How can they still believe it?

eyesthatsee

I've been watching this site for some time now - it's been a real help - but only recently started to post. Part of the journey I suppose.

3rd generation JW, served as an elder for > 20 years, talks at DC, pioneer etc - started to fade in last 12 months - will post my story sometime.

Anyway, occasionally I still go to a meeting to keep my zealous JW wife away from the elders.

At a recent public talk, the speaker referred to 'millions now living will never die', and said:

although 'premature', this proclamation was made by zealous anointed ones i.e. NOT WRONG
must be true today as the end is 'imminent'
end of the world and 'execution' not 'on the horizon' but right in front of us
recent organisational changes prove this

I looked round the KH to see most heads nodding in agreement.

How can they ignore all the false predictions? - 1925 with respect to 'millions ......never die'

How can they keep on accepting the changes and falsehoods, while they all get greyer and older?

Their mind control and suspension of reason is absolute.

Just wanted to share this - helps me laugh at it, rather than get angry or bitter.

ETS

The sad fact is eyesthatsee, is that the majority of todays JW`s have no idea about 1874, 1914, 1925, 1975 etc. That is unless they are brave/rebellious enough to actually do a bit of research on `tinterweb. And then many of them will dismiss the overwhelming evidence of the failled prophecies as Apostate fakes. Although, how they think that the Apostates are colluding to publish all these facts is beyond me.

Can I suggest you read Crisis of Concience by Raymond Franz, he was a member of the GB who saw through the lies and distortions that the WTS keeps coming up with.

All the best

Paul Uk

Mad Sweeney

I look forward to the day I can laugh at it. I'm mostly bitter about it still.

Why do they still believe? The voice of the WT is as the voice of Saruman:

"Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spoke to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler's trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."

jookbeard

ETS; you have a PM

designs

There are enough passages in the Bible speaking of a judgement and the return of Jesus in an eminent and unknowable sense to allow anyone with escapism desires to build a following around that particular message. The Church of Rome went through its phase of predicting the End and so did the Protestants. The Evangelicals and Fundamentalists still get their jollies watching the events in the Middle East play out, some think Armageddon will take place in a literal valley over there.

freydo

Everything else is of the world and the devil. Logically therefore......

WTWizard

The witlesses are kept from information about the true history of the religion. The history they do get is watered down, with references that these years in the past were major developments. Never are they shown that the end was predicted, and that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger "suggested" that people sell out in advance of these events. The reprints of the washtowels have been altered to hide the truth.

And, if everything has been altered to look like the originals and then passed as original, it is easier for people to believe in it. Along with the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger banning people from having independent Bible studies or using independent sources to research the Bible or the washtowel doctrines, they are going to prevent anyone from finding the real truth without risk of falling into Satan's "snare".

shamus100

It's simple: They have nothing else. And many will never stop believing, no matter how many false prophecies they hear, see, witness, and re-vamp for the umpteenth time.

Most importantly, you will NEVER CHANGE THEM. Let them go.

shopaholic

The monkey-man is spot on It's simple: They have nothing else.

I pondered this question for more than a year. Its difficult to understand how many of those that were raised-in\born-in and are between the ages of 35 and 45 don't walk away. Then the realization hit, they don't have anything else. Many of them would be lost with out their religion.

frankiespeakin

The nodding heads that show agreement may also be a fear reflex. After all the freinds know that if your not in agreement with the WT you can be DF'd. And so being in a crowd of JWs at the hall listening to a brother give a talk defending the WT organization they may want to show anyone who may be looking their way that they are in agreement with the defense being given and thus hide any doubt they might have which might lead to them being marked or even brought before a group of elders for further questioning.

Group dynamics works on members to express agreement with the majority's popular opinion.