High Standards in "the world" ??

IWish4Truth

Yes, Im a newbie here, so my idea is to get the different viewpoints of people with different experience, strength, and possibly some hope to offer. It's quite obvious to me that my view on certain matters upset some but; oh well. I can handle it. It has been my observance that the majority of this world has no true standards. Yes, people individually may or may not have a certain code of conduct that they abide by, but for the most part, it does seem that anything goes. This attitude does not bring true happiness and usually still leaves the majority of mankind searching for something to feel that void. I do know of many churchgoers that are wrapped up in that lifestyle and may be termed religious fanatics, but it seems that many of those people still experience many troubles in their lives for which they have no true answers. High Standards are just that for a reason and are optional. Although I have many resentments toward the WTS, did not putting forth effort to reach high standards produce a high quality of life? Were there not any rewards at all??

joelbear

It has been my observance that the majority of this world has no true standards. Yes, people individually may or may not have a certain code of conduct that they abide by, but for the most part, it does seem that anything goes.

Joelbear replies:

HUH? If this statement were true there would be total anarchy. You wouldn't be able to drive your car, leave your home, have a job, etc.
There are millions of standards from common courtesy to laws. The fact is most people do not wish harm or intend harm on their neighbor. If they did we would have to live in a police state.

Even in basically lawless countries like Afghanistan people don't just run around killing each other mindlessly, if they did, they would soon be non-existant.

No, there are plenty of standards and the great majority of people live by them.

Joel

Celtic

Some of your word expressions show from whence your viewpoint is gained, and I believe, it is not the fairest of assumptions, but alas, this is understandable. High standards within the walls of the WT? Where?

On the outside, there are very many high standards but it depends upon your perception of understanding what true high standards mean. I have found many on the outside to be really quite decent people who pay not so much credence to empty words as to, well, just getting on with things in real life.

High standards are a matter of personal preference, keep looking, for what it is you seek, you shall find.

In length, breadth, depth and time I wish you welcome here.

peace

Mark
hug trees

Mum

Welcome to the board. Thank you for asking.

I was a regular publisher for most of 17 years. In retrospect, the congregation I started out in must have been pretty liberal for JW's. I don't remember any child abuse, and I remember that committee meetings and disciplinary matters were handled in a non-reprehensible way. BUT I was very young, the only JW in my immediate or extended family, and was not privy to what went on amongst the JW elite (elders' meetings and "insider" stuff).

After I married an elder and moved to another state, I was more in tune with things that were going on. I was criticized harshly for not being able to function at a much higher level than I should have been able to at the time. To be fair, I was not fair to my stepson or my daughter either, having unrealistic expectations of them as well.

I do not regret living a moral life. I lived a moral life as a teenager before I became a JW, however, and did not change my moral outlook or behavior by adopting a weird belief system. I do regret becoming the petty, judgmental, mean-spirited person I became after I became associated with higher-up JW's. I began to realize that I had been a better person, i.e., a kinder, gentler, more understanding, more thoughtful person before becoming a JW.

Now it feels good to be free to use the good sense God gave me in deciding what to believe, what to wear, which entertainment is appropriate and a zillion other matters.

I do not regret leaving the JW's. It is the best thing I ever did for myself and my daughter.

Regards,
Mum

Seize the day, and put the least possible trust in tomorrow. - Horace

I have learned to live each day as it comes and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow. - Dorothy Dix

moman

IWish, Most religions do some good, teach some truths, but at what price?
What the WT extracts from a "sheep" iz hiz (or) hers BRAIN!
This iz MIND-CONTROL at its best,BRAINWASHING! The Borg seeks to assimulate & control its,"little flock" while the corporate machine marches on. Remember, they are FALSE PROPHETS cloaking az Gods elite.
How many innocents have been MURDERED over the false blood policy? There iz only one outcome for them after the world sees them exposed to the light & that iz their downfall!
-fastone-

metatron

Far too much of the Society's "high standards" is just an image
founded on hypocrisy. Examples: assembly halls and kingdom halls
that are "sold" as proposals to congregations - and then run into
enormous cost overruns like a corrupt contract with the defense
dept. "oops, it'll cost twice as much"! - then there's child
molesting and lying (don't get me started!)

There is a severe lack of charity and compassion in the organization.
You will notice that the Watchtower, in articles that supposedly
identify the true religion, DE-EMPHASIZES love - they have to,
because they know how little love exists in this organization.

On the other hand, take a good look at the ordinary 'WORLDLY
PEOPLE' - (who have no standards?) who sacrificed life and limb
in regard to the Sept.11 tragedy - while the Watchtower drew
its curtains, went back to work and then tried to exploit the
suffering by preaching the destruction of 99.9% of the human
race at Armageddon.

Maybe it's better to have "no standards" than
standards that are sick and twisted.

metatron

NameWithheld

"It has been my observance that the majority of this world has no true standards. Yes, people individually may or may not have a certain code of conduct that they abide by, but for the most part, it does seem that anything goes. "

This statement betrays your naivety - you are regurgitating old WT and Awake articles. You are seeking the worst in mankind and finding it. Go into a major city and watch humans interact with each other for a few weeks. You will observe that the vast majority of mankind is inherently 'selfish' in as much as priority #1 is careing for yourself, but that most people need very little coaxing to extend a helping hand to others - from very small acts or very large ones. Far from no true standards, and anything goes, most people abide by a very moral code.

You are confusing enforced 'standards' from people living by their own conscience. What you are seeking is a robotic society. I wouldn't care to live there, thank you vey much.

NameWithheld

Another thing, you don't seem to have much exposure to the 'real' world, or are not being observant enough. The amount of 'true happiness' in the world is just the same as the amount of 'true happiness' in the JW society. People seek and find their own happiness regardless of religion - so you will find happy and depressed people in both places.

For what it's worth, if I had to finger a 'happier' group of people in the world, it would NOT be JWs. I knew WAY too many depressed, mentally unstable, and/or unhealthy JWs.

SEAKEN2001

IWish,

welcome to the forum. It will take some getting used to people disagreeing with your or getting upset over things you say. In the world of JW's this was considerred a bad thing. In reality, it is better to get a objection to your own views, in that it tests your true undertstanding of your topic or your own beliefs. If you are recently questioning the JW belief system you are likely still closer to the limited scope of thought among that group than you are to your potential for free expression and objective thinking. Don't get discouraged. It can be a hard road. But it is worth it.

As to your expressions about the lack of standards, I disagree with your assessment of the situation. It sounds to me like you're still relying on the rhetoric of the WT writing department. Perhaps you have not really been out into the world? Have you travelled? Have you been exposed to different cultures? Or have you been basing your comments on your own limited experience in your own community. If so, that's not really fair. How can you say the "majority of the world" has no standards if you have not been out into the world and studied the "majority"? Where is your data? What studies are you relying on to support this statement?

As you can see, most of us here will not simply accept your comments as being valid without supporting evidence. It has been my experience that "many" people have higher standards than do so-called "Christians" who often talk the talk without actually walking the walk, to borrow a corporate cliche. But that's just been my personal experience. It may not match your own. To get a real idea of what standards are like in the world we would need to study the data of many more communities objectively.

Sean

Room 215

Hi Wishfor...

Welcome here.... You describe yourself as a ``Newbie" and I wonder whether that refers to the fact that you're new to this board, or are a new JW.

In any case, it would seem to me that, as an observer of the WT for 50 years, it seems you're saddled with two of the most common misapprehensions that JWs labor under and which distort their worldview: (1) that the the so-cold world outside the WT is a monolith, all irredeemably evil and self-seeking or worse; and (2) that JWs have a monopoly on belief in the God of the Bible, Bible-based morality, honesty, or decency.

After a half century of association with the WT, some of which was spent at the highest level, I've long since come to the conclusion that if called upon to draw up lists of the ten nicest and ten worst people I ever met, JWs and non-JWs would figure in roughly equal numbers on both.

It isn't that I don't (or didn't) wish it to be otherwise; that's just how it is, in the interests of simple honesty.

High Standards in "the world" ??

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