Anyone leave the JW's and Still Follow Some of the Beliefs? (page 3)

Carmel

Which of the JW beliefs do you consider "unique"? Answer that and I'll happily respond!

carmel

lynnmelo

Hopelesslystained, you wrote

certainly, imo, those who accept the jw way are simply uneducated and allow themselves and their lives to be dictated by others. maybe it is just easier for them that way. sadly, many look outside themselves for direction in life

I think this is unfair. Some people who join the JW's are just sincerely seeking a way to please Jehovah. That doesn't mean that they're "uneducated" nor does it mean that they're looking "outside themselves for direction in life." It's unfair to paint all JW's with the same brush. Your blanket assessment of JW's doesn't seem very different from what the JW's do when they group those outside the organization in one category.

Carmel, I was referencing their stance on not celebrating holidays, birthdays, etc. Also, I was referring to the blood issue, voting issue, etc. These are the issues that I think make them unique from most other religions. Granted, I'm not aware of EVERY religion in the world. I do know that some lesser known religions don't vote (the Restored Church of Christ, previously the Worldwide Church of God, is one). However, of the well-known religions, I believe that the JW's are unique in those beliefs. Am I incorrect?

blindersoff

Hopless

imo, those who accept the jw way are simply uneducated

You ,of course, are entitled to your opinion but I can assure you that MANY of JW are educated.

Lynn

It's unfair to paint all JW's with the same brush. Your blanket assessment of JW's doesn't seem very different from what the JW's do when they group those outside the organization in one category.

Good for you. You are a thinker. I also hate it when anyone does that one brush thing. B

Honesty

That doesn't mean that they're "uneducated" nor does it mean that they're looking "outside themselves for direction in life." It's unfair to paint all JW's with the same brush. Your blanket assessment of JW's doesn't seem very different from what the JW's do when they group those outside the organization in one category.

I was very well educated when I was a JW. I could evangelize and proselytize with the best of them because Jehovah's Witnesses are authorities in that regard. They are just not authorities on the Bible even though they think themselves to be the only source of Biblical truth on earth. I have learned more about God in the last year than I did in over 15 years as a Watchtower disciple and servant. When one compares the Watchtower's teachings with the Bible the discrepancies are too vast and complex to be a coincidence. The WTBTS even admits Bible reading results in adopting the beliefs of Christendom. See WT 8/15/81 pages 28-29

forsharry

I don't follow any of the JW dogma. I don't fault any that still do cling to certain things that they may have gleened from the organization. It's all about the comfort zone. I just tend to look at things realistically, here. So much of our traditions are based in pagan origins.

Heck, even our general ideology of what god looks like, or what we show god looking like when we depict him in art. Strong man, white robes, beard and long flowing white hair, grandfatherly air to him, strong and powerful - why, that's Zeus!

It's only natural that much of our modern day religions are steeped in Ancient 'paganism.' How easier was it to get people to convert when you pulled a little of their religion into yours? voila! new traditions.

I just take things for face value. Birthdays...I'm not worshipping anyone! Come on for crying out loud, which of us really worship the person we're singing happy birthday to?

Christmas? Again, I'm not christian, but I celebrate it. I like getting together with family, enjoying the season, celebrating in the 'darkness' of winter...it's a winter solstice celebration...we're celebrating that soon life will return to the 'world' in the form of spring! maybe that makes me a hypocrit in celebrating a 'christian holiday' when I don't buy into the holiness of Christ, but it makes me happy, and I don't get a lot of that through the year. It's something to look forward to.

I'm not going to go through all the holidays, but i'm sure everyone gets my drift. I just want peeps to be happy. If you're happy celebrating, great...if not, that's great too. I just bear in mind that this is my one shot here. I want to live life to the fullest and with no regrets...and since I've left the bOrg...I've had none.

AlmostAtheist

certainly, imo, those who accept the jw way are simply uneducated and allow themselves and their lives to be dictated by others. maybe it is just easier for them that way. sadly, many look outside themselves for direction in life

Of course all JW's aren't uneducated. I've never seen a study of whether they are by and large less educated than the general population, but with their views on college, that's probably true. But there are certainly intelligent, well-read, educated people among them.

Intelligence is no (or little) protection from brain-washing. If a person takes it as given that God exists, and can be further pursuaded that the Bible is his word and that it doesn't contradict itself, it isn't much of a leap to get them to believe anything you can show them from the Bible. Once they accept a belief, they are more likely to hold it. So when they see a scripture that contradicts it, it is onlt human nature to assume that what they already believe is correct, and this new scripture must need interpretation.

The trick if you're going to hold people in your grip with religion is to make it appear that it isn't you but GOD that is 'dictating their lives' to them. Once people believe God is telling them to do something, they will happily do it. Even if they get the message third hand.

I can think of a dozen or more brilliant, college-educated JW's off the top of my head.

Dave

hopelesslystained

sorry all, when I said uneducated my mind was not thinking in the way of a secular education. I should have been more clear, I meant uneducated about the Society and their methods, most don't recognize the brainwashing when it is happening. Back when I was involved with them the name Jehovah was pretty much unheard of as god's name, so I don't believe people joined them to serve a god named Jehovah, the name was learned through study with the jws. Their reasoning is presented in a very convincing manner, in a manner that a person can easily discredit their own reasoning on bible matters and turn their lives over to be controlled by the society. hopelesslystained

AlmostAtheist

I should have been more clear, I meant uneducated about the Society and their methods, most don't recognize the brainwashing when it is happening.

Oh! Yes, totally agree.

Dave

Anyone leave the JW's and Still Follow Some of the Beliefs?

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