So I was at my parents house yesterday and an apostate vs J-dub showdown commenced. I was merely just asking questions since they always told me that if I had any questions to feel free to ask. So I did.....but they seemed angry at the fact I was asking such questions to begin with. They said I should know better than to be asking such things and the fact I asked arroused their suspicion of me lurking in apostate websites. Basically, they told me y'all on here are a bunch of liars the Devil uses to distort the JWs beliefs.
It all started when my brother mentioned the wonderful things JWs do in times of disasters and how they look out for each other. He mentioned that they are the first ones on the scene taking care of their fellow brothers and sisters. I asked why do the Dubs interests revolve around their own members before the interest of others? I mean, isn't every human life equally valuable? (my non-JW inlaw was there and she understood my point) Didn't Jesus die for all humanity? He said that we are a brotherhood...therefore we are a spiritual family. So if a family member is in trouble, we naturally make them a priority over the stranger who is in the same type of trouble. (he put my wife as an example and what I would do if her and a group of strangers were in trouble...who would I save first.) He mentioned that even in the animal kingdom the natural instinct is to save your family, and if I didn't see the brotherhood of JWs as family, then I have serious issues to work out. "We are supposed to see them and feel for them as if they were our own flesh and blood" is more or less what he told me.
Then I asked them about what they consider "pagan". I said the JWs do good in avoiding pagan traditions but what about the wedding ring? That's pagan. Also, what about the veil? They said "well, we can't be too strict either." So then are Jws choosing what's more convinient for them to ban? Christmas is pagan so that's bad but a wedding ring is ok cause it would be too strict of us to ban that? They kept telling me that the WT hasn't put a ban on it so then it's ok.
That led to another question: "Does the Watchtower consider themselves equivalent to God?" "Are they putting themselves in God's shoes?" He said no. They are to God what my wife is to me. So talking bad about the WT would make God angry just like someone talking bad about my wife would make me angry. He mentioned how Satan wants us to doubt God's "wife". He can accomplish that with the wide selection of tools he has such as the internet. Here's where he started bashing all of you here on JWN, saying that if you search "Jehovahs Witnesses" online, all you'll get is barbaric lies from bitter people who distort the truth. Apostates who have had a some bad experiences as a JW and decide to rebel just like Satan did against God and spread blasphemous words against Jehovah's people.
Anyway, he kept going on and feeling victorious all the while as I sat there and humbly listened. I didn't roll my eyes, or made any sarcastic gestures. It was two vs one so I knew I was cornered before I even started my questions. I just listened and gave him what he wanted...a nod of approval and just the occasional "ok I see". As someone posted here earlier, it is pointless to argue with closed minded people. Just give them their satisfaction and turn your back cause they won't give up until they feel they've won the debate. That's the ultimate goal they have is to win! Like Charlie Sheen! So I let him "win" cause in the end, I was just a guy with questions....not a debater looking to win an argument. I want to see what they think and what their answers are. It's interesting to see how a brainwashed mind thinks.
What do you guys think of his answers? What would you have said to his arguments.