Originally posted by Howetzer
Well tomorrow is my chance.
Any last thoughts please.
My mom is a Jehovah's Witness. Good luck with trying to talk to your aunt. Many witnesses can be very hard headed when it comes to it - but in actuality, they aren't supposed to be so stubborn. Several years ago, my mom took me to all her religious outings. What I learned might help you - I used several of the things I mentioned here with success, she doesn't bother to take me to religious outings with her anymore.
The elders - preacher equivalents - always told everyone there that it was immoral to force anyone into the religion, because God wouldn't want anyone worshipping him that was not doing so whole-heartedly. I wish I could remember what scriptures were used, exactly, because you could have used those against her. However, unless she knows the Bible like the back of her hand, you'd have to use her Bible - because regardless of what anyone thinks, the JW Bible is much different than the Christian (KJV) Bible.
All witnesses that have become baptized/trained/etc. are brainwashed to believe that it is their "responsibility" to preach to others and to convert them - mostly family members/friends, but also strangers. This is why your aunt probably preaches to you/your family/her friends often.
Witnesses are constantly told not to preach to someone who doesn't want to be preached to. I've seen people come close to being ex-communicated (disfellowshipped) from the congregation for trying to force their beliefs on others. A suggestion would be to go to one of the elders in the congregation (they're usually the ones that give the speeches on Sundays... in fact, you could probably ask anyone in the congregation who the elders were, and they'd direct you to one). Not all witnesses are brainwashed zombies - some of them actually listen to you when you talk, and are actually knowledgable in other beliefs and (if they don't try to convert you first) will take your beliefs to mind.
Originally posted by Howetzer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Howetzer)</div>
Purgatory, hell on earth. Pretty much the same thing no?
A fear installed into you or you will live for ever in this hell.
If this is not correct then please enlighten me. [/b]
Witnesses, to my knowledge, do not believe in a literal hell with fire and such like many Christians do. They believe all witnesses (or witnesses in the making) will go to live on a paradise after armageddon, and the rest will just live in a permanent state of ... total unconsciousness. Many witnesses will tell you that hell is the place everyone goes to after they die, kind of like a waiting room.
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I don't feel they consciously wish harm on anyone. In fact, quite the opposite.
You are correct; in fact, you could say that by trying to convert people in your family, you are harming their mentality. 9 times out of 10, she'll probably argue with you by saying, "But I'm only trying to help you!" ... which you could repeat yourself if you wanted to, "Well, you aren't helping me..."
I hope I helped, and not just spewed out a pointless novel
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