I'm a Neutral Jehovah's Witness (page 3)

Thunder Rider

Martini,

Right is right. Follow that ideal and you can't go wrong. Wrong is Wrong, and when the "guys in charge" are wrong it's time to find your own way. It's lonely at first but there's a bunch of good people here abouts. Bend an ear.

Thunder

outoftheorg

Hello Martini and Neutral ones.

I know how you feel. Around 1978 I was an elder. I had two families. One by my first Jw wife who abandoned me and her children and the children from my second Jw wife. My 2nd wife had emotional problems due to incest and other things in her childhood. This was an additional load on the family and me.

Having a family of that size was quite a job. It took a lot of my time. It mattered not that I tried to raise a family and do all the things an elder is to do. In the eyes of many elders and the co I never did enough. After the debacle of 1975 and the grief that failed prophecy caused, it seemed that the meetings and publications went down hill and were repetitive and boring. Ones that were unhappy at the failure of that prophecy were then labled as 75ers.

With the work load I had and the constant message of "you need to do more" and the emotional strain related to the failed prophecy and the effect this had on me and my family and others, I just was exhausted.

I moved to another state to accept a better paying job. At this point I refused to accept an elders position. I recall feeling a lot like your feelings as you expressed them.

I became inactive as did my wife and children. I did the sit on the fence thing to keep from losing my contacts with my siblings and extended family. This went on for 9 yrs. Then my now ex wife wanted to get back in the Jw ranks. I stayed in the background. I was still exhausted and felt disappointed and betrayed by the wbts. I was told by others to stick it out and wait on Jehovah and the society would get it all together again. During this time some of my children reconnected to the religion.

I was aware that several of the elders looked on me as one does a looser, not worthy. It was at this time that one of my daughters told me of being molested by one of the elders. Her uncle. Then other sisters came out with accusations to this elder. 5 in all. The elders believed 2 of them, one being my daughter. The final outcome was to do nothing and leave him as an elder preaching to the flock.

I told the elders that I had reported this to the police and that I did not respect the elders or their policies and that my daughter was devastated. I was then told that it was up to me, in a large part to convince my daughter to accept this.

My point in telling you this, is that I really left the organization in 1978, at least in my own mind. However as I said I sat on the fence and took no stand for another 12 years. At this point I told the elders what I thought about them and the wbts. For this I was promptly dfd. I was charged with fits of rage. They should be thankful that I did no more to them than curse them out.

So for getting angry and telling them my feelings, I now am in the same catagory as murders, thiefs, and adulterers. I am now shunned by my siblings. At least the ones that have not died yet, and a few of my children, inlaws and all my nieces and nephews.

To expand on my point, I believe that if I had acted on my feelings and what I saw and experienced in 1978 and did not hang around waiting for the wbts to reform itself, a lot of the grief I and my children especially, went through, would not have happened.

I believe it would be wise for you to take a good hard look at the wbts and its behaviour and your selves and what you have experienced and the future consequences that may come due to living with a policy of do nothing now and wait.

In reading your posts I detect what I think is a lot of sadness and disappointment and maybe some confusion. This and these memories have brought tears to my eyes and I am trying not to sob.

I never really had big problems with the wbts beliefs. It was the false prophecies and the trauma and grief these caused and the outragious rules requiring people to give up their right to decide on whether they would accept an organ transplant or blood or community service instead of military and the" viscious hatred displayed toward one who will not agree with the wbts".

I hope I have not insulted anyone, I don't want you to think of me as someone who wants to damage your spirituality. It is just that your feelings and what you spoke of, so much reminded me of that place in my life and how I felt in 1978. I wish you all well in your journey. I hope you all find a place of peace and contentment.

Outoftheorg

Edited by - outoftheorg on 16 January 2003 23:32:42

ThiChi

First learn your roots. I would read Raymond Franz’ Crisis of Conscience, and then see where your views fall.

minimus

There is no such thing as a neutral Jehovah's Witness. Neutral means not engaged on either side, not aligned with a ideological grouping, neither one thing or another. if you are a JW, you support one side. You align yourself with no other. As long as one claims to be a Jehovah's Witness, that person is outwardly a supporter of the religion. We might not be so "neutral" as much as we are hypocritical. I would prefer to say about myself that I am a hypocritical Jehovah's Witness.

I'm a Neutral Jehovah's Witness

Thunder Rider

outoftheorg

ThiChi

minimus

email

email

minimus

Undecided

Its so simple

Its so simple

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