I am not sure what the uproar is. It appears they are JUST following what is written in the Almighty Watchtower Publications {FEBRUARY 15, 2004 --GUARD AGAINST DECEPTION}.
Surely you jest.
sKally
I'm not good association......
by Switch 33 Replies latest jw experiences
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mind my own
Sorry you are having a "down" day! Please try to remember that they are doing what they have been brain-washed to do. It isn't really against YOU as a person specifically, they would do it to anyone in your position. I know it hurts, it really does. We can all vouch for that...
Good for you that you are trying to make new friends and move on with your life!!! May your journey be full of peace and love!
MMO
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New light for you
MIssingLink and Switch...
I read all the letters between you and your friends. You're EXACTLY at the same point in time as me and my hubby (robert7). Its the worst when you have to realize that the best most dear of friends are NOT going to "agree to disagree" ... its over. They cant be friends with you anymore. I just today decided to go to one of my best friends house just to tell her i loved her very much and goodbye. I told her that our friendship deserved closure, and i wanted her to know how i feel. I felt like that was respectful to us. (my post is http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/162770/1.ashx )
All of a sudden i realized that you CANT be friends anymore, as much as you want it, i'ts NOT gonna happen. Same with us and my kids. I love the points you made about them leading normal lives, not judging people, not having to "make a stand"... geesh! how hard can you make it on them???!?!
COngratulations on coming this far, it's the hardest thing ever.
Lets have a drink!
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Awakened at Gilead
It was interesting to see the email exchange... I had an extremely similar email exchange with a JW family after I told them I'm DAd...
I grieved over losing my friends for about a week... but I'm too busy making new friends to worry about the old "friends"... see you guys on FB...
Lance
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strawberry cake
So sorry you are going through this. This is why it's a cult. These people are brainwashed....as we were once.
Thank goodness, we have the support of each other on this forum
xxx SC -
Switch
Wow. so many replies. Thanks everyone. It's pathetic that we all hear the same exact responses to any sort of reasoning. It still amazes me too that they simply don't mind being LIED to.
That hubby of mine sure is long-winded. :-) I thought I'd throw my email in for good measure. I haven't posted much personal stuff yet so this might give ya some insight on lil old Switch.
It has me wondering --- how many on JWD are faders that are being shunned? I thought the whole point of fading was to not rock the boat but keep your friends? Oh, I'm so naive, I know.
Hi (friend). It's really hard to sum up where we are at. I've spent the last 7 mos. in intense emotional turmoil. I have great appreciation for our Creator, but admittedly, yes, I at this present time have a really hard time believing that The Watchtower Society is God's organization on earth. And believe me, that has been devastating news to me. Devastating. Do you think I would easily give up my faith that I've had for 20-some years now? I've had great hopes of seeing my dad in the Paradise earth based on what I've learned through the Society. ML and I nearly didn't have kids in this system cuz we figured we were soooo close to the end. I was always the one shaking my head in disbelief at how people could leave the organization.
I reeeally don't want to lead people from their beliefs, so ML and I have been keeping a very low profile and reading/studying literature old and new from the Society and double checking Scriptures. I've always meant to look at their quoted sources and see some of the quotes that they give in context. I figured this would be faith-strengthening to see worldly people that agreed with the society's thinking. That was my only intention in this process. I was astounded, shocked, horrified to find quotes blatantly misused and taken out of context. And it doesn't take long to stumble on them either. Pull out your April 15 WT. On page 14 in the footnote, it tells you to read the October 1, 2005 pp. 26-31 about education. At the box at the very end of the article, it has quotes from Newsweek, Time, etc. supporting the view that you don't need a college education. I remembered reading this box in 2005 and it was very convincing that not everyone feels college is necessary. Many of their quoted sources are not difficult to find on the internet, which may be why they are listing sources less and less in their articles and just making general references to opinions. Two of the quoted articles are posted on the journal's own websites.
You can read the entire Newsweek article from their website here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/90037/output/print
The American educator article is here: http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/spring2004/collegedegree.html
Of what benefit would the Society writer's get from misusing quotes???? And WHY? Why would they make the article so biased when going to university is a personal decision anyway and doesn't have any scriptural references? I still cannot comprehend it. It qualifies as lying. Why would they lie about the little things? And how much of the bigger issues can I trust them on? Am I in the wrong or would you find this stuff disturbing to your faith??
The School Guidebook page 155 par 11 says “A word of caution. All evidence must be used honestly. Do not take a quotation out of context. Make certain that what you say is exactly what the authority you are quoting had in mind to say. Be specific in your references.” Also see Awake June 22, 2000 pp 9-11.
ML has researched the Creation book. I always thought it was an excellent book but he says that the research isn't reported right and the named "professional" sources are questionable and not reputable OR qualified.
I'm not going to go on about my issues. It's not fair to burden them on other people. You can do your own research or you can ignore it. I'm just trying to impress on you that ML and I are not leaving the organization for frivolous reasons. I don't take ANY of this lightly cuz I have two children that need my guidance.
It makes me ill that I can't share my deepest feelings and concerns with my closest friends. But ....I also know where you are coming from.... just 7 mos. ago I would have avoided someone like ME like the plague. Weird, isn't it?
I hope you've at least made it to the end of this letter. I really value our friendship. Rarely do I just hit it off instantly with someone. But you have to do what's right for you...so I understand if you can't handle all this stuff dumped on you. Wherever we wind up, we're always here for you. If you have any other advice or expressions for us, then please share them.
love you,
switch
I must add I do not recommend using similar email cuz it just doesn't get through the cult-thinking. Ah well. I tried.
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moomanchu
I'm not good association......
Me either....been there done that life goes on.
My jaydubeeya relatives favorite thing to say when they shun us is,
we are trying to do better, we want to do what Jehovah wants.
sick-o's
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Akira
"She simply deleted MissingLink as a friend on facebook cuz he wrote some scathing reviews of the Society's publications"
I was deleted by four JW's "friends" from Facebook too. Simply because they heard a rumor of me having doubts. But they haven't spoken to me or question me anything. In the recent convention I was invisible for one of them.
I am an active JW in good standing. Go figure.
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amama2six
Wow, how presumptive of them Akira. :( I imagine being shunned in your situation is a lot harder than if you had actually left. *Hugs*
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Akira
Yes, it really hurts. Thank you, amama.