We got a letter from my mother-in-law today (3 hand-written pages). I will type it for you and hope that you can help me reply to it. This is the whole letter exactly.
First a little background. For the past few years, along with my husband's other siblings (5 others), we have been making the mortgage payments on her house. Years ago we borrowed against her house and would have had it paid off by now but she let some of the other kids borrow against it and they refinanced the lump sum into a new 30-year mortgage so now we are stuck paying for it for the next 20 years. Anyway, our part of the payment is $130 and for the last year or so, we have been sending her $200 to help her with other expenses. None of the other kids (all JW's) pay a dime more than they are suppose to. Recently, we all decided to stop paying on a life insurance policy that we all had taken out on her as some of the kids never could come up with the $50 each month. When we cashed it in, our part was about $1800, which my husband gave to her to help her out. I'm only bringing this up because it is a part of the letter and to show the difference between her "apostate" child and her JW children.
"Dear Son and Daughter-in-law,
Thank you for the loving kindness you have shown to me. I really appreciate it. I am writing to you because I want to say a few things that I can't say when I talk to you on the phone or in person. That's because I am so emotionally involved with both of you that I cannot stop the tears. But, I have prayed to Jehovah God and asked him to help me express to you the importance of you regaining your faith.
You have said to me that you are not an apostate. I want to quote to you from the World Book Dictionary under the word apostate 'a person who completely forsakes his religion, faith, political party, or principals'. You have made it plain to family members that you are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses and you definitely want no part of the 'Watchtower Bible and Tract Society'. If this is truly what you believe, you have disowned the true faith. I personally have never been able to find anything in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses that is not true. The organization is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Also, most people who have left the truth and talk to others against it are people who are mad at some person or they want to get others to see their way of thinking. Jesus said that a great apostasy would try to mislead the sheep and it would happen even among the congregations. I don't know who or what has turned you against Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible & Tract organization, but I do know that it will not go well for you or your associates when Jehovah takes final action and brings an end to all wickedness. You know it takes love of Jehovah God to be one of his witnesses. I must have failed in some way to indication that deep love of Jehovah and his Son in you. I feel so sad at heart that you all have given up on serving our creator. It is not easy to go in service and to read God's Word daily and go regularly to meetings, but when you do you prove to Jehovah that you truly love him and in turn he gives you peace of mind, understanding of his word and real faith that is unbreakable. Son, about a year ago we were talking on the phone about the truth. In speaking about you leaving the truth you said to me, 'I know I'm doing the wrong thing'. (He didn't say that to her and she had pushed and pushed him to the brink of just lashing out at her). Do you remember that conversation? Please give deep thought to this: It is not too late for both of you to pray for Jehovah's help to open your heart and mend to understand what has happened to you and to give you his holy spirit so that you can regain his favor and you make a supreme effort to regain your faith. I hope this letter to you is not taken the wrong way. I'm desperate to find a way to help you & all the family. I love all of you with all my heart and I want you to be with the family in paradise here on earth to live forever. Remember Titus 1:2 which says, 'upon the basis of a hope of everlasting life, which God who cannot lie promised before time long lasting'. Bible prophecies are being fulfilled now and everything will come true.
I've enclosed this new brochure that helps people see the unity of God's servants today and how they are doing God's will. I hope you read it & look up the scriptures.
All my love,
Mom
I do love her and I totally get why she feels this way. I would like to respond to her in a loving way but at the same time give her something to think about. One time I asked her why every other number in Revelation is symbolic except 144,000 and she actually looked it up and replied to it. So if you guys can help me come up with some questions to ask her I would really appreciate it.
Another side note, we do not talk against the organization to anyone in the family or try to persuade them to leave it. We only say that it's not for us. One of my husband's brother tells us that he thinks it's a lot of BS but he lives near her so puts up a front for her. He pretty much does whatever he feels like doing, including having sex with other witnesses as well as non-witnesses.
Sorry for the long post and thank you!