I hope you find peace with your decision to go back, Caine. Do you really think your depression will lift from jw activity? As a jw your told if you don't go to meeting.....you'll die. If you don't go out in service.....you'll die. If you question the FDS.....you'll die. It's an environment of negativity which is why (I believe) so many jw's are depressed.
Am going to be reinstated
by Caine 76 Replies latest jw friends
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Caine
I agree with you. It is an enviornment of negativity. But i am no longer effected by it. I have read the bible and learned of gods grace. So i will not let the bs get to me. I am going back, but in no way am i going back naive. No longer will i guilt trip. and no longer will my self worth be directly proportional to how well i do according to watchtower guidelines. I will go back serving god and not serving men. I am now my own man. I will not be owned or manipulated bt wt doctrine. But i am not 100% against them. Ill just have to go back and figure it out for myself. May even visit a church or two.
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becca1
Caine: I'm glad you are geting your friends and family back. I'm worried about your depresion though. Have you seen a doctor? Are you on any meds? There is no shame in getting help from the right source. You would see a doctor for any other illness, and yes depression is an illness. Don't try to put a band-aid on a gapping, life threatning wound.
Chopper: Welcome aboard!
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OnTheWayOut
I am now my own man. I will not be owned or manipulated bt wt doctrine. But i am not 100%
against them. Ill just have to go back and figure it out for myself. May even visit a church or two.Posters here can be a little harsh. We have all done exhaustive searches for the "truth"
and most of us have determined problems with the WTS. If you truly are going back for
family and friends, and if it lessens your depression- good for you. Hold yourself to your
words quoted above. BUT be careful about visiting a church. Don't go to all that trouble
getting back into the WTS, just to be DF'ed again. Perhaps you can continue your
search for truth through the internet and books- telling none of the JW's about your search.You make excellent points that many stay in a job they hate for the benefits. Many here
stay in the congregation just for family. Do what you need to do, but remember that you
you said you would not be manipulated by their doctrine. Perhaps you can listen to the
posters who discuss field service- more service won't remove depression or doubt. Most
JW's are depressed because they are pressured and feel guilty about their service to Jah.
God wouldn't make you feel guilty about trying to serve him- the WTS would, though.The book of James says that faith without works is dead. The works discussed in that book
are not preaching works. They are helping widows and orphans, good deeds toward people.
Instead of trying to preach more and more (as the doctrine pushers push you) perhaps you
can find more happiness in doing the type of good deeds discussed in the book of James. -
jgnat
AOG is Assembly of God www.ag.org
I commend your attempt to regain some spirituality. I don't think the external "works" of the society are going to do it for you. How about undertaking some independent bible study apart from the WT materials? Build your internal foundation, and the external forces won't hurt you so bad.
Have you ever tried the inductive study method?
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ex-nj-jw
spoke with another friend who was df'd. he said he just listens to 90% of it but the rest he just doesnt pay attention to.
How do you do this? why would you do this? Why would any one want to be a part of this cult is beyond me!!!
Good luck!
nj
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*jeremiah*
I have read the bible and learned of gods grace. So i will not let the bs get to me. I am going back, but in no way am i going back naive. No longer will i guilt trip. and no longer will my self worth be directly proportional to how well i do according to watchtower guidelines. I will go back serving god and not serving men.
Once you've learned of god's grace,...I really don't think that your following statements are possible. God's grace and truly serving god doesn't really mesh with the doctrine and belief system of the WTS. The WTS is a merit-based system of works. The more hours in FS, your meeting attendence, your commenting and executing other "privileges", etc, in the WTS system, defines how "spiritual" a member is. This is serving man.
If you choose to slack on these "works" you will eventually be accused of "not being strong", not having a close relationship with Jehovah, "drifting away", and eventually bad association.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:20-21)
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bebu
I think you will be really working uphill on this. The WTS is not simply a religion--it is a cult. The grace you were waking up to will not be tolerated; obeying the WTS is paramount.
There will come a point where there will clearly be a fork in the road for you, especially if you wish to follow Christ. The WTS will be urging (and threatening) you to go their "righteous" way even if it is CLEARLY, utterly anti-Christ. God will just quietly keep the information you need to know in front of you, prodding your own conscience, letting you choose.
What the heck. Let me help you come to that fork a little quicker. Here is an excerpt from a 1954 trial in Scotland where the leaders of the WTS REALLY spill the beans on its being a cult.
http://gwest59.tripod.com/ChristIsLord/id26.html
Note the obey/control issue being paramount. Obeying the WTS is more important than obeying God!
(The Scottish attorney = Q, WT leader (Covington) = A)
Q. You have studied the literature of your movement?
A. Yes, but not all of it. I have not studied the seven volumes of "Studies in the Scriptures," and I have not studied this matter that you are mentioning now of 1874. I am not at all familiar with that.
Q. Assume from me that it was promulgated as authoritative by the Society that Christ's Second Coming was in 1874?
A. Taking that assumption as a fact, it is a hypothetical statement.
Q. That was the publication of false prophesy?
A. That was the publication of a false prophesy, it was a false statement or an erronious statement in fulfilment of a prophesy that was false or erronious.
Q. And that had to be believed by the whole of Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. Yes, because you must understand we must have unity, we cannot have disunity with a lot of people going every way, an army is supposed to march in step.
Q. You do not believe in the worldly armies, do you?
A. We believe in the Christian Army of God.
Q. Do you believe in the worldly armies?
A. We have nothing to say about that, we do not preach against them, we merely say that the worldly armies, like the nations of the world today, are a part of Satan's Organization, and we do not take part in them, but we do not say the nations cannot have their armies, we do not preach against warfare, we are merely claiming our exemption from it, that is all.
Q. Back to the point now. A false prophesy was promulgated?
A. I agree that.
Q. It had to be accepted by Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. That is correct.
Q. If a member of Jehovah's Witnesses took the view himself that that prophesy was wrong and said so he would be disfellowshipped?
A. Yes, if he said so and kept persisting in creating trouble, because if the whole organisation believes one thing, even though it be erronious and somebody else starts on his own trying to put his ideas across then there is disunity and trouble, there cannot be harmony, there cannot be marching. When a change comes it should come from the proper source, the head of the organisation, the governing body, not from the bottom upwards, because everybody would have ideas, and the organisation would disintegrate and go in a thousand different directions. Our purpose is to have unity.
Q. Unity at all costs?
A. Unity at all costs, because we believe and are sure that Jehovah God is using our organisation, the governing body of our organisation to direct it, even though mistakes are made from time to time.
Q. And unity based upon an enforced acceptance of false prophecy?
A. That is conceded to be true.
Q. And the person who expressed his view, as you say, that it was wrong, and was disfellowshipped, would be in breach of the Covenant, if he was baptized?
A. That is correct.
Q. And as you said yesterday expressly, would be worthy of death?
A. I think - - -
Q. Would you say yes or no?
A. I will answer yes, unhesitatingly.
Q. Do you call that religion?
A. It certainly is.
Q. Do you call it Christianity?
A. I certainly do.The web page isn't too long, I think you should read all of it. But the concluding paragraphs on that page point out the dilemma very well:
To recap, Haydon C. Covington basically said that the Watchtower Society views unity as more important than even doctrinal truth, and that this desire for unity may even result in a forced acceptance of false prophecy. Fred Franz's testimony confirmed this, and further showed that, while the Society makes a show of encouraging people to examine its doctrines in light of the scriptures "to see whether these things are so" (Acts 17:10,11), it does not allow its members to freely act upon the results of that examination if the Society's claims are found wanting. Since the Society will never admit to members that it is wrong right now, it does not truly allow them to examine its doctrines to see "whether these things were so," but in practice requires them to examine the scriptures to confirm that these things are so, and to "readjust" their thinking if they are unable to do that. In other words, no matter what an individual finds, he is obligated to believe whatever the Society teaches at that moment. At least, he is obligated not to publicly or privately disagree with the Society, and so if he really cannot bring himself to accept some doctrine, he must pretend to accept it, and live a lie in order to remain in good standing. Since Psalm 51:6 says of Jehovah, "you have taken delight in truthfulness itself in the inward parts," and the Bible says that Jehovah is a God of truth, this attitude would appear inconsistent with his will.
So, even though the Society states it is fallible and is not inspired, no member is allowed to act on this without serious consequences ranging from loss of congregational privileges to disfellowshipping. The Society wants every member to believe, as Covington testified, that any member who acts on the fact that Watchtower Society leaders are not infallible is worthy of death.What did the OT say about following a false prophet? (Dt 18:20-22) What did Jesus say about false prophets? Didn't he give some strong commands about NOT following them? Why ever would the WTS say that following a false prophet (which they admit to being) is suddenly OK??? Not only that, it is required! How could "God's mouthpiece" ever, ever, ever say what they have said?
Only cults say these kinds of things, my dear!
bebu
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Fred E Hathaway
spoke with another friend who was df'd. he said he just listens to 90% of it but the rest he just doesnt pay attention to.
Not everything said at a meeting is fact, so a person does have to separate the wheat from the chaff. It's a little like what we have to do here, just not such a controversial setting.
How do you do this? why would you do this? Why would any one want to be a part of this cult is beyond me!!!
Good luck!
nj
It's a matter of what appeals to a person's heart. The Apostle Paul wasn't bothered about words, even ones like cult. Yes, it's a strange 4-letter word that sound almost vulgar, but it's just a word, after all.
Salvation is the key. Jehovah's Word sets the terms. It's His guidance we're looking for, even though we're hearing the words of imperfect reflections. -
I quit!
I don't understand why someone would want to go back once they realize it isn't the truth just so their friends and family will acknowledge them but some people take a long time before they can break free. But what kind of friends are these won't even allow you to have your own thoughts and beliefs? Open your mouth once and say something they don't like and the friendship is over again. Rather childish isn't it? One thing for sure you won't be alone the Kingdom Halls are full of people playing this game you just won't know who they are because they are living in fear of being found out. Suffering through all the boring talks five meeting a weak is one thing but how will you be able to go out in service and try to trick others into the same lifestyle? Be prepared for a lot more depression if you go back.