What one thing would you say...

problemaddict

Hello everyone,

While I am still kind of new on my journey here, and may have a mixed bag of similarties and differences with all of you, I am in fact fading away from the religion of my youth. In doing so, I have mostly been left alone. Meaning, my friends and family generally know I am "having a hard time" with a few things. My wife is supportive and even feels the same way about some things, and generally I have to say, most of the hard stuff, is going on inside of me. I also have had to good sense to not share my feelings with those that do not deserve them. :)

Now it is getting to where a few people out of good meaning, that really care about me as a person, are doing what their heart tells them to do, which is to reach out to me. So I have a few dinner invites coming up. Usually from a well meaning dude at the hall, or guy who "has been there", or something to that effect.

I won't just come clean and explode on any of these guys. I don't want to hurt their faith or convince them of anything in particular overtly. it doesn't seem to work anyways, and could make my life much more difficult.

I DO want to be able to plant some seeds in a way that I know they have to think to themselves later, or at least bring the cognative dissonance right to the front of their mind. I am after some ideas or thoughts on what to address in a tactfull thinking way, when I have these dinners and guys basically ask me "so whats up?" I of course assume the same things like, who else is preaching today, who else doesn't go to war, who else has such unity, who else shall we go to, and the rest.

Any thoughts?

problemaddict

bump

problemaddict

bttt....did I make my opening comments to long?

Theocratic Sedition

Your overanxious tonight lol! Me personally, I would politely decline being that you already know how this works. You know they didnt invite just to hang out. They mean well so dont waste theirs or your time. I wouldnt attempt planting seeds either. You're more likely to raise red flags and incite shepherding calls rather than wake anybody up.

Heaven

Hey PA, what I used to do and tell my folks when they got concerned about me was...

I'd smile at them, put my hand on their arm and say in a positive, warm tone "You don't have to worry about me. Jehovah can read hearts."

That's all I'd say.

Heaven

In conversations, I used to ask questions on the Bible. Like one time I said to my Dad, "If the Bible is truthful and the word of God, then, for example, why did God approve adultery between Abraham and Haggar? If adultery is wrong now it was wrong back then. This just doesn't make sense to me." He actually agreed with me and said he had similar questions on this scripture.

You can do this for any number of wacky Bible scriptures without confronting the JWs actual doctrine. If you hit the source, it makes people think.

Londo111

I would ask about Jeremiah 25:12. How can the 70 years end two years after Babylon is called into account in 539 BC?

Of course, Steven Hassan suggests talking about other High Control Groups without drawing the connection for them. For instance, “Did you know Scientology wants its members to install webblockers on their adherent’s computers, so they don’t see anything critical of Scientology? Why do you suppose they do that?” This might be a better angle.

problemaddict

@ TS, supposed to go to dinner tonite. I can see where you are coming from, but the sincere thought of another person isn't something i want to shut down, even if I feel it may be misguided.

@Heaven - Sounds like that could be a way to go depending on the mood. I am fairly locked into scripture still, although I am kind of at the beginning of this whole thing.

@Londo - Yeah i don't think this dude is much of a 70 years kind of conversation guy. He is probably a JW more for social reasons than anything else. Came from a hard life, found JW's, life changed, yadda yadda.

I like the suggestions. Keep em coming. Thanks for the time.

OUTLAW

I of course assume the same things like, who else is preaching today,

Mormons..

who else doesn't go to war, who else has such unity,

Amish..

who else shall we go to, and the rest.

Correct Christian answer..

Jesus..

........................ ...OUTLAW

unstopableravens

if you say the wrong thing that person who is well meaning may shun you. this happened to an elder who i was close o from another hall. he ask me what questions i had i gave him three and its been two years and he has not talked to me

What one thing would you say...

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