by AllTimeJeff 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
right up there with pedophiles in
my estimation... ruining lives
with a capricious callousness
Yes, I agree. The JWs ruin lives in MANY different ways. It's not just the harboring and protecting of pedophiles or the disfellowshipping or the shunning. It destroys lives on many levels. But it all begins with lies.
The entire program JW doesn't by itself encourage or promote any of the problems that have evolved... But what I have learned is that any central controlling group like the GB that attempts to legislate everything will attract two extremes: Extreme Controllers and extreme followers..... One group turns into @$$holes, the other group bend over a bit too much....
Thats a small generalization, I know there are shades of gray, but its telling that in JW land, you are either a follower or an appointed person... pioneer, MS, elder, etc. And that label is how you are rated....
The lies are a big deal, rewriting their history is another way to deflect careful examination of details.
It still amazes me that people can go through the effort to free themselves from that experience and then go out and join some Church and convince themselves to believe even worse things about God.
Haven't they learned any life lessons.
I haven't been to a church that was ANYTHING like the JWs.
I recommend keeping the focus on the leaders when they affect the stance that
the best evidence and reasoning proves they're right with 12 or so distinctive
rules, even moreso if they cause anyone to be divided from anyone close to them,
hurt or killed.
The focus for the followers about that seems to be that the leaders are also
distinctive with especially strong disfellowshipping rules, also used for those
12 or so rules, which can cause followers to avoid those people and articles
critical of those efforts at exclusiveness.
That said, I have noticed some dishonestly among followers I otherwise liked.
They came by for a couple of years during which I double-checked the leaders'
claims of exclusiveness at the library. I waited so long to bring it up because
I liked them and suspected they might not come around anymore if I told them
what I found. But after it grew to be a small library of expose books and
Xeroxes, I took a chance.
I didn't know much about the JWs leaders' harsh shunning rules then--I just
thought a few of these followers popped their membranes. Now that I look back
at it, I guess there might have been some fibbing (theocratic warfare?).
One argued from the Xerox of Apology 21 by Tertullian I handed him that it
showed Tertullian taught a created Jesus as the "Should You Believe in the
Trinity?" tract left him to think was the JWs leaders' stance. I wish I had
that on tape. Rod Serling could have done the introduction to that.
This led to a meeting with one that was meant to decide if they keep seeing
me or not who, to be consistent with his Acts 15 stance of an absolute ban of
taking in blood, defended an absolute ban of taking in things offered to idols.
I tried to explain that that isn't either the JWs leaders' stance
- (don't eat about half of animal blood or medically use whole or major blood
fractions of human blood, etc., and don't eat "things offered" unless far enough away from idol
ceremonies where they have an idolatrous significance--exactly how many feet
away, they don't specify)
- or the mainstream stance (don't eat either one in certain circumstances,
notably around Jewish law followers who didn't eat either one at all or
associate with those that did).
That's the conservative Jewish stance (don't eat either one at all).
So, among other similar things, they didn't come around anymore because I'm not Jewish.
Man JeffB, the JW life is wretched! I'm stucked with these nuts until I can figure a way to get out. The pressure the GB puts you under by constantly promoting the field service, reaching out for positions, and meeting attendance, makes it hard for one to fade. I wish I go back in time("we gotta go back marty") and stop my @#$ from gettin in the water. I was a naive stupid shy 16yr old with no balls to say no! Why couldn't I wait till I developed critical thinking, maybe then things would be different. But No, with all the constant "reminders" to get baptize. I probably would not have made it till now. Can a Brotha shoot himself to make it end!!!!!!!
Is this a better life Jeff as you yourself say is a danger to hate and mock what you once loved?
Reniaa
Jeff, I think a level of balance is needed, in particular from yourself. You've always written in a considered but uncompromising way. I'd wager that's the way to best reach a JW who's confused and worried about how they're feeling re. having doubts and is looking for some truth.
It's my opinion that's there enough vitriol against the JWs on this forum, and while I completely understand why people feel that way (and Reniaa's posts certainly don't help), exiting or doubting JWs need a firm voice of reason, which, IMO, you helped provide.
So, by all means shoot from the hip when you have to, but don't lose what you've been offering on JWN and freeminds.
"It still amazes me that people can go through the effort to free themselves from that experience and then go out and join some Church and convince themselves to believe even worse things about God.
Haven't they learned any life lessons."
Don't knock what you haven't tried. While I can understand people choosing not to believe in God, for those who have a faith in the supernatural exploring this in church isn't anywhere near equatable with sitting through a meeting in the Kingdom Hall.
For a start, you're allowed to disagree and ask questions. You're allowed to consider all of the evidence. For example, I know of many Christians who've read the God Delusion. But how many JWs have read Crisis of Conscience?
"Is this a better life Jeff as you yourself say is a danger to hate and mock what you once loved?
Reniaa"
I don't wish to speak for Jeff here, but that's a personal question, Reniaa, and you state that you don't answer personal questions. Therefore, do you consider it polite to ask personal questions?
Speaking for myself, hating something you once loved can be part of a better life if what you loved was damaging and false.
