I think the ones who are genuinely the happiest are the ones who treat it as a load of baloney. They go to meetings every sunday, because they like going to church on sunday, and they like the connections and networking you can get done. They usually make the book study, and they hit or miss the thursday meeting, they make sure to do an odd Saturday or Sunday in service, walking up to a house with no cars in the garage and papers piled on the steps, carefully tuck in the WT in the door and leave. And they keep their JW life completely seperate from their secular life, they eat lunch and socialize with coworkers and their kids take part in afterschool activities, and they don't mention their religion to anyone who doesn't ask. That's not how you should treat religion and worship and it's hardly confined to JWs but it's what I've observed among those who seemed genuinely relaxed and happy, and not always coincidentaly the most successful in the real world.
There are JWs happy to be in that org
by greendawn 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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nvrgnbk
Agapa asked
why do others feel happy being there?
Ignorance is bliss?
Was nvr really happy there,
Nvr
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LongHairGal
Agapa:
Don't try to compare modern day times to ancient Israel. There is no comparison. For one thing, they didn't engage in a public ministry (that's new testament teaching). They didn't do anything like what goes on in modern day halls or even our modern day world. Back then, doing god's will was just going about your business, and not doing any real harm to anybody. Sure, they had to gather but it wasn't like today (different culture). The story is different today. The planet is different today. Back then they would not tolerate what goes on today. There would be immediate capital punishment for certain things that you would not blink at today. Can you imagine what would have happened to a child molester back then?
To "put up a fine fight for the faith" today, I would literally have to stay away from almost everybody there. I would have to go out in the ministry by myself. If I attend a meeting, I would have to leave immediately and not bother with anybody. That is how I would "fight the fine fight of the faith" if I still believed their teachings. I don't believe "fighting the fine fight of the faith" means tolerating some of the types of people you mention in a congregation setting. Those evil people existed in the Kingdom but they weren't in the face of the average Israelite sitting next to him in a building somewhere. I don't believe THEY tolerated this on a personal level.
As far as people being happy, I would have to say they have a network of friends and associates and more importantly they have NOT been faced with any major issue. Then, I want to see how "happy" they are.
LHG