Welcome Mary,
In my life, whenever I find myself struggling over business, religion, or personal perceptions, I've always found simple answers and peace if I carefully examine my premises. I was trying to live a rational life with irrational core beliefs. That didn't work very well.
In financial analysis we list our assumptions and assign each and every one a percentage weight factor and a percentage value. Any deal I go into has to fly with a zero weight and zero value on all assumption lines. Try that with religion. Try that with Witness religion.
Take the fear that God is going to end the world. What are the tangible, rational, objective, facts that prove the end of the world will actually happen? List them on the left side of a spreadsheet.
Now, on the right side of the spreadsheet, list the assumptions (premises) needed to support the concept that God will end the world.
Mine looks something like this . . .
LEFT~~~~ Rational objective facts: Zero
RIGHT~~~~ Assumptions:
1. There is a God
2. God communicates with people
3. God uses the Bible
4. The Bible is God's communication
5. The Bible is written in code
6. God owns a book printing business in the United States
7. God communicates with the book company writers
8. The book company writers are not inspired
9. The book company writers must be treated as though they are inspired
10. The seven trumpets of Revelation were the seven Jehovah's Witness District assemblies from 1922 to 1928, starting with Cedar Point, Ohio and ending with Detroit, Michigan
11. Every Bible story, pattern, and parable has a type and an anti-type
12. The Watch Tower Society will be right even though they have never been right once before in their entire history
Now, assign a zero to each assumption and give me Vegas odds that there will ever be an Armageddon:-)
http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm
New to board
by Maryblondgrl 36 Replies latest social relationships
-
garybuss
-
DaCheech
USA is in the crapper, but other nations have survived from worse economic stuff........ and so can we
there is no other century i would rather be in than now (past that is).
-
TheListener
I'm glad you found the board Mary.
The advice and information others have given is really great. So many here have lived a life similar to yours. This board is a fantastic healing place.
For my part I can say that yes the fear of the end coming imminently does pass. When I was doubting and becoming inactive I used to get nervous watching the news or even when a severe thunderstorm happened. I always that 'well, this is it. Jehovah is going to kill me now.' I don't feel that way any longer. Educating myself on witness doctrines and the history of the organization helped me - and time.
-
Quirky1
Hello Mary and welcome to the board.
My guess is that you lurked around awhile and realized you are not alone. Yes, I guess you can say that we are apostates, renegades from a religion that drains your very being physically, mentally and financially.
I look forward to hearing more from you.
Have fun!
Quirky1
-
llbh
Hi and welcome to JWD
Yes it does get easier with the passage of time. Time spent here and questions answered whether asked or not will help
Regards David
-
Eliveleth
Welcome, Mary,
Just trust God!. If there every is an Armageddon, which seems remote,
He reads the heart. He knows who loves Him and He will protect you.
You can trust Him.
Love and hugs,
Velta
-
digderidoo
Hi mary and welcome.
For me, i don't like to use the word apostate, due to the fact that its a JW phrase designed to ostracize those with independent thought.
As for what you say about things going on in the world, i will always remember when George Bush senior stated that we were close to peace and security and how the witnesses jumped on that. That was over 20 years ago. Prior to that i remember witnessing to a kid at school when reagan went to see gorbachov about nuclear disarmament.
Over the years the society uses current worldwide events to put up as a sign that armaggedon is coming. You will see in a decade or so, that something else worldwide will be used by the society to strengthen their argument.
Just my thoughts, but welcome.
Paul
-
rache31
Welcome! I think you'll go through periods like this when the future seems bleak. Don't watch too much of the news, its depressing and designed to make you live in fear. Much like the borg, come to think of it...
-
jwfacts
Welcome, and I hope you draw a lot of encouragement from JWD.
Being indoctrinated from birth makes leaving and reprogramming your thinking very difficult. It took me many years to finally realise Armageddon is not imminent.
Doomsday cults have predicted the end of the world since the beginning of mankind. Ever since the death of Jesus, in every single century, doomsday preachers have predicted the world would end, in their lifetime. The fact is that the period of time we live in is the best by most measures since the time of Jesus. see http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/lastdays.htm
The image with legs of clay does not refer to our time period. From the period of the head to the legs, spanning several world powers was only a few hundred years. The destruction was expected to culminate shortly after the period in which it was written. Nothing happened. So people interpret it to mean the feet are in "their" lifetime. That has gone on now for more than 2000 years. Between Rome and America there has been 2000 years of rulership, with multiple nations dominating (ie Spanish) that the "prophecy" fails to recognise or take into account. In other words, the image was not accurate prophecy regarding the end of all government and the world.
Once you can shake all the fear, guilt and superstition of a JW upbringing it will free up your mind and emotions to enjoy life at a whole new level. -
strawberry cake
Welcome Mary!
xxx Strawberry Cake