"Effecting"--- to produce as a result.
Farkel, I have effective affection for you. You know what i mean, in as much as you cause me affliction.
Trebor, good list!
As A JW Did You Care About Old JW History, Old Light & Flip Flops?
by minimus 35 Replies latest jw friends
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Butterflyleia85
Research will be the death of the Organization.
That's why it's banned!!! Circuit Assembly This Past Weekend "Safeguard Your Spirituality"tryintoexit's post on was pretty interesting!
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Damocles
I was very interested in the early history. I had multiple copies of all 7 Studies in the Scriptures and read all but the last one - really tough slog that one. I read quite a few early Watchtowers (pre-1914) and I was particularly interested in the time from 1914 - 1919 and read quite a few WT from that time period. I read most of Rutherford's books but had trouble locating a few like all three Vindication (pre internet and Abebooks} and really had trouble with the second Revelation book (forget the name Light I think). I had it in spanish but that didn't help much. I had accumulated quite a library - which my ex has now, although I doubt she's read any of it. I was and am quite interested in the connection between Russell, Miller, and the Shakers. Its tenuous but real.
I didn't find the issues with the past much of a problem. For me, it was the broken promise. If I was a dub, I would be satisfied, content, leading a meaningful life. Tried it for >20 years and not true. As an ex-dub I am much more satisfied, content and find life much more meaningful. Its a simple thing. You propose a hypothesis then test it. If the test comes negative, then the hypothesis is false.
Now there is much more to it. Dubs argue that evil is a result of Satan and Man's fall. Doesn't hold water. Jesus' died for our sins - doesn't hold water. etc. etc. etc.
I think the straw, and I do mean straw, that broke the yoke for me was that series of articles on tacking. It was ludicrous. Dubs didn't 'tack' on the issue of who is a minister (now there is an argument about angels on the head of a needle), they completely reversed course. And no one, including myself, jumped up in the middle of the WT study and yelled 'Stop the Madness' Instead, folks who said we were all ministers one week, said only elders were the next, then said we are all ministers the week after. Without batting an eye, without raising an eyebrow, without snickering. I could only conclude that I had willingly joined a lobotomy club.
Well that was the end for me, but the leaving took longer since my family was hostage.
Damocles
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etna
One thing I would like to know about is does anyone know about the "king of the north and king of the south"? I haven't heard anymore on this "prophecy".
Etna
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finding my way
I'm 25 so I didn't really notice a lot of changes in my days as a JW until the blood issue. This was rally close to the time I was DF'd so I didn't even get my card signed. I did look into getting a directive still even though I wasn't a witness. Never got it though..
I was raised in and never doubted anything until about 3 years after I was disfellowshipped. I was really used to just believing things because they said so. I believed they were the truth and when it all unraveled it was really really weird. The intelectual intimidation trick worked on me pretty well. If the numbers and round about ways of coming up with dates like 607 bce confused me, I assumed I was just to simple to get it. I don't think I was really mature enough to really analyze my spirituality either until recently. I was raised with lots of drama in the household and quickly got myself into drama after drama after I left the nest. I was used to it I guess. I finally got to a point where I needed to stop, think and gain some control in my life. So then I decided to discover what was holding me back from requesting reinstatement.... the rest is history.
I didn't know ANYTHING about the 1975 date, and plenty of other weird things printed until I read it all for the first time online and then later in Raymond Franz's books less than a year ago. I wanted to believe that all the info I was reading online was lies, but once I read it for myself in actual literature, I was convinced. I actually ordered a 1968 AWAKE! bound volume on Ebay to make sure an arcticle I had read about the 70's was real. I was shocked and really really mad and frustrated. At first I wanted to talk to my Mom and the elders about it because I still trusted that they could help me. I foolishly requested a sheperding call since I had been df'd for 4 years and not had one. I knew they had an arrangement for df'd ones to be visited once a year and I had been attending all the meetings. I hardly said anything that was on my mind and I knew it just didn't feel right. They didn't pray, read one scripture or anything. They like just looked at me while I tried to explain why I wanted to talk to them. I felt embarassed that I had ever trusted them and I haven't been to a meeting since. I knew then that they wouldn't have any answers to my concerns.
So, to sum it all up. No. As a JW I didn't care and I didn't know.
~fmy
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teel
How about if the 'changing doctrine' including going back to an old/previous position, and calling it "new light"?
Thanks for the list, nice to have it layed out like that. However I still hold my oppinion that I don't care if they even go back to a previous interpretation as long as they don't force it down on me. Example: 15 years ago I thought Jehovah's Witnesses was a cult. Then after a while I thought they have the Truth. Then again now I returned to my original view that it's a cult. See, I'm only one person and I'm so undecided No wonder a society comprised of many individuals over more than a century can't settle down on one interpretation. And I say fine, go ahead and change whatever you like as long as I'm not forced to follow your guesswork as the ultimate Truth coming from God. I think I'd like a sort of two sets of teachings, one the cold hard truths that noone can challenge as not being Bible based, and one set of teachings that are constantly being analized and shown the results of the analization to me to decide whether that seems Bible based or not.