Field Service: Special Warnings?

by Joe Grundy 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Joe Grundy

  Thanks very much for the responses.

  The picture I get is predominantly one of apathetic (or at least unenthusiastic) JWs going door-to-door because they feel they 'have to' and being met with a complete lack of interest by those they call on. Generalisations, I know, but it's no wonder why so many ex-JWs say what a depressing waste of time it all was.

  I liked Steve2's comment 'when mad meets mad'!

  I agree with the point about apathy being more difficult to deal with than opposition. In a different context someone said that the opposite of love is not hate but apathy. In modern parlance the 'yeah, whatever' attitude.

  A little off-topic, I have only come across 'apostacy' as a big deal in two religions. One is JWs, of course, although most of their efforts are (theoretically) dedicated to convincing others to become 'apostates' from their own religion. The other is Islam - the penalty under Sharia law is death. If a JW 'converted' a Muslim to JWism how would their respective gods handle that?
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  Phizzy

  I do not think the WT is worried about the average person who is called on being equipped by the Internet to confont the average JW.

  As soon as a JW finds someone who knows the darker side of the WT they run away as fast as an Olympic athlete screaming "Aposate !"

  The fact that the person may never have been a JW does not matter, as with a number of words, the JW's have effectively changed the meaning, as with "generation" etc and now in the JW's mind anybody who questions their religion or their message is an "Apostate", it is equivalent to "opposer" in their mind.

  For many a long year the average JW has not been capable of explaining the doctrine, because they do not understand it themselves, all they want to do is shove a couple of magazines in the persons hand, promise to return, which they rarely do, and then scoot.

  I just wish the public were more aware of the JW system of the "Do Not Call" list, I am sure that many many more would ask to go on it if they did.
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  Black Sheep

  Hi Joe.

  One trick ypu could try with JWs is to tell them you were brought up in a high control cult, then describe your upbringing and the control tactics of the PB, using the PB slang and phrases (much of which is also common to JW).

  I know an ex PB. He thought he was brought up in a cult and that JW was just another harmlesss Christian religion, but his description of the PB experience was no different to my JW experience.

  I have used my JW experience with Mormons to get the stunned mullet look out of them. Not being a member of the same cult lets other cult members feel comfortable with you and want to recruit you, until you get to the point you want to make.

  Cheers

  Chris
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  Aussie Oz

  The interesting thing is though, that anyone who is not an 'apostate', but has taken the time (not much needed) to look into the wacky watchtower world and who decides to tackle them at their door over doctrines or scandles...

  will get called an apostate as the JWs run away!

  That is how the Watchtower have trained their people to deal with the public knowing too much.

  Oz
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  Fernando

  Good question!

  This is a real risky area for the WBT$, but...

  Asking rather than telling is the way to open a closed mind. This can take time, patience, commitment and well thought out strategies - something few people have these days.

  Probably reverse witnessing by workmates (again by means of questions) may pose a bigger danger to the WBT$.

  I was asked to explain what the gospel is in one word! That simple!

  Instinctively I knew I had been asked a Bible 101 question and was inexplicably ignorant of the answer. I was determined not to remain ignorant! Also one cannot continue following both the WBT$ and the gospel since they go in different directions. It did take 3½ years of intensive and exhilarating research (oddly enough in the WBT$'s own publications) until it was clear the gospel was not in their hearts and not on their lips, and we parted ways. In time it also became clear that all religion effectively is opposite to the gospel.
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  WTWizard

  I think that most witlesses are in the dark about what householders today have access to. They are not supposed to go online, lest some apostate site pop up in front of them. However, any householder that is interested is going to go online and research the religion--and that will be the end of that call.

  What usually happens after that is that the householder will no longer be interested in progressing. Now, the witless trying to progress the study will find that nothing works. The call gets dropped, and the witless fails miserably once again. Which usually leads the witless to being discouraged, hence the constant talks about not getting discouraged when no one responds or when they waste time on a call only to have them drop out.
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  OUTLAW

  Good Morning BOTR..

  You have a PM..

  

  ...OUTLAW
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  The Quiet One

  Bttt
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  wha happened?

  Most won't engage in anything beyond the publication presentation. Often when the conversation got into something worthwhile talking about, (rather than the idiotic topics on the mag covers), I would find myself talking alone to the householder, or my partner would just leave. I made countless excuses. Although dubs in my cong were gun shy from all the controversy back then. (apostates following us in service, two JW girls murdered an old man in out territory).
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  palmtree67

  two JW girls murdered an old man in out territory