My 80 something year old mom is a die hard JW, but to her credit, she has not shunned me. As would be expected, she is always "praying" that I return to Jah and get reinstated. Her M.O. is consistent...every time my wife and I see her, she always tries to steer the conversation to "how bad the world" has become.
Today, she escalated the "Theocratic attack" by coming out directly and asking me what I thought of world conditions. I finally took the bait and told her that I thought some things were worse and others were much better than in past years. I pointed out that war casualties were the lowest in the past 25 plus years versus other times in history, death through epidemic was lower, etc. I pointed out that in the Dark Ages, 2/3 of the known world population died from the Black Plague. She just gave me that "deer in the headlight look" and said that she didn't agree...times are far worse today.
She then asked me why I had become ignorant of what the Bible teaches. I responded that I wasn't ignorant, but that I had now had a chance to actually study the Bible versus being told what I believed about it. The discussion went that way for over an hour, when I finally told her my main problem with JW's was the veneration of the Organization. She kept saying that JW's don't place the GB on a pedestal. I told her that I could never be reinstated as long as I didn't believe and follow exactly what the GB says is "current" truth. She flat out said that was wrong...sheesh! I then asked her what would happen to her if she went to the elders and said she no longer believed that 1914 was not the date of Christ's Presence, and Mom actually said that that would be fine...we all can have questions and doubts. I told her that she would be disfellowshipped if she didn't immediately recant her belief...she denied it. I finally asked her the big "Ah Ha" question..."if I believed all of the core doctrines of JW's such as two classes, no Hell, no Immortal Soul, no Trinity and lived an exemplary life, but I wasn't a member of the Organization, what would happen to me at Armageddon? She wouldn't answer the question. She side stepped any hard question I asked, ie: changing doctrines, 1914, 1975, the Generation...it was always, "we are adjusting our understanding as the light gets brighter". I asked her if the GB was God's Channel on earth, didn't they reflect badly on God with the constant changes in belief? God is infallible, so why would he give flawed information to his channel? Again, no response.
When all was said and done, she just kept saying I needed to "get back to basics and study the Bible". She said she couldn't do it with me, but that an "older man" could help me regain my Bible knowledge. I told her that I would be happy to sit down and study only the Bible with an "older man", but I refuse to sit down and study a WT publication with someone. That set her back, and she just kept repeating I needed to get right with Jah.
The conversation ended with that, and she is still "associating" with me, but it was an extraordinarly frustrating two hours. It is the first time I have seen how blinded to thinking JW's are. I guess the only good thing to come out of the whole thing was that she didn't label me an apostate and tell me never to see her again.
Sorry to ramble on, but I now see how frustrating trying to reason with JW's on simple issues can be. I have a better understanding of some of the frustration others on the Board have had in discussing things with JW family and friends. JW's just can't grasp the concept of critical thinking, and that is the saddest thing of all...they truly are "captives of a concept".
TYA
