Can You Now Clearly See That You Were In A Cult?
by minimus 29 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
minimus
hairier 2
-
Ding
Don't feel stupid for not seeing it sooner.
1. Some of us were raised in it. That's all we knew.
2. Some of us were converted later in life through a very cleverly devised program of instruction. The studies took us on a very selective jouney through the Bible, jumping around from verse to verse and passage to passage in the Bible with so many proof texts we didn't have time to do a careful study of the contexts. The verses that contradict the Society's teachings were hopped over.
3. The Society keeps JWs so busy studying Watchtower literature, there's hardly any time to study the Bible itself in its context. When we did study the Bible, we saw it through Watchtower colored glasses. (How else could we read about a great crowd in heaven, Rev. 19:1, and be convinced they are on earth?)
4. When we studied with the Watchtower, often no one provided any credible counter to what they were saying because they didn't understand most of the WTS' teachings, especially it's esoteric teachings like the blood issue, the shape of the cross / stake, birthdays, etc. How do you refute nonsense?
5. The Bible tells us there is such a thing as spiritual blindness (2 Cor. 4:4). It's not a matter of intellect. Saul of Tarsus was a brilliant man who had to be stuck blind and knocked to the ground in order to figure out he was opposing God.
We don't blame blind people because they can't see light.
Likewise, don't beat yourself for earlier misunderstandings.
Just be grateful you escaped and move on with your life.
-
chickpea
never miss the opportunity to refer
to the b0rg as a "cultish religion"...when asked to elucidate i like to say
"one sure sign of a cult is that they
disallow a dignified exit for individuals
who choose to leave"i remember one man whose extended
family members are dr0nes and he was
STEAMING about a niece who was DF'd...
ergo, her PARENTS would not come to
her wedding.... he glommed onto the
idea that the WTS is a cult and walked
away from our convo repeating "no
dignified exit, no dignified exit"my new ministry !
-
Lady Lee
I don't know min
Do YOU think I clearly see that I was in a cult?
-
VampireDCLXV
The first time I left in my late teens, I had no access to the internet and never made any true outside friends so I was sucked back in a number of years later. I left for emotional reasons and in retospect I see that my intuition was telling me something. Even that I'm here now, I'm still struggling with the idea. What I keep reading here has my head spinning too.
It's just that I don't want to go to war with the JW's 'cuz it means going to war with my familiy.V665
-
mimimimi
Thankfully, I can clearly see that now. It was a painful transition to make at first, but this board helped me to keep it real concerning the Watchtower Society and their JW religion. For that, I am eternally grateful.
-
sabastious
For the longest time I wanted to convince myself that it was not a cult, but just a large group of over-zealous people.
That mindset has since passed, especailly after reading the Dec 15th 2010 Watchtower. The GB is definitely tightening the grip as of late.
That being said, I really believe that the GB are just like the Rank and File, duped men themselves.
-Sab
-
Ding
Excellent point, Sab!
It gets real scary when the man behind the curtain really believes he IS the Wizard of Oz!!!
-
ProdigalSon
The GB members, like any underbosses, most certainly know that they are not in control. They follow the orders of the Illuminati Satanists that pull the strings from outside the organization. In return for these frontman services, they are allowed to keep living.
~PS
