How I discovered the true face of the Governing Body!

by Khufu 48 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Frog

  Hello there Phillipe,

  I just want to say how very much I admire your courage, strength and conviction in the way that you went about dealing with your cognitive dissonance. Your approach was utterly dignified, and you gave the GB and the elders every opportunity to answer your concerns and questions, but in their typical true style they refuse to be challenged on their unfounded doctrines, and silence your challenge by forcing you out of the org. It's just a great thing that you realised your own personal intelligence and worth and weren't afraid to face your fears. I can totally understand where you're coming from on what it's like to have panic attacks in relation to the fear you have regarding your indoctrinated upbrining. It's a terrible thing to have to go through, and extremely difficult to overcome. That just makes the fact that you've been able to stand up and walk away all the more impressive in my opinion :) Now that you've intelligently worked through your feelings on false JW doctrinal teachings, you will no longer have to fear anything, or suffere panic attacks, because you've been through the worst of it, and nothing the org does can ever hurt you again any more than what they've already done to you. So as hard as it is still at times, it's all up from here :)

  I just wanted to say too that the no blood transfusion rule was one of the big things that got to me that caused me to have major doubt too. It didn't seem logical to me that the principle of the sanctity of life would be sacrificed through the strict enforcement of an antiquated law. It just didnt gel with me at all. I'd really like to see the paper that you published on the web with respects to the "blood issue". Feel free to pm me with a link, or if you need to send it via email, just pm me and I"ll shoot you over my details :)

  Well, it was great to read your bio, thanks for sharing it with us. All the best with your future, especially re your plans to move to China, it sounds absolutely fabulous. You should be immensely proud of yourself, never forget your amazing accomplishments, especially in the hard times.

  Take care, much luv, sis frog x
• 

  MidwichCuckoo

  Khufu - yes, I lived in a Flemish area. And YES, Kraainem sounds right! Not too far from the Mai Thai restaurant, which I frequented (am I remembering correctly?)

  Great to have you here.
• 

  tijkmo

  I trusted that the Governing Body would readily listen to my arguments, so I wrote letters, first to the elders, then to the circuit overseer and the Brussels branch, and finally to the correspondence desk at Patterson. Each time, I only encountered dumb ears.

  yes this was my experience too....on the subject of judicial commitees...same belief same result..

  it is only recently that i have worked out that since jehovah is directing the governing body!!!..then why would he need me to tell them anything at all...that more than anything i think was what opened my eyes...

  still not particularly happy about it tho

  all the best to you tho in your pursuits
• 

  blondie

  khufu, so you found that the WTS wants worship. No wonder they put themselves in Christ's and even God's place as the only channel on earth to their guidance and direction. The Pharisees and the scribes did the same in Jesus time, making the word of God invalid.

  What you found too that there is no individual on the GB or in the "helper" group that has any real individual power, not even Jaracz who has to gather supporters. The GB functions much like a body of elders. There are the pushy ones, the cowards, and the quiet ones who wait to see how the wind blows before they say anything. Even some who just sleep through the proceedings.

  I wonder if the early Christians were asked to pledge allegiance to a "governing body"? Oh, that's right, that phrase doesn't even appear in the Bible.

  Welcome, Blondie
• 

  Khufu

  MidwichCuckoo: I don't know that restaurant, but the Bethel is located in Kraainem, in a Brussels suburb called Stockel. It's a nice place indeed.

  Rachel: I had started reading the Bible as a teenager, but wasn't attending any church at first. I then went to a catholic mass, but was somewhat disappointed that they weren't using the Bible so much. When I joined the witnesses, I just believed it was the truth, and tried to do my best. I had had a good relationship with my parents, so it wasn't some sort of teenage rebellion. I just was a believer!

  Frog: Thanks for the encouragement. I'll send my files to you. I still have to re-publish my web page on blood. With retrospect, it seems that the panic attacks were caused indeed by soem sort of cognitive dissonance. I had been freely worshipping God before joining the witnesses, and the loss of that freedom, together with the reaction of my parents caused a lot of stress. It was hard to overcome, but it was eventually completely gone.

  Greendawn: I can only agree 100% with your analysis. It's a political issue, not a scriptural one. Actually, they don't care about the scriptures at all when it comes to the interests of their organization.

  Tijkmo: I regret very much the breaking off of my marriage, there no question about that, but I'm otherwise really glad I had the experience of having been a witness. I learned a lot, had a good time while pioneering, and finally got the wonderful lesson that christianity is a religion of freedom. Popes and Governing Body and other gurus have no place in it. I hope there is some good side to your experience as well. I wish you all the best too.

  Thank you again you all!
• 

  greendawn

  "Popes and Governing Body and other gurus have no place in it."
  
  Surprisingly the Governing Body of the JWs is acting in the same oppressive and authoritarian way the Popes used to act back in the Middle Ages, as if they have decided to copy their example at a time when the popes themselves moved on and became a lot more open minded and tolerent.
• 

  slimboyfat

  W
• 

  slimboyfat

  What a great story!

  Even Gordon Ritchie got a "hearing" with Dan Sydlik! The least they could do was talk to you after travelling all that way. Shame.

  Slim
• 

  KW13

  Well, your work and efforts paid off!

  Welcome to the forum

  Thanks for posting your story
• 

  Marvin Shilmer

  Hello, Philip

  So you had the pleasure of meeting Rusky? The man is a hypocrite.

  Fred Rusk sold his soul to the Watchtower Society decades ago. He projects himself onstage with a well-rehearsed pleading voice of humility. He's quite different when it comes to fielding well intended and learned questions about critical Watchtower teachings, like its blood doctrine. His policy is to defend whatever the Watchtower is teaching today, no matter what that teaching is and no matter whether it withstands the simplest of stink tests.

  Rusky has no qualms about following a lie, so long as it is the Watchtower doing the lying. He says, "I've known and worked with members of the governing body for decades, and I trust them based on that experience." Given the demonstrable dishonesty of the historical Watchtower governing body, the only conclusion is that Rusky has become just like his teacher; precisely what the biblical Jesus taught would happen.

  Check your private messages. I have a personal question I'd rather not discuss publicly.

  Marvin Shilmer