Last November the elders paid me a visit. They invited back into the fold of the JWs. Anyway, we ended up having an interesting discussion that lasted about an hour and a half. And then I used my usual method to make a point without being overly direct. I wanted to show them that they were loyal to an organization even over truth. The conversation went like this:
DUDE: I believe you should put the truth first no matter what. Don't you believe that?
(ELDER BEAMS HAPPILY!)
ELDER: Yes! It's the truth we have to put first. That's right!
DUDE: But I sometimes found in the JWs that that didn't always happen. Let me show you what I mean. Let's say you believed the blood issue was completely wrong the way the Society taught it. And let's say you knew --
ELDER: But we believe abstaining from blood is correct!
DUDE: I know you do. But this is a fair question. The Society has reversed itself a number of times on medical issues and we don't know what they will change in the future. So I want to ask you what you would do in this situation.
ELDER: Okay.
DUDE: If you knew...I mean, you knew absolutely that the blood doctrine was completely false, and you were sure it was false, as sure as you are that God's name is Jehovah, and you were as sure it was wrong as sure as you are Jesus is the son of God, and you had a brother or sister in the congregation who was going to die without a blood transfusion, or it was someone in your own family that was dying, would you tell that person what you knew was the truth, or would you keep supporting the Society's viewpoint, even though you knew it was wrong?
VERY AWKWARD PAUSE
ELDERS BEGIN TO LOOK EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE
FINALLY....
ELDER: Well.....Jerry......I.....would.....hope -- I....would.....hope that I could continue to show appreciation.....for.....being....in....Jehovah's organization and stay loyal to it.
DUDE: So you would let that brother or sister die, and you would keep silent?
ELDER: Well.....I....would.....hope......that....I.... that I could maintain my loyalty to Jehovah and support his organization.
DUDE: Even if that brother or sister died needlessly?
ELDER: Well....um.....yes......
ELDER'S EXPRESSION IS ONE OF CONFUSION AND FEAR
ELDER: Yes. I think so. Yes. Because Jehovah could ressurect that person.
At this point they were practically speechless. They wanted to leave and I didn't try to keep them at my doorstep anymore. They mentioned something about coming back next year to invite me back.
I have asked the above scenario to a number of JWs: Pioneers, elders, Bethelite, and one of the annointed. They have always consistently answed if they knew the blood issue was completely wrong, they would support it even at the cost of a death of a family member, a dear friend in the congregation. The usual answer I get is, "I would have to support it, because this is Jehovah's organization."
So there you have it. The core belief of Jehovah's Witnesses is exactly what the leadership wants: LOYALTY TO THE WATCHTOWER LEADERSHIP AT *ALL* COSTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE WRONG, EVEN IF IT MEANS YOUR LIFE, EVEN IF IT MEANS YOUR FAMILY'S LIFE, EVEN IF IT MEANS YOUR FRIENDS' LIFE.
Try this simple question test on the next set of elders that visit you. You'll see what I mean. I haven't met one JW yet that answered differently.
Edited by - megadude on 9 August 2002 19:38:29