Elsewhere, if anyone can relate to your situation, I certainly can.
Like you, I am an atheist following my exit from the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Like you, I have a brother whom I tried to reason with by showing the glaring contradictions and hypocrisy so apparent within Watchtower doctrine.
In initial conversations (in which he attempted to "counsel me" and "encourage me to return" as any JW alpha-male subservient to the WTS is instructed to do) I was polite and very concise in my comments. I attempted to be subtle, and to allow him to think for himself instead of anything I said specifically being labeled as "apostate."
For example, courtesy of http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com
I used topics of conversation which only showed absolute contradictions in the JW belief system as pointed out in the very literature alleged to be overseen theocratically and inspired by God himself. Thankfully, due to my family being in the JW religion for well over 40 years, I have access to the printed bound volumes and decades old magazines which show these quotations are no falsehood perpetrated by "those who would oppose Jehovah's organization" but instead all exact text as printed and distributed by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.
Over the period of several weeks...
I discussed exclusivity:
http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/exclusivity.htm
organ transplants:
http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/medical.htm
vacillation on rape:
http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/rape_is_fornication.htm
http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/rape_not_fornication.htm
1975:
http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1975.htm
complete with the annual bound volume quotations opened up and laid out to the very page for him to read.
To my dismay, this effort was to no avail, for every time he would "turn the blinders on" and make excuses for the WTS and it's FDS even at the risk of sounding irrational and foolish. (which was often the case)
In a desperate attempt to show him more (he has an infant child I did not want subject to this madness with a stolen childhood as I was), we discussed a host of other subjects later including UN affiliation, Russell's gravesite, the more recent silentlambs scandal, etc.
He would hear none of it. To he and millions like him the Watchtower Society and Jehovah's Witnesses are above reproach and the only true religion.
If anything good came from the matter, I am now relieved that I tried to save him, and I showed him the facts, even if he did not want to hear it.
Despite this, in his demonstration of love so exemplary of Jehovah's Witnesses, he chose to personally villify me and state that I a vehement opposer of God and worthy of death. I suppose he is worthy to judge eh? He ranted on perhaps to goad me that it would be such a shame after Armaggedon to have to explain to our deceased grandparents that I was eternally destroyed, but they would get over it. He then proceeded to use my infant nephew as leverage and adamantly inform me that I would have no relationship with him whatsoever.
Loving indeed.
So, this goes to show once someone has been indoctrinated to such a degree, it is extremely difficult to reach them. In fact, for whatever reason, be it fear of change or losing family and friends, some people do not want to change, or do not want their perception of reality complete with it's comforting sense of security to be removed, even if it is a false one.
Simply put, they would rather live a lie.
My heart goes out to you Elsewhere. Unless you experience it personally, it is difficult to relate to the anguish wrought down upon people when seeing their immediate family members remain victims of a destructive cult.
Edited by - Reborn2002 on 20 December 2002 17:27:41
