by dgp 50 Replies latest members adult
One of the things that bothers me even more is how the entire JW worldview robs a person of their humanity. Many JWs view all outsiders as merely bird food.
Good point, the typical mindset of indoctrinated JWS is they hold no respect or regard for any institution
that is outside the Watchtower kingdom. Such as schools, government, local community efforts, charities etc.
They have a self centered apathetic approach to anything with doesn't have a JWS stamp on it.
What's wrong with being a Jehovah's witness
Nothing...if you are allowed to be one without being coerced, guilted or forced to be one. If you want to be one one day but then the next day you decide to not be one and no one holds it against you then there would be no need for support communities of ex-JWs.
But as long as people are trapped and cannot, of their own free will, walk away without fear of being ostracized and hated for wanting to have the freedom of choice in their religious views, then there's something bad wrong with that organization that imposes such control on people.
Now that I know the truth about "da truth" would I change it? No! Would I like others to know what I know? Yes! Why? It is their chance at real freedom beyond the control of the WT. The ability to live life without the fear and the guilt the WT imposes.
Nothing...if you are allowed to be one without being coerced, guilted or forced to be one. If you want to be one one day but then the next day you decide to not be one and no one holds it against you then there would be no need for support communities of ex-JWs.
But as long as people are trapped and cannot, of their own free will, walk away without fear of being ostracized and hated for wanting to have the freedom of choice in their religious views, then there's something bad wrong with that organization that imposes such control on people.
Great points.
First nobody can force change in an individual who is a fee thinker and able to make clear headed decisions, oops I guess JW's can't! Hopefully people who read some of the facts and half truths of this form(jw.net) can weed out what is true for them and false.
You seem to be implying that people will be influenced negatively from actually taking a deep breath and a step backward to look at the whole picture?
Perhaps if the Borg Org allowed more freedom of expression and allow people to feel confident that everyone has doubts and open the doors to examination more, they would be able to stand up for their beliefs? But the fact that it is unacceptable really says volumes.
It can be a slow process with many steps. "When the student is ready, the master will appear."
Trying to extricate the devotedly blind, particularly in certain life situations (such as elderly), is not only foolhardy but may also be unkind.
But...when the opportunity presents itself, it is appropriate (and perhaps necessary) to be honest, authentic and truthful. Answer comments, share thoughts, address questions.
And...when a person asks for help, always be ready to offer it.
Has anyone ever met an ex-JW who wished he could erase his apostate thoughts and go back into the comfort of a lie?
Honestly, yes. Knows it is both illogical and unBiblical, yet consciously aware he is not up to the task of leaving it behind.
Has anyone ever met an ex-JW who wished he could erase his apostate thoughts and go back into the comfort of a lie?
Honestly, yes. Knows it is both illogical and unBiblical, yet consciously aware he is not up to the task of leaving it behind.
Well, there's one. Thank you.
Any more? Any elderly people who are sorry they found out it was a lie?
Edit: I'm asking this question on a new thread. Thank you.
-She has nothing else in her life...no job, no outside association, no 'real' friends, no social life - NOTHING but being a JW. It gives her some sort of superiority over others (in her mind) and she uses that to feed her false sense of pride..very sad.
I believe that is the motivation for many JW's who are still hanging in the KH. They could care less about wrong dates and other "issues" with WT dogma. They belong to JW's and that tribe is their extended family. Outside they would be at the bottom of the social heap and have to eat crow for admitting that 999 of their neighbors were right all along about the WatchTower. Inside they don't have to worry about pensions, careers, medical insurance, disabilities, old cars, etc- Jehovah's Kingdom will make it all, right as rain sometime this year or maybe next year, but soon.
Sigh. Ugh. (squirms in chair) Ok. Here is my honest reaction to your last post, dgp...who the hell died and made you God? What right do you and your friend have to unilaterally decide that she would "personally be better off"? How do you know that? I don't know anything about her and her situation, but there is something about you "and a friend" discussing her "situation" and making the condescending decision that you know better and therefore need to swoop in and save her that just really rubs me the wrong way. Think long and hard about whether or not you are really ready and qualified to be responsible for possibly mentally and emotionally destroying someone's world. My god, it reminds me of what we as witnesses used to try to do to worldly people...try to save them from their misguided ways - never thinking about the consequences of what we were doing.
And using the blood issue as an excuse? What are the chances that this person will be in a car accident that is so bad that the blood issue becomes an issue and she doesn't take it and her grandchildren lose a grandmother? Statistically speaking? Very very small. The chances she will lose her grandchildren if she stops being a JW? Huge probability.
Furthermore, it is highly doubtful that a conversation with her will magically open her eyes. As has been stated many times, each person's motives for being a JW are different. You need to find out what personally keeps HER in and go from there. I am all for helping someone when and if they are ready to be helped, but perhaps just expressing your concerns in a kind and loving way with no ulterior end game motive in mind would be more helpful. It would open a conversation and help her to think - and then ultimately the choice is hers.
Geez. I really am all over the place on this one. I apologize in advance b/c I know this is poorly written and is probably offensive to some. There is something about this that is really triggering me so I am going to excuse myself from your thread and let cooler heads prevail. :)
"When persons are in great danger from a source they do not suspect or are being misled by those they consider their friends, is it an unkindness to warn them? They may prefer not to believe the warning. They may even resent it. But does that free one of the moral responsibility to provide that warning?"
I love that WT quote captured by Ray Franz.
As we have said, there is everything wrong with being a J W..I mean would you leave a good friend to rot in the Davidian commune just because they seemed happy?
Can we really be sure that exposure of the WT would "destroy them"? People can be more resilient than we think..
I agree though that there are one or two that I would not Anti-witness to : e g the simple minded or the ones so elderly that death was imminent..Other wise everybody IMHO deserves the beautiful, simple truth. Nobody makes decisions for them , they must decide whether they are better in or out , or whether they wish to listen to new information. But if you care for them, you have to tell them, if they will let you
