a Christian said, "...All I can figure is that most JW's often deliberately supress and ignore their doubts because they know that to do otherwise might cost them their family and friends. A price that most people are simply not willing to pay in order to take a stand for what they know is really right and really true." I have heard some JWs criticize other people in Christendom for not leaving "false religion" behind to join the Org. because they [unbelievers] are tied to such things as family, friends, positions, etc. Essentially what you said in the above quote. Oh, the irony of the WT.
The ''truth'' that lead me to question the WTS.
by RULES & REGULATIONS 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
jakmarx
I personally do not have many greivances with specific teachings, even the blood issue doesn bother me. I mean ignoring the parralel prophecy and double fullfillment stuff that seems irrelevant to me personally.
Its a much more fundemental reason, JW's seem to act differently to Jesus. Having too much focus on self appreciation as an organization and puting themselves apart from the world.
The fashion thing is interesting, clothing is a a really important way of expressing ones self. By making people wear a uniform, which apparently avoids the fashions of the world (except it merely means to wear the fashions value of a quasi-victorian era 1950's reject),Is yet another way to control people.
Now I dont know why theres so much effort to control such minor things, I really doubt its a massive money making conspriracy. Plenty love it. Sadly I and lot of other people dont. -
WTWizard
First, they would showcase that the a$$emblies were a foretaste of the New Dark Ages. Then, once I get there, the "sisters" did not want me around. So they would tell me that I could not look at it as being representative of the New Dark Ages after they showcased them as being foretastes of the New Dark Ages. Obviously, this blatant contradiction of themselves did not help me to decide to stay in--they can take their New Dark Ages and shove it.
-
Thechickennest
A Christian:
Your response is so true and so sad. Yes, what can a child do but accept what its parents program it to be? It is depressing to think of how some born ins are sincerely trapped with no hope of escape no matter what they personally believe. It just sucks. Do you think there will ever be an accountability of the men at the reigns of the WT for the lies, misrepresentation, broken families, and broken promises?
-
Cindi_67
How in the hell did we swallow all this crap? Was it a mental deficit? Were we inspired? Was it the family in the cult that made us? Were we looking for friends? Were we on drugs? Were there not any other religions or organizations that would fill our spiritual need? Did God want to punish us?
In reality this is what happened to many of us, including me. I found myself amazed to be among this group. In my favor, I was born and raised in the Org. How much more could I have done?
I took this from a website on critical thinking. There is a booklet you can download for free called, "Fallacies: The Art of Mental Trickery and Manipulation". In it it describes 3 types of personalities. The one I was more interested in was the second one: UNCRITICAL PERSONS (intellectually unskilled thinkers). Some of their characteristics are:
1. People that have not freely decided what to believe, but, rather, have been socially conditioned (indoctrinated) into their beliefs. Meaning of indoctrination: Teaching someone to accept doctrines uncritically.
2. When their beliefs are questioned they feel personally attacked.
3. They want to be presented with a simple-minded, black and white, world.
4. They want to be told who is evil and who is good.
5. They see themselves as "good" and see their enemies as "evil".
6. Visual images are more powerful in their mind than abstract language. (Why do you think the Society uses so many drawings and visual images?)
Those are to give you just a few examples of why we all believed all that.
Very interesting website and booklet. I am still reading it. You can only downloaded but not print it.
Here's the link:
-
Awakened at Gilead
This is a great thread... Thanks R&R for starting it... and a Christian, great comments, no need for me to add anything! (although I am not a christian, lol).
Cindi, thanks for the link... I downloaded it!
-
Cindi_67
You asked: How in the hell did we swallow all this crap?
In my case I was born and raised in the cult. Baptized at 15. Like most kids, I believed what I was taught to be true was true. It took a few more years, until I was in my early 20's, before I was mature enough to start doing some "independent thinking."
So how is it then that so many JW's who are born and raised in "the truth" manage to stay in it for so long? All I can figure is that most JW's often deliberately supress and ignore their doubts because they know that to do otherwise might cost them their family and friends. A price that most people are simply not willing to pay in order to take a stand for what they know is really right and really true.
Amen to all of that. That's almost exactly what happened to me. I was baptized at 17. But didn't get to wake up until my late 30's.
-
Cindi_67
I personally do not have many greivances with specific teachings, even the blood issue doesn bother me.
Now I dont know why theres so much effort to control such minor things,
That is what made me rethink the reasons why I kept wanting to stay in the Org. What bothered me was the control over many minor things, that should be kept personal and a "real" matter of conscience.
Some of the teachings I still hold, and some I have "refined". The blood issue for example, I still will think twice about accepting a blood transfusion, but I will consider the situation before making a definite decision.
In other things, such as prophecy, that doesn't bother me too much either, although I do have some strong feelings about many explanations to prophecies in the book of Revelation that the Society applies to modern day conventions and situations amongst the Org. I don't know how they tie those to all these moments.
-
james_woods
GaryBuss:
I didn't like being a Witness. I didn't like meetings. I didn't like service. I wasn't religious. I thought the literature was boring. I thought the Watch Tower Society writers and promoters were idiots, (dishonest idiots after 1975). The Witness people routinely socially excluded me. The assemblies were expensive to attend, the talks were boring, the people stunk of body odor, and the convention security guards were mean.
What did the Witnesses have to offer me? Not one damn thing!
I can go along with something that doesn't make sense if it's fun. Being a Witness wasn't fun.
And I think we have a clear winner in both the "beacon of reality" and the "tell it like it really was" awards for the day. -
Awakened at Gilead
In other things, such as prophecy, that doesn't bother me too much either, although I do have some strong feelings about many explanations to prophecies in the book of Revelation that the Society applies to modern day conventions and situations amongst the Org. I don't know how they tie those to all these moments.
I suggest you read "A History of the End of the World" if the subject of misinterpreting Revelation interests you....
And their failed prophecies, such as 1914, 1918, 1919, 1932, 1938, 1944, 1975, must I go on, should certainly interest you. It's their foundation for saying "we are in the end".