New in southern california

AlmostAtheist

Hi Clear!

Welcome to the forum! Tell us about yourself, if you're so inclined.

Dave

I was raised in the truth. Both my parents where devout wittnesses. My father recently passed away and I have been going through major struggles in life including divorce etc. Living out in the world... and loosing so much has caused me to re examine faith and what it means. fortunatly or unfortunatly for me (unfortunately during my youth I rebelled against the truth which took a huge toll on me via shunning and other things) but fortunately I did not succumb to the pressures to get baptised without finding out about faith for my self first, I am kinda glad that I relized that I was not ready or mature enough to understand what it meant and would only be doing it to please those around me and to keep from being cast out of there lifes. I am not 100% sure if my not being baptised any activites here mite or mite not be considered "apostate" I dont have any hard feelings or bitterness for the organization just researching and seeing for myself all sides.

So basically I am searching for what being a good person is all about what faith is or is not "too me" and how to walk that delicate line with whats left of my family.

Legolas

Yes it is good to research them!

Did you ever read Raymond Franz's two books "Crisis of Conscience' and 'In Search of Christian Freedom'?

clear2c

I have seen these books mentioned around the internet here and on amazon bookseller. I dont see anyone really screaming out about some block busting revelations about how the organization is so wrong. I would consider reading it but it seems like there mite not be much revelation there just because no one seems to qoute it or say why its such a ground breaking book. Please enlighten me? What was the most interesting thing you took away from it?

Legolas

Oh my gawd brain over load!

I post some book reviews on it! Others might be able to say more though!

You can't read this and not be in total shock. I was a 'JW' for 38 years - left about 6 years ago. I read his first book - 'Crisis of Conscience' and cried while reading it. Can't believe all the untruths - the way they manipulate things - force compliance to their ways. It saddens me to think how mislead they are. Most mean well - but will never no the real truth because they are not allowed to research their own doctrine. If you are a JW with questions - PLEASE read this book. It will change you forever.

I was a JW for over 20 years and I did not leave because I did anything wrong or because I wanted to persue some kind of wrongdoing. I left voluntarily because I saw so much hyprocisy and so many things that just didn't add up when compared to what the Bible had to say. I read this book several years after leaving, and this book is right on the money! I could almost have written this book myself. All the things I had problems with, such as the appointment of ministerial servants and elders, are exposed in this book for what they really are. JW's are taught that these appointments are made through God's holy spirit, but it was obvious that the STATUS and BANK ACCOUNTS of the appointees were what REALLY determined their appointments. This organization says they have "love for another." However, I saw first-hand, in a total of five different congregations all over the U.S., that this 'brotherly love' is totally fake. These people would rather knock on the doors of strangers all day long rather than help out a fellow JW who is sick, elderly or in need simply because they cannot report the time they spend in helping one another. They can only report the time spend knocking on doors of strangers. (Their status in the congregation is based on a mandatory "timesheet" they hand in at the end of the each month. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus say that when he separates the goats from the sheep it will be based on a timesheet!) This book is not coming from a 'disgruntled" ex-witness but rather from a former 'insider' from Brooklyn Bethel. It is obvious to me that Mr. Franz wrote the book to let people know what is REALLY going on within this organization (and it doesn't have much to do with God's holy spirit or direction). I wasted twenty years of my life in what I thought was the "true religion" before I woke up and realized it was no such thing. This is a MUST read for people in this religion/organization as well as though who have left or those who think they want to join. Unfortunately, JW's are not allowed to read books like this lest they risk being disfellowshipped! How ridiculous, coming from an organization that encourages people to "examine their religion."

Cellist

Hi clear2c. Welcome to the board.

Cellist

free will

i agree with legolas. please read this book. when i first decided to read the book, i felt that i wanted to know what kind of arguments could some people use to not follow the truth. I still had my blinders on - but, wanted to see what the other side was.

The blinders came off when i read Crisis of Conscience.

free will

oh, and welcome!

New in southern california

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