Just don't know what to do.

by Weeping 74 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Chalam

  Welcome weeping!

  I disagree on some doctrine with the organisation.

  Out of interest, which ones?

  Yet, I also know these are the kindest,most loving people on Earth.

  Love is THE hallmark of God so it should be in abundance in His people.

  Such people must be guided by the Holy Spirit.

  Christians should have the Spirit of Christ John 14

  Romans 8:5-11 (New International Version)

  5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

  9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

  Is the Holy Spirit in you?

  I went out into the world when I was a teenager and in my early 20's. I began smoking and drinking. I began to have an attitude of 'what's in it for me' like all the other worldly people. I stole from my family and even dabbled in demonic rituals and Satan worship. One evening while attending l concert, i passed out after trying marijuana. I came to and could not think properly. I immediately contacted the Elders.

  I've lived a clean life since those times and I just don't want to return to that lifestyle.

  Romans 3:20 (New International Version)

  20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

  2 Timothy 1:9 (New International Version)

  9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

  Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)

  8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

  The world is truly a dangerous place and satan truly will devour a person. There is no love outside of the organisation.

  Most here would say there is no love in the congregation of JWs, certainly not anything different to the love you can find in the world.

  Consider these verses Galatians 5:22-23 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 1 John 2:9 1 John 2:11 1 John 4:20 and test what you see in the JW congregation.

  Blessings,

  Stephen
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Group sex, the occult and hard core drug use were the norm. You can at least admire the brothers helping us steer clear of these traps that are so easy to fall in to.

  None of my co-workers are into group sex, the occult, hard core drugs. I go to Alcoholics Anonymous and many of them managed to quit hard core drugs without Watchtower Organization. And they either don't get involved in group sex and the occult or else they don't advertise it.

  WTS's people are desirous of doing good. You would find the vast majority of them doing good in some other ways and still not involved in group sex, occult, hard core drugs if the WTS were to go away.
• 

  VoidEater

  You can at least admire the brothers helping us steer clear of these traps that are so easy to fall in to.

  I'm sorry my experience has been so different than yours.

  Having been out "in the world" for more than 30 years, I haven't been in the slightest interested in these traps.

  All the best -ve
• 

  Simon

  Ok, it sounds like religion is a crutch for YOUR life ... please don't label us and insinuate that because we don't share your faith we must therefore be doing the things you used to.

  I now know many people who have much better morals and are more trustworthy than anyone I knew while I was going to meetings and we're doing better both in our careers and as a family.
• 

  crapola

  Amen, Simon!
• 

  FreeAtLast1914

  Weeping,

  I've read through your posts and subsequent responses, and I have to say that for 50+ you seem to have incredible tunnel vision, choosing to see the world through the Watchtower's eyes, colored by the drug-crazed, Satan-worshipping, orgy-loving clique you hung with in your 20s.

  I spent over 30 years inside the organization as a "born-in". I have now spent three solid years outside. I have been exposed to a variety of personalities of "worldly" (JW term, not mine) people and in my experience the majority are salt-of-the-earth. Sure, there are bad people outside the organization, but there are also bad people inside.

  Personally, I have seen the adverse effects of hard drugs on people close to me and that life never appealed to me, either inside or outside the org. Satan worshippers, I'm sure, are rare. Group sex, pot that knocked you out? Come on, be honest. Where did you go in your 20s? Woodstock?

  Seriously, things in my life have been very good since I left. I see things from a different perspective. I've slowed down to smell the flowers and listen to the birds. I enjoy the occasional cigar. I'm not judgmental. I love debate and frank discussion, the grasping of someone's point of view differing from my own. I have grown to appreciate this forum and check it daily. It has become part of my mechanism for breaking free from WT-think. I can only describe the feeling of liberation as soothing and intellectually stimulating. Mostly, I've grown to love people for who they are, all their imperfections and flaws in tact, an ability foreign to mainline JWs.

  If you give yourself the time to see your religion for what it is rather than what you want it to be, that effort will be repaid beyond measure. Life will become richer and more meaningful, and the little victories along the way will seem just a little bit sweeter.

  That's been my experience, anyway. I truly hope yours will be equally rewarding.
• 

  Robdar

  Weeping: Maybe I shouldn't judge all worldly people based on those I knew. But in my experiences they all seemed so lost. Group sex, the occult and hard core drug use were the norm. You can at least admire the brothers helping us steer clear of these traps that are so easy to fall in to.

  I guess the brothers didn't help you to steer clear from too much; now, did they? And maybe you easily fell into that sort of thing but you are the only person I know of who did so. Maybe that says more about the young man you were than it does about the brothers or anybody worldly.

  What I don't understand is why, after 33 years, you feel a need to come here and witness to the rest of us. Do you think your sordid story will somehow inspire all of us to go back to the KH?
• 

  yknot

  Weeping....

  As JWs we are taught to judge the world.......the us versus them strategy.

  So your black and white POV is normal but I have a feeling soon you will be discerning the myriad shades of grey that found inbetween!

  Back to some of your issues though.........what aren't you agreeing with?

  I am happy that you have had loving and kind Brothers in your congregation, gifts among men.......I wish we all had such experiences!
• 

  Weeping

  [quote]Maybe that says more about the young man you were than it does about the brothers or anybody worldly. What I don't understand is why, after 33 years, you feel a need to come here and witness to the rest of us. Do you think your sordid story will somehow inspire all of us to go back to the KH? [/quote]

  I'm a woman.

  I'm not here to witness by any means. I don't believe in the doctrines anymore. I do belive they lead a good life and help people so much even if their doctrine is flawed.

  I know there are some worldly people who are doing good. But it's just so easy to fall into harmfull practice. My friends seemed like good people. It was fun smoking marijuana and drinking and feeling cool. But it led me down a path. Some Satan worshippers seem like good people. One man I knew even owned his own business. You just never know.
• 

  Robdar

  Weeping: I'm a woman.

  My apologies for referring to you as a young man.

  I'm not here to witness by any means. I don't believe in the doctrines anymore. I do belive they lead a good life and help people so much even if their doctrine is flawed.

  I know there are some worldly people who are doing good. But it's just so easy to fall into harmfull practice. My friends seemed like good people. It was fun smoking marijuana and drinking and feeling cool. But it led me down a path. Some Satan worshippers seem like good people. One man I knew even owned his own business. You just never know.

  Yeah, you can never know about other people, but you can know yourself. I may be incorrect but I sense that you haven't forgiven yourself for your past. Please try to do so. You were just a kid. And in the ocean of life, you only went wading, you didn't completely jump in. You had sense enough to get out before you drowned. Not a lot of us have that sort of good sense when we are young.

  And btw, Weeping, it wasn't the brothers who helped you steer clear of the traps. It was you. You did it. All the brothers did was lend support. You should give yourself more credit.