The Everyday Club

12/13/11   Eric,    about 17
At a city park a thuggish-looking kid with a black hoodie walked around carrying a heavy metal pole. "I have a question for you" "What's up?" "Why are you walking around with that pole in your hand?" He said he needed it for protection from a particular gang in the area. "I have another question - what if they do jump you - and kill you. Where would you be then?" This led to a long conversation in which I found out that he - Eric - is in rebellion against his Jehovah's Witness (JW) parents.  His beliefs about life after death are a lot like an atheist's - that when he dies as an unrighteous person he will simply be annihilated and his soul will cease to exist As we talked he alternated between defending his parent's JW beliefs and defending his own rebellion against them. I challenged him to think and read the Bible for himself and to realize that what he has been taught is not biblical Christianity.