Hi all! I went to the mountains where it was quiet without internet access. I needed the break.
Before I succumbed to my annoyance, he and I had agreed to meet after he got off work (at midnight) on New Years Eve. Via text, I asked if we were to meet. His answer was "sure". So Shopaholic, he's agreed to meet Satan. *giggling*
You all have made it clear that my desired outcome should determine my actions. I'm really trying to get him to do his own thinking, but the problem is I've learned so darn much, I feel like I'm being manipulative and dishonest as I question.... For crying out loud! I already know the darn answers! I feel like a talking Watchtower study article with the questions at the bottom - except there's no article! (Guessing that's the goal, huh...)
I have to wonder, could I be feeding off of the challenges you, as JWs have and applying them to myself? Shouldn't I have a little more leeway?
Don't worry, I'm still working on my Socratic methods (teaching through questions), but I'm wondering why a non-JW (who STILL hasn't been to a KH) couldn't say, "...I'm feeling extremely uncomfortable about what I'm seeing. You know that I love you and I want to believe that you made a great decision to be around a great group of people who really love God but I started noticing that a few too many websites were referring to your organization as a 'cult' so I realized I needed to know what a cult was before I jumped to conclusions. I got a few books from the library about cults and I gotta be honest... the similarities seemed a little unnerving. I'm sick about these implications. There was one book in particular that had me thinking the hardest. They were talking about a group I had never heard of and even though the Witnesses were never mentioned, I saw what seemed to be quite a few similarities. If you could read about this group and tell me differently... then maybe I could reconsider, but you'd have to tell me what doesn't apply and why."
Right now, I think my goal is to have more honest communications - in a naive but supportive way. If we lose each other, I just have to realize that it wasn't supposed to be.
At that point, if he ever learns TTATT, I'm sure it'll really hurt but it may be too late by then. At least he'll know that I loved him and was sincerely trying to help.
If you have any recommendations before I put my other foot in my mouth, let me know. I'm especially curious as to whether non-JWs have more leeway to say things (out of *cough-cough* ignorance) than a JW.