How would you answer this........

fifi40

This morning I had a 40 min phone conversation with my ex husband because I spoke with my 15 year old son on Wednesday about the inaccuracies of the jw belief system he has been raised with by his dad. Obviously ex husband is not happy about this.

The one thing he kept saying is that even if it is wrong it is not a bad way to live your life............what would you say to this?

We discussed a few things and I actually realised that just because the society say jws shouldnt talk to d.fed people about religious beliefs I am not actually controlled by the jws so I can say what I want. This is the first time I have consciously thought this, as before I have avoided talking about the jws because I didnt want to 'rock their (jws) world' so to speak.

I also said to him that he is morally obliged to check what he is allowing our son to be taught against fact........for example 607 BCE........but he is bypassing checking this himself and just going to an elder for answers.

I think I need to compile a list of information and facts that disprove the jw religion and its teachings, for any jw or any considering becoming one, to be able to check for themselves before committing themselves any further to this religion. So if you have any thoughts please would you add these. If there is one on the board could someone please point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Fi

Shazard

Answer simple... if any sistem is false and lies, then what makes it bad to live such life... as atheist, roman catholic, evangelical protestant, hinduist, budist? Then he is addmitting that what matters is not truth, but your personal opinion about "good" and "bad" life. And in this case he is not morally allowed to dictate for someone how to live their lives if he himself admits, that what matters is ones own opinion about the matter!

He is digging pitfall for himself just by allowing idea that JW are not so true!

Escape from this is to believe that JW are true and never was, is and will be wrong. This FACT should be carefully checked agaisnt history, facts and common sense, it can't be accepted without critical examination. But critical examination to estabilsh truth can be done by everyone themselve not by somebody else, as then you have to admit that this "somebody else" did not, is not and will not err in any matter, can he guarantee this or better check for thesmelves!

And here is the corner where JW just shut down... corner where they have to think for themselves, read for themselves, and face their own heart for themselves... nobody can believe and establish truth what to believe for themselves, that is the terrifying truth for JW - to think critically about their own paradigm.

nomoreguilt

My 34 year old son very much a witness. I was talking to his best friend, who is not one, and he said that my son said that maybe it's not the truth, but , it works for him. I know that his social circle is all dub, his age, and they do everything together. It's pretty much a social thing for them I believe.

Perhaps one day i will be able to fill him in on the truth about it all. I am in good standing but have successfully faded for 4 years.

NMG

moomanchu

even if it is wrong it is not a bad way to live your life............what would you say to this?

Paul said if it is wrong then they are to be pitied most of all men.

MMae

It's not a bad life, as long as your consience can live with the inaccuracies and falsehoods. But if it bothers your conscience to teach others what you know to be untrue - well, then that's a different story. It can lead to a lot of internal personal conflict, depression, anxiety, confusion. (Not to mention disfellowshipping and shunning if he should slip and tell someone else about what he has learned.)

WTWizard

"Even if it's wrong, it is not a bad way of life".

Is it really so? Let's start with all the time, money, gas, and energy that is wasted on field circus and boasting session attendance. How better could you spend your time and gas besides running around the territory preaching to others, most of whom are not interested or not home? How effective is preaching from door to door? If your Friday Night Essence (that is, what you love doing) is going from door to door with this message, couldn't you try selling legitimate value from door to door? It would be much more profitable.

What about your vacation time? I could think of any number of things I would rather do with my time than taking it off, traveling to a city 200 miles away, and going to a boring a$$embly that lasts 3 days. There is no longer any variety in those talks, since the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger has been methodically weeding any such variety out. You sit there for 3 days, usually uncomfortably hot, and get that nasty headache. I think I would rather spend the same amount of money on a real vacation.

Your personal life is choked off by the system. You cannot meet the opposite sex without running into an elaborate network of controls intended to keep people apart. Your line of work is limited by what is "acceptable". You are supposed to work part time so you can spend all your time in field circus. Higher education is getting banned--people will have hardships even going to trade school to learn a trade, let alone a balanced college education that helps so many find a basic job or to break free from living with your parents. Your entertainment comes under scrutiny, and you are not allowed to listen to most music or watch many videos or games.

Then, there is the conscience matter. Are you willing to help initiate the use of force, threat of force, and fraud to get people to join and then donate all their time and money to the organization? And, how do you feel about being an accessory to pedophilia? And, what about the family you bring in, and that 4- or 5-year old child has a major hangup against religion as it is (the family was atheist), and now has to join an organization that is going to ban all fun and force that child out preaching what they hate the most? Does that child think it isn't a bad way of life?

oompa

fifi: The one thing he kept saying is that even if it is wrong it is not a bad way to live your life............what would you say to this?

Really?? In many ways true, but what if you are in a really bloody car accident? What if you realize that all your passion in life is directed only at those of the same sex?

All of a sudden, it may just be a real SHORT or FRUSTRATING way to live your live eh? ...................oompa

Maddie

I think people who say that being a JW isn't a bad way of life even if it isn't the "Truth" just don't want to face up to doing anything about it. Even if they stay in it because of social reasons, it is all conditional and shallow and when something happens in their life to rock the boat they will then see what a "good" way of life it really is.

Maddie

Mr. Majestic

It just gets worse….Sorry for what you are going through Fifi..

Don’t think that you could have answered it much better than you did.

There are worse ways to live life sure. But life in the truth is no life at all. Life can be better outside.

You don’t have to be part of religion to live wholesome.

MissingLink

The one thing he kept saying is that even if it is wrong it is not a bad way to live your life............what would you say to this?

My (elder) father says this to me. And I've said this many times to freinds who were thinking of leaving in the past. And I really believed it.

For some people maybe this is true - older people set in their ways who enjoy the sense of purpose and community.

But I think for a child to be forced to submit to an organization without being given the opportunity to really evaluate the alternatives is just wrong. This is a hard one to reply to though. My reply is that if I know that in my heart the teachings are wrong, and if I go along with them anyway - what would god think of me on judgement day? Does he want yes-men who follow teachings they know are wrong, or does he want people to develop a personal relationship with him and really do what they think is best?

How would you answer this........

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