I have a lot of respect for the Jehovah’s Witness church.
They don’t merely warm the pews for an hour on Sunday.
Nope, they get out there and share their beliefs in the face of scoffing and rejection.
And the loose dogs around the neighborhood.
That takes guts!
My recent “Soldier or Scout?” post reminded me of one particular J.W. couple who used to come by my house fairly regularly.
I was curious about what they had to share since all of my information was second-hand.
And I felt bad that they were probably rejected everywhere they went.
So, I invited them in for tea and friendly conversation.
Mostly, I just listened to what they had to say and occasionally ask clarifying questions.
One day after this had been going on for a few months, I asked one of them about their (written, if I recall) statement that they have the one true interpretation of the Bible and that if anyone disagrees with it they’re going to Hell.
“Yes”, he said, “that’s correct.”
Curious, I asked, “Has the interpretation ever changed over the years?”
“Yes”, he said, “it has.”
“So”, I asked, “Are you confident that it’s perfect now, and there won’t be any further changes?”
No comment.
I mean, this is seriously risky business, right?
If someone up and changes the interpretation, everyone who thought they were doing all of the right things to stay out of Hell might be shocked to wake up and find themselves burning in an eternal fiery pit of damnation!
What the h-e-double-hockeysticks?!
“It seems arrogant to me to say that you and you alone have the one true interpretation of the Bible”, I said, “Particularly in light of the fact that you’ve had to make corrections over the years.”
Sadly, I never saw them again, and I’ve always wondered why.
Soldiers, not scouts?
Did they consider me a lost cause?
-D
