I Need help with questions to ask during family study to help my wife wake up

by BU2B 16 Replies latest jw friends

  • BU2B
    BU2B

    Lately when we have our family study we have been just reading the Bible alone, without WT spin. However I really need to start asking her good questions that wont set off her apostadar.

    So I ask you fine folks; what are some questions or ways I can use the family study to help her think and start using her own mind on key ideas. I know I cant lead her to the answer I want, but to be effective I must let her come to her own conclusion. I know she wont tell me at first about any doubts I am sucsessful in raising, but I know I will get the gears turning, this could have success down the road.

    Since I am still in for my family, I need to make the most of this time left before I siply cannot take any more, and I feel the family study can be the perfect setting to help her to think if I do it the right way.

    Any and all help is truly appreciated Thanks-BU2B

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    In John chapter 6 Jesus clearly states he is "the bread of life who came down out of heaven". Ask, What exactly came down? And when she gives an answer, Ask if Jesus is just a man or if he is an angel (what ever part came down of an angel) human hybred?

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    Hi BU2B, Asking simple questions about how your wife feels about what is written in the Bible (and about other subjects) and waiting for her to respond, may be your best questions to avoid her raising her JW shields. If your wife does not want to answer your questions, you have probably asked her a question that she feels cognitive dissonance about, so gently and firmly don't let her change subjects. Telling her what you think or feel is probably more counter productive.

    Have you asked your wife, which part of the Bible is most important to her? If she follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and is therefore a Christian, she should respond with Mathew thru Acts. Then just read the Bible together and ask her simple questions about what she feels the scriptures mean to her after she/you reads several paragraphs or a whole chapter. If you can get her to critically think instead of recite WTBTS propaganda that is a start to helping her to realize that the WTBTS miss-quotes scriptures and cherry picks scriptures without understanding the context of the scriptures.

    I feel that Mt 15:1-16, Mt 22:23-40, Mt 23 to 24, John 6:60-70, and Acts 1:8 should provide interesting discussions if you ask your wife how she feels about the control that the Pharisees had over the Jews and how it compared to following Jesus Christ.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • DesirousOfChange
    DesirousOfChange

    BU2B -- This is long, but there are several good approaches.

    I don't know where "we" are in our Bible reading at this point, but if the Gospels this would be a good starter on Jesus words about "the generation".

    #1) I think the New Lite on the generation is a big issue right now. Why would Jehovah wait until 99 years later to give His people the "correct" understanding on what Jesus was saying? (All those who qualified as the Million Now Living Will Never Die, are in fact, DEAD.) There is lots of murmuring going on about this, esp among the older folks who did not expect to face death. Ever.

    Ask if SHE knows the new understanding. Tell her you are CONFUSED about this. How can a baby, the parents, the grand-parents, and the great-grand-parents (100 years) all be "THE generation" that will not pass away?? How would she explain that to someone at the door? At work?

    Ask if SHE knows that this is the 3rd (I think) adjustment since 1995 (and THAT was a big one too). When else in Bible history did Jehovah continue to give His people false information again and again and again? When did Jehovah ever "test" or "sift" His people using lies or misinformation from His prophets (or his "channel" of communication)?

    Of course, it would be best if these things are not YOUR questions or concerns. They should come from someone at work/school; or an RV; or Bible Study; or very close friend who has doubts (and has sworn you to confidentiality). Or, someone in service could hand you a print out from jwfacts.com. You do NOT want her going to the Elders to seek help for you.

    #2) Do you know of an Elder that was appointed while he was involved in wrongdoing? Adultery? Child abuse? Embezzlement? Then how did this individual fool the Holy Spirit? (Cong appointments are made by the Holy Spirit.) Sure, imperfect men can be fooled by such a person who is carrying on secret sins. But how do they fool Jehovah or His Holy Spirit? Thus, are these Elders REALLY appointed by GOD? (No.) Then how about those in higher position? Recent reports of COs leaving. Or Bethelites. Or Assm Hall Overseers. OMG! What about the Governing Body members? The GB was even infected with "apostate" members in the past!!! Is this happening again? What evidence do we have that they are telling us Jehovah's direction for us?

    #3) Is the Good News REALLY being preached in all the inhabited earth? Then why are only 1/10th of 1% of people responding to the Good News? Doesn't the Bible tell us that the Will of God is that ALL men should be saved. Is that the best that He can do? Why did he pick such a lousy PR representative? Pick some friends or family members or neighbors that you know are REALLY good Christians. Is Jehovah REALLY going to destroy them just because they are not JWs? Aren't they better Christians than some JWs?

    Even in this country where JWs are better represented, how are they doing in communicating the Good News? Do your neighbors really know what the message of JWs is? Have they received enough information to have been fairly warned that they will die? Or do they just know that JWs do not celebrate Christmas and birthdays. Or that they don't accept medical treatment (yeah, we know it's just blood transfusion, but do they?). How can we say the GN is effectively being preached if they HAVE NO IDEA what it is. JWs preaching campaign is a SHAM! They are not warning anyone about anything by leaving an old rag in the NH or HBH that doesn't get read! THIS is Jehovah's BEST?

    Go slow.

    These are the REAL questions that lead many to discovering TTATT.

    You cannot force feed them any more than you can force feed your non-JW family members to accept The Truth(TM). They have to drink on their own. They have to discover it on their own (or think that they did). Usually a person has to be harmed personally. Sad but true. We watch and sympathize with others, but we excuse it because we don't know the whole situation. But when things happen to us personally, then we know.

    Good luck,

    Doc

  • Ding
    Ding

    I would probably start with Galatians and then move onto Romans.

    I would choose those two because they emphasize grace over law and the NWT has butchered those books the least.

    Take turns reading the text aloud paragraph by paragraph and take turns summarizing your understanding of what you just read.

    Pay careful attention to what she says.

    It will be a good indicator as to whether she is understanding what the Bible is really saying.

  • breakfast of champions
    breakfast of champions

    Do the "Wise King Solomon" dot-to-dot together, then ask your wife to get the chefs's knife and demonstrate how to cut an infant in half.

  • ShirleyW
    ShirleyW

    Well, since they flip flop so much I don't know if this is still in effect, probably is, but as a woman, ask her how she feels about the one-witness rule when being sexually assaulted by someone.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    I roughed out some examples. I've recommended the Beatitudes before, so I include them here:

    John 6 Jesus as the bread of life
    Where else does Jesus speak of being the bread? (breaking bread on the night of his death)
    How many lives does Jesus speak of; one in heaven and another on earth?
    How is the taking of bread to be done?


    Matthew 5:3-12 (Beatitudes)
    - poor in spirit (heaven)
    - mourn
    - meek (earth)
    - hunger and thirst for righteousness
    - merciful
    - pure in heart (see God)
    - peacemakers
    - persecuted (heaven)

    Do you think that Jesus intended for all believers to live up to these qualities (i.e. some of the rewards are in heaven)?
    Do a weekly exercise to study the meaning of a single beatitude, and brainstorm a way to model it that week.


    Matthew 15:1-16 (That Which Defiles)
    What pharasitical rules do Christendom follow today?
    How might we model Christian behavior with what comes out of our mouth?



    Matthew 22:23-40 (Marriage at the Resurrection)
    What would a sister do in a situation where she has been married to more than one brother, or an ex who converts after her second marriage?
    How would the resurrected be as angels and not fully flesh?

  • FingersCrossed
    FingersCrossed

    Marking. These will be useful for me too. Thanks

  • 2+2=5
    2+2=5

    A favorite JW scripture; Faith without works is dead. In the book of James somewhere. If you quote that scripture to any JW and ask what it means, they will describe the works that faith produce; preaching, meeting attendance and the general JW lifestyle. JWs feel that these works are evidence to identify their faith as the 'true faith'.

    In context the scripture in James has nothing to do with preaching or typical JW works. It is about being hospitable and charitable towards others. JWs are not exactly focusing their ministry on looking after orphans, widows and giving food and shelter to the needy, but many people, Christian and non Christian, do these things. Maybe showing your wife scriptures like this, and seeing how JWs cherry pick scriptures and take them out of context to support their theology might help her wake up. You have to be subtle obviously. You could talk about the scripture in Corithians I think, that says salvation is not earned by works, but through faith. This one does not get a lot attention from the JWs, because they are a works based religion.

    2 Peter 3:9 Is basically saying that Jehovah is delaying Armageddon because he does not want to destroy people but wants all to be saved. This scripture is in clear contradiction to WT theology, because the worlds population is increasing at a far greater rate than those that are coming into Jehovahs organization. It means that every year that Amargeddon is delayed, an extra 70 million+ people that will have to be destroyed.... if JWs are the only ones that will survive, which is what we are taught. This does not make sense, something to talk about maybe. All the best.

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