Are witnesses even trying anymore?

by megaboy 22 Replies latest jw experiences

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  megaboy

  Havent had an encounter with a witness in a while, almost 10 years, though at this point I could run circles around them in the scriptures, this encounter was very strange.

  Was eating with my son at a coffee shop, guy comes up using it as an opening. I'm use to this because people find my son beautiful so I was open to him. Gives me a flyer and I immediately knew what he was about, I was waiting for him to use a scripture but he didn't, he just said that it had websites with cartoons that teach morals, I told him I was perfectly capable of teaching my child morals and that my ancestors were the very people who penned the morals of the book he is promoting, guy got out of there before I could finish, just thanked him for his time and he flew off.

  Didn't even use scriptures... I remember encountering younger ones who used scriptures. Whats happening to these guys?
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  Simon

  I think they have caught on that the vast majority of people just see people quoting scriptures as "odd" (bible bashers) and just don't find it appealing.

  They are selling the lifestyle and brotherhood way more than the religious beliefs which, let's face it, change pretty often - often enough to be really discounted as viable in any way.

  They do often seem weak when it comes to being able to argue or reason with the bible. They usually know a couple of headline verses but if you link any parts together or show scriptures that contradict something they have claimed they are immediately and thoroughly lost.
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  OUTLAW

  Are witnesses even trying anymore?

  Whats happening to these guys?

  JW`s Have Found Easier Ways To Preach..
  

  
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  sir82

  Whats happening to these guys?

  No education: Decades of "literature" dumbed down to the point that it is essentially meaningless. This is a result of an intense interest in having "literature" easily translatable into hundreds of languages that far less than 1% of the earth's population speak.
  

  No urgency: Decades of being promised that paradise is coming "soon". Lots of witnesses have seen their grandparents die, their parents die, and themselves approaching death, all while waiting for more than a century for something that is supposed to come "soon".

  No training: JWs are no longer taught in their meetings how to reason on scriptures, or anything really. Sample presentations are banal assertions of specious "facts", followed by an offer of even more banal "literature". A "sophisticated" presentation consists of "Here, watch this video on my 3 inch phone screen, then visit this website."
  

  No morale: Seeing their fat & happy GB leaders on "JW TV" flashing gold watches and traveling all over the world in first class accommodations, while they themselves struggle paycheck to paycheck. Seeing the double standards as elders & their families get away with stuff while Suzy Single-mom gets berated for "not doing more".
  
  
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  jambon1

  They all look thoroughly dead behind the eyes to me.

  Clinging on to a religion who's generation doesn't have the longevity to remember when the JW religion was having its 'glory years'. And even that era has been openly exposed as having been built on false prophecy & outright lies.

  A religion which is very easily blown apart with simple facts and logic. This is why they run away so quickly form any significant challenge.

  A generation of people simply going through the motions to keep up appearances, all the while questioning daily the validity of their entire belief system, challenged every passing day with reminders of how out of sink and backward their beliefs are.

  When I think about the mental gymnastics they have to go through it really does depress me.

  Live your lives for goodness sake! It's going to be over before you know it.
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  Sanchy

  simon and sir82 hit the nail on the head!
  
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  kairos

  they know they are wrong.

  talking to you would confirm that.

  they hope to be right someday.
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  stuckinarut2

  They are really only out witnessing because it is expected of them. The social currency of witnesses is their field service time.

  If any were honestly asked if they REALLY want to be out, the answer would be NO.

  So, when out, they take the easiest path....which is to give a leaflet and run....
  
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  Arthur Others

  Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending any of them, but is it possible he just wasn't interested in flexing his ego? I remember being in a number of situations out in service where I geniunely wanted to spread more information about love for each other, etc. and the other person was just interested in the "I know more scripture than you" argument. I would just smile and say thanks for the time and move on. But turns out the organization I was going out in service for, wasn't on the same wave length as I was when it came to practicing unconditional love for each other. I learned the hard way.

  Like I said, not defending the guy. You were there in person so you know more about his vibe than any of us. I will agree though that there are many who are not trying very hard. I think that's why there's a push for more MS and Elders, at least in my area. One Elder from an old hall made it very clear to me, that if I came back to my old hall I'd be fast tracked to becoming an MS because they needed a lot of help in the congregation. I said no thanks because I'm not interested in shaving my facial hair. I was being sarcastic when I said it of course, but it was truthful.
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  Fairlane

  My last encounter with the cart brigade the ' brother ' said "we dont hold the magazines out in front anymore but wait till they (the public) approach the cart" ?? Definitely less effort required its too much to hold a magazine in front !!