What's wrong with JW's in a nutshell.

JeffT

I was pondering this after an AA meeting the other day. A couple of the 12 steps involve working constantly to improve our conscious contact with God. And it struck me.

Witnesses have no conscious contact with God. They do not seek him out, go into a guide place to seek His guidence. Everything they have comes from other men. Read your Watchtower, study your books, if you're really stuck call the service desk. Where's God? They don't know him or even look for him.

Everything we complain about here, bad elders, unloving brothers and sisters, false prophecy, mind control; stem from this one fact: they are followers of men not God. Even if you don't believe in God, or a Higher Power or whatever, I think you'd agree with this.

My .02 for the day.

knock knock

If we could fit 'em in a nutshell we could sell 'em kinda like those snow-globe things. So, nothing is wrong with them being in a nutshell.

apologies. :)

nvrgnbk

I appreciate what you're saying, JeffT.

And I'd agree, the WT programs their followers to be dependent on them.

A personal relationship with God is talked about, but it always goes back to them.

Though I saw what many here complain about, my main reason for leaving was that the teachings are simply not true.

Phil

IGNORANCE

carla

Well, how do they really view praying? Just going through the motions, obligitory and not heart felt outpouring to their jah?

I know my jw felt it was silly or just stupid that I mentioned once that I prayed for a guy we used to see in town, he was a complete stranger to me and remained so. Apparently he was in some kind of accident and lost an arm and leg, I saw him everyday on my way to work, everyday he would walk a little futher, I could see what a struggle it was for him and how much pain he was in. The last time I saw him he was walking pretty good and was smiling. He must have moved, never saw him again. Not that my prayers did or didn't do anything for him, point being my jw couldn't understand why I would do it. Just a jw thing here, not trying to get on the subject of the merits of prayer, just how a jw looks at prayer and praying for strangers.

ferret

Don't nuts belong in a nut shell ?

Apostate Kate2

My nutshell;

The Watchtower starting with Russel changed the truth of the gospel message from one of unconditional unmerrited grace, to an approval process and works based religion.

That allowed them to take the place of Jesus Christ in a believers life. The Watchtower and it's followers believe that the Watchtower is thier mediator/go between, between God and us. Our personal relationship is with the WT instead of directly with our truly loving Father and His Holy Son who understands and can relate to everything we suffer.

My personal relationship with Jesus is amazing, loving, caring. I am not delusional. God manifests himself in my life in many spiritual and physicaly measurable ways. This is not a cognitive distortionor, self deception or illusion. My life is filled with evidence of the supernatural.

As a JW my relationship with God was toxic and frightening although I can look back and see supernatural events that saved my life. He was still there I just didn't see Him clearly through the WT veil.

JK666

And in AA it is YOUR concept of a higher power. Not a God that a bunch of old nutsacks in Brooklyn cram down your throat.

JK

jadedgramma

Ok I mostly lurk here and have only posted a couple times but Jeff. for what it's worth I believe you are dead on. I've had a similiar experience, same setting. My experience has also been too though that the vast majority of JW's have "religiousity" they sorely lack "spirituality". They only know their 'higher power', God, Jehovah as defined by the WT. Even worse, there is an arrogant, smug attitude that they this unique relationship with him no one else has-especially the males. Jimmy Carter has some of the most sensible and intelligent discussions on fundamentalism and male privilege. After listening to him speak on NPR with Krista Tippett on Fundamentalism amid other topics, I went to their site to download the transcript. It is quite a shocking parallel to the JW's. I haven't been active for 20 years yet I am finally becoming the spiritual woman I never would have been had I remained within the confines of the WT. Sorry- much more than $.02.......just really pumped. Just finished Barb Anderson's "Secrets of Pedophilia in America" early this morning.... and every other emoticon possible.

erandir

What?...but but but but but...they say they don't follow men...they say it!

Look! *points*

From The Watchtower March 15, 1998, pp. 10-11

Dangers
ofFollowingMen
A "sect" has been defined as "a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader." Similarly, those belonging to a "cult" have "great devotion to a person, idea, or thing." Actually, the members of any religious group who strongly adhere to human leaders and their ideas are in danger of becoming slaves of men. A strong leader-oriented relationship can lead to an unhealthy emotional and spiritual dependency. The danger may be compounded when a person is reared in a sectarian atmosphere from childhood.
Those who have such concerns about a religion need reliable information. Some may have been told that the Witnesses belong to a religious organization that enslaves its members, exercises authoritarian control over them, unduly restricts their freedom, and throws them out of step with society as a whole.
Jehovah’s Witnesses know that these concerns are unwarranted. Therefore, they invite you to check for yourself. After careful consideration, draw your own conclusions. Are the Witnesses servants of God, as they claim, or actually slaves of men? What is the source of their strength? The two articles on pages 12-23 will provide satisfying answers to such questions.

So who writes down all this stuff and tells its members to follow it all, thereby giving it the status of doctrine...and decides to disfellowship them if they don't? Men or God? So are the JW's following doctrines of men or of God? Why is the Watchtower even necessary if the answers are found in the bible? Why is the Watchtower necessary if its members aren't to follow doctrines of men?

What's wrong with JW's in a nutshell.

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