I have a question for you all...... (page 3)

no more kool aid

Yes, my family uses that all the time. They say "you were always a good mother, why are you willing to just let your kids die now". UGH. What they don't know, is that like you, I did what they all wanted for many years out of fear of Armageddon and not wanting to loose my family. NMKA

Broken Promises

Anyway, my question is, has anyone used the "Armageddon is right around the corner, and you should come back so you don't die" reasoning on you? What was your reply, and how did you feel about it in relation to what you know about God?

Yes, an elder’s wife kept throwing that line to me when I rang to return her husband’s “encouragement call” after I hadn’t been attending meetings for several months.

I simply said that I wasn’t afraid of Armageddon (true) and that my faith was in Jehovah and that he would be the reader of hearts and thus judge me accordingly (true - at the time).

wobble

I always reply that " Armageddon is a war between Jesus and his enemies, I am not his enemy, it has nothing to do with me, and does not interest me"

I don't here any more of that nonsense after that.

Black Sheep

Your god was going to kill me before I left school.

Then he was going to kill me before I needed to get a decent education and earn decent money.

Then he was going to kill me before I could raise a family.

Now I'm a grandparent.

Now, I know that before I was even born your religious leaders already had failed prophesies and you 'conveniently' forgot to mention that.

Now, I have already asked you several times and I will ask you again now.... I want you to draw me up a list of Neo-Babylonian kings showing which king reigned in which year and don't try to weasel your way out of answering the question.

Heaven

Right before I read your response, I was thinking to myself how angry it makes me that they use your own life to try to persuade you to do what they want. It is like a subtle version of a rapist saying, "Do what I tell you and I won't kill you."

This was one of the reasons I didn't want to be a JW. In my mind, if someone has to use fear to try to get me to do their bidding, then I conclude there has to be something wrong with it. It made my built-in BS detector ring loud and clear.

Next time, ask her to show you the scripture that states if you don't go to the meetings or hand out Watchtower and Awake! magazines, that you'll be killed at Armageddon. I've yet to find it.

flipper

IT'S ME- My adult JW daughters have used this one on me all the time" you're going to die at Armageddon " threat to get me to attend after 6 years away. I have just told them that God knows my heart he is the judge, not them - and " thanks for your concern, but I'm doing fine and my life is happy ! " Understand that witnesses are trained to do this to work on making you feel guilty so you'll be accepted by family - and they do it to inspire fear into you to scare you back into the organization. That's why your relative went back- " fear ". No matter WHAT she told you . Just be polite say " I appreciate your concern, but I'm good. God knows it. " No need to fight with her . She gets stirred up pretty well on her own because of being a JW anyway- don't add to the fire

Quandry

How can they all use that argument when we are always taught to serve Jehovah because we love him, and that anything less than pure worship will be rejected by him. It is a blatant contradiction.

They always used to down the Catholics for using statues, tradition and rote prayers in their worship, stating that they were just "going through motions" and thought that would save them.

Isn't that the same as occupying a seat at the KHall, pretending? Thinking that God will look down and if your rear-end is in the chair, you could be spared a death sentence?

I remember when I didn't understand some "new light" like the generation thing, that at least I was at every meeting, kinda like the Israelites stood and listened to the law, so they were in a good standing with God. I felt like as long as I went through the motions, I would be ushered into the new system with the great crowd. I felt that although I loved God, the motions of it all were the most important thing. The things that others could see you doing.

Terry

Do you know what a hostage situation is?

Some coward takes an innocent person and threatens them with death UNLESS.......

That's the deal you face!

It is the cowardly way to make people fear for their life as a motivation for action.

You know what I told a "sister" who approached me with the following: "Terry you need to come back to the meetings so that your children won't die at Armageddon!" (This was said to me a year before I was disfellowshipped. I hadn't attended meetings since 1975)

I responded this way:

"Jehovah always does what is BEST, right? Well, if Jehovah thinks killing my children is the right thing to do I certainly wouldn't want to go against him!"

I thought that framed the issue squarely!

cult classic

Hey its_me!

IMO your thoughts in par. 2 pretty much say it all ! My aunt is always threatening her DA'd son and inactive daughter with this crap. She even leaves messages that their kids are gonna be destroyed (yeah she's a nut). My cousins have had to bar their kids from associating with her at all. But my cousin told my aunt that being in the religion was a living hell and he'd rather be shot on the spot than live like that again.

Interestingly, my spouse and I have yet to have anyone tell us this. My siblings (who are very active) and my dad couldn't care less about our leaving. And the rest of the family haven't said anything to us.....At all. Can u believe that?

tec

" Armageddon is a war between Jesus and his enemies, I am not his enemy..."

This is a great answer.

Tammy

I have a question for you all......

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