JWs: An Aversion to ``Conversion?" (page 2)

Mister Biggs

NeonMadman-
I remember Conte. Then again, I guess we both would know him since you and I are both in the same geographical location.

nytelecom1

yes .......thats why the society says we convert

NeonMadman

Mister Biggs:

I remember Conte. Then again, I guess we both would know him since you and I are both in the same geographical location.

You're near Philly, right? I'm in North Jersey. But I served as a JW mostly in Massachusetts, and Western Mass. is where I had Conte as a CO, waaaay back in the late 60's/early 70's.

nytelecom1:

yes .......thats why the society says we convert

I'm not saying that JW's deny they are trying to convert people, but they did, at least in the past in the areas where I was, try to downplay the use of the word. I remember being counseled not to use that word, if possible, out in field service. If someone asked if we were trying to convert them, the answer was, "No, we are just here to share Bible knowledge. What you do with that knowledge is up to you." Which is not exactly false, but not exactly straightforward, either.

There were a host of areas where we were less than completely honest at the door. For example, if a householder asked,"Haven't you people predicted dates for the end of the world?" we would weasel around it by saying something like, "Some of us have had expectations about what would happen at certain times, but they were mistaken," which is much less than an honest response, given that the Society has officially published dates for the end, claiming that God was the source of those dates, and then had nothing happen on those dates. We neglected to mention that the "some of us" being referred to were actually the ones among us claiming to serve as God's mouthpiece, and who were in charge of publishing our official literature. The statement as made is not false on the face of it, but it certainly deceives the householder who asks the question.

As another example, someone might ask, "Would you let your child die if he or she needed a blood transfusion?" For most JW's, the answer is unequivocally, yes. But few Witnesses would ever respond that way at the door. Many would offer a non-answer like, "I would have to decide that if the situation arose, after considering Bible principles." Again, the JW saying this would know full well that the Society expects them to decide in advance of any such incident that they will obey the Society's law on the matter.

It's like that with the word "convert." Use of the word has been avoided, not because it was thought to be inaccurate, but just because it can be a "hot-button" word with householders, and might lead to the conversation being terminated, as would likely be the case in the two situations I cited above, if the questions were answered honestly. That's why it was so unusual to hear a CO answer the way Anthony Conte did, as I described higher up in this thread. Maybe, with this new WT article you mention, the Society has re-thought its position and is now encouraging the use of the word. I don't know; I haven't seen the article, so I can't say what they are doing now, but I do know what they were doing when I was associated some years back.

Tom
"The truth was obscure, too profound and too pure; to live it you had to explode." ---Bob Dylan

nytelecom1

we are sneaky bastards arent we

Room 215

Hi Tellie, Neon

I wonder if anyone referred to the apostles as ``sneaky bastards," but that's a much more succinct way of describing ``theocratic war strategy."

nytelecom1

sure..our lord and savior said 'cautious as serpants'

what more of a sneaky bastard than a serpant?

NeonMadman

sure..our lord and savior said 'cautious as serpants'
what more of a sneaky bastard than a serpant?

There's a big difference between being "cautious" and being deceitful. The Lord also said we should be "as innocent as doves," a portion of the same verse that you inadvertantly left out.

Or were you being sneaky?

Tom
"The truth was obscure, too profound and too pure; to live it you had to explode." ---Bob Dylan

Room 215

Hi Neon,

Your exchange with telecom underscores one of the more disturbing aspects of the JW mindset: the average JWs ambivalence toward being completely honest and forthright -- quite unsettling.

blondie

July 15, 1996 Watchtower page 22
What "Instinctively Wise" Creatures Can Teach Us

What can God’s modern-day servants learn from Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:16? Today, people react to the good news in much the same way that they did in the first century. When faced with persecution, true Christians need to combine the shrewdness of the serpent with the purity of the dove. Christians never employ deceit or dishonesty but are uncorrupted, genuine, and honest in declaring the Kingdom message to others.

nytelecom1

thanks for the quote blodie..
that is why Jehovahs Witnesses say
we convert.

JWs: An Aversion to ``Conversion?"

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