by Jackals 70 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Awake 1998 5/8 said " there is danger of listening
to those who speculate about dates."
The Watchtower Society has speculated MANY times
fo the end of th World. 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975 and
so many more between 1925 and 1975 but I do not remember
what those years were.
Jack people who leave JWs take one of two paths some choose to fade which is a lengthy process, this involves gradually stopping meetings and field service. People appear spiritually weak but non threatening and can usually keep in contact with family and friends still in. It is difficult to keep under the radar and you have to be constantly aware of people who may choose to inform on you. you are not free to live your life in freedom as you have to be aware that the elders will still be interested in what you do. Best fades are when you move away completely to an area where you are unknown to the local congregation.
Some people go for the clean break approach where they stop going and start living their life how they wish and leave the watchtower behind. Some make it official by sending in a letter of Dis association and some get Disfellowshipped or excommunicated. This is a fast exit approach but the risks and sacrifices are great. The advantage is that you are free and can live how you wish although your old life and associations are gone.
Maze makes me giggle. She spouts all the scriptures and rhetoric while conveniently ignoring the parts about NOT LISTENING TO APOSTATES! LOL. Maze, you are a sharer in our wickedness! Get thee to the elders room----right quick!
Welcome Jack. How nice of you to take in all this sick info to make things better for you and Tim. That really is awesome. I'm glad Tim is leaving, and hope that no part of him believes it is the "Truth" anymore. If any part of him does believe it, there are a million triggers that could send him back OR cause him great distress and stealing the peace you two may achieve. The only options a gay JW has is to be miserable or to leave. I would recommend you stay away from the Kingdom Hall. If Tim is trying to operate below the radar, then you could end up outing him just by being your natural self. You won't be as careful as he is, nor as vigilant to the signs that someone is suspicious. The JW culture is pretty closed with it's own language, and we recognize it for what it is. For instance, I'm sure most of us have been "ENCOURAGED" to return, which really means pressured. Things like that could be missed by those that don't know much about how the congregation works.
I don't know Tim and I don't know you, but I'm glad Tim has you. He may feel fragile and bruised at times while trying to sort things out and having an understanding ear is most precious.
NC
St George's of England makes perfect sense. But love has a way of making the heart beat so loudly that the afflicted become stone deaf to warnings. I wish Jack all the best, but I suspect that Tim will always be like a fish with a hook in his mouth - splashing around and never quite in or out of the water until the killing makes the difference. At least Jack may have a greater chance of "breaking free" than the man he loves. Here's hoping both of them the best of outcomes, despite the odds!
Jehovah's Witnesses in a nutshell.
1. We
.
2. Ourselves
.
3. and nobody else.
.
Jehovah's organization is the most righteous in the entire world.
I too would encourage you to read this post . . . it is a fine example of how a high-control religious cult sets about destroying the love and trust inside an otherwise loving family.
I don't sympathize with people who blame everyone but themselves when they're clearly in the wrong. Nor, do I believe Jehovah's Organization is a “high-control religious cult.” Families in this system aren’t necessarily “otherwise loving.”
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/broken.html
Families are the bedrock of society. When families fall apart, society falls into social and cultural decline. Ultimately the breakdown of the American family is at the root of nearly every other social problem and pathology.
Just a few decades ago, most children in America grew up in intact, two-parent families. Today, children who do so are a minority. Illegitimacy, divorce, and other lifestyle choices have radically altered the American family, and thus have altered the social landscape.
Alice\Spade/Consfearacy/Superspook......yadda, yadda.......and now......Maze:
Nor, do I believe Jehovah's Organization is a “high-control religious cult.”
Really? Really??????
Answer me this: Have you been given "divine direction" on whether or not you can CHEW A PIECE OF GUM in a Kingdom Hall?????
Right. Now tell me again how you are not part of a "high-control" group.
Families are the bedrock of society. When families fall apart, society falls into social and cultural decline. Ultimately the breakdown of the American family is at the root of nearly every other social problem and pathology.
Maze, this is in reference to the shunning that comes with disfellowshipping and disassociating, correct? In that case, I totally agree. Humans have evolved with strong family ties, something that has certainly helped our species throughout tens of thousands of years. It is completely unnatural that a parent, or another family member would quit associating with someone in their family just because they choose not to believe in a man-made religion.
Anyway, I'm glad you weren't talking about a family run by homosexual parents, because studies have shown that there are no differences between them and their heterosexual counterparts. I applaud you for being so open minded!
Welcome Jackals!
I served in Bethel for over a decade. It is most certainly a high-control cult. They have a whole string of failed predictions and other equally flawed interpretation that they claim is "Bible based". Of course they claim to teach "the truth", but their "truth" has an expiration date. Just ask to study the "Truth" book with them and watch them squirm and try to redirect you to "new light". The fact is, they're afraid of the light. Every JW is trained to scurry away from "apostates" that would be able to expose the errors of their beliefs.
And JWs don't want you to enjoy life or try to make the world a better place. JWs want you to put your life on hold, waiting for a make-believe paradise that will never come. And they'll "encourage" you to spend as much time recruiting more people, and always telling you "do more!"
Sound like fun? It gets better.
So much JW chronology revolves around the year 1914. What helped CT Russell determine that year? Pyramidology. Check it out in wikipedia for an interesting read on the history of Watchtower.
