slipped through their fingers

Nadja

Looks like I'm another better-luck-next-time for the JWs. Got to chapter 15 in the Bible Teach book and finally worked up the guts to end my study and tell them goodbye...

I can't believe I got so close to actually being baptized. Especially since I've been reading the posts on JW forum and they all seem to be saying the same thing...

How did I end it? I used a three-step argument wherein I referred to Beth Sarim and Deuteronomy 18:20-22, the third step being the conclusion.

1. the Watchtower, under Rutherford, built Beth Sarim b/c Rutherford wrote in "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" on pgs. 89-80 "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection"* If that isn't a prophesy, I don't know what is.

2. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 deals specifically with false prophets and how to deal with them. This is how it is worded in the New World Translation: 20 “‘However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 21 And in case you should say in your heart: “How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?” 22 when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him.’ **

3. Now then. We have two problems. i) Anyone seen Abraham lately? How about Isaac? ii) Rutherford prophesied, and the WTBTS must have agreed with him b/c they devoted funds to building Beth Sarim. Even if one denies the "Millions..." passages, it's pretty hard to deny a house.

4. Deuteronomy is pretty clear. False prophets must die. I'll settle with keeping myself clear of them.

My study leader didn't really have a lot to say to all this. I probably did more work than I really needed to, but whatev. Since the JWs insist on using all their own materials for justifying their claims during studies, it was fun to use all JW materials to get myself out of there.

Just thought I'd share my experience with the rest of you, esp for those who are sitting on the fence or who may still be in bible studies themselves; READ GOD'S WORD THE BIBLE EVERYDAY ON YOUR OWN!! IF YOU DO, YOU'LL SEE THE REAL TRUTH! AND THEY DON'T HAVE IT!

* Special thanks to http://www.watchman.org/jw/bethsarm.htm for the quote in #1. **Special thanks to http://www.watchtower.org for the bible passage in #2.

Confession

Nice work, Nadja! Congratulations on figuring it out before you were in too deep.

Confession

Highlander

Good for you,

I'm glad you did your research before committing yourself to the J-dubs.

Good call on using only their literature,, in doing so they can't blame it on 'worldly' material or 'apostate' material. They can only blame the 'organization'

Dirks Retort

Welcome Nadja.

Your example is a very simple and effective theological kick to the guts for any JW. ie a very objective prophesy that did not come to pass. It is also a particularly bizzare example that could get a JW thinking.

Leolaia

I'm happy to see another person learn the truth before getting committed. Your experience also shows how the internet hits the the Society where it hurts most: prospective converts. People check out the Society on the internet for the same reason one would look up a product to see if it was a good buy ... caveat emptor. Anytime I see an infomercial late night and want to see what the "real deal" is about the product, I hit the internet immediately and then discover what the enticing commercial does not tell you. Same thing is going on with the Society.

luna2

Beautifully done, Nadja! So glad you escaped.

Welcome to JWD.

DHL

Nadja, that was fabulous! You are definitely a smart lady!

jwfacts

Welcome and thanks for the post. That is great in it's simplicity, so good I will have to steal it and use it myself.

greendawn

Welcome Nadja, you are lucky to realise that this is a harmful cult and pulled out of getting committed to them just in time, their Bible studies are not even that they are a method of indoctrination. They give their own usually erroneous interpretation of it.

The house of the princes was most probably built as a luxury residence for Rutherford and the patriarchs story was just a cover story that the old fox (or some say Fred Franz) contrived to justify building it.

Rutherford was a shameless liar and a ruthless manipulator of the naive JW masses.

Confession

Anytime I see an infomercial late night and want to see what the "real deal" is about the product, I hit the internet immediately and then discover what the enticing commercial does not tell you. Same thing is going on with the Society.

Good point, Leo. I think it's also important to point out that, while negative information may be found about almost ANY product, service or organization out there, I don't always accept such data as true. The idea is that we should have access to ALL the information available--so that we can determine what is true and what isn't for ourselves.

Sometimes what we find online might not be the "real deal." But at least we get to make up our minds ourselves--instead of handing this decision over to a body of men.

slipped through their fingers

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