How can a JW say that?

TD

--That's a question I keep coming back to. It's probably a "Human nature" question more than anything else, but perhaps someone who was a full-fledged JW (Unlike myself) can explain it.

Virtually the entire JW belief system, even their name, revolves around their public ministry and this ministry is based on certain ideas and premises:

1. Witnesses don't come to my (Or your) door because they want us to accept on faith that they are the true religion. Witnesses come to our door because they believe the truth of their religion can be proven from the Bible

2. Witnesses believe that the "Truth" of the Bible is fairly easy to grasp, as it stands in marked contrast to the creeds, superstitions, mystery doctrines and all other "Falsehoods" taught by other religions.

3. Witnesses therefore see their religion as "True worship;" their collective body of beliefs as the "Truth" and all other faiths as "False religion."

4. Witnesses believe that any "Honest hearted" person will accept the "Truth" once it has been adequately explained and it is upon this that the idea that the preaching work is a life and death matter is balanced.

Therefore referring to the JW religion as a "Faith" is almost a misnomer. It is at its core, a "Proof-based," rather than a faith based religion. There are no mysteries in the Witness religion Witnesses actually make fun of mystery doctrines in other faiths. After all, how can you expect a total stranger to accept ideas if you can't prove them yourself?

With the one single, isolated and relatively rare example of the heavenly calling, there are no spiritual experiences in the Witness religion either. Subjective experiences have no place in a courtroom environment.

Given this background, there is really no place for faith based explanations and excuses from an active JW. --Yet we hear them from JW's all the time. For a JW, they're as natural as breathing. For example:

"Have faith in Jehovah's orgainzation." --Sorry. That doesn't cut it. In the JW belief system, people are judged based on their acceptance or rejection of the "Truth," not on their acceptance or rejection of your subjective belief that it is the truth.

"That was a long time ago." --Irrelevant. The premise for the door to door ministry has not changed.

"The light is getting brighter." --Again, that doesn't cut it. A belief system which holds that anyone granting that latitude to his or her own religion will die does not have the luxury of being wrong themselves.

"Wait on Jehovah" --Another invalid excuse. Why come to my door if you're not sure? Come back after you've figured it out and you know what the truth is.

"That was old light." --Tacit admissions that what was previously taught was not true are incompatible with the idea that people would be destroyed for not grasping the "Truth" of your religion

How can a JW say these things? How can a believing JW make excuses that are incompatible with the larger framework of their own religion? (i.e. The premises which the door to door ministry is based on.)

When you were a JW, did you ever feel any contradiction? Did you ever feel that you were holding other people and other religions to a higher standard than your own?

OUTLAW

Your asking Reasonable and Rational questions..

About..

Unreasonable and Irrational people..

................. ...OUTLAW

undercover

When you were a JW, did you ever feel any contradiction? Did you ever feel that you were holding other people and other religions to a higher standard than your own?

First question: Yes, I did feel a contradiction. But I was also raised to squelch any doubts, questions or contradictions that arose. Trust in, rely on, wait on Jehovah, through the organization, to handle it.

Second question: No, I never felt that. Again having been raised as a JW, I automatically accepted that we were right and everyone else wrong. I saw enough in day to day life to verify the inconsistencies and error of other religions. Instead of causing me to question my own religion when errors and inconsistencies arouse, it did the opposite. It gave me a false sense of security in believing that it was right.

Now that I'm out, I wonder sometimes myself, "How can they say that...or...believe that". But I know what it was like to be completely indoctrinated into believing it and to never allowing yourself to consider the valid points that you outline, so I do understand why they can't see the forest for the trees.

choosing life

One word-cult. Two words-mind control. Most witnesses feel contradictions in what they are taught, but they are very good at stuffing them away (cognitive dissonance).

Once they get a person to believe that they can live forever on a paradise earth if they follow the Bible's (gov. body's) guidelines, they are hooked. Thoughts surface that they don't really agree with certain teachings, but they go along to make sure they get to that paradise.

It is when the they run out of room to stuff their objections that they wake up. That is why I think a person has to be ready to wake up. You can tell them things that don't make sense about their religion, but if they can't let loose of that paradise hope, they will continue to stuff away.

A well placed thought, on occasion, can speed up the process, but you can't force anyone to give up their cherished hopes.

MsDucky

With the one single, isolated and relatively rare example of the heavenly calling, there are no spiritual experiences in the Witness religion either. Subjective experiences have no place in a courtroom environment.

They have or believe in having more "spiritual" problems with demons than they do with angels.

"If you think demons choose to reside in jewelry, furniture, china, books or blue smurfs, you might be a JW."

http://www.virushead.net/jwhumor.html

Aussie Oz

When i was in, i didnt think

i just did.

Did what i was told was right. Obey obey obey

Like all the rest

oz

yknot

The first JW response to pop into my head to your question was........

"Because it is the TROOF!....that's why"

And what exactly is that 'troof'......that Jesus appointed them in 1919

Every believing JW feels and thinks that the above is a truthful and factual statement.

LostGeneration

I agree with Choosing Life. Of course as a born in, you dont really have much choice at first. It is like a drug for many. What will drug users do? They will lie, cheat, and steal to keep up the illusion in their mind that there is no problem with the lifestyle they are living. I think the two ideas that keep witnesses hooked are paradise earth and Gods organization. The GB uses those in tandem to cut people off from any other options.

Example: What happens when you die? Resurection to paradise earth. If your worldly relative dies? Same outcome, they get another chance. What about the same relative who rejects JW truth and will die at (immininent) Armageddon? Witness brain shuts down, will not address or think about that outcome seriously in comparison to the other examples.

2nd example: Who is God's Organization - the GB...or faithful slave, whatever they want to call it. But God's organization phophesied false things over the years, how can they really be "Gods Organization?" They say "Well they aren't inspired...they have never claimed that, just spirit directed" even though old literature claims they are Gods prophet. They have always claimed they are Gods "channel of communication" The logical conclusion to these two facts is that God gives incorrect information to the GB to pass along to the flock. Is that really how God works? If so, any religion that throws out false dates can claim to be "Gods channel" So they lie to themselves to keep their hope of paradise going.

yknot

It is like a drug for many. What will drug users do? They will lie, cheat, and steal to keep up the illusion in their mind that there is no problem with the lifestyle they are living. I think the two ideas that keep witnesses hooked are paradise earth and Gods organization. The GB uses those in tandem to cut people off from any other options.

Excellent analogy LostG!

TD

Thanks for your responses!

I know as born-ins, you completely believed it was the truth. You were practically brain-washed to believe it from a young age and had no choice.

But as you got older, you probably went from door to door and tried to convince others that it was the truth. I've been told that some JW's even picked out houses in wealthy neighborhoods that they would like to live in after the "Big-A"

What was the basis for expecting others to believe that it was the truth? Were they supposed to believe it simply because you did? Or were they supposed to believe it because the facts when objectively examined overwhelmingly supported that conclusion to the point where only a dishonest person would deny it?

How can a JW say that?

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