So I went out today with my broken leg and got accosted by an old lady, with some magazines.
It was my first ever encounter with a JW in ten years, and I had said 'I know you are JW's, I'm not interested thank you." Twice.....then she started talking about my broken leg and how wonderful we are made and how amazing the healing process is.... And that's when it all started...."I used to be a bethelite pioneer, now I'm an atheist doctor..."
I said I felt ashamed that I was ever a JW and said all people think of with JW's is blood transfusions and paedophilia, and that was s heavy blow to her, she looked at me melancholic and said in an embarrassed and somewhat upset tone..."really?" I had non JW's with me that reaffirmed what I said.
They tied themselves in knots talking about other religions they were in decades ago that could never answer their bible questions, expected them to just "have faith" .,..... But then admitted they didn't NEED to question of check anything the JWs told them, so I asked what real progress they had made since the religion they used to be in?
She said she wasn't judgmental and that the JW's weren't, then 5 mins later denounced all scientists as biased and atheist, I then said that most scientists are religious and that she shouldn't judge what amounts to millions of people without meeting them.
I ended by saying, I don't know how you walk up and down this promenade whilst admitting to me here that you don't need to research anything you have been told by your religious leaders, I said it was improper and unconscionable.
I said, I am sure much that I have told you has scared you and you will dwell on it, I am more sure that you will be too afraid to check anything I have told you ......and that..... should say more than anything I have said.
I eventually wished her well, shook her hand and she wandered back to her elder husband that hated that I did not respect his 40 years as a JW, and that 'no' his 40 years did not hold any water or authority with me. He actually said he didn't need to read books to reaffirm anything, I said we were very different people. He wasn't used to being treated as an equal and didn't like defending his silly answers. He must have said '40' years five times, like that means anything,
The cowardly elder threw up the white flag, she was desperate to hear everything I said, whilst pretending she didn't want to and knowingly making empty gestures at defences. For example, when I explained that the military company was owned by what watchtower call a mistake etc, she loved that, then I said.... Well I expected better than that from them and she said, yes, I do too really. When I explained 1914 coming from the length of a pyramid corridor, she laughed at me, so I told her it was her failing to not know that after 40 years .....and I could tell she believed me, so then she said maybe God had it made by the Jews that way and had Russell measure it ...and all I had to say was ....come on..... I went on to talk about there being no evidence of Israelites even being in Egypt, not one historian, not one history book, and same with 607 be, I even went into how she could worship a God that commanded rape, slavery, murder, war and said I am sure you think these same things and don't dare face the questions and she hesitantly nodded along.
i felt sorry for them, though it sounds like it was confrontational, it wasn't I was very respectful, very direct and gave fact, fact, fact, fact and references, three times she asked me if I was DF'd because she was so disturbed by everything I was saying.
I can't lie and it sounds like I'm showing off, but it was a proper JW ass whooping and I was proud that it was me giving it, not for any other reason than how different I am now to who I was. Again, I was being friendly, nice and wanted her to hear it all so repeatedly talked of respecting her and understanding her difficult position.
i talked about candice, about the recent UK case, about how rife paedophilia was in the JW's, she said it couldn't be helped and I simply said 'by their fruits you will know them'.I talked about the domestic abuse and alcoholism rife also, I talked about the governing body being unapproachable and anecdotally unpleasant, I talked about crisis of conscience and franz, the elder said 'he was disfellowshipped' my friend said 'what does that mean?' So I said 'kicked out' my friend laughed and said ...well of course he was! We talked about money, the stock market etc etc.
I know for sure it will all have gone straight through one ear and out the other,but for sure I could see it hitting heart strings and knocking stuff over as it traveled through.
It felt empowering but also a little mean, but also like I had done a good deed. Very odd.
Then we went to the pub..... I couldn't get up the step with my broken leg, you win this time Satan, damn you.