to join or not (page 5)

Mrs Smith

I wish I had the oppertunity to "make sure of all things" before becoming involved with the JWs. I was too young and just followed in my parents foots steps. If it doesn't feel right and there are things you cannot live with then you shouldn't get babtized.

jwfacts

JWs may be nice, but so are many people that are not JWs. That does not make what JWs teach the only true religion. Nor does it justify thinking that God will kill 6.6 Billion people, and shunning your own children for the rest of their lives simply because they dont believe the same thing. I have many friends who have had virtually no contact whatsoever with their family for years, simply because the children do not believe the Watchtower Society is not directed by Jehovah.

Please check out jwfacts.com for a chronical of many teachings they Watchtower has had to change because they were wrong, and why so many are still wrong.

AuldSoul

dontknow: WHY DON'T THEY INFORM AND POINT OUT TO POTENTIAL WITNESSES THE PRE REQUISITE CONDITIONS REQUIRED OF THEM BEFORE THEY ARE BAPTISED???

Yes. There is a list. In a publication horribly misnamed you find the list. It is in chapter 18 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? You probably have a copy.

Sophistry Lessons—JW Baptismal Prerequisites

The Bible doesn't teach that their list of requirements are required before baptism.

What they don't list is the requirements of a JW after they are baptized. And technically they reserve the right to claim their adherents have free will. After you cut off all your former family and associates (which usually ticks your family and friends off, big time) and form new relationships with JWs, you are welcome to leave them at any time. You just can't talk with them anymore. Unless you repent of your departure and grovel sufficiently to satisfy the human overlords in the congregations. Nothing like the prodigal son account, they really make you grovel to go back.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

Hellrider

Welcome.

I do like the bible teachings very much and to this day I'm very interested in the end of the system of things which will very soon come to fruition;

This is the jw-interpretation of the Bible, and I see they have allready trained you well. You have, probably, allready been filled with the propaganda about the signs of the end of time, etc, but remember, this is the jw-interpretation of the Bible - and not necessarily what the Bible itself teaches. The jws use the pessimistic view of the future (that many today have and feel) as an argument why this is the end times (our time). In reality, humanity is much better off today than they have been in the past. If you don`t believe that, you should start studying history, it will open your eyes.

lavendar

Thank you, not dontknow but now do know.

Hi again. I LOVE how you signed off! And I'm so glad your eyes are being opened to the REAL TRUTH behind the WTS. I pray someday our son's eyes will be opened as well.

Be careful when they come to your door. They will jump around to different subjects & doctrines, and they have an "answer" for everything. Don't let them confuse you. I'm telling you.....satan has really done his homework with this cult!

Warm regards,

Lavendar

VanillaMocha73

"ll they said to me was that these people (meaning you) are apostates who have turned against God."
You know, when I was in I would have said this too. But I assure you I have a close relationship with God - much closer than I ever had in the WT. I read my Bible (not their NWT, but the NIV - way different) daily on my own without need of outside interpretation (WT says you cannot read the Bible without the WT), I pray several times a day, and I feel that God really loves me for me. He has blessed me so much since I left that I stop in wonder all the time.
The church I first started going to after (and during) the time I was still trying to go to the KH was Allen Creek Community Church (www.ac3.org). Now I attend Church of the Nazarene. All the things I was told about Babylon the Great (any church outside of the WT) were totally not factual. We use Jehovah's name (not as a magic talisman though), we read the Bible, they are not constantly out for money..... They talk about the Kingdom. All that is missing is the condemnation.

The salmon

Welcome to the site...

As a person who will this week give in a letter of dissaccociation, the advice I would give is RUN TO THE HILLS MA BAKER!!!! Do NOTHING until you can reconcile in your head that you will sell your soul to a corporate, money making machine, intent on putting the need of a chosen (in the eyes of other corrupt men)bunch of men over anything taught in the bible. If you can realise that the WTS cannot possibly be the chosen method of communication a real god use then by all means join. If you sell your soul to an organisation that will forgive those who tow the company line and be submissive in every way, then go for it!! Otherwise, realise that the bible is good, god is good, but fins another catalyst!!!

The Salmon.

BluesBrother

All the drawbacks inn the the world would be as nothing if the Witness spoke what was true.. I mean, who cares about giving up your birthday if it put really put you in line with the True God and you did know "Sacred secrets" about life and the future and , well - everything...

But sadly.. It is just not true.. none of it ..IMHO It is Bullshit,... that is the only word that can capture the mix of half truth and conjecture that makes up Watchtower 'theology'..

Do not accept our word for it.. Check it out Do as the ancient Bereans (sp?) and cross check everything ,, If they tell you that Jerusalem fell in 607bce, check it out, If they deny making false predictions in the past, check it out. If the New World Translation is really so accurate ? check it out , Would the number 144000 be enough to accommodate the 1st century Christians and early Witnesses of 19th/20th century? check it out..

It is your life , do not wast the best years of it as so many have done, but if having fully investigated the matter, from all sources and you decide that you want to go in, .. then do so, We cannot think for you. You decide..

becca1

Just to clarify. As a witness, you will not be banned from contacting or helping your non-witness brother or other "worldly" relatives. However, close contact with non-witnesses is always frowned upon. And of course, any contact with a former witness is a no-no.

dontknow

Thanks lavendar, I know them jumping around from one topic to another; I admit I don't know as much as they do, but I tell you they will have a very difficult time trying to drag me closer to their belief and support in the WTs and not the bible. Interestingly my father has spoken with them over many years and studied the bible on his own in one of the most difficult languages; Greek. He is not a JW and never has been, but he is a hardcore bookworm who has been self educated all his life to the extent where JWs cannot answer his questions many times. I've seen it happen on many occassions and think to myself I wish I had one tenth of his knowledge.

Initially it was he he who really opened my eyes to see that they are really in his words dictators, that is those who established the watch tower society who wrote their own doctrine not inspired by Gods word and that the difference between them and other groups is that they don't believe in idolatry, believe they will inherit everlasting life and that only 144,000 chosen ones will govern in heaven with God. They do this to be different from other groups but all religions to some extent quote bible scriptures. He also said to me (this blew me away) when Moses led his people out of Egypt to return to the chosen land Jehovah set aside for them and also handed down the laws and 10 commandments to uphold and live by, they faced stiff opposition and fought many battles for 40 years to get to their land. But Jehovah commanded them "you must not commit murder" but they did in order to survive. Now he asked me what is going on here; on one hand Jehovah says to Moses tell your people "you must not commit murder" and on the other Moses with his people fight a war and Moses was supposed to be a believer of God. It came across to me as fairy tales and very contradictory.

He continued to give very detailed information about the organization that publishes all their material and how once you are converted the elders behave by the doctrine and examine every move you make and everything you say and completely dominate your life. He is extremely objective and can read a person very well when it comes to double meanings. He has the knack; it blows me away.

He showed me many examples in the bible which when I read them in English were a contradiction; for example Jesus says love your enemy. My father says if someone attacks you are you going to love them? Is there a human being on earth that loves their attacker? Will JWs allow an intruder ransack their home then pull out the bible and say "the lord says you must not to steal" and not do anything to prevent them? Will JWs allow their family members be abused and turn the other cheek? Will JWs apply eye for an eye tooth for a tooth when assulted or just stand like a statue and quote love thy neighbour as thy self? Will JWs really help you out in any difficult situation? Or do your parents love you less than JWs?

All these things started to make me tick because JWs are so sweet when they talk to you and I decided to look into things and found this informative site that has opened my eyes. The amazing thing is that my father spoke negatively about the behaviour of elders and how they run a JWs life which is exactly what ex JWs are writing about in their posts and he doesn't know how to use a computer or the internet to find out these things. He found out over many years of conversing with the blessed ones. Smart man; I should listen more often to more.

I hope your son doesn't get further involved and please use the above objectives my father used with me to open my mind from narrow sightedness.

to join or not

Share this