Witnesses Who Were Hypocrites!

by minimus 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  mindmelda

  Witnesses want to be perfect now because the religion is a religion of works. Since you can never really do enough works to be perfect, you're constantly in a crisis of self loathing, and then out of self loathing, you do stupid harmful things.

  You either need to get religion that frees you from this constant feeling of condemnation, that teaches God's forgiveness and unconditional love, or get into that mindset through non-spiritual means, which is what psychology does. (I once heard a psychologist say that psychologists are the secular version of priests, and I believe that's quite true).

  A lot of modern cognitive behavioral therapy is based on that same idea that you cannot work yourself in to approval, self acceptance needs to be intrinsic to being human. In other words, what is embodied in the "you're good enough" self affirmation speeches common to psychology and self help.

  You can't use excessive guilt as a control mechanism with people because it's negative reinforcement, which is proven to have it's limitations. Positive reinforcments of "yes, you're good enough, you're forgiven, you can do better" are much more emotionally useful, regardless of where you get them.
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  jookbeard

  also knew of a sister in the Tooting Bec cong, pioneer, middle aged , thought a lot of herself, who when out in the field ended up having full sexual inter course with a guy she'd met at a door, she got DF'ed for it and got R/I'ed yet at her cong , they way she used to carry on you'd think she was some king of Virgin Mary/Anointed , with her long winded comments and her hand up at every question, I fancied her daughter actually
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  cognac

  I fancied her daughter actually

  Thank-goodness you didn't marry into that family, huh? lol
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  blondie

  Some of these stories seem to center around salacious sexual encounters. I feel hypocrisy is more than that.

  What about the elder who gives a talk about how the identifying mark of "true" Christians is showing love by reaching out and including "fatherless" children in their outings, but then does not do it, even telling other jws that these "fatherless" children are bad association and to keep their children away from them?
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  minimus

  I knew of a guy that was appointed as an elder only a few years after being DISFELLOWSHIPPED! because the CO loved him and he was given many gifts, money, charge cards and trips! Everyone knew holy spirit had zero to do with the appointment. A few years later this wealthy elder declared bankruptcy and his sweet daughter killed herself.
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  mindmelda

  I agree Blondie..it's much more subtle than the stories we recount above, those are glaring and obvious.

  There's a lot of finger pointing because of the constant air of suspicion that others might not be "real Witnesses". I wonder if it ever occurs to them that the tactics they advise to keep themselves "clean" from others both in and out of their congregations undermine the very spirit of Christianity?

  I remember years ago reading a Watchtower article about how the Mosaic Law put a wall between the Jews and other people and how they needed Christ to break down that wall and allow them to go past the law, a religion of works.

  Ironic when you consider that the WTS regimen of works does the same thing. Witnesses are totally out of touch with their fellow man, and often, with each other. That creates the kind of rampant hypocrisy Christ pointed out existed in the Jewish religious leaders of his time, and it's also part of what creates it among the Witnesses.

  How can you truly CARE about people who you're constantly being told are unclean, "worldly" and doomed, or about fellow Christians who you are told aren't doing enough works to gain salvation?

  They have gone back to the "weak, beggarly and elementary" things of the Law, a religion of works. I think this is because they truly reject Christ, too.
• 

  Lieu

  Sooo many, tooo many.

  The pretense is beyond reasonable. Its like having a zillion "iffy" baptist holier than thou preachers in one place. At least the baptist preachers will get up and ask the whole congregation for forgiveness when something happens, JWs will not and aren't allowed to.

  Had an PO in a cong run pretty much by his family who used to get drunk and beat his daughter black and blue. His brother (also an elder) had sons who cursed like sailors and would start fights any time we all went to some amusement park. [They're either in Bethel now or MS]. Back at the hall, of course, they were the perfect picture of whatever. Had an entire BOE once get the boot because they were all "swingers" (wife swappers). Had a married MS that was a pedophile. Cheaters, scammers, and on and on.

  The few decent people simply looked like deers caught by headlights.
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  caliber

  
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  OUTLAW

  I know a JW family..They own a chain of stores..Nice people.......They always had they`re Store Anniversary Sale,during Christmas..LOL!!..It worked..They got in on christmas spending..And..Never got in shit with anyone.......I have to point out these people are very likable..I still say hi when I see them.....................................OUTLAW
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  Magwitch

  My ex husband was an elder for our entire 20 years of marriage. He would get drunk all the time. So drunk that he would spend 6-8 hours on the bathroom floor vomitting and then another 24 hours in bed, but then he was ready to do it all over again. He smoked marijuana on occasion, was addicted to porn on the internet. He did not see any reason to work since Jehovah will provide (funny how Jehovah stopped providing when his wealthy father died and left everything to his young trophy wife.) Everyone at the hall just loved how zealous and spiritual he was. They felt sorry for him that he had such a weak wife (me). He was so spiritual in fact that he did not allow me to see my JW parents since they did things like save seats at the conventions. He would not let me have anything to do with my sister after she quietly stopped going to meetings. The hypocrisy was endless...I could write a book about just him. He recently remarried a zealous young pioneer sister and they plan to serve where the need is great. I am sure the need will be much greater once they arrive.