My Kingdom Hall Experience Part.1
The following is my experience of attending a Kingdom Hall for five weeks straight. After each meeting and discussion with the Jehovah's Witnesses I wrote out my thoughts.
Today for the first time I went to a Kingdom Hall. It is Sunday, I attended their Talk and Watchtower Study. Last week on Wednesday I approached a group of Jehovah's Witnesses who were gathered in front of my apartment complex. I have never seen Jehovah's Witnesses in this area before. I was running two hours late and turned my car around to talk to them. For a second I thought that I would keep walking because some of them were on cell phones and seemed busy. However, I asked a group of them "What was the Good News of the Bible?" I engaged in a conversation with a young Jehovah's Witness and her brother, they are around my age. I had tried to explain to them that the Good News they were preaching was not the Good News of the Bible. The girl, who I will call Jane, said she wanted to come over to visit me and talk more about the Good News. I agreed and we exchanged information and planned to meet the next Wednesday. An older JW woman who I will call Cindy came into our conversation. They ended up inviting me to their Kingdom Hall that night. I said I was wasn't able to make it that night but would visit Sunday. They even offered to pick me up.
Jane and an older JW woman named Cynthia stopped by yesterday to drop off a brochure called "Good News from God". I sincerely thanked them. I told them I would be at their meeting and if Jane would call me in the morning, I would let her know how many seats to save.
As I was sitting there in the Kingdom Hall inside I was grieving. After all the handshakes, getting to know each other and meetings, I knew how this is going to end. Even if I "studied" with Jane for a month straight or one time. It was going to end with one older JW pulling away another one. It was going to end with them storming off, calling me names or claiming to return but lying through their teeth. Would this all be worth it if that was the end result? Jane had a Bible for me on the seat she reserved, she had called me that morning and I told her to save three seats for me. We brought our own Bibles and I told her I do read the Bible.
The Jehovah's Witnesses were incredibly friendly. This is what attracts most people to them. It is called 'Love Bombing', they are your instant best friends. We ask ourselves, "They are so nice, how could they be wrong? The Bible says you will know the Christians by their love. They must have the truth." But just because someone is nice doesn't mean they have the truth.
After the meeting the friends I brought along asked several Jehovah's Witnesses about their 1914 date.
There are many similarities between the way Jehovah's Witnesses conduct their meetings and the way Christians conduct their services. It seems the Watchtower wants to completely remove itself from any similarity to Christendom. Meetings instead of services, talks instead of sermons, elder or Watchtower Conductor instead of pastor, Greek Scriptures instead of New Testament.
Jane told me afterwards that she would be over my place on Wednesday with Cindy. She told me that Cindy enjoyed meeting me and wanted to come. Cindy told me that Jane invited her. What was I to expect? I had originally approached them with old Watchtower publications in my hands with the intention of showing them a false prophecy and lie. Cindy recognized the books and told me several times that they were outdated. Apparently Watchtower publications have a shelf life. Once Jane had invited herself over, I figured I would skip the books. I have been approaching JW's for several years now, asking them tough questions and attempting to insert doubt in their minds towards the Watchtower. When Cindy recognized the books I downplayed it. I did not lie, it obviously wasn't the time to share the books with them.
I have been blacklisted from the JW's door to door ministry list. Labled as an apostate and an opposer of the truth. They have called me all sorts of names to my face, including "of the devil". They began skipping my house and work place a few years ago. Most refusing to engage in a conversation with me. One JW man has been sitting at a bus stop for years. He will still speak with me, I actually met him while I was street witnessing.
I shook hands with many Jehovah's Witnesses today. They had huge smiles on their faces. The meeting was two hours but it went by fast for me. An elder spoke for about 30-40 minutes he jumped around here and there in Matthew 5. The theme of his talk was "What does God require of us to be apart of his Kingdom?" The man who spoke said he grew up as a Lutheran, but was rebuked for asking his pastor questions. I wonder if Jehovah's Witnesses would be rebuked if they questioned the Governing Body.
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Today for the first time I went to a Kingdom Hall. It is Sunday, I attended their Talk and Watchtower Study. Last week on Wednesday I approached a group of Jehovah's Witnesses who were gathered in front of my apartment complex. I have never seen Jehovah's Witnesses in this area before. I was running two hours late and turned my car around to talk to them. For a second I thought that I would keep walking because some of them were on cell phones and seemed busy. However, I asked a group of them "What was the Good News of the Bible?" I engaged in a conversation with a young Jehovah's Witness and her brother, they are around my age. I had tried to explain to them that the Good News they were preaching was not the Good News of the Bible. The girl, who I will call Jane, said she wanted to come over to visit me and talk more about the Good News. I agreed and we exchanged information and planned to meet the next Wednesday. An older JW woman who I will call Cindy came into our conversation. They ended up inviting me to their Kingdom Hall that night. I said I was wasn't able to make it that night but would visit Sunday. They even offered to pick me up.
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Jane and an older JW woman named Cynthia stopped by yesterday to drop off a brochure called "Good News from God". I sincerely thanked them. I told them I would be at their meeting and if Jane would call me in the morning, I would let her know how many seats to save.
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The Jehovah's Witnesses were incredibly friendly. This is what attracts most people to them. It is called 'Love Bombing', they are your instant best friends. We ask ourselves, "They are so nice, how could they be wrong? The Bible says you will know the Christians by their love. They must have the truth." But just because someone is nice doesn't mean they have the truth.
After the meeting the friends I brought along asked several Jehovah's Witnesses about their 1914 date.
There are many similarities between the way Jehovah's Witnesses conduct their meetings and the way Christians conduct their services. It seems the Watchtower wants to completely remove itself from any similarity to Christendom. Meetings instead of services, talks instead of sermons, elder or Watchtower Conductor instead of pastor, Greek Scriptures instead of New Testament.
Jane told me afterwards that she would be over my place on Wednesday with Cindy. She told me that Cindy enjoyed meeting me and wanted to come. Cindy told me that Jane invited her. What was I to expect? I had originally approached them with old Watchtower publications in my hands with the intention of showing them a false prophecy and lie. Cindy recognized the books and told me several times that they were outdated. Apparently Watchtower publications have a shelf life. Once Jane had invited herself over, I figured I would skip the books. I have been approaching JW's for several years now, asking them tough questions and attempting to insert doubt in their minds towards the Watchtower. When Cindy recognized the books I downplayed it. I did not lie, it obviously wasn't the time to share the books with them.
I have been blacklisted from the JW's door to door ministry list. Labled as an apostate and an opposer of the truth. They have called me all sorts of names to my face, including "of the devil". They began skipping my house and work place a few years ago. Most refusing to engage in a conversation with me. One JW man has been sitting at a bus stop for years. He will still speak with me, I actually met him while I was street witnessing.
I shook hands with many Jehovah's Witnesses today. They had huge smiles on their faces. The meeting was two hours but it went by fast for me. An elder spoke for about 30-40 minutes he jumped around here and there in Matthew 5. The theme of his talk was "What does God require of us to be apart of his Kingdom?" The man who spoke said he grew up as a Lutheran, but was rebuked for asking his pastor questions. I wonder if Jehovah's Witnesses would be rebuked if they questioned the Governing Body.
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