A bible study? Me? Well... okay!

by COMF 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  COMF

  I'm gearing up to get out of this protected, "inaccessible" apartment complex with its remote-cammed, sensor-driven gate and security patrol. I'm moving to a house. One in a residential neighborhood, with other houses around and a 7-11 on the corner and a mall a few blocks away and couples on Saturday walking very slowly carrying bookbags.

  I was reading Roamingfeline's post, "Do you know how to wait," in which she described an encounter with a new, nervous witness. I started picturing myself talking to a witness who comes to my door. This has only happened once before in all the time since I left the borg, and all I did was flirt subtly with the pretty lady hawking the mags. Not even overtly; just enough to give her a little tingly feeling and make her day brighter. :)

  But Roamingfeline mentioned return visits. That really sparked an idea. Return visits lead to bible studies, don't they? And bible students have questions.

  Well... witnesses have been repeatedly warned of the dangers of the internet... "Don't look! Don't look! Don't look!" So, how would a witness handle a situation where a newly interested one who is in the IT field (and makes a living from the internet) used the internet to do some background research on Jehovah's Witnesses?

  "You guys sparked my interest, so while I was waiting for you to come back, I did some research. Naturally, I've got some questions... okay. Could you explain this business about blood transfusions to me?"

  (let witness explain... don't interrupt)

  Okay, thanks... the reason I was asking is, I was noticing what a parallel there seems to be, between this policy on blood and the policy on vaccinations. Could you explain why one teaching was discarded and the other one kept? What? What do I mean about vaccinations? Wait, let me show you. Come over here to my desk. There's a website called 'freeminds.org'... let me bring it up in the browser here..."

  COMF
• 

  think41self

  Comf,

  ROTFPMP,

  That is too funny to imagine! I have been tempted myself to try to talk to them if they come to my door, but hadn't really given much thought to how I would go about introducing sensitive subjects.

  But the more I think about it...what a perfect opportunity...maybe the ONLY opportunity, to introduce little seeds of doubt into a dedicated Witness mind. When they are calling on an interested person, their guard is down, they are open to hearing about the other person...they even EXPECT to hear about their previous religion..or to answer questions about theirs!

  Great idea...I can't do it in the town I live in now...hehehe...I'm sure our house has been marked on the territory card as APOSTATE HOUSE...for God's sake don't go there! But maybe when we move.

  Tracy
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  Mulan

  Someone posted a similar idea last week, I think. I love it, but no one ever comes to our house, because they know WE LIVE HERE!!

  Anyway the idea was to accept a Bible Study, and prepare well of course, and ask questions. Get them to think, and research. Take them out the back door, so to speak.

  This kind of worked on me, indirectly. When I was pioneering in the early 90's, a young man showed very great interest. It seemed he was a Baptist Youth minister, and very sincere, ......or so we thought.
  He had a long list of WT volumes he asked to see, along with the 1975 Yearbook. We gave him the yearbook to read, and looked up the articles he wanted to see in the WT. All of them contradicted each other. I showed them to an elder, who of course wanted to know where I got such a list, and I told him........a man I was calling on. THis elder was one of the ones who was talking to my husband about his questions about things, unbeknownst to me. He suggested I write the Society, but I didn't. I kept the info deep inside until it wouldn't stay buried. When I knew that my husband and the other elder were discussing this stuff, I brought it all up, and eventually caved in too. So this stuff works. There was more, about a bad quote in the Trinity brochure, that this young minister found the original book quoted from, and showed us how it misrepresented what was actually being said in the book, by all the .......... in between words. Anyway, just sharing.
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  wasasister

  Great idea. Unfortunately, like Mulan, my house seems to be "marked". Last Sunday, a clear almost-summer day, my daughter, her friend, and I sat out in the front yard in our shorts and tank-tops enjoying the sun. We noticed a car-group park down the street and get out. They called on every house except ours! I even waved to them as they walked by and said "hello". I didn't recognize any of them - many new families have moved into our hall since I stopped going - but they must have known who I was.

  I guess unless I move (not likely), I won't have a chance to conduct such a reverse Bible study.
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  ros

  I have had the same idea of letting JWs start a study with me for years, seriously! Trouble is I'm seldom home when they come around.
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  Francois

  I did have a reverse bible study, not once - but twice. One was with a womam from my congregation who didn't recognize me beneath the beard. It was a hoot. She finally retreated in horror when she discovered I had the goods on the WTBTS. I did the deed with the Malawi issue vs. the GB swearing an oath to the US gummint to get a passport to go to Malawi. It was great fun. So much fun that I used it again in a different town with a different set of JWs. Flummoxed them too. It's was great. Almost as good as a bl... well, you know.

  Francois

  My $0.02
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  Flip

  Almost as good as a bl... well, you know.

  Hey Francoise, yeah I know what you mean! I also enjoy a blemange after dinner once in a while, I just didn’t realize they where so popular in the USA.

  Flip