by minimus 21 Replies latest jw friends
I dislike most of the JWs I knew so I feel no inclination to help them in any way. Most of them were jerks, so it's appropriate that they associate only with their own kind and "separate themselves from the world".
I'd be very happy if they would consider separating themselves from the world in a more literal way.
W
Its a public service to help someone out of the Witnesses. Some little strange niche of information that I just happen to have had a lot of exposure to. Its a way to help someone to do the right thing. You might be helping them, their family, their kids, their kids kids, ect..
So yeah I help out as best I can, but I don't get personally worked up about it anymore.
GBL
What convinced you to leave? what was the final straw for you?
Do you believe that you "should" help Witnesses get out of the "truth"?
No.
To try to compel them to leave would be no different than a JW trying to compel me to join.
It's their life, if they want to lead a miserable life of servitude to a cult, that's their own business. Hell, it leaves more high-tech and high-pay jobs available for the rest of us.
There is no such thing as this "society" as a "group entity" that is obligated to do things that you as an individual do not believe you are obligated to do. Yes there is pal. Its called a LEGAL SYSTEM. It is based upon a "constitution" or "charter of rights and freedoms" and it OBLIGATES you to not murder people, not violate agreed upon laws and it also protects children. If you dont want to participate in society or contribute to its collective good, you always have the option of living in a wooden shack in the backwoods of Montana with Ted Kaczynski or joining a militia. Cheers!
Do you believe that you "should" help Witnesses get out of the "truth"?
I believe we have a moral obligation to help anyone in need, to the best of our abilities and gifts.
But the question then arises, what about someone commiting suicide that really wants to end it all? Do you "save" them against their will simply because you think your way is better?
So to that end, I feel obliged to tell them the truth about the truth, but if they insist on that estranged course, then my work is done, with the exception of prayer for them that someone else may be able to do what I did not.
That's a JW-type question, if ever I heard one. The Watchtower once used a similar line of reasoning about the door-to-door work, linking it to a moral duty to warn people about the impending day of destruction. They talked about people's blood being on "your" hands if "you" had not done all in "your" power to warn. Such reasoning is highly manipulative and best rejected.
I will do what I can to help, but will never feel obliged. Once bitten, twice shy.
This is a topic I haven't really thought about until recently, but I am currently helping a close friend in what seems very likely to be her journey out of the wt, and I do feel a moral obligation to help in any way I can. I f someone is honestly seeking to learn the truth about the watchtower, then I feel obliged to help them find it
YES!
Do you believe that you "should" help Witnesses get out of the "truth"?
I think if you have been hurt by something then you do have some duty to warn others and prevent others being hurt by the same thing if you can. If you had a narrow escape from something would you let other people walk into it unaware? Of course you can only help those who want to be helped. If you are too "militant" about it you end up being more of a problem than a solution.
