What is the Best Way to Reach a Witness? (page 2)

logansrun

Perhaps trying a brain transplant?

hehe...j/k

Bradley

gumby

Phantom....The first link came up ok for me. It is the sites search engine for topics.

Gumby

Phantom Stranger

How's yours taking, bradley?

Or did you mean a "thought" transplant?

Phantom Stranger

I was more smart-alecky than I wish to be on that last post.

I just hate the smell of "we're-so-smart, we left - they're so dumb, they're still in it." We were in it until we were strong and brave enough to leave, and castigating others for not following our footsteps on our schedule is a bit righteous.

After all, how many did we ignore and shun before we "woke up"?

logansrun

PS,

I said I was j/k

B.

marriedtodamob

Phantom, that is not at all what this thread is about. JT echos the desire of many who truly love and care for a JW, or anyone who is completely brain washed by a cult. Although knowledge is wisdom, no amount of scriptural or doctrinal knowledge on a non-JW's part will work.

This fable comes to mind, and I am certain many here know it: One day the Mighty Wind proposed a challenge to his brother the Sun. "You see that man walking down there with his coat so tightly wrapped around him? Let us see which one of us can get his coat off the fastest!" Brother Sun accepted the challenge, and proceeded to watch with keen interest as the Mighty Wind blew and blew his biggest and stongest breaths at the man. But, the man drew his coat tighter and tighter around him in response, leaning hard against the merciless wind.

The Sun laughing, said "Now it is my turn dear brother!" The Sun came out slowly, burning brighter and brighter until he reached full radiance. The man, looking up and around at the sudden change in weather, smiled and simply removed his coat.

'Nuf said...mobbie

SiouxWoman

Excuse me please, but what is a dub and a borg? Probably a really dumb question. But I love you all. I dont write much but I read here every day and you keep me feeling good Souix Woman

gumby

what is a dub and a borg?

A dub is a .... jw. Half of the letter w

The 'borg' is taken from Star Trek, representing the "Organisation" of JW's. It acts much the same.

I know....not knowing terms is a pain

Gumby

Mindchild

There have been some good points made in this thread in relationship to helping someone who is a Witness, help themselves to realize that they are victims of a mind virus. Perhaps it might help to also look at the person you are trying to help as a victim of these deleterious beliefs much like it was a physical illness. The way the human body overcomes a virus infection is by activating the immune system to recognize and destroy the foreign invaders. It also helps to keep the victim strong enough to fight off the infection. The Witness Mind Virus recognizes that to keep the victim down, it needs to supress the immune function (the ability to recognize harmful things and to mobilize the defenses to take out the invaders) and to keep the victim weak socially. This is why the rejection of all things NOT Watchtower friendly is a big deal, including relatives, loved ones, and friends.

I would think therefore, that the more association the victim had (positive and upbuilding association) and the more those outsiders passed on information help them to recognize the mind virus for what it is, and how to get rid of it, the quicker the recovery. A few examples of this from my own life experiences might support my point here.

A few years after I started attending college, I happened by chance to meet the first ex-JW I came across after I left the Borg. In our conversations, I asked her what was the defining moment of when she woke up to the truth about the "truth." She told me it was the result of an serious automobile accident right outside a Kingdom Hall during the Sunday Watchtower Study. Everyone in the congregation, including her, ran out of the Kingdom Hall because they heard a horrifc explosion. Two cars had collided head-on directly in front of the Kingdom Hall on a city street. Several of the victims were laying on the street with serious wounds and bleeding. The now ex-Witness, rushed out to the street and started helping people to stop the bleeding, but to her astonishment, nobody else in the entire congregation would help. She pleaded with them to get clothing to stop the bleeding of the victims, and nobody would help. She ended up tearing off her own clothing to use as emergency bandages. When this started to happen, everyone of the Witnesses went back inside the Kingdom Hall to finish the Watchtower Study. They never even bothered to call 911. She told me that one of the people she was trying to help died in her arms. That was the last day she ever walked in a Kingdom Hall, and I don't blame her one bit.

While this dramatic and true experience was pretty sensational and rare, just hearing about it from her made me furious with the Witnesses for their true disregard for life. I was already out then of course, but I know without a doubt that if I were an active Witness, I would have been both ashamed and "stumbled" by this inhuman reaction on the part of Witnesses. This suggests to me, that anytime there is a shocking news story regarding the Witnesses negative behavior, that we can file that away to use some day to give to some poor dub who doesn't have a clue. There are of course dozens of emotional hot button issues you can think of that might give a kick in the pants to a Witness. Too many of them at one time, might be overwhelming and defeat the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish. Perhaps doing it a little at a time might work, but it all depends upon the individual.

Just my two cents worth.

Skipper

Phantom Stranger

Just to show those who doubt I can post on-topic :)

The best way to reach a Jehovah's Witness is to talk with them right after they experience a large positive adjustment in their self-regard:

A) talk with them after they have engaged in some non-religious activity that requires thought, commitment, and rewarding hard work - attaining a degree, a certification, or reaching a level of expertise in a field. When we have accomplished something substantial, we become more confident and more sure of our own worth as an individual, and thus are more ready to make a choice that would require us to exist as individuals.

B) talk to them after they fall in love (note that this only works if their relationship is not "in love" with them because thay make a good trophy in the cong, but an actual romantic relationship. It doesn't have to be the love of their life (statistics say it's probably not) but again, being in a romantic relationship can dramatically increase our self-regard (even if only temporarily - strike while the iron is hot!)

We build beliefs, habits, and automatic reactions two ways - repetition (like the JWs) and by emotional involvement (also the JW's, but negatively - through fear of rejection). Your best results will be attained when communicating with someone who feels strong and capable - otherwise, they retreat into the shell.

But how do I get someone to this point, you ask? I don't think that you do... we all get there when we're ready, not when others want us to be ready.

What is the Best Way to Reach a Witness?

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