I was in my company vehicle and I spotted some JW's going from door to door.
I circled around the block and pulled over. When they passed, I rolled down the
window and asked the pleasant looking middle aged couple as they passed, if they were Jehovah's
Witnesses. They seemed pleased that I recognized this and came right over. It was raining,
she had an umbrella and he was wearing a trench coat and Indiana Jones type hat, so they didn't mind standing there.
We had a long friendly chat and they were really nice.
In the few JW' encounters I've had, I've tried to remember how it felt to be in their
position, that of trying to stick up for Jehovah and the Organization using, what I realize now, were flimsy doctrines and half truths. I
have a soft spot in my heart for the ones on the in the trenches, doing the day to day grind. So I try to approach the conversations I've had, in a way that lets them know I'm on their side in a way, because I've been where they are, myself.
Here's how it went. (sorry if this ends up being too long to read)
Me: (wink wink) I thought you were JW's, I can spot you guys a mile away ha ha.
Them: ha ha ha !
Me: I used to be a life long Witness myself but left about 5 years ago…kind of a long story….
Them: ooooh (sigh) really ???
Me: Yeah, so it's been awhile since I've been to a meeting or read anything….anyway, I was wondering what the word is, now that it's 2014 and the generation that was alive in 1914 are all gone.
Them: Ohhh Yes…(excited) it's been 100 years since 1914 and yes, they're gone.. Do you still think the world will end soon?
Me: Well, who can really say...especially me? I figure there's no reason I shouldn't be part of whatever good thing God may have in store for us so I just don't worry about it like I used to .
I just wondered what everyone is saying now because I was taught since childhood, that the end would come before those folks died out and I went around telling everyone that….yikes…kinda embarrassing (laughing ..rolling eyes)
Them: Ha Ha….Well we know it must be really close now right ??? ha ha ha
Me : But they are all gone….I was taught that it would happen before they passed away.
Them: Well there are still some of them left…
Me: Ha Ha not too many 100 year olds runnin' around these days.
Them: Well….(looking very sheepish) the Society is really staying away from dates now and the current thinking these days is that a generation could also include younger ones who lived
at the same time as those as those who were born in 1914 (both looking very embarrassed having said this out loud)
Me: (smiling) Well it's probably a good idea they're staying away from actual dates...they've made some pretty big claims in the past. Laughingly I said….I fell for it hook line and sinker. I trusted my Mom and the other adults
and built my whole life around the idea that the end was right around the corner. I even went to Bethel…. I knew a lot of the Governing Body members back then and sat at the GB table at Bethel.
I knew back then those Sons of Guns would find a way to explain their way out of 1914 if it didn't pan out…ha ha
Them: Ha Ha well…I've thought the same thing you're thinking, but seriously...we do know it must be getting very close.
Me: (smiling) Yeah, I was a kid when the whole 1975 thing was going on and I never expected to get out of school let alone be the father of two grown Sons. Ha Ha...If I'd have known some of the things I know
now about the Society, I'd never have taken it all so seriously. It would have been nice to have grown up with out worrying about the Big A all the time .
Them: What made you leave ?
Me: I said it was a "perfect storm" of events. I explained how my (studying) non JW Father listened to the Brothers and died not taking a blood transfusion when he had surgery. How less than 2 years later the Society began allowing blood fractions, which could have saved him.
Them : Oooh Nooo….gasp !
Me: Yeah it was a horrible death for such a good man to have had to experience. My younger sister was in the hospital room when it happened . He woke up out of his semi coma , scrambled down to the end of the bed and grabbed onto her neck and begged her to help him. The rest of us walked in just as he slumped over in her arms. My sister has been a wreck ever since. A few the brothers said that Dad would be resurrected because he died faithful to Jehovah, but when we asked them to use the K.Hall for his memorial they said no because he wasn't baptized.
Them: That's terrible….oh my gosh !
Me: Shortly after that my the oldest of my two young Sons and his fiancé, tearfully came to my Wife and I to tell us they had slept together. We advised them to talk to the Elders and assured them they'd be fair especially since they were repentant and had come forward. Instead to our shock, they were disfellowshipped but it took them about 3 weeks to decide this. During that time, my Son found a lump on his testicle but because of everything that was going on, he ignored it and not wanting to cause his Mom and I any more worry, he didn't say anything to us about it. After they were DF'd our son was diagnosed with a bad form of Testicular Cancer. He underwent surgery, Chemo and a stint in intensive care where we almost lost him. None of the JW's helped him or us or came to visit. The only help we got was from worldly neighbors and coworkers. They were the best. The last meeting I ever attended was the Memorial. Our Son who was ravaged by Chemo, bald sick and thin forced himself to attend. We listened to the talk about Jesus loving sacrifice and the forgiveness of our sins and saw 200+ people we've known forever, walk past our son as if he didn't exist. (I started to get choked up just thinking about all that again)
Them: Gasp... Ohhhh noooo !
Me: That's when I realized there is something very very wrong about a religion that could encourage people to be so heartless and vindictive . We've never been back. It took them nearly 3 years before they came looking for us. The Circuit Overseer came by and I told him the same thing I just told you. He was shocked and seemed perplexed that such a thing could happen. He asked me if I would like the latest magazines. I asked him why he would think I'd ever want to read anything published by an organization that would cause such pain to my family and countless others ? You are out recruiting new members when lifelong Witnesses are dying on the vine
Them: I can't believe he'd ask you that !
Me: Anyway now that we've left, we've been able to learn things about the founders of the religion and the origin of some of the doctrines. Have you ever heard of Candace Conti.
Them: Noooo…..why?
Me: She's the one of many young people who grew up as JW's and were molested by congregation members and it was hidden from the authorities. Candace Conti won in the neighborhood of 28 million in a lawsuit against the Society which is being appealed. Google her name , read up about it and ask yourself why you haven't heard about this from the platform.
Anyway, It went on and on back and forth. They really listened and from their facial expressions and body language, I could tell they knew exactly what I was talking about and had the same feelings themselves. I talked to them about how upset I was to find out too late, so many things I should have known about the Organization I based my whole life around. How if I had only been allowed to look into things from all angles, I could have made my own mind up instead of being tricked by one-sided information. I told them I researched Cults and learned that the recruiting tactics and the experience of those who leave them are much the same as JW's.
The car group drove by so they had to go but they told me their Son is disfellowshipped…it involved a divorce apparently. He doesn't want anything more to do with JW's . They said they still love him and talk to him on occasion. They told him to get rid of all his resentment and just have a good life….just ….have ….a good….life. The Sister said to me " You are such a kind man and have been hurt badly, please try to leave it behind, go out and make new friends and be happy and just live the best life you can" He repeated that line as well. I told them that it's hard not to have friends anymore and it's hard at this stage in life to explain to potential friends why you don't know anybody. Even so, I'm freer and have more peace of mind than I've had in my whole life and you can't put a price on that.
They both shook my hand and said they were glad I talked to them.
I wonder what the car group conversation was on the way back to the Hall and if anyone will Google Candace Conti.