Any successful methods to discreetly reach out to someone who is studying?

sseveninches

My father had me go with him to do a study, and the guy looked like he's a pretty smart guy, and he was asking legitimate questions that I had my own answers to, but of course I couldn't say them.

I'm wondering if anyone has successfully been able to convince/warn anyone that they're getting sucked into a cult. I wanted to just secretly slip him a note, but I'm always scared to do that from fear of the person throwing me under the bus. Then I got the idea of sending him a text message from a number that can't be traced back to me. Does anyone have any other ideas? Should I even do this at all?

jgnat

I tried a couple times but I don't think I was successful. All I did was compliment the person on their intelligence and expressed confidence that they would do a thorough investigation.

Ticker

Depends on your situation and how far the indoctrination has progressed. If he is a very new study he might not throw you under the bus so to speak. A simple suggestion to google the religion and it's doctrine biased beliefs may be enough of a warning. If he is fairly along in the process more caution may be necessary but either way I would somehow try to help them avoid being misled. Maybe have someone from this board that you trust and know contact this man with a text. You could privately pm them the number and formulate a plan. If the guy is sincere in a search for God steer him away from the Watchtower and suggest he consider taking in a Sunday sermon at any denomination that follows the centrally accepted theme of Christianity.

There he won't be forced into nothing unknowingly, find good social interaction, support and no strings are attached. It may also spare him from getting tangled up in any of the other legalistic Religions such as Mormon, SDA, etc..

Good luck.

Ticker

Oh forgot to mention but I'm sure you would do this but if you do feel you can tell him just be sure to let him know that "mum's the word." This way he won't slip up and say anything about the source. Another suggestion is point him to youtube. Lot's of good information on there as well. Really effective if they are a visual learner rather then literary.

Amelia Ashton

Just my opinion but if some-one is already studying with the witnesses they maybe started because they were miserably unhappy with some aspect of their life and the witnesses offered a lifeline out of it. Try and find out what it was.

Tameria2001

I did once with my next door neighbor, but I did not want her to know it was from me. One day my husband noticed that each week some JWs were visiting her, and they were staying for about an hour. She is a single mother raising a teen daughter who is a handful. So I already knew how they were targeting this poor woman.

I found some information that would expose the lies of the JWs, and printed them up, and put them in an envelope. I even gave her information on where she can find this stuff for herself. I knew what time she gets home from work, and just before she came home I put it in her door. The JWs showed back up a couple more weeks, but after that they stopped showing up. That was almost a year ago, and my neighbor is still free from those people.

Fernando

Yes, very wise to stay under cover, and not be thrown under the bus!

You could send an anonymous snail mail with some suggested generic questions, to their street address. It could be signed "from a concerned neighbour who noticed JWs calling and visiting". Obviously not in your own handwriting, or using personal identifyable stationery!

For example is it true that the Watchtower once taught that ALL religion is a snare and a racket? If so why the sudden change in the early 1950's?

Or:

Are you a "publisher of the Good News"?

How long have you been a "publisher of the Good News"?

Is it true that more than half your Bible's roughly 152 references to "good news" is by Paul?

Please can you explain the "Good News" according to Paul to me from your heart, and using scriptures from the books Romans through to Hebrews?

notjustyet

Awesome job Tameria!!

Think of all the wasted years of life you saved, you probably spent less than am hour formulating some info that saved some people from getting into a cult.

Just awesome!

You have his address to mail a letter to.

What about typing a letter on a computer with JWFACTS.com, youtube channels (the non crazy ones) and also a special email account that you create from Gmail that you can use specifically to interact with this person. Then you can send specific answers to some questions he might have and also it would be easiser to send links to specific youtube videos. I would also let him know that if he mentions your interaction with him to the JW that he will be warned against looking at the info provided by you. I would in that warning insert a link to Freedomofmind.com (Steve Hassans site) that shows that the number one indicator that the group is a cult is if they do not want you talking to past members that are critical of the group. I would also send a link from that site that states that Jws are on his list of cult groups.

NJY

jgnat

Good point, Amelia. My failed attempt was with a burnt-out stock broker who renounced his former life so completely he was getting around on a bicycle he had built himself. Keep in mind this is in a city where we have winter five months out of the year, and he had a wife and three kids. My best hope was that his convictions were so odd that even the Witnesses would eventually reject him. They could still count him as a baptism, though.

jgnat

My daughter, when she was a teen, diverted another teen girl who was studying. The girl was a typical mark. She was lonely, wanted a spiritual dimension in her life. My daughter first followed the evangelical approach, debating the trinity. That did not go so well. What DID work was befriending her (genuinely, we still stay in touch), and a memorable visit to my daughter's youth group. This girl took to the attention like duck to water and never looked back.

My daughter was a little disgusted that this girl wormed her way in to her social group so quickly, and took over all her friends.

Any successful methods to discreetly reach out to someone who is studying?

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