Quote from a Witness board on Yahoo

by pseudoxristos 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  pseudoxristos

  Letter writing is just one of the many ways that we can do witnessing. I have known of sisters and brothers that went through the newspaper looking for obituaries (death announcements) and researched the family members then wrote them a brief letter included the brochure "When Someone You Love Dies". In doing this some have started bible studies. Some cases the individual is just thankful for something that gives hope. Another thing that I have heard about from the newspaper is looking for birth, wedding and engagement announcements. You can include the name and quote from one of our publications, along with scripture quotations, that apply to the situation.

  Un-believable!
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  TR

  Anything to get brownie points from 'hovah, I guess.

  TR
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  ISP

  This could back fire badly. It caused some upset 'round here when dubs left those tracts in graveyards. I suppose it is typical WTS...targeting the weak and vulnerable.

  ISP
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  SYN

  Sit on your ass & clock up hours...sounds like my kind of witnessing!

  
  [SYN], UADA - Unseen Apostate Directorate of Africa - For Great Justice!
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  Nemesis

  That is disgusting—sounds on a similar line to Ciro Aulicino’s talk last year after Sept. 11th. How to latch onto the grieving and vulnerable.

  Funny how they always go for the weak, grieving, depressed, lonely, insecure, all the people who are open to being manipulated and sucked in with ‘love bombing’ and indoctrination. I see they [The Watch Tower] never pride themselves on making converts with the intellectuals, university professors, or scholars, it’s always the weak and vulnerable—or those experiencing trauma an distress, the very ones who have little power to reason clearly.

  Reading that quote reminded me of the film Paper Moon, where Tatum O'Neal puts her cutie face on and seeks out the grieving relatives, so she and her dad [Ryan O'Neal] can sell them a gilded and named Bible! The poor grieving widows are so messed up they just give in and pay.

  It’s so sickening to see the Watch Tower and JWs use such repugnant manipulative techniques to get converts.
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  Francois

  Hey Nemesis:

  You said, "It’s so sickening to see the Watch Tower and JWs use such repugnant manipulative techniques to get converts."

  But that's what cults DO. If they didn't go for the defenseless, they wouldn't be who they are! And in these congregations full of the walking emotionally wounded, are little girls who have no fathers and they are more defenseless still and easy to manipulate - and ultimately to abuse. That's why there's so much child sex abuse in the JWs. The predators have a constant supply of defenseless little girls.

  Just on that count alone, JWs should be tarred and feathered and run out of town.

  Francois
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  Scully

  When my grandmother died in 1987, we were all gathered at her house just after the funeral service.

  Someone knocked on the door, it was a real estate agent, who had read grandma's obituary in the newspaper and wanted to know who the executor of the estate was and whether the house would be going up for sale soon.

  I was only 24 years old at the time, but I remember clearly the feelings of disgust and outrage that someone would vulturize on the grief of a family within hours of burying their loved one.

  I let my dad and uncle talk to the hot-shot real-estate agent. They both took his card, and then told him flat out that he would be the very LAST person they would call when the time came to sell the house.

  I could never get into combing the Announcements for field service opportunities. It just seemed too unethical to try to capitalize on other people's grief or vulnerabilities that way. I guess that's why I'm out now too. LOL

  Love, Scully
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  Englishman

  Ssully,

  Similar things happen here too. Usually antique dealers come knocking as soon as obit notices appear.

  Witnesses, estate agents and antique dealers. Jackals, all of 'em.

  Englishman.

  
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  Amazing

  Technically, I cannot fault JWs for targeting distressed people, if they would do this as normal Christians should be doing ... reaching out to the depressed. However, JWs are using the ocassion to market their religion, whereas Christians are there simply to be supportive and assist the grieving.

  As for businesses, that too is okay, because often people who lose loved ones do not know where to begin to deal with the estate, and competant professionals showing up to offer various services can be very usful to people.

  However, some business people are unethical and unprofessional. I knew a man in Oregon who would go to funerals to try and solicite business to buy and sell the property of the deceased. Surprisingly, he was somewhat successful. Whereas most professionals send a nice letter after the funeral, and offer to help in whatever way possible.

  Following Bible principles, we will avoid trying to live - or demand others to live - by an extensive and rigid set of dos and don'ts that go beyond the teachings of the Bible. The Watchtower, 4-15-02, pg 22, pp 15
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  out4good3

  A certain close JW relative of mine took the opportunity of going back to a church to pass out the "when someone you love dies" tracts just after a funeral had ended as they were loading the deceased into a hearst. I was actually shocked and very pissed that they would do this, but they felt that they had a moral obligation to offer "comfort" at the time. What a crock!