I realized that the manmade rules were so ungodly and more Pharasaic that I began to tune out what I thought was blather and silly nonsense. Eventually, I would sit at the meetings with either a visivle smirk or an inward one because of the foolishness spouted!---------Did you have a similar sentiment???
Did You Find Yourself IGNORING What The Elders or Society Said?
by minimus 23 Replies latest jw friends
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zack
I have found myself doing that very thing for quite some time. It's strange, but I start out WANTING to defend the beleifs at the core of all the noise and yet find myself increasingly angry at not just the noise but the aquiesence of all those hearing the noise around me.
Tuning out has become a defense mechanism to ensure my sanity.
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zeroday
I can remember sitting at the Sunday Public Talk at times so imbarrassed at what I was hearing hoping there were no nonJW's in the crowd to hear this. Especially when the Revelation book came out. There was no way I could defend the garbage they spouted.
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Justice-One
Eventually, I would sit at the meetings with either a visivle smirk or an inward one because of the foolishness spouted!---------Did you have a similar sentiment???
YUP! It was all I could do at the last few meetings I went to, to not sneeze and yell "bullshit!" I came REALLY close when the speaker told everyone that the Society had NEVER predicted when the end would come, and mentioned 1975 as an example. At the last DC I attended, I did not even try to hide my disdain. I even quietly laughed at some of the nonsense being presented....then I would get up and do some "Pooper Posting."
But long before I got this bad (or should it be good?) I had quit giving a rats ass about what the Elders said or thought of me. I put my "hobbies" and the fact that I had a CCW right under their noses, and let it drive them nuts. I think by the time I had taken the Elders to the D.O. twice, they were getting gun shy of me. You know, being raised in the "truth" does have some advantages....you know how to play their game almost as good as they do.
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minimus
I was reading the latest QFR at my mom's yesterday and the whole article was why it's SOOOOOOOOOO wrong to clink glasses and toast. Yet they acknowledge that wedding rings are pagan too but gloss right over that. Stupid religion!
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blondie
If it wasn't based on the Bible, I always pushed the envelope. I remember when the talk was given that we could not chew gum at the KH, I bought a big pack of gum and started chewing being sure to sit so the elder who gave the talk could see me chewing. What he didn't know was there was no gum, I was just chewing.
Then then was the Tuesday night CO talk about "moon boots" and how they were not appropriate to wear in field service. I went out and bought a bright orange pair from Goodwill and showed up for Saturday field service with them on...it was a cold, bitter day. And I was a regular pioneer too at the time. Not a peep from anyone to me. These boots are made for walking...these boots are going to walk all over you.
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minimus
Blondie, those are some ugly boots! The make believe gum chewing, I can understand but the boots?? UGG!!
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blondie
They only cost $2 and were worth the looks I got. I gave them away to one of my RV's daughters.
Blondie (these boots are made for walking)
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Confession
When I was a zealous JW, I would hold a few personal disagreements with some things. I didn't like the heavy-handed approach to people who questioned--or examined anti-JW materials. (Any wonder where I am now?) I also disagreed with the WTS' view on oral and anal sex. (Ever read their reasoning? It was clearly BS to me.)
My thinking? I knew the WTS had made mistakes. At the time, I did not blame them for these mistakes--but I also didn't think (given this) I would have to personally accept everything they said as gospel. And I thought it was okay--as long as I wasn't stirring up controversy among the friends.
When I realized it wasn't The Truth, there were a couple of particularly difficult meetings. One: The elder (complete Pharisee) listing the line of headship. He first referred to the scripture, but instead of reading it, he just verbalized this line: "First, there is Jeeehovah (he always pronounced it like this,) then we have Jesus Christ, then there are Christ's brothers, then the man, and then the woman." I wanted so badly to say, "Ahem, excuse me! The bible mentions four entities here; you mention five. You've inserted something in there."
Then, during a bookstudy, the conductor was making reference to the way many people have acquiesced to the dictates of their religions--even going to war at the behest of their church leaders. He seemed incensed, saying, "So they did these things just because their church told them to. That was no excuse; you can't just be blown by the wind, doing whatever they tell you to!"
My sigh was heavy.
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avidbiblereader
The power of reason is stronger than the power of stupidy in some of us.
abr