Ending Bible Study

by Maria Nieves 79 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Incognito

  The fact that you are concerned with repercussions for stopping a 'bible study', should in itself indicate to you that something is wrong.

  I highlight 'bible study' as you may not have initially recognized, you were likely not studying the bible but were studying Watchtower publications which sometimes refer to New World Translation (JW bible) passages, often out of context.

  It is your right to stop any activity you do not wish to do. While you express concern over wasting their time, your conductor counted her time spent with you. JWs knock on doors and conduct studies as a means of counting time in preaching, to measure how spiritual they are.

  You are not a baptised JW so there is no penalty to stop the study as you will return to be a person of the world.
  
• 

  ToesUp

  My niece recently stopped studying. She is baptized but drifted away years ago. She won't tell me why she stopped studying but did mention to me that she feels ignored by most in the congregation she attended. She remains in contact with her study conductor, whom she really thinks highly of.

  I don't want to be cruel to my niece but once the witnesses see that you are not "progressing" in your studies they re encouraged to drop you as a study. What is meant by "progressing?" You must attend meetings, field service, assemblies and you must become one of them. Just tell them you are not interested in studying and they eventually will leave you alone. There are some very nice JW's but once you let them know you will not move forward with the religion, they will be nice but guarded by your presence.

  My niece thinks highly of her conductor but once she did not "progress" they way they wanted her, they pretty much dropped her. Me, being a born in JW, I knew this would happen eventually.

  My spouse and I are born in JW's and left the religion 6 years ago. It was the best decision we ever made. We lost all of our "friends" and our family treats us very differently. Some will have nothing much to do with us. Our children too. We are not disfellowshipped, we just left the religion. No sin committed. This is how they are encouraged to treat ex members. It is sad but true.

  Getting away from them will be the BEST thing that ever happened to you. Trust us!
• 

  FedUpJW

  I no longer want to continue studying but I don't have the courage to say that to the Witnesses.

  As another comment suggested, ask your "teacher" to show you the video about stopping unproductive studies. Then ask them if THEY would do that to someone just because the person was not "progressing". Then when they say "Yes", quit the meetings, start not being home when they show up, and tell them when they ask what is going on that you have no intention of ever getting baptized.

  The only studies they consider to be progressive are the ones who they believe will become baptized, and a feather in their WT hat to brag about, "I brought so-and-so into Da Troof!"
  
• 

  john.prestor

  Incognito, well said. It means at some level you worry that they'll get angry with you or try to shame you. Real friends don't do that.
• 

  Listener

  I picked up this idea elsewhere and thought it was a good suggestion.

  You could get the JW a small gift and thank them for the studies that you have had together. Explain that you've gone as far as you are happy with and don't feel you would get anything out of studying any further.

  By giving a gift you allow yourself to feel less guilty and your kindness makes easier when you meet in public.

  Not that you should feel guilty anyway. As already mentioned, you should have been dropped as a study long ago as you weren't 'progressing' by their standards and that is what they have been told to do. Also, the JW was doing nothing extraordinary as they've been trained to do this. They record their study time and get to mark it down as a study. They report this to their Elders with pride. It's not just in your interest that they have been doing this in the first place. They also expect that most of their studies will not get baptised eventually.

  Currently it takes over 12,000 witnessing hours to get one new recruit and that new recruit may be a family member so it takes many more hours to recruit others.
• 

  smiddy3

  You have given them hours of YOUR time that they report monthly.

  In other words they have wasted your time by not being up front with you that it is/was there goal to get you baptized into there religion .

  Don`t feel guilty about it.Once you stop associating with them at meetings they will drop you like a sack of potatoes showing there true colours.
  
  
• 

  Dunedain

  It was very perceptive of you, and most likely what raised some "alarms", when you noticed that their "rules" seemed wrong.

  The WTBS "rules" of not allowing any association with "worldly" outsiders of the religion, and claiming that ONLY JW's are clean, are tactics used in most high control Cults.

  Many, unfortunately, realize this too late. They get suckered in by the "love bombing" and the appearance of true study, but it is the furthest thing from the truth. Many dont pick up on the signs that this is a cult, and once baptized in, you cannot get out, except under penalty.

  Constantly drilling and brain washing that they are the ONLY ones who will be saved, and that all non JWs will die, including children and babies, is the tactics of a cult.

  You were VERY lucky to see this BEFORE you went further. Take advantage of this, and stop that study. Your life will forever be free, and you and your family will be grateful.
• 

  Nambo

  Another tactic, seem interested still but get them to want to stop the study by acting like an apostate.
  

  All you have to do is ask some awkward questions that Witnesses get very uncomfortable with, plenty here will give you examples. You might even help your study conductor to "see the light".

  For instance, with the Memorial coming up, you could ask in a genuine and polite manner, ""Why do Witnesses not drink the wine or eat the bread when it plainly says at John Chapter 6 v 53 "So Jesus said to them: "Most truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.u 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrectv him on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink." and as verse 31 and 49 likens this to the Manna that kept the Hebrews alive in the wilderness, plainly this isn't just for the Priestly class?""
• 

  Ding

  There are a lot of things you might say, but I think the best way to end the study is simply to make a clean break and end it.

  The more you talk with them, the more they will try to keep you talking and get you back into the study.

  Now that you've decided you don't want to become a JW, be firm about it and get out.

  You can be polite, but remember that you are in charge of your own life.

  You don't owe them any explanations or apologies.

  Head for the door and keep on going.
  
• 

  Tobyjones262

  WTF tell them you don't like the religion and are moving on. The old saying a brave person dies once and a coward dies many times. There is nothing to be afraid of here. They are nothing and you can just say I don't believe in what you are teaching me. Get a pizza and a movie and forget about it.