by Quirky1 11 Replies latest jw experiences
I know there are many here that were born into the religion and there are those who have family that were or are involved and that usually sparks an interest.
What about those who become interested by their campaining? What influenced others here to become a Jehovah's Witness?
What influenced you?
I was raised in but I know my mother converted because she wanted to learn more about her Bible and get meaning from reading it.
I recently asked her how much time she spends reading it nowadays, not counting the assigned weekly Bible reading etc for the meetings. She said that by the time she reads all her magazines, the new releases, the year book and does her meeting prep, she doesn't have any time left to read her Bible.
Pardon my language but WTF????!!!
I ran into them when i was 18 and i was into heavy metal at the time and anti establishment anti war and hated all churches and so on. I never went to church in my life before then and never opened a bible before studying with these people.There stance on those things got me interested and the idea of living on a paradise earth and not being controlled by a wordly government sounded wonderful! lol I was young and dumb and 1914 and all those other things i let go in one ear and out the other. I never ever understood that and did not pay attention. But i never was any good at there system and left twice. about 6 months after i was baptised i left,lol and i came back a couple of years later and got married and after about 2 years with the wife i dropped out in 2001 but still believing it was the truth until recently. If there is a God, I can't wait to see him come down here and destry this religion.
An Insecure identity for one, lack of direction in one life perhaps a needed purpose.
Certain people have already have an earnest interest in the bible and what it says, the Jws come knocking and make a attempt to
expand or exploit that interest.
sometimes they succeed
I'm actually thinking about figuring that out by asking my mom about some things- like, how soon after her mom dies did she hook up with the witnesses...
I don't understand it- my mom is so smart and her BS-detector is really good about EVERYTHING else aside from the JWs. How in the world did she get suckered in?
She had studied with the 7th Day Adventists before the JWs and I think that the JWs were able to point out holes in the 7th Day-ers so she went with the JWs...
I want to ask her but I know she'll get all defensive and think that I'm trying to "belittle her faith" by deconstruting how she came about it in the first place...
For most highly functioning intelligent people, I think what pulls them into the JWs is a family death or some other horrible occurance that makes them want find some control in life that is not there at the time.
-K
Fear of being smashed at Armagedon, and falling in the big crack in the earth.
some people are looking for friends or social contacts thinking maybe Jw's offer this until they find out what theyare really about and sometimes it is too late.
my case was different I had not choice, I was nearly thirteen and my parents started studing with the witnesses and so we had to comply and if we didn't we were told that when we were 16 we could leave home. I don't ever remember him(my dad) saying that to us but that is what he apparently he saidto my aunt Maryand grandma but not to us kids and had i known that I would have left it then lock stock and barrel and moved in with my dear grandma.
stranage how things turn out in life. But one thing is certain i am no longer one and that is all that matters now.
Orangefatcat.
I was raised a JW, yet, upon personal study found that much of what JW teach is supported by first and second century Christian wrings - such as Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Clement of Rome, Ignatius. It is odd how the Catholic Church views them as their "Church Fathers", yet they do not believe many things stated by them in their extensive writings. Doing a study on the early church is very supportive of JW doctrine and beliefs.
One copy of the Suffer Forever book, a few scriptures to apparently back it up, no experience in other Bible translations, a humanoid that would not take no for an answer, and fake promises. And no Internet to research these things before committing.
Right from the start, JWs cultivate an "us against them" mindset. Most people agree that there's a lot wrong with the world and they find it easy to agree that the churches should have done more to make things better. Nobody's perfect, so it's easy to find fault with politicians, businesses and the churches. JWs point to one church or preacher who's done something wrong and they paint all religions but their own as guilty of the same thing. Because the JWs have a Bible in their hand, householders are fooled into thinking that they're different from the other churches, especially when JWs repeatedly claim that they are. Family and friends might warn the householder about JWs, and that gives the appearance of confirming the JW warning that the householder will be ridiculed and frowned on for studying the Bible.
Though householders may be satisfied with their own church, they don't get the individual attention from a Sunday sermon such as JWs provide by stopping by regularly to promote their own religion and to condemn the rest. Nothing beats advertising to get the word out, and the WT Society knows how to get JWs to "advertise, advertise, advertise" that they have all God's answers while all others are of the devil.
