Just a recap.
I posted a thread yesterday about an exchange of e-mails with a well known and respected elder and C.O. sibstitute in a Spanish circuit somewhere in the U.S. The man is about 50, raised in the truth, belongs to a family where all men are at least elders. He is proud to have forsaken his dream of becoming a doctor to serve Jehovah. Loved and respected by thousands.
I asked if he could respond without resorting to ad hominem attacks to dozens of issues raised by apostates. His response was actually more ad hominem attacks.
The following e-mails are the continuation of our exchange until the very last one, 2 hours ago. I haven't responded yet. What would you respond?? How do you handle the unbelievable arrogance?
My response Mr. Elder, You missed the point altogether. My email was not interested in defending apostates' character or their way of life. I reiterate my question: Do they have valid arguments regarding the dozens of issues they have raised against the WT? Without resorting to attacks to the messenger, can you argue successfully against their message regarding 587 vs 607, the U.N. debacle, medical directive inconsistency with doctrine (blood fractions), Bible translation, Bible interpretation, history revisionism, misquoting, quoting out of context, quoting from questionable sources, double standards (Malawi vs. Mexico), unfairness of shunning against those who were raised in the truth, and baptised at a young age, but later disagree with WT doctrine, etc, etc.. I believe this is the fourth or fifth time you avoid a direct and a specific question. I have to assume that you don't have a good answer. 
His response
Dear Never a JW,
I do not have a good answer to those questions because I have not taken the time to study them in detail.
I have, however, many times studied similar issues in detail and have always arrived at the same conclusion: they boil down to matters ofopinion that cannot be unconditionally proven true or false. That is the state of things.
This may sound like I'm avoiding the issue, and I am, in a sense. But I have a good reason for it.
To me, the evidence that the Bible is the Word of God is so overwhelming that I choose to devote my energies to understanding it better, and gaining a closer relationship with God rather than spending that time looking into the issues you mention. Time is limited, and, to use a quote think I used before: "If you would love life, take care of how you use your time. For time is the stuff that life is made of."
They say some people cannot see the forest for the trees. I consider many of these issues to be the trees, and I will not allow them to cloud my clear thinking ability, just as you will not allow the Watchtower publications to cloud yours. And that is as it should be.
I know you will find fault with something I have written above. And that is as it should be as well.
My response
Mr. Elder, As an avid student of the WT history and doctrine, especially anything related to the 1914 prophecy, I can assure you that most arguments don't boil down to opinion. But if you are avoiding the issue "for a good reason" I must give it a rest.
Just like in the Good Brahmin story by Voltaire, there are people today whose sole purpose is the pursuit of happiness. You may be able to handle that kind of life. I can't. Principle and truth are more important to me.
[I added the story of the good Brahmin to the email, but I don't add it here to make the post more readable. http://www.philosophicalsociety.com/Archives/Voltaire's%20Story%20Of%20The%20Good%20Brahmin.htm]
His response Dear Never a JW,I wish you would not consider my avoiding some subjects as a lack of desire for truth orprinciple. I am completely dedicated to these.
I realize now that one of the sources of our disagreements is that you are in pursuit truth, whereas I feel sure that I have found it.
Once we are thoroughly convinced we have arrived at the truth, further searching would not only be fruitless, but and we may even be led, due to the enthusiasm of discovery, to dislodging the truth we have correctly acquired.
"Make sure of all things: hold fast to what is fine."
