recently, with my dad and two of my closest friends, I stumbled upon an interesting situation....they all know where i stand and what the issues were that became a WT dealbreaker for me...but all three of them have recently (and in the past) expressed opinions that go directly against FDS teachings...not doubts....they just do not agree with something taught
but two of them have actually put a mental block on a WT teaching they do not agree with, but what is funny is they both told me "i don't think we have ever been taught that so directly" (by the slave)....both times i was STUNNED!....these two teachings are huge WT dogma and taught very often....but because it conflicted with what they ACTUALLY believe....they thought it must no be a real WT teaching.
1. The first one was my dad...i told him i was mad at god and wt....he asked why...so i said well it could be this frikkin reading glasses i cant get used to, or my bad knee thats aching, and my back sometimes goes out!....and i was told all my life that for sure i did not need a college degree or great job cause i would NEVER GROW OLD OR DIE AND THE END WAS JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS AWAY!!!.....so then he said the above quote...and i was like "what about the talk and books "million now living will never die"....so he says that is not as specific as to what my gripe was.....so i do my research and send him an email with two dozen quotes...my fave is the May 22,1969 Awake that said youths "you better face this fact..you will never finish a carreer in this system...you dont need college....cause you will never grow old or die....the end is few short years away." There are many many others.....but my dad had just put a mental block on what the WT said on this subject.
2. My lifelong friend and were talking about my faith issues....and i say buddy, "I just have never been comfortable with the teaching that out of billions and billions of people on earth....ONLY JW's will survive Armageddon" and that I think a loving god would just read hearts......OMG...he just what my dad did...he agreed with me but said that we never taught that so directly!!!....what hall was he in for 45 years!!!??....I tell him that WT forever has said that not even all JW's will survive...but only those actively proclaiming the good news will make it....he says he does not have the time to do the research....so i did it for him....in just 30 minutes on the WTCD I had three pages of quotes....even stating that the "billions who do not know Jehovah....even in ignorance will not survive"....
so I hand him the info with some personal comments of my own...i tell him that i would never shun him for not believing something the FDS teaches, but that he better keep his mouth shut about believing that more than just JW's survive armageddon...cause if he speaks openly about it and persists........that he would be shunned just like me...and eventually be df'd as an apostate!!.....and that is why i did not use his name in the letter....or my dads...who also believes as we do on this...nor mine....i told him the penalties were too severe for using his freedom to actually speak your own honest opinion if it goes against FDS....and that shunning is a very effective high control mechanism put in place just to control the flock.....ya....it felt good getting him to see that he is just like me....he does not agree with EVERYTHING FDS teaches....he is just willing to be a hypocrite and keep going despite it....but not me
3. my other two close friends get both of the emails on the above two situations...in the hopes of making them see that I am not alone in not believing the FDS on everything. And remember we HAVE to be of "one mind and like thought"....barf. but one of these guys and i have a lot in common over the years of not agreeing with FDS...#1..college for the kids!!...and a good job!...2. oral sex!...need i say more.....and 3. vasesectomy leads to no appointment in hall....and shhhh...never let anyone know you have one!!!...btw he was just appointed to elder two months ago!.....so on the phone with him...i cry a bit unfortunately as i tell him how painful it is to lose life long friends due to me expressing my own beliefs that dont agree with WT....and that if he did...he would be shuned too........and what a shame it is that our faith does not allow us to use our own free will without severe consequences......it actually made him think...and understand why i could not keep pretending to part of this faith when there were so many things I could not agree with.........................................oompa
oh and pm me if you want all the info in the e-mails/letters...it was good to vent to them when i knew they believed just like me!