by architect 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
For me its my wife of 2 1/2 years.She said she married me for my spirituality (former elder), her ex raised in the truth- never did anything with the truth. She doesn't appreciate me taking negative about the WTBS and the watchtower study.
Not sure how long I will last its been 30 years- yet I dont want to hurt my new wife.
So those of you still hanging in there- whats keeping you hanging on?
I hung on for 10 years from fear of being disfellowshipped, fear of loosing family and friends. The problem is, the longer you hang on the more you have to loose.
Family - most of my family in the area are JW's, though they are mainly liberal JWs, and some on the fringes or inactive themselves. I don't think I'd care so much if they shunned me, but I wouldn't want them shunning my daughter - and they would do so because she'd be guilty by association. So much for love.
Fortunately, being a lowly single sister, very little is expected of me in the congregation. It's not hard to hang out around the fringes. I only attend 1 or 2 Sunday meetings a month. I never go out in field service and no one has questioned me about it in 10 years.
architect,
So those of you still hanging in there- whats keeping you hanging on?
Are you asking why they do it, or how they do it?
gently feral
I stuck around for family.
The GB know what they are doing the shunning policy deters many from leaving because they fear being cut off by family and friends of even seeing their families altogether dissolved.
I stay in because it helps me to keep my mind on the only hope for mankind, which is undoubtedly God’s kingdom. This isn’t to say that I’m not well aware of the WTS’ failings and revisionist history. I just don’t believe the other religions are superior.
Hmm, "fairmind", how many have you thoroughly investigated? or do you simply take what the WT says about the other religions?
carmel
I was in for 21 years, I was pretty much just trying to do what I thought was right. I am not sure what kept me going for so long, maybe it was the mind control or something.
Fear of being shunned is the worst reason I can think of for a Jehovah's Witness to stay involved. If one has grounds against the doctrinal issues, the dogma, the failed end times prophecy, the general treatment of non believers but chooses to stay involved because they fear... let me just point a few things out:
1. All One and Only True Religions use some form or degree of fear to keep the membership locked in. In my three decades of Mormonism, I came to doubt the trustworthiness of Joseph Smith five years ago. It was the fear that if I left Mormonism, I would not ever see my wife and children again after I died (assuming they made it to the highest Mormon heaven). That alone kept me locked in and active but with serious gaping, wounding doubts in Mormon theology for oh, about 5 years.
With the leading One and Only True religions, there is always some scary risk of loss of some thing that is held out over the members. Walking away from whatever One and Only True religion you happen to belong to is always a debilitating and fearful event. Do not fear. Muslims don't fear not being JW. Mormons scoff at the validity claims of the JW's. Catholics reign supreme. And you, the JW, do not fear the Mormon validity claims one bit. Nor do you fear the horrific doom of treacherous tortures prescribed for the non Muslim as outlined in the many Qur'an verses.
2. You have been conditioned to fear leaving the watchtower. If you had been born in Tehran, you would fear leaving Islam. There is no difference. If you were born in Salt Lake City, you would probably fear leaving Mormonism. If you were born in Sicily, Italy... you get the point.
3. Who is to say that God really requires his followers to shun their family if they choose to walk away from JW? Does that sound like any Omniscient god? Where is the kindness or benevolence in that act of shunning?
Just a couple of thoughts.
Noggin
