I just can't shake the feeling that in a few years, if I don't help my family and friends, at least TRY, they will say to me, "Hey Bonafide, if you knew, why didnt you at least TRY to help us get out?"
That's why I am doing this.
BF
The cost of going undercover to help family and friends - Is it worth it?
by BonaFide 44 Replies latest jw friends
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isaacaustin
outofthebox has done this admirably
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Terry
All people are entitled to reality. People need facts and a clear and unobstructed view to proceed safely and successfully.
When people are denied facts and reality is withheld, hidden or distorted every decision they make is obstructed and crippled.
It is like standing on a diving board and being told the water is deep. IF the water is really shallow your neck can be broken.
Remember, deeply religious people who are insulated from a wide range of information tend to shrink their capacity for even seeing what is real.
It grows smaller and smaller because they rely more and more on what they are told. They turn inward to an imagined world which fits what they have been told is there.
Going UNDERCOVER is engaging in a charade which can only do harm. Representing yourself as something you are not is intellectual dishonesty of the worst kind.
Why?
You represent a lie. How can representing a lie publicly (at meetings) ever signify the sort integrity and reality you are trying to persuade family and friends to live. It is the sort of distortion of purpose JW's engage in with their policy of lying to infidels for a "greater good."
Keep one thing, above all, in your mind uppermost: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES cannot see or hear anything but what they have been instructed to see and hear. For all practical purposes they are blind and the Watchtower is their guide dog. Their life and safety have been completely surrendered in trust and hope.
If you contradict their hope and trust you cannot achieve anything but harm. You will be feared and despised as a threat to security.
Only one thing can possibly achieve the objective of helping friends and family members. And that is to live a happy and successful life without becoming the awful "worldly" person corrupt in speech and action.
Living an example is infinitely better as refutation.
Apostates are expected to be tricky liars. Why fall into the trap of BECOMING one?
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My Struggle
I truly understand your heart. However, I don't understand your strategy for outing your family. I think that your premise might be something like, Witnesses take criticism of the Society better if it is coming from someone that is within the Organization and through that you hope to open eyes and hearts. To me this only works because the criticism is closed, in the sense that the criticism does not ultimately lead the one in away from their way of life. The people that are in, by in large, understand that there are some flaws within their Organization, some even being willing to discuss the problems within. Sadly their supposition is that ultimately the Society is correct and will work problems out over time. If the criticism comes from outside they immediately turn off reasoning, as I suppose, because they perceive it as a threat of toppling their way of life, versus just relatively harmless questions from those within.
So, my question to you is this; How do you now open their eyes? They already know your past and will be wary of any such criticism or questioning, it will be a tough balance for you balancing the perception between rank and file and a closet apostate. I don't meant to be discouraging, I just wonder about how you are going to walk the line. I wish you well, really!
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Dagney
I just can't shake the feeling that in a few years, if I don't help my family and friends, at least TRY, they will say to me, "Hey Bonafide, if you knew, why didnt you at least TRY to help us get out?"
Coincidently, that's the same reasoning our PO's wife used when talking about the preaching work. She said "what will you say at Armageddon when your neighbor looks at you and says "why didn't you tell me???"
But the fact of the matter is most really do know many of the problems with the WTBS. But it isn't until they think and question it will they move to the next step. It's a choice to take that next step and will not happen unless the choice is made.
We all see your love of your friends and family and desire for them to see the truth. I wonder how long will you devote to the experiment?
Anyhoo, even though many of us could not do this, we still wish you success.
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diamondiiz
Reenia:
Watchtower so righteously sits without a lie and a deception! Here's one for you from Watchtower May 1, 1988 p22. I'm sure it's just an error on the part of editor or maybe the one writing the article forgot what she really learned. The editor surely didn't bother to correct the article so others could really feel how good it was for this lady to learn that Christ returned in 1874 - oops I meant 1914.
“Do you believe in the second advent of the Lord?” I asked the young man who came to the door.
“Christ’s second advent was realized in 1914,” he answered.
In astonishment, I told him that was impossible. “You should read this book,” he said, handing me The Harp of God.And what did Harp of God teach? 1914? I don't think so.
There are two important dates here that we must not confuse, but clearly differentiate, namely, the
beginning of "the time of the end" and of "the presence of the Lord". "The time of the end" embraces a period
from A.D. 1799, as above indicated, to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the
establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah. The time of the Lord's second presence dates from 1874, as
above stated. - Harp of God page 107Talk about deception! By deceptions watchtower is poisoning the truth and minds of innocent people. When people are blinded to the facts they will leave their families behind to follow governing body's opinion who they view as gospel! You defend these men so blindly, are you working from the bethal to defend the scum who claim to be leaders appointed by Christ? What is your reason to defend governing body? You're neither defending truth nor God but only those who claim to have the authority from above but are really deceivers, blindly leading people astray! They are the evil slave the Jesus talked about who in time will have nothing to do with Christ when he does return.
Another point, it's governing body who destroys faith. When they enslave men who they deceived and when any of these people actually wake up and realize they've been had, many don't know what to do and leave God and that's all thanks to the governing body who decieves men just like satan did. They are the cunning bunch who through smooth words snare people and start to slowly poison their minds. That is why they discourage people from doing personal research without watchtower publications and that's why they claim the entire world is against them. Why else would they keep 1914 and other dates as untouchable doctrine and call anyone questioning this nonsense as an apostate? They are the wolves in sheeps clothing! And it's they who destroy faith of many that realize they've been lied to all these years.
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done4good
That's the first post I have seen from Terry in a while, and a damn good one!
BF: Think about what he has posted. It's the truth.
j
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LouBelle
For me - NO I wouldn't do it. I would never ever go back.
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LouBelle
okay for some reason I can't find my post to add on info.
I wanted to add that each person needs to work out their own salvation - it's not up to me to convince anyone of the path to follow. We all have our separate path.
Plus I'd be living an absolute lie.
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jgnat
I think you can endure if you have hope and you have a plan. Here's a winning formula that worked for one family. The author posts here as Amazing.
http://www.freeminds.org/support/restoring-family/case-example-of-talking-to-my-family.html