BP - I've just come off spending almost a year as an "interested one" studying with a perfect example of a modern-day JW, complete with iphone, computer, etc. When I would ask him questions, he would give me either printouts or email me .pdf's he had created. All of the text in the printouts and .pdf's was stuff he had pulled from the CD-ROM (often excerpts from "Reasoning from the Scriptures" or "Insight on the Scriptures") and compiled to respond to my question. He was not doing outside research.
This fooled me at first, and I thought we were having a dialogue. So, I would send him things I had found, like what you are considering doing. This was a mistake but also very revealing. It was a mistake because it started to cause a rift in our communication because he interpreted my reading and sending him critical information as an indication that maybe I wasn't really "interested." It caused him to shift the focus from the actual topic over to my motives. The fact that he would shift the discussion to my motives was revealing in itself, but what was also revealing was that sometimes he would bluntly tell me he did -not- read what I sent him. That was a real eye-opener for me because I have never -refused- to read something a person sends me unless I don't have time. It was my first encounter with a person who deliberately shields himself from certain information, and I was totally thrown by it.
From this experience, I think it is good to follow Black Sheep's advice. See one example of his advice here:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/190996/1/Why-did-my-old-friend-do-this-to-our-friendship-Please-help-me-understand
Is It Normal for a JW to give a Return Visit print-outs of information?
by Broken Promises 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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InterestedOne
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WontLeave
"Good" JWs aren't preachers; they're merely pack mules for the Society. They are allowed no original thought, no independent research, no personal understanding. Everything has to come from "mother", because even Jehovah himself couldn't properly convey his message in a way it could be comprehended. God's word is not light, but the Society's word is.
The world is full of Bibles, which Book contains the commandments of God. Why, then, do the people not know which way to go? Because they do not also have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light. - Watchtower 5/1/1957
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Broken Promises
I remember when I was a JW I used to refuse being given anything. Or if I did, it went in the bin straight away.
But I am trying to do it along the lines of "I've done some research, this is what I found". The subject of our original conversation was whether the 144K was literal and if all Christians were going to heaven. This is something I don't think she's fully been able to prove. She gave me that lame WT article but its reasoning is pathetic.
But, I will be careful how I approach it. I don't want to scare her away. Not yet, anyway, lol.
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Resistance is Futile
Ask her quite innocently if she believes Jesus is her Mediator. Let her research that one.
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InterestedOne
BP - As a contribution to your thoughts on how to be careful in your approach, here is one of my gut feelings, and it goes against all my normal tendencies, having spent time in academia. Normally, to avoid plagiarism, if I'm having a dialogue with someone and I am presenting an argument that is not mine, I give credit where credit is due - that is, I explain that in my research, I found so-and-so makes this interesting argument, and I agree with his/her reasoning. To my dismay, I found that the JW's I interacted with would become defensive and shut down when they realized the ideas of other people were being brought into the discussion. They had this superficial notion of what it means to "reach the heart" and felt that bringing in others' ideas was taking away from the process. They would say, "that's great that so-and-so thinks such-and-such, but what do -you- think, InterestedOne?" If I said I agree with so-and-so, they would take it personally and say, "well then why don't you go and be taught by so-and-so? We thought you were interested in what -we- believe." I found their style to be really twisted, and they didn't seem to understand what it means to have a dialogue.
Therefore, as distasteful as it is, I suggest, as much as possible, presenting the arguments you find as if they are your own thoughts to avoid triggering their fear of the "reasoning of men." The only time to mention outside sources is to document a specific fact. JW's seem to be ok with documented facts, but they have a problem with the -reasoning- of others. It is screwy and goes against academic honesty, but JW's have made up their own rules.
Edit: One difficulty is when a scholar makes a great point and you find yourself saying, "I couldn't have said it better myself," and you just want to share it with the person with whom you are discussing the topic. It's tough to interact with people who won't listen to others' ideas.
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Broken Promises
Hi InterestedOne,
I completely get what you're saying. It was the dilemma I had mentally, as the information I got was from jwfacts, but if I mentioned the website to her, she would close down mentally, if she knew it was an "apostate" site.
What I think I'll do is basically what you suggested - re-work the information so that it's in my own words, and looks like it's a conclusion I came up with. I'm with you, it's academically dishonest to not give credit where credit is due but they force us to play by those rules.