How do you deal with JW relatives who say; "Can I just ask you one thing?"
Seems obvious that you'd willingly answer their question right? I mean, it's good that they're asking questions, maybe they're waking up and it might start them on their journey out of the WT.
But.
I've got one real hardcore JW sibling. Although my last field service report was submitted eleven years ago and I haven't attended meetings in almost as long she still felt she needed to contact the local elders to report things I'd said to her a couple of years ago. To cut a long story short, I avoided being disfellowshipped but had to face the elders again following my sisters contact.
Then I meet up with all my JW family; my sisters, their husbands, my brother and my Mum. My lovely, long-suffering wife came with me. It was awful, I was on trial by my own family. There were tears, raised voices, phone calls to elders, the whole lot. That was over two years ago but relationships are slowly healing. I only went through all that because I love my family and don't want to lose them but I will never put myself or my wife through that again. So that's where I am - not disfellowshipped.
So, back to my original question. How should I react if one of my family say; "Can I just ask you one thing"? Do I have freedom of speech or don't I? Surely it just cannot be switched on and off like a light switch? I resent the implication that conversation with me is constantly on someone else's inconsistent terms.
I want to talk freely, openly, honestly and calmly with my JW family who I love so much but NOT on this unfair and unequal basis.
Perhaps I'm overthinking the issue but it really is pissing me off.