Ending Bible Study (page 3)

Wasanelder Once

Maria, by stopping your studies you will force their hand and they will show you just how conditional their friendships are. Once they do you won't have any problem seeing where their loyalty lies. In reality you are a notch on someone's belt.

slimboyfat

Thank you for the thread. It provides an interesting contrast with the “how to end a Bible Study” video shown at the KH.

The item at the KH was concerned about making “efficient” use of time, plus the idea that stopping the study may apply pressure on the person to “progress”. How the person feels about breaking off a personal connection was not explored as an important consideration.

You on the other hand are concerned about the individuals studying with you, the time they’ve spent on your study, how they will feel about stopping, and even wonder if it may impact them in the congregation when you stop the study.

You should be glad you are strong and wise enough to stop this study at a point where you can accurately assess the human dimensions to such situations without being stifled in the Watchtower mould of evaluating everything in terms of Watchtower ideology and adherence. It’s a dehumanising process, as this particular scenario, viewed from either side, illustrates.

As a practical matter, it is my observation that non-Witness Bible Studies can sometimes maintain good contact with their study conductor and the congregation for years or even decades, just so long as they don’t promote strikingly apostate ideas. It depends on the particular JWs involved, of course, but JWs in general are much more forgiving about non-baptised people coming and going in the KH than baptised members. Sometimes excuses and stories are made for such people that saves face on both sides, such as “they would be in the truth if only they... could stop smoking/were not afraid of the ministry/didn’t face family opposition/weren’t so busy with work” or whatever. It’s a kind of fiction agreed upon by both sides in order to keep friendly contact by explaining the failure to get baptised in terms other than a simple rejection of Watchtower ideology.

Steel

I hope you saw how it really just teaches the unique legalisms and dogmas of the WTS with a sprinkling of bible verses with no real understanding of the bible narrative.

Nothing you learned would be comparable to a bible school or theological collage.

smiddy3

And to quote a wise person on this board who said some time ago ,

"The only power they have over you is the power you give them "

You are your own person ,do what you want to do and not what you think others want you to do .

stand up for yourself .

and be your own person.

Black Sheep

You don't have to tell them to go away. You can ask them a question they don't like the answer to, then insist that they answer it without morphing the question into another question they would rather answer. If you spot them using dishonesty to weasel their way out of answering your question, give them a guilt trip for it.

Do this until they either leave the JWs, or until they leave you alone.

blondie

It is good that you came to this conclusion before you were baptized. As your teacher told you, when you stop studying with her, she will not see you much any more except to drop by and see if you have changed your mind about studying. She can count that time and a return visit then. Just be firm and eventually she will stop coming. Other jws might call on you in the future as they do their so-called door to door work. Just politely refuse and let them go to the next house; no need to explain anything to them.

I left the WTS 18 years ago because I could no longer support their unloving doctrines and beliefs. You sound like a loving person not to believe that only jws can be your friend.

Blondie

smiddy3

Could you give us all some examples as to what questions to ask them Black Sheep ?

That they don`t like to answer to ?

It would be much appreciated ,especially for newbies .

The Fall Guy

Maria, ask them any of the following "inconvenient truths", and you will quickly be asked where you got this information from. When you say "the internet", expect to be warned that your study will end if you continue reading such apostate material.

You won't have to stop the study - your conductor will. JW's will then shun you as if you were an apostate.

1) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that the "vile things" spoken of at John 5:29

will be practiced during Christ's 1000 years reign?

bh p. 214 par. 3 - "...the judgment will not focus on what people did before they died.....individuals will be judged on the basis of what they do during Judgment Day."

uw chap. 9 p. 76 par. 12 - "They will be “judged individually according to their deeds” performed after their resurrection."

2) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that only elders are permitted to talk with disfellowshipped about the Bible?

wt 15 4/15 p. 31 - "For the sake of reminding disfellowshipped ones of how they can return

to Jehovah, elders may periodically visit those who have given some evidence of changing

their ways."

Why are J.W. friends/relatives forbidden from doing likewise?

3) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that the tribulations of Revelation 7:14 & Matthew 24:21 are one and the same?

The great tribulation of Revelation 7:14 is contextually a reference to the same great tribulation mentioned five chapters previously at Revelation 2:22. Jesus said the GT of Matthew 24 would not occur again.

4) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that the Catholic church's practice of voluntarily confessing to a priest is unscriptural?

J.W.'s are compelled to confess their sins - to three elders.

Matthew 18:15-17 says nothing about elders being involved when someone commits a serious sin.

5) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that the "two witnesses" mentioned in Revelation chapter 11 were J.F. Rutherford and his companions who got jailed and then released in 1919?

Watchtower November 15, 2014, p. 30 - Revelation 11:7 says that it is "the wild beast that ascends out of the abyss" which kills the 'two witnesses'.

Since the wild beast is claimed to be the United Nations, how could a non-existent U.N. (which originated in 1945) fulfil a prophecy 26 years earlier?

6) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that researching and examining doctrines & teachings should be forbidden?

km 9/07 p. 3 Question Box - "Does “the faithful and discreet slave” endorse independent groups of Witnesses who meet together to engage in Scriptural research...? No, it does not."

7) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that "God's laws" depend upon an individual's home address?

wt 88 4/15 p. 28, pars. 13,14 - ".....since his being disfellowshipped does not end their blood ties...... normal family affections and dealings can continue...............The situation is different if the disfellowshipped or disassociated one is a relative living outside the immediate family circle and home."

Why do disfellowshipped J.W.'s who live at home continue to have a normal family life, but if they move out of that address, their family must regard them as dead and cut them off?

8) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that foreigners were not participants of the Law Covenant?

wt 98 2/1 p.19, par. 6 - "Further, other sheep lay hold of the new covenant just as foreigners of old laid hold of the Law covenant. In what way? Not by becoming participants in it but by submitting to the laws associated with it and benefiting from its arrangements."

Deuteronomy 29:10-15 clearly rejects this teaching:

9) Why does the "faithful slave" teach that Christians have to witness for Jehovah?

Every scripture tells Christians to witness for Christ. Not one says for God.

Coded Logic

Initially, I liked the studies and felt that I was growing closer to God. However, as the studies progressed, they seemed to become increasingly negative and I did not like what I was being taught.

This is an incredibly thoughtful and well spoken response to what's going on. I can't think of a better thing for you to say to those studying with you. Just be honest with them - they probably have no idea how you feel.

There's no need for subterfuge or passive responses. You're clearly more than capable of expressing yourself. :)

breakfast of champions

Congratulations Maria! Using your own conscience and some critical thinking skills, you've just dodged a bullet.

You were almost recruited by a fundamentalist doomsday cult.

Ending Bible Study

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