Is trying to awaken a JW tantamount to "robbing him of his bliss"??

by never a jw 27 Replies latest jw friends

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  never a jw

  Last Thursday I was propmpted by a recent thread to read the Daily Text (Feb 28, 2013). I then had the audacity to send a text message to all four JW's nephews/nieces (in their mid 20's). I offered my opinion by summarizing it "Put and Shut up". Later, quite spontaneously, I suggested in another text that the daily text must be a preemptive notice to elders that may be troubled by the "new light" revealed in the last annual meeting (the one about FDS). To make a long story short these are some of the answers I got:

  Niece (28 y.o) Nothing, she knows that I am a de facto "apostate".

  Nephew 1 (26 y.o.) "I am not being reacting [sic] over defensively. Just giving you some advice as well. "Apostates" would be slightly more successful if they change their methods. They all seem so angry and unpleasant people to be with or listen to"

  Nephew 2 (24 y.o.) " If I am happily living my life in a way that is healthy and good...Please don't text me regarding these things. I am not offended. I am just puzzled as to why my own relative would try to rob me of my bliss..."

  Nephew 3 (23 y.o.) "I respect your point of views uncle, but any info you got coming from who knows where wont change what I believe in and I don't want to hear about it, again, with all due respect"

  The answer that strikes me as unexpected is Nephew 2. It's like revealing to a child that Santa Claus is not real. The difference is that the child is, well, a child, and my nephew is 24 years old. I interpret his answer as "let me continue to believe in Santa because it makes me happy" Yeap. It's sad, but they are like children.
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  never a jw

  Here's the daily text that started it all:

  Jehovah will make known who belongs to him.-Num. 16:5. Korah lost sight of the fact that Jehovah was directing the nation of Israel and consequently failed to show loyalty to those whom God was using. How much wiser it would have been for Korah to wait on Jehovah for a clearer understanding or for adjustments if those were really needed. So in the end, Korah destroyed his record of faithful service by his prideful actions! (Num. 16:1-34) That account provides a serious warning for elders and others in the congregation today. Waiting on Jehovah and following directions from those appointed to take the lead requires humility. Do we show that we are as humble and mild-tempered as Moses was? Can we acknowledge the position of those taking the lead among us and submit to directions we receive? Are we able to rise above our personal feelings when faced with disappointments? If so, we too will be known favorably by Jehovah. Our humility and submission will endear us to him. w11 9/15 5:12, 15, 16
• 

  Pickler

  Wow, never a jw,

  So you sent your family the daily text (I read that thread too). And it is interpreted as you trying to hurt them, with the societies own words....your interpretation of that text is accurate, not offensive...

  Your nephews comments reminded me of the book Brave New World, where everyone's happy, self medicating with their drug "soma"... The problems only start when they come off the drug & wake up to what life is really about.

  Your nieces/nephews are young, I really hope they wake up sooner rather than later ..... Someone else on another thread said that a lot of adult JW are infantile in many ways, sadly this is true.

  Good luck to you
• 

  never a jw

  In fairness to at least one of my nephews, he thought that the daily text was about humility to those "carrying the heavy load". He got offended for my suggesting that the text was likely about preemptively making the elders swallow the new light and my adding that most JW's won't even care or notice the new light.
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  DATA-DOG

  Never a JW,

  I remember 2 or 3 years ago, getting a text message from someone. Well, basically the texter was an acquiaintance of a JW who was DF'd. Somehow they sent me a text while I was in field service. This started a month loond discussion on various bible topics. I loved it because I was doing actual research in answer to this unknown persons questions. In the end they gave up because as you know, you can't teach anything to someone who knows it all. Nephew #3's answer shows that.

  Still that doesn't mean your efforts are in vain. You may have paved they way for a further discussion. I would say, given their ages, that they have just not seen enough of life to realize what is going on. This is all they know and it seems " normal " to them. If the WTBTS wasn't so good at hiding their motives then I imagine more " worldly " people would be reaching out to JW youth. The problem, IMO, is that everyone sees that most dubs are nice, and dress nice, and this is still a Christian nation. So few outsiders look deeply enough into what is going on. They just figure if people want to go door to door, then that is their right.

  So keep trying. The last text that was sent to me said very simply, " Your future is not secure with the Watchtower." So, here I am. Perhaps it all comes down to timing, or even fate. Maybe people wake up when they are meant to? It's hard to know for sure. Strange things are happening. Every little action we make affects others. I never thought that my posting the daily text ( that I never read anymore, and just happened to read, which just happened to be that text, which just happened to be the last daily text for 2012, which was no accident because the WTBTS prints everything for a reason) would reach you, and in turn reach 4 more people. Who else read that same text? How many shared it with others? How many non-posting lurkers read it?

  I think it's a good lesson as to why we should just continue to state the facts. When someone is ready for truth, then they will listen. No matter how many time liars re-tell their story, the truth comes out. Eventually there are no more dark corners to hide in. I think if we all respect our friends and relatives views it will pay off later. Especially as the WTBTS gets crazier and more controlling. Just be there for them. One day they may think of the Uncle who never lied to them, even when " MOTHER " did.

  Peace,

  DD
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  never a jw

  DATA-Dog

  Thank you for your post and the daily text too. My decision to text my nephews was quite spontaneous. I never did it before, except for my niece. They all are fine people surrounded by equally fine people. I strongly believe that they and most of their friends would be great people even without religion. They are young and intelligent, fairly educated and have access to the internet. My niece actually majored in child psichology (don't ask why she can't perceive the cognitive dissonance!!!!) I believe that they will see the light one day. Time will tell. My job is done; I should not insist on this type of communications for the sake of familiy harmony. I should point out that in my exchange I made sure to write that "I could prove with facts and evidence that the WT lies deliberately". That statement should plant some doubt. My nephews know that, despite of my lack of religion, I have demonstrated to be a "worldly" person in good standing with all JW's who know me, possibly hundreds. Even the replacement of the C.O. and congregation top elder in one of the local circuits in So Cal wrote to me in an email that he heard that I was a "good man" at dinner conversations with my brothers, who happened to be the parents of the nephews/niece mentioned above.
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  Jeffro

  Maybe you should suggest that Nephew 2 think about his own comment the next time he turns up uninvited at someone's house trying to convert people with other beliefs.
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  never a jw

  Jeffro,

  Excellent point.
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  tiki

  They tend to immediately go into defensive mode - its like an involuntary reaction........but years of having the rhetoric drummed into one has that effect. They lose the ability to approach anything they read with a clear objective mind - and they predetermine the material based on the messenger (their opinion of him, that is).

  One's bliss should be well enough grounded to not be subject to crumbling at simply reading a different viewpoint from one's own. That is just ludicrous.
• 

  ABibleStudent

  Hi never a jw, Have you read Steve Hassan's books - especially his latest book "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"? You might be more successful asking simple questions to help your nieces and nephews to think for themselves as they try to explain the nonsence to you.

  By the way is your objective to awaken them to think for themselves or to get them to fade? If more JWs were awaken, they might be able to change the WTBTS by not donating money to it.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert