Hello

by Chariklo 132 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  punkofnice

  Hi, and welcome Chariklo.

  I had thought I had found something really special, and was being encouraged to go for baptism in a few months. Now I'm beginning to think again.

  Well done that soldier!

  The best thing you can do is run. Run for your life from this dangerous cult, your very life could be at stake! (Consider the weird blood doctrine for example). Thos who genuinely love you will continue to do so. Those that only love you for being in the cult (conditional love), are better off out of your life.

  Don't give it a second thought.............................run!! Once you are baptized you can never leave without heavy penalties.

  Let me know how it goes.

  In the mean time I have a magazine in my bookbag for you...............

  
• 

  mouthy

  Chariklo Welcome I agree with George from England
• 

  SweetBabyCheezits

  godrulz: My group is 2000 years old. JWs and Mormons are just over 100 years old.

  Don't sell yourself short, godrulz. Self-righteous bigots have been around far longer than 2,000 years.
• 

  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Chariklo: So far, they haven't worked out that I have second thoughts, though the wife who rang me late last night did tell me that Satan was trying hard to stop me coming into the organisation. I was not impressed.

  Welcome! It sounds like you must be very important if out of the billions of people on Earth, Satan has selected you as a special target!

  But that would mean that Satan must be omnipresent! http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/208862/1/Is-Satan-Omnipresent

  It's really your common sense that is telling you that this is a cult. They are doing the love-bombing on you. They are repeating the same shallow "teachings" to you and busying you preaching, so that you'll ignore important questions about their false prophecies, lack of love, authoritarianism, blood policy, etc.

  Watchtower is particularly bloodguilty for twisting a few Bible texts about not eating the blood of dead animals. The use all the weight of their authority to convince people, including children, to die, based on their stubborn, wrong opinions!

  And they use too many exclamation points in their childishly written litteratrash! Certainly they make the hearts of the sheeples rejoice by constantly telling them that they're joyful... even when they really are miserably unhappy. It's all part of the cult recipe.
• 

  Chariklo

  Hi again everyone,

  You are all right, or most of you most of the time, anyway.

  Billy, you have hit the nail on the head. As I said to my (relieved!) family earlier, it's as if deep inside me there's a common sense override button that finally kicked in at a lunacy too far. I still haven't extricated myself, but I've pretty well, nearly, almost, Ok, er, definitely, to take the advice of George from England and Run Like Hell.

  All that remains is to do it. Seriously, I just don't think I can get myself any deeper or sign up for life into anything so restrictive. The real problem is all the very nice people who are in the majority.

  Today has been busy and very eventful. I'm totally shattered tonight so no more now but I'll be back and check in tomorrow.Thanks! :)
• 

  wannabefree

  Hi Chariklo, welcome, I'm glad you found this board.

  I was raised Catholic, started studying with JW's my freshman year of college, the end was coming so soon I was convinced by my study conductor (a pioneer) that an education was a waste of valuable time, dropped out before I finished my freshman year, got baptized a year later ....... it took a quarter of a century for my common sense override button to fully kick in, be ever so greatful that yours kicked in as early is it did, the longer you are in, the harder it is to get out.

  RUN!

  Best wishes to you.
• 

  godrulz

  Run from the WT, but run to the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Evangelical Christianity is more biblical than Roman Catholicism. Once you connect or reconnect with Jesus, find a Bible-believing, Christ worshipping local church with godly leadership. Don't return to a vacuum of no religion as an overreaction to almost getting burned.
• 

  bartj

  I haven't been a JW for a number of years but have taken an interest again in examining their beliefs compared to that of the Bibles. I have taken the opportunity to read opposing points of view (compared to JWs) and have found it an enlightening experience.

  I have concrete convictions re the faithful and discreet slave and that how for most of their history JWs have been guided by only one or two men. If the witnesses really do have that class why are the many thousands who still claim to be of the annointed never listened to or asked for their input by the society ??

  The other firm belief I have is regarding their inflexible legalism which closely mimicks those who they and Jesus denounced , the Pharisees.. It's only when you realise that the Pharisees were trying be righteous in God's eyes by doing the same thing as JW's (excessive cleaness by duties) with the same intent (that of serving God) that the similarity really crystallised for me. At other times I feel I am still working things out.

  One postive thing I have found though is that reading only the Bible without the accompanying literature is the simplicity of the Gospel message,while I wouldn't call myself religious (yet??) I do appreciate the simple message of the Bible compared to the complicated reasoning by the WTBS.

  I would say that if your former friends are true friends they will understand you and let you return. I still regret deeply rejecting many close friends when I found the "truth" , many of which have taken years to repair. I have a daughter who is 14 and is rapidly approaching the time when she will be pressured to have as little association with me as possible, even now at times I feel that she is uncomfortable spending time with a "worldly" family.

  While you should make your own decision please do it with knowledge. I do encourage you to read Raymond Franz material and reflect particularly on the "time" that elders take to disfellowship people , particularly where ones have given a lifetime of service but at best have only received a few hours of "correction" .
• 

  godrulz

  Discipline is redemptive, not punitive (one does not have to be anointed/GB/WT to know this, yet they don't get it).
• 

  Podobear

  "Make sure of all things hold fast to what is fine.." 1 Thess. 5

  This general rule of thumb should be applied to all religions... beware too, of so called "Born Again" Christians here, who claim to know JW doctrine (frankly they lie most of the time) and also slam others who don't hold to their faith either!

  The ancient Beroeans checked everything daily. I would encourage you to do the same... also you will get personality clashes anywhere you go.

  "Work out your own Salvation".. and may your path be straight and uncomplicated. All the best,Chariklo