Thank you all for the replies. I am really glad to see a board like this. I think I now understand the apostate/wordly difference. I believed they were one in the same. You know I always though JW's were just a peculiar branch or denomination until I had this personal experience with a member of the group. In fact, my mother was terribly intimidated by them when they would come to the door and I somehow got the impression they "just might" actually have the truth. I truly believe God puts where you need to be at different times in your life and because I was placed next door to one I was kind of forced to study the bible to defend myself. Because of that I developed a deeper faith and closer relationship with Jesus. So for her the opposite was achieved. It was odd the seeds I would plant in her through just normal conversation and she would immedietly go an elder and return with an answer for me. An example was telling her about driving cross country and noticing the difference in how KH looked. Some brick, some brick and siding and some just siding. She had never traveled outside her state. She insisted the Watchtower told them all KH's are EXACTLY the same. Heck, I could care less I was just making conversation but the next time she returned from a meeting she called me to inform me the elders told her there were architectural differences specific to regions. I would like to ask another question.
Why is there so much division among families in the org? Debbie had several siblings who were JW and her mother was a JW. 3 of her sons dropped from the JW's the minute they turned 18. She did not speak to her mother or siblings at all. She spoke of them with terrible anger.They went to different congregations. Her son's she kept at a huge distance. I am sure she was shunning them but when I would ask why she had nothing to do with her mother she would quote the verse about..in the last days there will be no natural affection in families. She was always ratting on someone to the elders too. Do you get extra points for ratting on others? Seriously, does it count as hours? I know one time she recieved a letter from her mother telling her she was moving to FL and giving her a new address and she went to the elders with it and wanted her talked too. What is up with that? She said it was proof her mother wanted her out of her life and the elders needed to know about it. Please enlighten me as to what kind of weird control these elders have over people.