Is Smoking the practice of Spiritism?

by freedomfighter 30 Replies latest jw experiences

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  freedomfighter

  Hi guys,

  I was raised as a JW and was baptised when i was 16. I am now 35 and have finally realised that "The Truth" is actually the opposite.

  My family has a long history of mental illness and i am "Lucky" to only suffer Deppression and Panic Attacks.I believe what i was taught as Truth has effected me adversely. E.g " You won't have to go to school son, Armageddon will be here before then." "You won't have to worry about getting a job son,this system is nearly over" etc. The Result? I was never ready for anything!

  Anyway my sister was DF twice when i was growing up and my older brother is also. My sister is back in but is unhappy ( Trying to please Mum and Dad). I have seen and experienced many unchristian behaviours. I cannot accept that when you go to the elders for help and when they decide to disfellowship you - everybody you have known and been friends with treat you like some kind of Murderer. Would Jesus treat anyone like this?

  Anyway i started smoking because i became very depressed. I called the Elders and they treated me real nice.Then they showed me a Watchtower that directly related smoking to "The practice of Spiritism".( I strongly disagree). I was DF, which is what i wanted. You cannot leave the Witnesses on good terms. As the meeting came to an end the Presiding Overseer said " Just because you are now out doesn't give you licence to do what you like" ( I thought "They're still trying to control me even when I'm out, NO ONE has that right.) I said " Yes I know we are all accountable to Jehovah in the end". So that was that and i have been shunned ever since.

  I have done thorough research into the witnesses and by taking a step back i can see that this organisation has become part of what they were preaching against 100 yrs ago "Religion is a Snare and a Racket". They have alot to answer for.

  Sincerely Jason
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  PEC

  freedomfighter, welcome to JWD.

  I agree with you 100%, the WTS has become what they accused all other religions of being.

  Philip
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  Robert222

  I also agree 100%. It took me a very long time to walk away but I do not regret it. My family latched onto the "truth" yrs ago and they also have mental illness. Mom was afraid to go outside, my father was a pathological liar, my grandfather committed suicide. And yeah, I was never to graduate high school.
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  Satanus

  Glad you got free. As a jw, i used to wonder how, exactly, smoking was spiritism. I didn't recieve any good answers. In my research, i found that smokers were slightly more liberal, and ready to try new things. But, that attitude could have been a precondition in smokers.
  
  S
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  Leolaia

  I think the Society bases this claim on the fact that "spiritism" in the NT translates the Greek word pharmakia "drugs". Unbelievable, isn't it? Taking an aspirin should be considered spiritism on the same basis.
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  Gopher

  Jason,

  Welcome to the forum! And smoking, unhealthy though it is, is not spiritism. Unless you regularly perform spiritistic practices when smoking (LOL).

  Speaking of controlling:

  You know they have rules about DF'd persons talking to other DF'd persons. Weird. So what's a DF'd person to do, seeing that they're not supposed to talk to JW"s, other DF'd ones, and all worldly people (who are bad associates)? They'd have you sitting alone in your own house. What control freaks!
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  abyss57

  Congratulations! You immediately realized they are control freaks...and hypocrites!! Do you know how many witnesses "in good standing" smoke?? You would be suprised...or maybe not, anymore. I know an elder in excellent standing in the district and circuit around here that still uses "pot" !! I had to kick 4 Bethelites out of my room at Bethel when they decided to have their cigar tasting party in my room at the Towers. I didn't object to their smoking...I just didn't need the extra "attention" to my room at that time...Usually they went to the 'Steak and Brew" downtown for their cigar fests...Anyway...you will feel better and mentally healthier every day that you're away from them...

  Relax...breath deep...keep them out of your life and out of your MIND...Welcome!
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  VoidEater

  Welcome, Jason! No, smoking is not spiritism, unless you are making some mighty strange definitions of spiritism. The WBTS equates smoking to using might altering drugs, which they say opens the door to evil spirits entering your mind. Wonder why "Gesundheit" is so wrong...
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  marmot

  Actually, gesundheit is fine but "bless you" isn't according to the talmud...I mean the witnesses. Gesundheit is just German for "good health to you" (roughly translated, as per my German teacher in college) As for smoking, they equate it with spiritism because tobacco leaves were once used in religious ceremonies and the nicotine has a bit of an effect on the nervous system. Bunch of baloney if you ask me, because coffee has WAY more of an effect yet it's a-ok. Dancing is also used to enter trance-states in shamanism, yet dancing is okay too - just so long as you're not doing one of those demonic dances like the twist (look this one up on your watchtower CD library for some hilarity). I tell ya, those witnesses see the Devil around every corner.
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  choosing life

  Welcome freedomfighter,

  Sounds like you have had a lot of experience with the dark side of jws. Shunning your own flesh and blood is evil and smoking cigarettes has nothing to do with spiritism. It's not the best for your health, but neither is obesity and that never stopped a jw from overeating.