he's got a few jennifers on his list i guess? rofl
The urge to convert people
by J. Hofer 41 Replies latest jw friends
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talesin
ahahahaha!!!
edited to say: not anymore! :D
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steve2
Hi J.Hofer. I agree with your comments about the need to convert and that it's not related necessarily to the door-to-door work. I knew JWs who approached their ministry in a timid, almost apologetic manner - they didn't strike me as driven by an urgent need to convert (they may well have been more motivated by the desire to get other JWs off their back about not getting out door-knocking more often!).
I remember when I was an active JW saying to a very good JW friend even then that I could never say for absolutely certain that "this" was the "truth", because I'm a human and am not privy to so-called perfect knowledge from God. My friend scolded me and told me not to even utter such a thing. While we were still friends, I realized that her mindset was intolerant of even acknowledging a lack of certainty - as if the mere discipline to shut one's mouth about it would "solve" it (I don't even think she would have thought it through to that level).
So, yes, there's something different about people who have the urge to convert others; I have seen then in almost any (religious) group you care to name: A small, immovable band of people who brook no doubts and whose every fibre of being is directed to preach by a deep conviction. I should imagine that "God" must really be something of a multi-dimensional being if he can instil in believers from a vast number of religions the urge to convert others.
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unshackled
unshackled, have a 25 year old zacapa "centenario" and you'll know you are wrong.. ;)
Hofer, I'll gladly put this to the test to be proven wrong. When you pouring? Or will that 15-yr-old zacapa you're drinking do it?
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talesin
Just googled zacapa,,, sounds like a good sippin' brew .... similar to Cruzan?
t
edited to say: oops, off-topic,, lol ,,, we s/b on the other thread and LMAO at us! exJWs,,, I guess booze is quite an appropriate topic!
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jgnat
KristiKay, I finally remembered the name of the organization they founded:
Doesn't this trump berating pregnant teens?
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jgnat
J. Hofer, here's a thought. Someone like dogrulz may see himself as being part of the "royal we", a participant in the grand coliseum of life, surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses who came before him. It is no longer "I versus everyone else".
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wobble
It was certainly something we were supposed to do as J.Ws , make more (paying) cult members.
I did not try hard, ever. I never felt the urge to force my opinion, even then.
Since finding out that any opinions I held were likely to be wrong, as I was a born-in bereft of information, I have made it a point not to insist my point of view is correct, though I will fight my corner.
I do not wish to convert anyone, unless it will benefit them greatly, hence I leave long-term J.W's to wallow in their ignorance, more often than not they could not handle reality.
Fundie types do get steamed up about it, life is too short for that.
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Heaven
I think the urge to convert comes from needing validation as well as an attempt to grow an organization/group/company. Christianity was new at one time and needed to do this in order to gain membership. They definitely had an agenda.
The JW going door-to-door always bothered me. It was definitely something I wasn't interested in and never did. I didn't feel I had any right to try to shove religion or belief down anyone's throat. It wasn't my desire to be a door-to-door salesman for religion .... blech!
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clarity
"
but Lösch is from my home country and i think he's pretty much the pope of JWdom at the moment."
I was just thinking .... if I got dragged, kicking and screaming to a tour of bethel,
I might be tempted to say - oh Hi Mr. Hofer aren't you the guy on jwn?!!
As for the urge to convert, yes I had it big time!
Now it feels so great to just stop selling! wheeeeeow
clarity