Loss of a Jehovah’s Witness who I considered a friend (page 3)

Ding

Ironically, the 1970s directive to discontinue a study after 6 months if the person wasn't ready to be baptized was based on the WT's teaching that 1975 would bring Armageddon.

It's been nearly 50 years since then.

Your JW friend is doing what the Governing Body (via their puppets, the elders) to do. Very doubtful she want to cease the study, especially if she is older and it gives here the "warm & fuzzy" to be teaching someone about the Bible (or at least about JW doctrine, which isn't always scriptural).

If she is a pioneer, she will most likely want to keep on with the study as it is "easy hours" to count towards her quota for each month.

Fallen_Winter

@ DesirousOfChange,

She is in her late 30’s and I am in my mid 40’s. She grew up in the truth and was baptized approximately 20 years ago. She is a pioneer but not a full time pioneer. Our study would occur every Sunday from 2:00pm through 4:30pm and sometimes even 5:00pm. This has occurred for approximately two years. I thought that Jehovah’s Witnesses were no longer counting hours.

@ slimboyfat,

I agree with you. I do believe that she is under pressure from a group overseer or elder to end the study if I am not progressing to baptism. I was never opposed to baptism but right now I do not want to commit to attending meetings consistently. Meetings are not a priority to me and there are other things that I would prefer to do as opposed to attending meetings. I believe that there was more behind her tears than what I know. She may feel embarrassed that she invested so much time and I never progressed towards baptism. She may have also encountered criticism or judgement from other Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Elders or an Overseer because I didn’t progress to baptism.

There was a meeting that occurred the day prior to our study and I didn’t attend. She questioned me as to why I didn’t attend and inquired as to what I had been doing on said day. I felt as if she was being invasive.

peacefulpete

I realize that there are many motives for "studying" with the JWs. Truth is not one of them. For most churches including the JWs, 'Truth' is a brand. You are not studying the Bible you are being groomed (not sexually but emotionally and intellectually), led to a conclusion, a belief system and the keys to that are information control, emotional investment, and repetition. Genuine pursuit of knowledge with intellectual honesty involves unstructured questions about evidence and historicity. It involves use of reference works and professional scholarship, a diversity of voices and opinions.

You are now in a vulnerable position, your emotional ties and use of their sectarian lingo such as describing the church as 'the Truth" suggest you were almost fully indoctrinated/initiated. Some instinct for self-preservation/protection deep within you prevented full compliance. Listen to it.

Someday this experience might be a mere footnote of your life, the time you almost got sucked into a high control sect.

NotFormer

"During her closing prayer, she said that she would like to be my friend forever."

Running that through the JW filter, it probably means she wants you to be baptised and join, so you will survive Armageddon and live forever with her and the other JWs.

NotFormer

"She grew up in the truth..." She grew up in a JW family, not in the truth.

Jeffro

Fallen_Wintee:

She is a pioneer but not a full time pioneer. … I thought that Jehovah’s Witnesses were no longer counting hours.

JWs no longer need to report their number of hours as a minimum requirement to be counted as active members, they just have to tick a box to say they did any amount of preaching each month. However, pioneers (including ‘auxiliary’ pioneers) still have an hour requirement, so they have to report their time.

NotFormer

"However, pioneers (including ‘auxiliary’ pioneers) still have an hour requirement, so they have to report their time."

She was probably happy to while away pleasant hours with the OP in order to fill out her hours, but as speculated throughout this thread, it sounds like someone has pulled the plug on that. It's an ingenious system, in its own sinister way. By requiring the reporting of exactly what is being done where and with whom, it can highlight possible friendships blossoming outside the hall, and such things can be quashed accordingly.

Konagirl

Fallen__Winter,

Hopefully you are sensing hypocrisy in what you experienced, and in the information/experiences that has been given to you by others here. That's really just the tip of the iceberg.

“In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.”Luke 12:1-2

The “leaven” is referring to anything - any teaching, directive, doctrine that lies outside of the word of God in Christ.

Longlivetherenegades

In simple terms, Jehovah's witnesses conduct Bible studies to make those persons eventually become Jehovah's witnesses. If you declare that you want Bible studies with Jehovah's witnesses from day 1 but added the clause that you will never join their membership. Such Bible study is dead on arrival. They won't come or waste their time studying the Bible with you.

Loss of a Jehovah’s Witness who I considered a friend

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