QUOTE]In larger cities inhabited by a wide variety of people......some people may be inquisitive by the name badge.....Walk With God.....and ask.....which god? Then we have a fine opportunity to tell them......Jehovah....the Almighty God of the Bible, and then also invite them to one of the sessions.[/QUOTE]
You have a point there, pretty sneaky......lol(just kidding)
When individuals see such a wide variety of people, of all races and ages, worshiping God in unity....it has a strong impact. And that these conventions, with the same basic core of instructions are held in thousands of cities around the world is quite unique. Have you ever attended?
I'm sure it does have a strong impact, and it is unique, I'll give you that. Doesn't make it true, but it is something many people would have a desire to be a part of. I can understand the draw, belonging to such a large, united group of believers. I understand exactly why my in-laws were drawn to the JW's, and why they became JW's. It fits their personality to "T". The "us against the world" attitude is attractive to some. Please don't take this wrong, I'm not trying to be offensive, I'm trying to be objective.
No, I have never attended. I have done exactly what the Watchtower said to to, I was like the Bereans,and searched to scriptures to make sure of what was true, and found the Watchtower...lacking.
I wanted it to be true, I wanted an easy answer...."this way is the truth".....but I did not find it in the Watchtower. I have read through the history of the Witnesses book, I have read many of the Watchtower and Awake magazines, I have read through "reasoning with the scriptures", I have asked questions of my in-laws, and those on this forum, and in the end, I have to respectfully say "no" to the Watchtower and the JW's.
I have been a Christian all my life, was raised in a christian home, never heard a bad word about the JW's, never even met one until my husband's parents told us they had become JW's; so naturally my curiousity was peaked..."why them?" why go from agnostic to JW? They told us it was because the JW's had answers to every question they asked, and every hard question they could think of. So I started looking into it. I knew that christians in general don't think highly of JW's, but I don't put a whole lot of stock into things like that, so I just started researching it on my own. Actually for several years I didn't think twice about them becoming JW's. I pretty much thought that it was another denomination(like the 7th day adventists or such) with some unorthodox beliefs. It wasn't until I had my children and realized that I wasn't truly "being" the christian I claimed to be and I needed to re-dedicate my life to God, that I started thinking about my in-laws and their decision. And to make a long story short, that is where I am right now....3 years later, closer to God than ever, much more sure of my beliefs, some of which are radically different then 3 years ago, and happy with myself.
So anyway, that's why I have never been to a convention and that is why I ask questions of you and other JW's on the forum. maybe it's morbid curiousity, maybe I just want to make sure I've made the right decisions, I don't know.......
