How being a JW affected me as a person

by keo15929 23 Replies latest jw friends

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  Balsam

  Keo159,

  You said: All knowledge is built around the firm and unshakable belief that they have the truth. When they read the Bible they are looking for validation of their belief and nothing else.

  And Arthur said the mental gymnastics is just incredible. So very true. I used to say to myself, well we know the brothers and the Society is correct so I must be fully understanding something. It never occured to me to question the Society's concepts about what they taught. They were directed by Jehovah so there was no questioning their position. I didn't even notice that they didn't mention Jesus all that much until one day I had the boys putting check marks next to three words on a tablet to keep them busy and quite. I would put down Jesus, Jehovah, and The Kingdom. Well there would be lots of checks next to all words but Jesus. I thought they had made a mistake till I started looking for the words myself. I was dumb founded that an entire meeting could go by without mention of Jesus name.

  It is like some kind of stupor, or addiction to an idea and it just totally defies logic but we believed it anyway. It feel good to think and reason again freely doesn't it?

  Balsam
• 

  done4good

  Welcome, Keo. I can identify with everything you posted.

  j
• 

  Apostate Kate

  They completly miss the whole point of what it means to be Christ like.

  This list, formed from the Gospels and Philippians 2:5-11, as well as some other lists that have come out of the understanding of the Nature of Jesus:
  
  The Nature of Jesus

  1. Servant
  2. Not Lord It over Others
  3. Lead by Example
  4. Humble
  5. As A Child
  6. As the Younger
  7. As the Least
  8. Last
  9. Used No Force on Us
  10. Was Not Driven by Selfish Ambition
  11. Made Himself of No Reputation
  12. Was Fully Human
  13. Obedient
  14. Unto Death

  Everything we say, publish or do, we try to conform to this list if we want to call ourselves Christians.

  
  Knowing this about Jesus opened my eyes to the incredible Grace of the Father, since Jesus said that when you had seen Him you had seen the Father.

  Doesn't sound like the Society does it..
• 

  BluesBrother

  Welcome Keo, so much of what you said struck a chord with me. When reasoning with dubs, or even trying to explain your position, it seems like banging your head against a brick wall, or as the Bible says, as though they are blinded so that the illumination might not shine through. I could identify with:

  you can't be convinced to be a Witness you must be stupid and have demons. How can you possibly have a positive attutude toward people if you have those kind of beliefs.

  I too rebelled against the teaching that we should not look at other material, How could I refute it if I did not look at it?

  If they are told things that are good valid points against Witness teaching then they will find a way to justify it.

  eg, note this comment in a real e mail from a Witness friend of mine .

  "It seems to me that Jehovah expects us to accept the Slave whether they say the correct things or not."