A question about the missionary mind

by dgp 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  dgp

  On another thread (http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/203906/1/We-all-die-so-why-bother-with-Jehovah-if-the-worst-is-annihilation), Interested One posted that

  I was wondering what a JW could say to a person who doesn't care about "serving Jehovah." The person could ask, "so what if I don't serve Jehovah?" If I understand JW belief correctly, they will say, "then you'll cease to exist." The person can say, "so why bother?" I know the JW can present the positive motivation of paradise, but what if the person doesn't care about that? Is there any kind of negative motivation like, "you better serve Jehovah or else..." Or else what? You die & cease to exist? So? We all die. It seems like the JW would have nothing more to say except, "ok, have a nice day, and I won't see you in paradise," and the person can say, "ok, have a nice day, and I'm content just ceasing to exist." Is that it, or is there something else the JW can say to motivate the HH?

  However, a missionary won't simply say "OK, Have a nice day and I won't see you in paradise." A missionary's purpose in life is to get you to think otherwise. Would taking advantage of people's weak moments, such as the death of a relative, or taking advantage of people's little schooling, or people's inability to quote the Bible, or people's inability to articulate their speech or ideas in a more PLAUSIBLE (not truthful, mind you) way, qualify as a the right thing to do? The missionary mind says yes, it does. It is right to deceive people and take advantage of their weaknesses, their fear of death, to bring them into the fold.

  But, since the missionary spends so much time and has devoted his life to this effort, at what point do his mere objectives, his own wasted life, become the sole, or at the very least the major, driving force of his efforts?
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  Ding

  If you knew a person who was seriously threatening suicide, you wouldn't say, "Hey, it's your life, friend. If you want to end it, that's your business" and walk away.

  Most likely, you would view them as being in a desperate mental condition, and you would feel justified and motivated to do almost anything to keep them from destroying themselves.

  This is the attitude of a zealous JW who sees non-JWs as people throwing away everlasting life in paradise and choosing annihilation.

  I think it's impossible for human beings to maintain this level of fervor, especially when the vast majority of people shut the door in your face because they aren't interested in your message.

  The emotions of seeing so many people "commit suicide" this way would overwhelm you.

  So after awhile, you protect yourself and create an emotional detachment by saying, "All I can do is warn them; when they reject the message, their blood is on their own heads", and you kick the dust off your feet as you leave.

  For many, the fervor leaves altogether and they continue FS because that's what they believe "God's organization" is requiring of them.

  Many do it simply because that's what they are used to doing; it's what their life consists of; it's what defines them.

  Others come to the conclusion that the whole effort is a fruitless waste of time and either fake their hours or fade away and get on with their lives.
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  InterestedOne

  Wow, Ding, you're right. I didn't think of it that way. If you have in mind that a person is committing suicide, you will try by all means to stop them. I'm going to have to process that and re-evaluate how I interact with my JW friend. This whole thing can really mess with your head.
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  dgp

  Ding: So I get it, and I can share the feeling. If you think you're saving someone from hell, then lying to him and taking advantage of his weaknesses or inability to see through your actions is a valid thing to do.

  But the suicide metaphor does not quite seem right to me, however, because a missionary could still deliver his message, and try to do the convincing, without resorting to tricks. And I still wonder whether a conversion to, say, the Watchtower, not on the grounds of my believing it's true, but on the gounds that, wow, I'm so scared that I'll follow what this guy says, is not exactly a good thing.

  And the bottom of my question is, how many missionaries are really doing this because they feel they help others, as opposed to helping themselves. If there was no advantage to them other than the mere satisfaction of saving others, then it would be OK. If you feel that you'll earn points for doing it, then, sorry, you have a different motivation than saving me. You wouldn't prevent my suicide because I mattered.

  All in all, I get your point, Ding. Things are not black and white.
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  Broken Promises

  The witnesses are also told that they will be judged by God to be bloodguilty if they fail to warn the householder of Armageddon/Paradise etc (it's based on a scripture in the Old Testament but I can't remember where the scripture is).

  So you could say that the ultimate motivation is saving their own soul first, even if no one accepts or responds to their message.

  On top of this, a JW's "spirituality" is judged according to their amount of preaching work, so missionary work is seen as the epitome of being a JW (that or going into Bethel for a long time, or being a GB member, lol).
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  designs

  BP-

  Its a layered motivation. The missionary wants to save themself and gain a better position in the new system. Kind of like being teachers pet and getting moved to the front of the class.

  I've met missionaroes who genuinely like their lives and others who developed terrible health problems in a third world country and had to leave and others who are still missionaries by the financial support of family. The Society developed a real guilt trip about surviving Armageddon by Pioneering or some others work like Bethel service and missionary work. Its worked for many as a motivator but many burnout and have to come home and get a job. For those with health problems the Society does not support them after they leave even though the diseases they carry are the direct result of their assignment.
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  jgnat

  A Jehovah's Witness mother honestly told me that all she cared about was making sure her children made it. To be worn out in her thirties; what a tragedy! If the Witness world view were true, she has written off most of mankind. I think most Witnesses have written off mankind. The unanswered doors, the frequent rejection, all are signs in the JW mind that the great majority of mankind is apathetic, uncaring about their own salvation, only concerned about their worldly affairs. In other words, doomed.

  An alternate view may be that most people have worked out their own spirituality, many have their own churches to go to, and that they do not fear their future. Well. That would make the years of door-to-door effort pretty fruitless, don't you think?

  Then why continue in the door-to-door work? Because it is mandated for their own salvation! They must do it or die. There is also a twisted comfort believing one is part of a select few who WILL survive, who have made the great sacrifices and rejected the world. ha ha. See the silly people put up their pagan trees.

  Field service is not a joy for the majority of Witnesses; it is drudgery.

  Now, about missionaries in general. I think the motivations are sufficiently different for regular Christian missionaries. Our current pastor is just returned from years in Indonesia. I notice that he is deeply engaged in the community, breaking down the doors of the church from the inside out, if you know what I mean. He has talked about being outward focused, about engaging people at their point of need.