When I was 12 years old my brother joined the Marines , because of that they announced at the Kingdom Hall that he had disassociated himself from the congregation. He was 18yrs. old and had not been attending meetings for about a year. We were expected to treat my brother by shunning him . I loved my brother and was worried he might die ......because of my love I continued to write to him .Do you think God disapproved of me for doing that ? The witnesses would. When he finally came home and years later got married I could not attend his church wedding because I would be guilty of associating with a Disassociated person . My conscience plagued me for years for doing that to him because in my heart I knew family should love and support each other no matter what the other persons life choice is .Do you think Jesus was proud of me for going against my conscience ? I don't but according to the witnesses I did the right thing. Now a couple of years ago my mom laid in a hospital bed in a coma with a vent tube stuck in her neck the doctors were telling us she would need to be unplugged soon......Who was there by my side ? was it the witnesses from my hall that knew me the last 27 yrs. Or was it the witnesses from my mom's hall that had known her the past 37 yrs. ? NO , NOT one single one it was my BROTHER !!!! When it really matters he was there for me . So now why do you care what some stranger thinks about your relationship with your family ? If you pursue your study with the witnesses you can count on them destroying your relationships with "worldly" family members . Really think about what YOUR concsience tells you, not anyone else . Read about how Jesus treated the people he met ,the compassion he had for sinners , and ask your self do witnesses really reflect the love of Jesus .
JW says: DEVIL has hold on my brother in military
by I-follow-the-narrow-path 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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AK - Jeff
IFTNP - first of all, shame on you for using such heartless tactics to get our attention. I did lose my brother just a short time back and it hurts everyday. I came to this thread to see if I could comfort another who had the same pain.
I forgive it - for that is the sort I am, also because I recognise your age might have played a part in the cruel way you did this.
As for the witnesses - they just want another recruit - YOU! Be careful before you waste your life in that cult. Don't worry what this person thinks of you - you love and care for your brother for as long as you have him and you won't regret it.
Jeff
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heathen
Anyway, what I want to know is this. (and please be open and honest)... what do you think she thinks of my brother? Does she want me to think of him in a certain way? What if he dies in Iraq and I am still studying with her, what will she think? What will she say if that happens? Thanks.... Eli
She will think your brother is a beast worshipper and could influence you with political thoughts contrary to the supposed nuetral stance of the organization . She will want you to stop thinking of him as family and only think of the j-dubs as family . If he dies in Iraq , you won't even get a sympathy card , they really wouldn't care at all . She will probly say that your brother died believing a lie and use it to demonstrate why you should not show support for the military . You can count on being humiliated during WTBTS study time with off the cuff remarks should your personal loss become known . They do know how to screw with your head majorly .
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Rabbit
what do you think she thinks of my brother? Does she want me to think of him in a certain way? What if he dies in Iraq and I am still studying with her, what will she think?
a) She thinks he's just another "worldly" person that Jehovah will murder shortly at Armageddon (along with you & 6 billion others if you don't follow the JW's) Ask her. She'll give you a sweet, diplomatic answer, but, it's what she truly believes.b) Yep. She wants you to see him as a "worldly" person that the devil is misleading. Someone that you should keep at arm's length, because he can "influence" you in his "worldly ways". The same goes for your "worldly" father. Start counting the # of times "worldly" is used, it's a word used to make you "separate yourself from the world". And your brother, father & other relatives and friends. Goats are what they are to the WT & they are hoping YOU will be a sheep.
This is a fact. I started studying at 17 also. My father wasn't a JW, my Mom was raised as a JW & fell away. The "influence" (some say brainwashing) of her JW relatives making her feel guilty -- got her active again. As I became indoctrinated by studying, baptism and being a Regular Pioneer (before Armageddon came back in 1975) I viewed my father, bros & sisters that weren't JW's as "worldly" relatives that would die soon and I limited my association with them. By the way, the WT has predicted "the END" 5...times !
You will be required to do the same. It will be very, very subtle, but, it will happen.
Now that I'm "inactive" & "marked" for it ( not DF) I'm shunned by my JW relatives & I embrace my non-JW's who always had treated me well.
You haven't mentioned your Mom. Is she a JW ?
c) If he dies, she will think, "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword." She will think, "That's what happens to "worldly people" who don't follow the only true religion."
She will also be truly sympathetic to yours and your family's loss. She does have a heart. Most Witnesses are kind hearted, nice people. My Mom was, I think I was. The destructive, hurtful things they do are done out of misplaced faith in an organization that truly believes they "are the only true religion."
My Mom died refusing a blood transfusion. My now ex-wife & I refused a blood transfusion for our newborn baby. We were willing to let our little helpless baby DIE ! Luckily, our child lived. But, we were KH 'heroes', likened to having Abraham's 'faith' when he agreed to murder his his child. Gen. 22:1.
I will be ashamed of my 'faith' for the rest of my life. Will you refuse blood for yourself or your children -- if the time comes ?
It's required.
Rabbit
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carla
What if he dies in Iraq and I am still studying with her, what will she think? - You are worried what this woman would think while your brother lie dead? Does that tell you something about your own thinking abilities at the moment? Your own capacity to love your brother? What has she done already to your natural affection for your brother? This is sick.
As for the military, what did John the Baptist tell the soldiers when they asked, what about us? what should we do? Did he tell them to quit? Did he tell them to act honorably? What? Read for yourself not the watchtower spin. Who did Jesus say had more faith than in all of Isreal? Who? What was his job? Read for yourself not the watchtower spin.
If you really want truth you have to be willing to do a little work, not simply depend on somone else to 'give' you all the answers and be satisfied with that because it is far easier than really researching yourself.
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I-follow-the-narrow-path
:(--- I am sorry... I TOLD you I don't have good people skills. I like making this jokes... rather than thinking of them. <BR>
If I think too much I get sad... You all think I am sick... I am sorry. I just have problems... maybe that is why a lot of people don't talk to me.<BR>
I guess my ability to think right now is dead... This angers me. I guess I am needy.. I don't know. <BR>
I am sorry to upset everyone... please don't be angry. <BR>
I am an impressionable person... sensitive as well... sorry.
Please don't hate me
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I-follow-the-narrow-path
why do you think the Devil does have a tight hold on your brother?
I guess maybe... I don't know... maybe I said it to please her, because I enjoy knowing I do please her.
Maybe that response was conditioned. I don't know what to think right now... I really never thought why I answered so quickly.
Maybe to please her... maybe to get approval. I just have people issues and attachment issues, so it is easy for me to get friends,
but not easy for me to keep them.
I don't in noway think that my brother is held by the Devil. NO WAY... do I think that.
Again sorry for making everyone upset with my post title.. no I feel bad (but I should feel bad)
sorry
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Double Edge
Hi IFTNP....
Don't take this the wrong way, but may I ask how old you are? Under 25? ____ Under 20? ____ 15 to 20 ____ Under 15? ___
I'm just trying to figure out where your mind is, age wise.
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KW13
God -> Jesus -> You
your a person not a dog, stop worrying what people think about you.
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M.J.
Hi. I'm involved in a "bible" study as well with the JWs. I can tell you first hand, (I too do not have the greatest people skills) that it can be really easy to get caught into their world view during a conversation with them. Its like they are so forceful in the way they view certain things, and of course you are trying to be polite, that sometimes its almost as if you are forced into agreement with them unless you are really on guard. It's a kind of psychological phenomenon. You almost feel out of place if you disagree. And even if you do disagree, their position is built on a whole string of assumptions that lead them to where they are at...so disagreeing with the last link in this chain doesn't seem to even be relevant sometimes. Studying with JWs is really interesting. Sorry for the rambling, not-well-thought out post...