Were you sure to be saved, when you were an active JW?

JH

If Armageddon would have happened while you were an active JW, do you think you would have been saved?

I'm sure I would have been saved the first 4 years I was in and I was active.

Gopher

The WTS teaches you can be in a "saved condition", and can lose it if you wander off the path of righteousness that they define.

They emphasized that verse (was it in Zephaniah chap. 2?) that said "seek righteousness, seek meekness, PROBABLY you may be saved in the day of Jehovah's anger". They always emphasized that your salvation is never a sure thing.

I had a fear of that day of Jehovah's anger. Because of the numerous rules and regulations, I felt like I really didn't have a clear picture of how to be 'saved'.

At least in most Christian religions the requirement was much more simple: faith in the Messiah. It would have been easier to feel saved had the WTS made it that simple. But like the Pharisees, the WTS leaders get off on complicating things for their rank-and-file members.

LearningToFly

Deep in my heart, I never felt I was good enough.. constantly endeavoring to be better.. following the rules exactly.. but never measuring up to what I believed was perfect!

LTF

drew sagan

I was actually only when I started to question the org that I started to become concerned about the lightning from above.

Wordly Andre

Hell I knew when I was a kid that fire ball was going to take me out, Scamming on the young sisters in the hall, never paying attention at meetings, all my worldly friends, made me feel like oh well might as well go out with a bang

collegegirl21

No, I would've never been saved. I was always leading a double life, kissing boys, sneaking out or just random stuff I knew "Jehovah" wouldn't like.

greendawn

Deep down I never took seriously the armageddon story and I was never really concerned about a soon to be end. When the credibility of the FDS with me began to fall apart the whole armageddon sorry quickly unravelled: these people are obviously not who they say they are and since they are impostors nothing that they say can be trusted.

WTWizard

I noticed the "probably you may be saved" line. They did a pretty good job of explaining the "probably" part as meaning that if you are doing ALL Jehovah thinks you could be doing (and that could be much more than what you actually could do), then the "probably" would be fulfilled. However, that left the other term of uncertainty (the stronger one at that) unanswered. OK, so I fulfilled the "Probably" part, but what about the "MAY" part? Is the Bible telling me that I could be doing all I possibly could be doing and still not be in line for salvation, even if I am following all the rules perfectly?

Absolutely not, I was not assured of salvation. There was always the need to do ever more, and do it better. Dry cleaning my suits more often might have had one additional person favorably impressed. Staying out longer, even though it would be a hardship to me, was stressed. That I didn't feel like staying out until 2 PM instead of noon or until 5 PM instead of 4, would probably have killed the "probably" part of the scripture. And then there was the issue of following the rules. A stray Christmas song in my head, seeing and enjoying the holiday lights, natural sexual desire, not having the time to polish the scuff marks out of my shoes, wanting to undo the collar button when it was very hot out, and even wanting time to enjoy music and video games was sin. They wanted all these things routed out totally, or there would be no chance to live. And they wanted me to give up real music--it would have led me to death if I had any when Armageddon came, especially "bad" songs. And they added things even beyond the things in the book, just so I could die for having any human personality.

Also, that "MAY" bothered me. That meant I could be doing all I could, following every rule to the letter, and then just because Jehovah felt like it, I could still get destroyed at Armageddon. They might have had some specious logic about "secret sin". But even in the total absence of "secret sin", the "MAY" means you can still get destroyed. And the "MAY" is the stronger term: it implies you have only an even chance, and cannot do anything to alter the odds. Probably means a better chance than not; May means even odds.

Maybe next time, Puketower, you should go after the stronger term of uncertainty.

ex-nj-jw

Nope, I was always bad. Even when I tried to be good I had bad thoughts and of course "jehoover" can spy and read your mind, so every time we had a bad storm I thought "this is it" I'm gonna die, The big A is here!

What a screwed up childhood

nj

eclipse

I was a ''bad'' kid too, I never thought I was going to make it.

I had only worldy boy/girl friends since the JW's in my hall would of ''told on me'' to the elders. I smoked, I drank.

Now I try to be a good girlemphasis on try.

Were you sure to be saved, when you were an active JW?

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