To active or questioning JWs: Are you rational?

by Confession 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Confession

  For those of us who’ve discovered the truth about the Watchtower Society, it is never surprising when a person who devotes him or herself to an examination of all the pertinent information soon sees they’ve been misled. Of course this can only be true for those who, as was the case with me, believe that the Watchtower Society represents the sole channel of communication from God for rational reasons. If you are among those who hold this belief for primarily emotional reasons, it is possible that nothing—no matter how convincing—will allow you to use your mind on this subject. You have been institutionalized by the organization, and I wish you well.

  But certainly for anyone it can be a difficult—even terrifying—thing, this willingness to consider the possibility that “The Truth” isn’t. I remember the way I used to think. Although I knew I wasn’t supposed to, occasionally I’d find my way onto an anti-JW website. Sure, most of the time I had just been looking for a site that might have next week’s Watchtower study scriptures available for printout, but admittedly sometimes I’d just google “Jehovah” or “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

  I wouldn’t stay long at these so-called “apostate” sites, just glimpsing some of the information, and I never really saw anything that I considered to be of substance. Now I understand. It’s just incredibly hard to grasp reality when you’re solidly within the hold of indoctrination. Oh, you may be a perfectly intelligent human being. You likely have a lucid line of reasoning that both binds you to the organization and keeps you from looking at all the information that may challenge it. But after simply giving yourself permission to use your own mind and see all the facts, you eventually start to get it: your thinking has been controlled and manipulated by the Society. Fascinating stuff really.

  So, my active-but-curious JW friend, which are you? The rational or the emotional? You’re probably at least a bit of both, but which eclipses the other? If you answer “rational,” then I invite you to consider whether it really makes any sort of sense for a person confident in his beliefs to keep himself from information that may challenge it. I’ll just leave it to you. Consider…

  We love you. We are here to shepherd you. You will listen to us and we will take good care of you. Others disagree with us, so they are evil. You are not even to listen to them. We tell you this because we care about you. If you do listen to them and begin to disagree with us, we will brand you as evil too and will cut you off from your family and entire community of friends.

  The Watchtower Society has occasionally used the expression, “ring of truth.” Does the above have it? Does it seem like the reasoning of a rational person, confident in his or her beliefs? No? Good then. It would appear you are beginning to use your mind.

  Congratulations.
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  compound complex

  I consider myself totally rational, as a member of an OT faith under the guise of Christianity. Whenever I remove my sandals, I find myself - at that very moment - upon hallowed ground, whereupon I enter into meaningful dialogue with THE BURNING BUSH. Upon renewed spiritual enlightenment and corporeal revivification, I return to the realm of my lowly brethren to solidify them in the most holy faith.

  You did say I could return. I thought, mayhaps, you might be lonely. For me, religion is totally a rational matter, and I refuse to allow emotion and sensationalism to cloud my clear judgment.

  Would you like a free consultation?

  CooCoo
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  Arthur

  You did say I could return. I thought, mayhaps, you might be lonely. For me, religion is totally a rational matter, and I refuse to allow emotion and sensationalism to cloud my clear judgment.

  Would you like a free consultation?

  Compount Complex,

  I'm a little confused. Were you joking around in your above post; or were you sniffing some glue?
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  compound complex

  Greetings Arthur,

  At an earlier date, Confession invited my return vis-a-vis my on-going encounters with THE BURNING BUSH. He claimed it would be an enlivening factor. His post was not posted upon, whereupon I posted posthaste. In October you implied I imbibed when you noted my waxing eloquent upon a ditty of the winged creature. I do not claim the felicity of speech of our fellow Briton, P.G. Wodehouse, but I do find him to be most drole. Your inquiry at that time into my level of saturation lead me to pen a poem on the joys of abstinence. It is in the archives awaiting retrieval. I assure you, I neither drink nor sniff.

  CoCo
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  Arthur

  Your inquiry at that time into my level of saturation lead me to pen a poem on the joys of abstinence. It is in the archives awaiting retrieval. I assure you, I neither drink nor sniff.

  LOL - I know, I was just joking around with you.
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  compound complex

  Good Show, Arthur!

  It was all in sport and jolly good fun! To paraphrase the inimitable P.G.W., 'If you can't show some appreciation for the unremitting kindness I've shown you, I'll kick your spine through your hat!'

  Cheerio!

  CoCo
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  Confession

  You do appear to be in a definite mood, CoCo.
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  Abandoned

  Yeah, what CoCo said, only throw in a "y'all" or two to give it more of an old-western flavor...
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  LanDi

  Well, it's funny becasue at what point do you consider that it isn't the truth anymore? Let me explain. Jesus stated that he would come on an hour nobody knows, and that the sheep and goats would be divided and that the preaching work would take place just before the end and that christians should evangelize. Also, that fornication was a gross sin and so on, so these are TRUTHS within the structure of the biblical arangement which if you believe that must be observed.

  Now, how about this , Jesus never existed and was a rehash of Egyptian legends - and that the bible is also a rewrite of the Egyptian holybooks (the Israelites came from Egypt conveniently) The simularity between Jesus and Iris or Osis are most compelling and then there's the Roman SunGod (name escaps me!) who is so similar to Jesus , even down to coming down from heaven to cleanse us from sin, and having twelve disciples, now thats a little too close for comfort - surely when you study these, you are left with no doubt ????

  Perhaps. There is virtually no mention of Jesus in the history books, with Historians agreeing that Josephus comments were " added later". Very interesting. The bible is not that impressive technically, when you consider that the Egyptians knew the actual circumference of the earth, let alone Jobs comments that it was round ( a circle ) which it actually isn't.

  The society has been one big lie, theocratic warfare ( " The devil is a liar and the father of the lie" - bible) Child sacrifice - blood issue. Protecting paedophiles - even the "wicked people" in the world find that abhorent . But they're all goats to be destroyed. Argue with a Jehovahs witness and you will see thaey are not at all rational, they can only work in a circular WT reasoning. Why the WTBTS even control you down to the conversations you have ( Jehovahs Witnesses enjouy talking about the ministry" - in other words converting more people to the cause)

  Very scary mind control cult ? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, chances are it's a duck.

  Or just unbelievable incompetence. I believe in the words of the Budda " We are what arises within our minds. With our thoughts we make our world.". We see things not as they are, but as we are. Time will tell, if we are right or wrong. If for one, would rather not support a religion that teaches women to "remember the feelings of their rapist" and that protects paedophiles . But them, I'm wicked to not submit to our "mother" mind control organization.
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  Terry

  Thinking ain't easy!

  You have to use Contexts and Concepts and Definitions.

  If anybody has tampered with your ability to use the precise ones that conform with reality--you are in a heap of dog doo!

  The way you choose to "see" a question can affect how you take it apart and examine it for facts.

  There are alot of hidden wires in your mechanism, my friend. Some of them are practically invisible. You have to know where they all lead.

  Then, there are the PREsuppositions which short-circuit any debate and lead right back to what you EXPECT to find.

  How do answer these questions, for example?

  1.How do we know IF there is any book, document, writing on earth that actually contains superior wisdom, knowlege and divine messeges for mankind?

  2.How do we know there is an intelligence "out there" that we could understand, comprehend or contact who would want that contact?

  3. How is it there are 6 billion people on earth and WE are the ones that just happen to have it all down correctly?

  4.Among the Bible, the Koran, the book of Mormon and other purported holy writings there are people who believe so completely and who are at odds with each other so absolutely---where is there a possibility of settling any important issue of belief among them?

  5.Why not live the best life you can and leave it to a just God to see you're doing no harm and let it go at that? Why risk belief in a wrong story that seems right but offends the "true" god, (if there is one)?

  See what I mean?

  Being RATIONAL is only a starting point.

  Garbage in Garbage out applies to computers and to people's thinking.

  Your processor may work just dandy, but; what are you using as data?