Thinking of becoming a Witness again and my reasons for doing so :(

by reniaa 383 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  reniaa

  hahaha you have a point njm but then you can't say I wasn't honest in my thread header :P

  Stop blaming everything outside of the JW organization for your problems.

  No but unlike some on here I don't blame Jw's for all my problems either :)

  have two words for that BIRTH CONTROL!!!

  Lol you are all assuming this was a casual relationship nope we were set to be together made commitments and decided babies were an ok possibility, it just happenned sooner than expected and my partner completely did a U-turn,

  Sheesh! Run quickly to your nearest kingdom hall, through yourself at the elders feet, confess you sins, do you punishment and get on with your life!

  As i've said from start tempting but hey I was kinda hoping for more biblical arguments and possibly some more christian group alternatives but you are perfectly right it could be time, you guys seem to know my mind better than I do!

  One question though, you guys don't think it's a little hypocritical saying it's your fault if things go wrong in your life outside the JW's get pregnant etc but in the next breath blame JW's for everything similar that happens while being a JW?
• 

  M.J.

  I don't have time to really get into the cross thing, but it's quite surprising to me that it would be a sticking point for you. I don't have time to get into it, but IMO this is one of the weakest arguments put out by the WTS. The fact of the matter is that criminals WERE crucified on crosses (see Leolaia's references).
  
  The cross is more likely even from the biblical accounts (see "NAILS" rather than "NAIL" in John 20:25, harmony of crucifixion method in the gospels with Roman accounts, account of sign "King of the Jews" being placed over Christ's head rather than his hands)
  
  Bottom line: does the shape of the instrument matter? No, but it was just another way to differentiate the JWs from everyone else, giving them yet one more reason to get swept up in the "us versus them" group mentality.
  
  (see my thread on the "granfalloon tactic": http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/132810/1.ashx )
  
  They could have simply taught against "overusing" the cross as a symbol, attaching too much importance an object, etc., and left it at that. In fact, the JWs/Bible Students themselves prominently displayed the cross and crown symbol on their literature and on even on jewelry and official paraphernalia up until the 1930s. I'm sure that even though they used such a symbol, to them this was not an act of idolatry. It's just that Rutherford needed another reason to blast the churches.
  
  Here's a decent article:
  
  http://www.wcg.org/lit/jesus/cross.htm
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  but in the next breath blame JW's for everything similar that happens while being a JW?

  Most here do not do that. They blame WT for many things, but not for bad "worldly" choices.
  Most don't blame WTS for a bad JW-mate choice. Some do. But in most cases, it's because
  of the beliefs that the mate wasn't right, or because of the 2-witness rule or the headship
  principle that the situation was not corrected.

  Chat forum etiquette dictates this: Read the forum for awhile. Don't make generalizations before
  you learn things about those on the forum.

  Sure, there are some here with a big chip on their shoulder. See if they are being hypocrites by
  reading their threads. There will be a few, but in the vast majority of cases, they are not so or they
  are still in the learning process as you are.
• 

  Open mind

  Hi reniaa,

  I haven't read all the pages, so if I'm adding to the redundancy, I apologize. I'll try to be super-brief.

  FYI, I'm an active JW in good standing, still in for family.

  1. The Cross issue. Do JW's have a problem with members who wear a little WT logo as a pin on their necktie or lapel? Is this idolatry? No. It's just saying to the world, "Hey I'm a JW." They certainly don't WORSHIP the square building with the little jagged bricks along the top. (That last statement certainly might be disputed by some posters on here. No problem.)

  Same thing for most Christians I know and the cross. It says to the world, "Hey, I'm a Christian." Now, if you'd prefer to wear a phallic symbol, err, stake, that's fine. Or if you'd prefer to wear NO symbol, that's fine too. This is clearly a conscience issue.

  2. JWs as a social network. There's worse things in this world. (The taliban springs to mind right about now.) But, there's certainly better as well. I'll look for a thread re: the psychological effects on children being raised as JWs. Something worth considering. Have you figured out what you would do re: the Blood issue?

  OM
• 

  Open mind

  Just popping in with a little more food for thought.

  Here's is a HUMONGOUS thread started by "Terry" back in 2004.

  WHAT IF WE DIDN'T POISON CHILDREN'S MINDS WITH FANTASY?

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/78441/1.ashx

  This thread went to 11 pages and has the perspectives of a lot of posters who aren't around here any more for various reasons.

  OM
• 

  edmond dantes

  Hi again,

  Ask your several questions such as : How by going back to the Witnesses will I help suffering humanity,and how in all their exsitence has the Org.helped mankind in a substantial way.What benefit, what discovery,what medical or scientific breakthrough have they accomplished, when have they fed the hungry ,housed the homeless, when have they ever encourged anyone to do researh into anything that is useful to mankind.They boast about the number of hours preached( figures by the way which are padded) but what good is it if it doesn't do anything useful?

  An hour spent working in a charity shop is more useful than a life time of going from door to door as a JW.

  Ask," how can I truly benefit myself and benefit others at the same time?"

  Flee from futility,

  Best wishes on your journey.

  Edmond.
• 

  Sirona

  Secondly "Absence of evidence is not evidence of lack" (did I quote that right) Science cannot physically go back in time and say for definate a flood didn't happen and so they are basing opinion on evidence that is taking from strong facts so still room for argument, Although I will say they have the stronger case atm.

  I've spent a minute or two laughing at this. ROFL.... thanks for at least making me laugh. Science CAN say the flood didn't happen less than 4000 years ago, thats the whole point! lol

  I don't think you are for real because I don't think anyone can be that stupid or that blind. I call TROLL. Especially with your sisters comments of "oh my poor sister"

  Its been interesting but I think I will go an throw my pearls elsewhere.

  EVERYONE ELSE:

  I really think this person is an active JW troll. If you read through this thread she is simply spouting all the JW rubbish all the time and is NOT genuinely questioning at all. This is my opinion.

  Sirona
• 

  reniaa

  Chat forum etiquette dictates this: Read the forum for awhile. Don't make generalizations before
  you learn things about those on the forum.

  Sure, there are some here with a big chip on their shoulder. See if they are being hypocrites by
  reading their threads. There will be a few, but in the vast majority of cases, they are not so or they
  are still in the learning process as you are.

  I apologise It was a little generalistic, I let myself get provoked by a few posts,

  I maybe should have waited a bit longer before getting to heavily into debate :) normally I do and after being one of the few Christians on a dog-eat-dog atheist/skeptic forum, I think i've learned to be quite a fighter in my corner. I've been browsing more now, some things I still find not to my liking on here but hey your all much nicer than my last forum :)

  reniaa
• 

  drew sagan

  reniaa,
  
  It seems that you are pretty interested in what many here have to say. I'd like to give you my opinions of what you are really looking at when thinking of becoming a part of the JWs.
  
  I was JW for 7 years. If there is one know more than anything about being in the JW is that their leadership is in the practice of defining what they believe to be important, and ignore the rest.
  
  They will tell you how important certain theological viewpoints are, why they are correct, and why it points to them as the truth. The Watchtower is a totalistic system, meaning that they believe absolute metaphysical truth is contained completely within their group.
  
  While you can say that many religions are like this, the Watchtower is unique in the level of commitment that it demands from its members. I classify the Jehovah's Witnesses as a "high commitment" religion. While there are different levels in personal freedom in other religious structures, within the Watchtower everything is black and white. There is no place for a person who believes some of it, you must believe it all.
  
  The problem that people have is that you come to the point where you ask "what reason do I have for believing everything they tell me?" There are no "prophets" per say in the Watchtower. No abstract narrative or belief structure that simply asks people to put faith in their leaders in any traditional sense. Rather they make a very big error (in my opinion) and say that the reason you should trust them is because they alone "have the true interpretation of the Bible".
  
  Rather than depend upon a chosen prophet who may have had a vision or received special scriptures, the Watchtower instead says that you can see if their religion is true by some sort of logical process (kind of). Problem is that they want to control every part of this process. If you ever steer off the path they have pre-built for you to follow on your way to conversion they will try and get you back. Push to hard for things to be described and proved on your own terms and not theirs and they will eventually stay away from you.
  
  When you are thinking about the "logical" reasons that the Watchtower puts forth as to why it is the truth I think you are better served by not just weighing the issues they bring up (such as "did jesus die on a cross?") but also thinking about the probabilities of such questions actually giving you a proper guide to choosing the "true religion".
  
  I like to think of it this way. After all is said and done, what it the full and complete message that the JWs preach?. I'll give you one tip it isn't about the trinity, hellfire, the cross, or any similar kind of issue. Rather they are selling a story. A story of how well over 90 years ago a small group of men where directly chosen by God to restore his "true church". That in the year 1919 Jesus Christ came invisibly to the earth and selected this organization and rejected all other churches.
  
  Spending time thinking about how rational it is to believe their historical narrative is much more important. The Watchtower doesn't even teach this stuff to its new members (it is in none of their introductory study publications). That is because there is no direct proof for any of it. They can only take you there by leading you on a long and confusing path discussing various theological topics that they feel they are unique with.
  
  Go outside of what they are presenting to you and what they are beings to make much more sense.
• 

  ex-nj-jw

  As i've said from start tempting but hey I was kinda hoping for more biblical arguments and possibly some more christian group alternatives but you are perfectly right it could be time, you guys seem to know my mind better than I do!

  Well I don't get into biblical arguments. The bible is a ancient story book as far as I'm concerned. My children are all grown up now so I do't have a need for fairytales and even then I'd never read them the bible! You started the thread, we are giving you our opinions based on your responses. No one knows your mind and I'm beginning to suspect that you don't either.

  One question though, you guys don't think it's a little hypocritical saying it's your fault if things go wrong in your life outside the JW's get pregnant etc but in the next breath blame JW's for everything similar that happens while being a JW?

  I was raised in this cult and I left with a newborn baby at age 18 with no help from my family. I didn't want the conditional love or support. So no, I don't blame the JW for anything because I took control of my life and have done quite well for past 25 years if I must say so myself. The choices I make are mine and mine alone. No one else is responsible for the decisions I make or have made. When things go wrong I readjust and learn from it I don't look to blame anyone or anything for it. Good luck with your children and your journey back to the cult. Let us know when they turn their backs on you, K? nj