Is Field Service Going To Be The Key To The End Of The WatchTower Society?

by Honesty 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  Honesty

  
  
  For the past 6 months I have been speaking to church and youth groups in the surrounding area. The topic has been how to show love to the JW's when they come to your door. In the past, many of the people I talk with have been rude to the JW's. When they learn that the JW's are very sincere in their beliefs and really think they are helping to save people the attitude of the people I come in contact with changes. They begin to feel very sorry for the misguided and deceived JW's. Within an hour, they have the tools to engage the witnesses in open dialogues about the bible without appearing to be opposers or doubters. This has helped many JW's in my area begin to have seeds of truth planted in their hearts. If the trend continues, there are meny excellent opportunities to witness to the witnesses about the real truth of Jesus and who He is. I just wonder if the door-to-door work is going to backfire on the Governing Body. I can remember several occasions in the past when I left a discussion with some very serious doubts that the WTBTS really was the 'truth'. This was because the householder was polite and cordial while he/she was chipping away at the WT armor. The following quote got my mind churning with thoughts that the very thing the WTBTS uses to recruit may in fact cause them to lose members.
  

  
  
  Going out in service and meeting a pastor at the door. He calmly set us down and did some "seed-planting", methodically showing me and my wife how the New World Translation twisted texts to fit their doctrine by blatantly adding to scripture (or leaving stuff out). Rendering the same word differently in different places. His final words to me were - "If you don't listen to ANYTHING I tell you, listen to this - PLEASE go back and study the original Greek."

  
  Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.
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  rebel8

  People in FS had a big effect on me too. Good work BTW!
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  stillajwexelder

  Usually a loyal dub would consult the elders if something difficult came up
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  MidwichCuckoo

  Usually a loyal dub would consult the elders if something difficult came up

  That's what they all say - I really don't think the average JW is qualified to speak to anyone about the Bible - they don't even understand their own beliefs or how the Watchtower arrived at them. I am STILL awaiting a return call from 2 JW (neither of whom could explain 1914 from the Bible to me - but they're finding out!) Amazing - 1914 is a BASIC belief, always has been.
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  Honesty

  Usually a loyal dub would consult the elders if something difficult came up

  True. That's the reason not to make it difficult. Simple questions and comments are crucial. Just say enough to make them start thinking on their own. Too much logic causes their minds to shut down.
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  greendawn

  I think nowadays the dubs are treated well by most people but they are too brainwashed to see the meaning of this but any knowledgable persons talking with dubs as they try to convert them can raise in them serious doubts.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  any knowledgable persons talking with dubs as they try to convert them can raise in them serious doubts.

  I'm not so sure - any ADULT and intelligent person would have doubts and do research BEFORE joining.

  Anyone got any idea what the average age for baptism is? AND I think the baptismal ''oath'' has been altered to accommodate changing beliefs. IF we are baptised in God's name, that is constant. God is constant, but the WTBTS is always in a state of change, and it needs to take its victims followers with it.
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  Shania

  Most Elders can not explain the 1914 teachings.......just ask one, see them stumble over their words trying to look oh so smart...............very few know what they are teaching.............they need the book in front of them, word for word from the reasoning book...........
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  Rod P

  It has always been my impression that when a JW goes to the door of a householder, they are there to deliver or share their message with that householder. They did not go there to listen to the householder's message. (I recall being drilled on that principle in Kingdom Ministry School back in the 1960's).

  Therefore, they are not supposed to be sitting there/standing there exchanging viewpoints of their respective faiths. If the householder tries to take over the conversation, or even tries to turn it into "I'll listen to what you have to say, if you will listen to what I have to say. After all, it is a good thing to discuss things from the Bible, right?", then it is your task to turn this around and get back in control. In fact, you are even supposed to state this principle to the householder, i.e. you came to give them your message, and not to listen to theirs.

  The whole point of the lesson we were taught was to remain in control. This is Jehovah's message to them, and not their message to you. This is not about fair and equitable discussion, or mutually sharing God's Word. The householder is in a false religion, while you belong to the one right religion. That's all there is to it!

  Notwithstanding the lesson we were taught, I was not very obedient to that counsel. My sense of fairness and tolerance told me that I should not be so one-sided and intolerant. Besides, if I had the Truth on my side, then I should have nothing to fear, right? The Truth will always become self-evident, while error will become exposed. And I am in the "Truth", and he/she is not!

  I guess that became my downfall. That's what led me to the realization that the WTBTS/GB was not right about so many things, and that's when doubt crept in, and my faith in them was utterly destroyed. It became the house that was built on sand.

  Now we know the real reason they do not want you to listen to what the householder has to say. And if the ministers of different churches are now teaching their flocks to be tolerant, and witness to JW's on their doorsteps, then this may well become a whole new dimension that the WTBTS has to deal with. They are going to have to get real busy teaching the R & F JW's to become even more intolerant and close-minded, putting their blinders on, and insisting on "You will listen to my message, but I am not going to listen to yours!!!"

  Rod P.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  Theoretically, as JW are discouraged to look on the internet ( and thus be aware of their own history amongst other things) then the ''householder' has the clear advantage. ANYONE wanting to know / investigate / question more has a whole World of knowledge - yet the JW has only 1995 or the New Light (whichever is more recent)