Time to make my thoughts known......

R.F.

Hello everyone. I have lurked around here for a little while and i've finally seen the need to post. I'm 22 years old and a ministerial servant and pioneer in my congregation. I'm not really here to knock the organization, but I must admit that there are some things(ex. doctrinal points, congregational problems) that have concerned me as of late that I just can't bring myself to overlook. I'm defintely not trying to leave the organization or anything but as you all know the immediate consequences of me voicing my feelings to ones in the congregation, I feel I need to voice this and that can do so here. My fiancee has revealed to me some of her concerns as well, but their not to the extent as mine, and I haven't revealed some of my heavy concerns to her. I guess i'm just acknowledging now that I from now on will approach things with an open mind and take advantage of much knowledge available out there. I have come to realize that I won't loose God's favor because of wanting to be absolutely sure that i'm worshipping Him in the way that He wants me to.

Gopher

Welcome aboard, R.F.! This is a really good place to air your thoughts and concerns. If you tried that inside the congregation, it would go over like a lead balloon.

Many of those on this board have been on both sides of the fence that the Watchtower erects. I was an m.s. and auxiliary pioneer. I was raised in the organization, and had thought their answers were right, and that the good outweighed the bad there. The best thing is to use your mind, not to be afraid of "independent thinking". The reason I say that is that if you cannot do a little independent thinking, then all that is left is "dependent thinking". That doesn't sound so good, right?

If God gave us a brain, he sure didn't intend for us to put it in park at the insistence of a group of men who claim to represent him. We're supposed to be able to discern right and wrong, instead of being told to go look up 'right and wrong' in a publications index.

zeroday

I'm 22 years old

I was 21 in 1976 when I was baptized, it took me another 28 years to come to the point where you are at. I do hope it doesn't take you 28 more years.

I'm defintely not trying to leave the organization

I never thought I would either. But it began with.

that have concerned me as of late that I just can't bring myself to overlook.

If you can not overlook them now will you ever be able to???

I have come to realize that I won't loose God's favor because of wanting to be absolutely sure that i'm worshipping Him in the way that He wants me to.

Unfortunately that is not the way the WTS wants you to worship him....

You are entering into dangerous waters. Are you sure you want to continue especially here...

AudeSapere

Welcome to JWD.

Three things I hope you continue to consider as you are starting out your life:

1. Get an education

2. Get a good job and start saving for retirement

3. Keep an open mind when you read and post here.

It really is a good place to be. I wish I had followed that advise decades ago.

-Aude Sapere. (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding)

BizzyBee

R. F. - Welcome to you, young man and we all look forward to the observations that you care to share with is in the coming days.

Though it is scary at times, you are on the right path.

R.F.

About a year ago I wouldn't have dared come to this website, but I was hard-headed and did so anyways.

I just need as much advise as I can get. I think getting the resolve to approach things with a more open mind was my first and very big obstacle. I'm sure you all know exactly how I feel at this stage, going from accepting everything without question to being a more free thinker.

As far as the advise on getting an education, I definitely will be doing that. I was one of the few in my congregation to do the typical thing, pioneering after high school while all the children of the elders went off to college. My mother who is an unbaptized publisher has encouraged me to go back to school. I will say that she truly is a smart woman.

Well I will stick around so looking forward to more insightful posts.

Arthur

Hi R.F. Welcome.

I was a Ministerial Servant, a Regular Pioneer, and later served at Brooklyn Bethel. There were many doctrinal issues that nagged at me for many years. What disturbed me most was the fact that I was going door-to-door and asking Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists to ask serious questions of their churches and religious leaders when I was completely unwilling to do the same. You wrote:

I have come to realize that I won't loose God's favor because of wanting to be absolutely sure that i'm worshipping Him in the way that He wants me to.

You should feel good about that. In regards to what you wrote; I really like the following Scriptures:

1 Thes. 5:21; Heb. 5:14; and 1John 4:1

Any uninspired religious leaders who would discourage a Christian from heeding the council in these inspired writings is probably a false apostle. When Jesus told us to be innocent as doves, but cautious as serpents; there is no way that Jehovah would personally rebuke us for wanting to make sure of the teachings we are being given.

Even though my conscience did not allow me to remain in the organization; I do not try to tell JWs that they should leave the organization. You seem to have a very rational and sober-minded attitude toward your doubts; not wanting to make knee-jerk reactions.

I wish you the best, and welcome to the forum.

zeroday

I just need as much advise as I can get.

You must realize that most people on this board are exJW's. Many like myself have been in for many years and left for one reason or another. I DA'ed myself after 28 years. Having an open mind is one thing, thinking for yourself is another. You will be challenged to think for yourself here and not accept the route the WTS feeds you. YOU are the reason the WTS wants to put the
"HIGHER EDUCATION" back into the bottle. It allows you to THINK. The number one danger to the WTS...

Monkeyironfoot

You remind me of myself when I was your age. When I was 22, I too was a ministerial servant and a regular pioneer and a bookstudy conductor. also newly married. That was in the mid 80's. My concerns came when I decided to teach myself greek and study the Kingdom Interlinear. I bought greek grammar books and lessons on cassette. My intention was to prove the NWT correct as I thought this would greatly assist me in the pioneer work. Boy was I in for a big shocker. The more I studied koine greek, the more errors I found in the NWT. It was pointless to discuss this with other JWs because lets face it... how many of them study greek? My first reactions to my findings were... It made me sick. The feeling was so ugly in my stomach. Then of course came denial. I discussed my concerns with my parents who are JW's as well. They told me to forget about it and maybe there will be new light or I will feel differently and my doubts will go away. I followed their advice and threw away all those grammar books and a few anti-JW literature books I had purchased as well. This was before the internet for me in 1990.

It worked for awhile but all those doubts resurfaced in 97. I was on the internet then and was able to verify myself what the anti-JW websites were saying. I would look up there quotations of JW literature via Society's CD and my own collection of the older publications. I found out that they were not lying as seeing is believing. I saw with my own eyes what the society has and is doing. The big one for me was the 607 and 1914 issue. I am an amateur astronomer (not astrologer) and I have a computer program for astronomy where I can punch in any date and it will plot the sky's (including moon and planets). This help me verify what these ancient Babylonians clay tablets where saying regarding how the stars and moon and such appeared in the sky during the date of a specific transaction and the reign of a Babylonian king.

It became so obvious to me that in April of 97, I decided to disassociate myself in August of that same year. I chose August and not April for two reasons.

1. Because my sister (who is a JW) was getting married the following month in May and I wanted to attend her wedding first before leaving.

2. Our district assembly was in August and I thought I would give the JW's one last chance to convince me I was wrong. Maybe something at that convention would wake me up and tell me that I was just having a bad dream or something.

Of course that didn't happen. In regards to you, just remember to listen to both sides of an issue before doing anything. The truth will stand up to any test.

snowbird

May I add my widow's mite to the discussion? I also researched the Society's literature, the New World Translation, and read the Aid to Bible Understanding from Aaron to Zuzim! The clincher for me was the rendering of ego eimi as I Have Been. Now mind you, I don't pretend to be a Greek scholar, but there is no other way of translating that statement but I AM. I was sick to my stomach when I realized how the so-called Translating Committee had twisted the plain truth of God's Word. Another thing was how the organization was always pushed to the fore. Where does Jesus Christ fit into the picture? Questions, questions, but no answers forthcoming from the Society. I am kissing them goodbye in the very near future. My conscience will not allow me to continue. Also, after reading Crisis of Conscience, everything fell into place. Watch out for yourself and keep seeking. Oh, and I suppose I can say Welcome to the Board also. Can I???

Snowbird

Time to make my thoughts known......

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