JW's who only stay for social reasons are serving out of wrong motives

by yadda yadda 2 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  yadda yadda 2

  We know that many JW's are very disillusioned and would probably love to step sideways from their religion. But they stay because all their friends and family are JW's. This is especially the case with younger ones and single ones in the organisation, who often have very sophisticated social lives and networks of friends in the organisation. They do their token meeting attendance, 1 answer a meeting and go in FS once or twice a month but their 'service' is perfunctory, an appearance to remain in good stead with their friends and family. The organisation is a giant 'social club' with the meetings and field service more of an an inconvenient mandatory duty to be done to continue to enjoy the social club.

  The question these persons need to ask themselves is: what really is the difference between staying in the organisation and continuing to enjoy it as really nothing more than a 'social club' and leaving the organisation and making new friends out ther?

  Their is no difference really. Its painful to leave old friends behind and make new friends outside of the organisation, but by the same token, is it not just a much a painful effort to endure all those boring, tedious meetings and to have to waste your time on the weekends getting up early to be Watchtower magazine salespersons.

  Your motives are impure and you are not worshipping God out of a 'pure heart' so why bother staying, why endure the pain? You may as well just leave and make new friends out in the 'world' and at least you won't have to endure all the awful meetings and FS and the double life anymore.
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  wha happened?

  I think describes a larger percentage of JW's than most are willing to admit
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  shamus100

  And the Watchtower knows that it keeps people in the religion because they fear being cut off from they're friends and family; nothing more. No love of god, nothing.

  They are all doomed either way.
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  caliber

  Your motives are impure and you are not worshiping God out of a 'pure heart' so why bother staying, why endure the pain? You may as well just leave and make new friends

  You make a good point, but how many (including me) had the time desire or inclination to do much logical thinking ?

  Also there is a Bible verse that says something to the effect that even if you serve begrudgingly there is reward just

  the same ... strictly because of obedience not heartfelt desire ! And you know how "independent thinking " is viewed !

  There are so many catch 22's and obvious double standards but first one must try to find a way to remove the

  "rose colored glasses "

  Caliber
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  StAnn

  I understand what you're saying and you are right, to a degree.

  However, my oldest son is 25 and DF'd. He has lots of young JW friends who still come around (in secret) who tell him they stay in because of their families. These young people still depend upon their parents and grandparents emotionally and aren't ready to make the break yet. It's not just losing friends for them, it's losing their entire families. Maybe when they're older and more mature they can bring themselves to make the break but it takes a complete and total disgust with the WTS for your convictions to be so strong that you're willing to cut all ties with your relatives over it.

  Give them time. They'll get there.

  StAnn
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  wha happened?

  True, I never had the relationship ties with family or income that most others do. I was the lone person in my family to be a JW and they were more than happy about it when I left.
  
  I couldn't imagine being the 3rd generation elder with a pioneer wife and kids whose business is owned with other family. I'd probably flee the country
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  drew sagan

  The same thing goes on within the LDS church. These people call themselves 'cultural mormons'. Here's a website that discusses it more:
  
  http://www.newordermormon.org/
  
  I for one don't care whether a person actually leaves the JWs or not, I would rather them simply be informed of the choice they make. I think the real problem comes from people who have made the choice to be JWs because they have been baited and switched by the Watchtower.
  
  For people who actually choose to stay simply for social reasons I say to each his own. I think a strong argument can be made for the fact that many of the worlds churches are filled (especially in the west) due to people wanting a sense of community and fellowship and not some high and mighty devotion to dogmas.
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  hamsterbait

  If the Elduhs come to me axing why I never go on the door to bore misery, I will tell them:

  The Witchtower has made it clear that those serving out of impure motives are not acceptable. Since i would only be doing it to save my own sorry A$$ at Armageddy, or to escape the already total social exclusion placed upon me by the local witlesses, my efforts would be futile, as jehoobie reads hearts.

  Also, as I am not afraid of death, being killed at some time future by a sociopathic stone age Death God cannot motivate me.

  HB
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  shamus100

  I've learned in life that making the big change doesn't seem so bad when u look back on them.

  And if you didn't do the change, you would probably end up on anti-depressants like most jw's.

  Hamsterbait, thanks for describing Jehovah in such perfect detail.
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  Satanus

  Some people have problems functioning socially in the more free atmosphere outside of the org. They find that all the rules hanging over jws make them more predictable and easier to interact w than people in general. They know what they can expect.
  
  Those kind of people either stay within the jw environment, or move to another similar, like mormon, fundy christian, or individuals who are from similar back grounds. They are easier to deal w.
  
  S