Field Service - YPFO (Young People Freak Out)

[xero]

I remember a young brother who was really into hip/hop. His mother was in my book study that I was conducting and she wanted me to work with him. I knew he was skeptical of having me do my "elder thing" on him, so I didn't. I went to the first door, stood there, prayed a second and then after about a minute, he said "Aren't you gonna knock?" I said "Why? The angels are involved in the preaching work, right? So they need to do their part too. If someone comes, we'll talk, if not, then I guess it's not their time. Remember? "The reapers are angels". He said "You are one weird elder." (w/a grin)

Later I said I was just messing w/him, but only half-way messing.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

11 hours ago, xero said:

then I guess it's not their time

Wow, you think people have a 'set time'. Predestination ? 

Predestination, in Christianity, the doctrine that God has eternally chosen those whom he intends to save.

Yep you are a strange elder. 

[xero]

3 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

Wow, you think people have a 'set time'. Predestination ? 

Predestination, in Christianity, the doctrine that God has eternally chosen those whom he intends to save.

Yep you are a strange elder. 

Not what I meant. This is what I mean when I say eisegesis. Eisegesis is reading into a verse, something which isn't necessarily there. Like when you quote "The wages sin pays is death" and someone says "That's your interpretation" and I say "No. I'm just reading what's on the paper." "An 'interpretation' would be to say that "death" properly understood in that verse is of the body only, but not the soul....But of course that would be you engaging in eisegesis." So when I say "Not their time, it had to do w/their not being ready yet, like the phrase, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

7 hours ago, xero said:

When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

Sounds a bit like superstition to me. 

Although the quote “when the student is ready the teacher will appear” was thought to have been said by Buddha it is actually of Theosophical origin. This idea that the disciple or student will call to the universe what they need to continue enlightenment has been proven over and over.

Um, you get stranger by the minute. You really didn't knock the door because you expect an angel to 'alert' the person in the house to come to the door. A bit like putting God to the test. Will God send an angel to tell this person to answer the door, even though i haven't knocked. 

I pity the young person you were trying to 'train'. 

As for ' reading into a verse, something which isn't necessarily there.' The GB and their helpers do that constantly. 

[xero]

I suppose you'd likewise pity the guy I chased down in his yard and took the magazines away from when he came to the fence, smiled and said "Sure! I'll take those magazines...So I can throw them way." I jumped the chain link fence and grabbed them from his hands. Poor guy slipped in the wet grass and was on his back at the time.

His response was "But, but... you made me come to the fence", and I said "And you lied to me with your smiling face. Those are my magazines, and if you want to read them you can, but not if you're just going to pitch them."

Do I think that was the best response? No. But I did it.

I remember another time when I made a call to the local parish to complain because I ran into this young guy who took one of the magazines and started to eat it in front of me.

I said "That's an odd reaction to my presentation." (he was drunk apparently) Then it turned out he was mad because he'd read one of the magazines that blasted the church for pedo-priests and in his drunk mind eating a magazine was a rebuttal of sorts. I sat down with him on his porch while he calmed down and began to talk about his experience w/his local parish priest (he'd apparently been doing something wrong w/him). So I called the parish and let them know they had a priest problem. I don't know what happened after that, I mean he was over eighteen, but clearly disturbed.

Then there was the time I had a gun pointed at me at the door while I was making a presentation. I didn't see it at the time, but the other brother did. I just thought he didn't seem that interested.

Doing a rural once I and another bro had some dogs loosed on us while we were walking up to the farmhouse. I told the bro to just ignore the dogs and don't make eye contact. The dogs just kept running to the cattle guard right past us. The ranch hands were surprised we'd made it. I actually had a pretty good call there for a while. I think because we didn't wimp out from the dogs, they decided we were OK.

Another weird call, though was when this little old black lady the first time let us in and told us that she talked to Jesus every day. I said "Really?" She said "Oh yes, he sits on the edge of my bed and we talk." I said "So what did he look like?" She said "Oh, he's a little black man." .... I didn't think this call was going to go anywhere. But...the next time I came back she wouldn't let us in. She said "King won't let me let you in." I said "Who's 'King'?" and then she pointed at this big angry looking cat. That was creepy.

 

[xero]

...I also discovered the power of stupid. Nothing gets an irate householder off your butt than pretending to be galactically stupid. I remember this big guy in a cowboy hat running down his driveway yelling at me saying "There's no soliciting here!". He stopped quick when I put on my dumb face (maybe it always looks dumb?) and said "...but you could still have the magazines if you want them..." He stopped up short...and you could see him realize and think "Why would I kick this dumb dog? It's only doing what it was trained to do..." He said more calmly "...no, I'm sorry that's OK."

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

On 2/4/2021 at 10:09 AM, xero said:

Do I think that was the best response? No. But I did it.

Well I presume you are American, and that accounts for a lot. 

BUT that is why the Org / Watchtower et al, NEEDS a totally different Governing Body.  It needs anointed brothers from all around the earth, not just American, or American influenced. 

The proof of that is YOU.  

[xero]

4 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Well I presume you are American, and that accounts for a lot. 

BUT that is why the Org / Watchtower et al, NEEDS a totally different Governing Body.  It needs anointed brothers from all around the earth, not just American, or American influenced. 

The proof of that is YOU.  

Right. I'm not a socialist leftist. Unfortunately a lot of people in this world don't believe Paul when he said "If a man doesn't work, neither let him eat."

[xero]

You know, that the core beliefs of JW's don't differ significantly from the bulk of other nontrinitarian religions except in ways which, quite frankly are conscience matters. This is a big issue in my world. Too many brothers want to override or supplant the consciences of others. If there is a defect, that would be it - not the nationality. As regards the locus of the org, the rationale for it being here is in good part because the constitution protects freedom of worship (although that is getting eroded). Historically speaking, the 1800's and the "Great Awakening" happened in the United States because we had the kind of government and culture which allowed for this freedom. It would have never gotten off the ground in Europe or anywhere else for that matter. So it certainly appears to me that Jehovah thought this the best country for it to take place in. None of us would whine and say "But why did Jehovah pick the Jews!". So any complaints about "Why America!" sound very similar as that complaint to me.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

18 hours ago, xero said:

Right. I'm not a socialist leftist.

Sorry that is lost on me. I try to be 'no part of that world' and I seriously don't know the meanings of left or right in politics. Nor do I know the true meaning of 'socialist'.  I'm English, working class, educated (or not) in the 1950's / early 60's, so had a very basic education and have never looked into politics. My 'belief' is that every politician tells lies. 

17 hours ago, xero said:

None of us would whine and say "But why did Jehovah pick the Jews!". So any complaints about "Why America!" sound very similar as that complaint to me.

I think you are doing a GB / JW trick of misquoting me. I didn't complain about 'head office' being in America. What I said was (and you can look back at my comment)  it needs Anointed brothers from around the Earth to lead the org.  The Covid thing has done wonders for internet communication to 'come alive'.  It has proven that you don't need a leadership to be all together or all based in the same building.  The Leaders of the Org could be based in many different countries and communicate online.  (Enough - lunch time)

[xero]

I don't see why anyone's claims of anointing are meaningful. The authority ought to be scripture, and if someone in podunk saskatoon has a better biblical argument - that's what you should go with. I don't buy the papal idea of "I'm anointed, therefore I'm right." Sorry Scooter. Like Jesus said "why do you call me 'Good Teacher?'".

Now if you start raising people from the dead and going through the children's hospitals curing people and say "this is the sign that this thing I'm saying found nowhere in scripture is from God", then maaaybe I'll take a look.