Yesterday my JW friend dropped by in the morning. She brought me the Reasoning with the Scriptures book, and I am, I believe, to read the discussions about Jesus.
What a slim little book this is. It is like a pocket reference, except the type isn't even tiny. I'm surprised... is this the big book of evidence that all JWs rely on? Well, maybe that's why WTs need to be published... (sigh).
She said she asked the elder to speak with me, and he's agreed. I told her that it wouldn't happen till after the new year. I asked her to let him look at the UN site, and to find the URL I wrote down on a pice of paper: "site:un.org watchtower" and told her to tell him to Google these two words. They will pull up pages with 'watchtower' only on the UN's website. The page he should read is the first that comes up.
We spent about 30 minutes talking about how we talk about issues--I told her that I had one very big issue that needed an answer (the concession by Hayden Covington that "unity (is essential even) based upon a forced acceptance of false prophecy"), and she had another big issue (the trinitarian abomination) that she needed answering. So it looks like I will have to try to demonstrate that there is enough Biblical support for a trinitarian viewpoint, even if she doesn't agree with it herself.
BTW, I pointed out to her that James and John, Paul, and all the other names they had listed for "making mistakes" had simply made errors of judgment... but had NOT made a false prophecy. John and James had a private opinion, and asked a private question. Jesus did not rebuke them for false prophecy, but challenged them since they were naive about their request. Not one of the people who made 'mistakes' in the Bible proclaimed or printed or distributed false prophecy, so the comparison was completely inappropriate and there was still no 'excuse' allowed here.
I guess in her case, until she sees that the WT might have some holes in their theology, she won't move. Or even, if she can admit that there is an alternate view allowed beside the WT's. It seems to me like cutting down a tree... You make a big cut on one side, and then give a small cut on the other so that the tree can fall forward toward the large cut. I think she sees (and is trying to forget!) trouble with the WT's integrity. But the theology is keeping her in. I'll have to slice in the back now a bit, and hope it helps.
It was an encouraging chat, very relaxed and thoughtful. She came back later and brought me some pecan cookies.
bebu
