get her to wake up in that scenario--I could've tried testing the waters with a reasonable question, but...didn't happen. Either way, I'm not even that sure I have the moral right to influence anyone in that way. Leaving was a decision I made on my own. I suppose...at the same time, if it weren't for the ministry of the team at 4Jehovah.org, I might not have made it this far. Still, we're talking about opening Pandora's Box for someone else, someone largely unwilling to have it opened.
It's a situation where the Prime Directive may be in order. Yet...I guess discussing scripture with a JW is a fool's errand. Perhaps Steve Hassan's approach in 'Releasing the Bonds' is better.
Now I understand why people cross the street when they see JWs. It's not that this woman per se did anything evil or offensive, but if I really had been studying and hesitant about baptism, this would not have been a particularly good way to rekindle my interest. Maybe just to make me feel guilty or afraid, at best. I don't know.
I just hope someday, every one of them will have the chance to examine their belief system as I have, candidly, with all the threats and fear put aside, with fair, honest questions and sincere, open-minded research to seek the answers. In all this time, it never occurred to me.
When I went out there, I was expecting people to alter the very fabric of their lives based on my flimsy presentation. I couldn't really imagine angels being involved with what I was doing. I just figured it was mostly the way to keep the heat off of me (ie. the Thought Police, my mom, etc.). It was just something I did until I got enough hours to put them on the slip without fear of shepherding calls--which rarely ever happened in my congregation anyway, at least for us. Odd, since shepherds should be interested in their sheep even when they're healthy and in good shape. At least, the fine shepherd is, I should say.
Well...guess I'm fortunate enough not to live in the territory of my wife's congregation. It still fills me with revulsion to know that they come to my home to study with her. It's a defilement. But I guess that's how they felt about me, isn't it?
I suppose I could have just gave a firm rejection. That would have made more sense. I would find it highly laughable if I were to get reinstated and the elders offered to 'study' with me afterwards. Who knows? Maybe by then there'll be reprints of the Bible Teach book, eh? Good day to you all.
-sd-7