Do current JWs like to have Bible discussions?

by Magnum 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Magnum

  On another thread Rufus T. Firefly made this interesting comment:

  My wife is a "zealous" regular pioneer who never talks about the Bible or "the truth" and who has no interest in conducting a Bible study with anyone. This is how one remains a JW.

  I decided to start a new thread to discuss this, since I didn't want to veer completely off the topic of the original thread.

  I can relate to what Rufus said - not concerning my wife, but other close JW family members. They don't seem to want to discuss the Bible or "the truth", either. The smartest of them is a brother-in-law who used to be a Baptist. I knew him when he was a Baptist. We had long, deep Bible discussions. In his earlier JW years, we had similar discussions, but then things changed. When he's not on duty as a JW, he never mentions the Bible or anything related to JWs. He just wants to play or recreate. I try to bring up Bible subjects, but he shows absolutely zero interest and will even change the subject. The other two close family members I had in mind are females. When I bring up Bible subjects to them, I can see a look on their faces that seems to indicate something like discomfort or internal conflict.

  The subjects I bring up are not always controversial. I'll ask things like "What do you think the situation is with the King of the North?" or "Do you think the new world will be here in the next ten years?"  I'm not even trying to plant seeds of doubt with them. I actually still want it all to be true and just love to talk about it.

  If they are the light of the world and they have the one and only truth, shouldn't it be like a fountain bubbling over in them or like a fire in their bones? I really believe that I, an "inactive" fader, seek and love truth more than they do. I contemplate deep things constantly - all day long every day. I notice and am appalled by all the suffering, injustice, waste, ruin of the earth, etc.  I seek answers and want to have serious discussions*.  But my JW family members don't want to talk about what should be the most important thing in their lives.

  Anybody else noticed something similar? Any insights, comments, anecdotes?

  *That's one of the main reasons I come to this site. I have learned so much here and have had my eyes opened to many things.
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  cultBgone

  Magnum, I see the same thing and saw it well before I faded.  Years ago, you were considered spiritual if you enjoyed bible discussions, but I don't see that happening anymore. 

  On the plus side, whenever I wish to make a point without sounding "apostate", I just use the bible as my reference point...along with the ever-popular "would Jesus do that?"
  
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  DesirousOfChange

  Nearly everyone with whom I once had serious Bible discussions or doctrinal discussion is at least mentally "out".

  Most still in after all the shit that has been going down in WTLand are brain dead.

  Doc
  
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  LV101

  My inside contacts have never wanted to discuss anything about the Bible, God/Jesus (last decade) or they've certainly not initiated any conversations in that direction.  I've been told from one that they hear or get enough of that! Funny - so I try to clam up.  I do think they hang onto the promises/fantasy (brainwashing) in their heart and it keeps them lockstepping away or they don't want to rock the boat with their mates/contacts.  
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  Finkelstein

  Do current JWs like to have Bible discussions?

  As long as they can regurgitate the WTS's own bible interpretations, which have been corruptly devised to support

  the proliferation of the organizations publications and JWS have been trained to propagate those

  teachings created by the WTS. 
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  prologos

  WT land has become a franchise operation, like the hamburger places, ingredients have to be exclusively purchased from the franchiser; and

  after the compulsory "spiritual" feeding at the kh, ash, and actually listening, 

  who would feel like cooking a gourmet meal?

  After the boring meetings often delivered by second rate deliverers, who wants to discuss more? jws are deliberately turned off from spiritual subjects by the wt.

  That is why the lurkers here have to be so highly commended. 
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  All for show

  The JWs in the hall only talk about each other or spiritual activities. Not the bible. They can only quote 'the society says' and all about the wonders of Caleb and Sophia. 

  My family, older relatives, only talks about how the 'truth' is different when they were young and complain and continue agitation at the management mainly at the local level, feeling the GB is different. They think the problems are local, elders running from their own rules, not seeing the problem starts at the top. They also believe the generation change needs fixing because it's wrong. But it's the truth. Ugh
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  compound complex

  Thank you, Magnum, for raising this question. I have observed the same thing here, but hadn't formulated the sense of it into words such as you have done.

  As an inactive, occasional Sunday meeting attender, I regularly discuss something relative to the public talk or WT study with friend or stranger (speaker or JW of new acquaintance).

  The thought never occurred to me that a Witness would be hesitant to discuss the Bible. Well, younger adults raised in the Truth seem disinclined. Yet I note, likewise, that amongst the friends in general -- even older ones -- there is nonstop talk about so-called worldly things: entertainment, trips, recreation, etc. We have lots of pioneers, and I am aware of their "spiritual" works AND extra-curricular activities mainly through Facebook.

  Maybe the fire in my bones doesn't permit them an opportunity to broach Bible subjects of their own accord. To be fair, there are several I know personally whose lives truly focus on theocratic pursuits and discussions thereon.

  CoCo
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  OneEyedJoe

  There are some that still like to discuss the Bible (or, more accurately, the WTS' interpretation thereof) but these are usually the older ones that seem to have more of a doomsday fetish than the younger one or the more recent converts.  What's more is that it's never really an open discussion - any dissent from the official interpretation and the conversation devolves into a lecture about how you need to pay better attention at meetings and toe the line.

  The younger group (30's and younger) only talk about"spiritual" activities, the things they feel guilty about ("omg I know it's bad but I just had to see the new twilight movie") or some point in a recent WT that they can use to brow beat someone else that's doing something that they don't agree with (or to beat someone else down to inflate their holier than thou ego).

  As for the OP's supposedly non-controversial questions - the problem is that they are  controversial.  Will the end come in 10 year's time? That forces them to recall that 10 years ago they would've unhesitatingly answered in the affirmative. Who's the king of the north? We used to know but things don't really fit the old predictions these days, and the light is supposed to get brighter, not dimmer.. The sad fact is that there are few questions of any depth that doesn't expose some failing of the cult - and that's why no one asked questions, they're too afraid of the answers.
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  wannaexit

  This is absolutely the truth. Jehovah's witnesses don't want to talk about anything of a spiritual nature. Bring something biblical up and they become mute and appear visibly uncomfortable.  I try it all the time and I get no where.