-Are "apostates" more strict on WBTS doctrine than active Witnesses?

by Awakened07 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  booby

  Thank you so much for this info. I have Follicular
  Lymphoma which is considered incurable cancer. Stem cell
  transplants can buy a lot of time, but I didn't think we
  could do that.
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  booby

  Ooops. that last was a paste from an witness e-mail yahoo group. I wanted to add that it shows clearly how afraid they are to think for themselves and disobey the gb. could save her life it sounds like, "but I didn't think we could do that" response is so pathetic and so a part of the truth
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  kzjw

  It sounds like my wife(16 yr JW) as we've begun to have dialog about her spirituality...Some decisions she's made are not based on the FDS, but actually thought out by her. I find that comforting, because it shows she a free thinker, even if she still believes that god's org does exist, she say that she doesn't believe they are always right. Is this the begining of those who'll continue the beliefs of JW's in the future, but distance themselves from the FDS/WTS? Who knows...
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  jamiebowers

  Could it be said that 'apostates' are too harsh, too strict and to-the-letter when it comes to what the FDS says, and that this is not how the average JW sees things? Do you think an active Witness hears 'apostates' say "Well, they have to follow everything some old guys in Brooklyn says", and think to themselves, "Well, that's just not true, typical apostate lies and exaggerations." ? If so, would they have a point?

  Most apostates have experienced the "harsh, too strict and to the letter enforcement" of what the FDS says. The typical witness won't believe it until they are in a sticky situation themsleves or are close to someone who is. For instance, in my case I was a battered wife of a jw. It continued for years with the elders' knowledge. When it became dangerous for me to continue in the marriage, the elders tried to bully me into it. When I refused, they insisted that I had to remain single until I could prove adultery on his part. I was very traumatized, and the authorities were so concerned that they locked my jw husband up against his will in a mental institution. I explained to the elders that I just wanted to get away from him, hide from him if I had to. I'll never forget the smirk on one elders face when he told me that if I did that, I'd have to be single forever, since I wouldn't be around to catch him at adultery. That's when I offered to d'a myself, but they df'd me instead.

  Most jws who respond to my story accuse me of committing adultery, saying that there is no way I would've been df'd for divorcing an abusive husband, because of what they read in the mags. It is made to seem that a battered wife has the option to end the marriage and everything is great. But the truth is, you can end the marriage but still must be connected to the abusive ex in order to prove subsequent adultery. For someone who is running for their life, it isn't an option. You are painted into a corner, and there is no way around that.

  Look at the many instances of battered women and molested children. Very seldom is the abuser subject to df'ing, but the victims or those who speak out on their behalf, are. And it is all because of the twisted logic of the WTB&TS. It is not surprising that jws think that the claims of apostates aren't true. There is so much published information about the child molestation scandals, yet jws don't believe it ever happened. If they do believe it, they are convinced that the reporting situation has been rectified, which couldn't be further from the truth. Look at the Murietta case, which has been in the news just in the last few days. The parents of the molested girls and the elders failed to report the crime to the police. It was a teacher who got the authorities involved.

  Look at the case of Ray Franz, who was df'd for eating lunch with an old friend who was df'd. What about Granny Grace, who was df'd for simply saying she didn't believe Christ returned in 1914. There are hundreds of cases where df'ing occured simply because of something someone thought out loud, yet the WTB&TS claims that the vast majority are df'd for immorality. What about the people who are df'd for slander when their only crime was warning parents about child molesters in their midst? Circular reasoning leads to twisted logic, and there's no way around it. JW's refuse to believe apostates under any condition; that's the point of brainwashing.
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  Awakened at Gilead

  I told elders that I disagreed with the WTS on 3 points (1914 and other dates, FDS identity, and "other sheep"), and I was considered DAd...

  So no, you are not allowed to disagree and remain in the org...

  "resistance is futile" says the Borg
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  WTWizard

  The witlesses say they follow Jesus. In fact, they really do follow the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger. They are not allowed to independently look at the Bible to verify the accuracy of their doctrines, or whether the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger is in fact following Jesus as they claim. Anyone that doubts that only need remember the September 2007 Kingdumb Misery article about that subject.

  Apostates are, as a group, more objective about the way the witlesses look at doctrine. They are able to see how strict they used to be when they were in, and the trend is getting worse. Active witlesses that are faithful are, as a group, inclined to play down the strictness of their religion.