I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses (page 4)

snowbird

My final words:

Don't be afraid of the demons.

Proverbs 18:10 God's name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe. The Message Bible

The demons are scared spitless of Jesus of Nazareth.

Read the Gospels for yourself.

I'll shut up for now.

Blessings.

Syl

I'm just figuring this website out so forgive me if I don't understand how to respond to each response. I went to check my email and it would only let me answer one, as the other one, when trying to check it, said "an error had occured" and wouldn't let me in- will try and check it later though :)

Yeah, I think maybe some Baptists give credence to demons but the church I was in never mentioned it and I never believed in them or even thought it was wrong to play with a Ouija board as a teenager. Someone should have warned me! Anyway, after we had our encounter, (which was very scary- basically we had an encounter with a "being of light") I asked my Baptist uncle about this and he just shrugged his shoulders, which really bothered me because I expected him to have some answers, something! And he just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. So that bothered me. And when the JW's came along, they actually had some answers for me! Which made me think they understood much better.

I can understand the girl not wanting to take the book inside (from 'Kahlua' above) because now, I wonder if that is possible? That they attach themselves to objects? I don't know but after what happened to my husband and I , I have been truly confused and conflicted. I had thought all of this was nonsense before and now I just don't know what to think!

Chariklo

Hi Penelope,

I too found the site when studying with the Witnesses. I've sent you a private message. You'll find it if you click at the top right corner of the page. There should be an envelope. You'll probably get an error message. You just need to refresh the page, and then try again. It will open.

discreetslave

I get the error messages too. Just keep going back to check it

boyzone

Hi Penelope

You have been given some sound advice here by very experienced long-serving former JW's. May I just add my voice?

Trust your instincts with this one honey. You've been offered instant friendship, a pat answer to your "supernatural" question, and been shown pictures of a beautiful paradise earth where everyone lives in peace and happiness. Sounds too good to be true? It is.

The instant "friendships" are totally conditional on you continuing with your study, making steady progress and eventually getting baptised. If at any time before or after baptism you leave, these "friendships" will evaporate quicker than ice in the desert. This is in line with current Watchtower Society policy that states that all who are baptised and then decide to disassociate or are disfellowshipped, are shunned entirely. Even if they are a family member. It is NOT a scriptural command. The words in the NWT have been twisted. Research the scriptures the JW's use to find the real application. http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php

I was a witness for 21 years and had many close friends and associates in "the truth". I worked hard and did as I was told. When I researched the Organization's history I realised I'd been following MEN for all those years. Deeply upset by the duplicity I disassociated 3 years ago. Since that time not one of those friends have spoken to me. Some have crossed the street to avoid passing me and others have turned their back on me.If Ive been brave enough to say hello, some have turned their head away as if I was a bad smell.

Do you want that? Then RUN.....

garyneal

If you are looking for a Watchtower-like answer to your question concerning that 'being of light' you encountered, contact your local Independent Fundamental Baptist church. I recall sometime back reading a book on demons and UFO's and such and the book said that the near death experience accounts givne by people were people going down dark tunnels meeting Satan who was transformed into a 'being of light.'

I bet the witnesses told you that it was either Satan or a demon. Not surprising that the baptist uncle did not know as most people in more mainstream churches don't read their Bibles too much. That is not necessarily a bad thing as I have come to learn that it is not a requirement for us to know everything in the Bible and in fact, some of the things found in the Bible are best left unread. Most church goer's just know 'what the pastor says.'

In truth, the witnesses and the IFB's are no different. The witnesses only know 'what the WT says.' I've pointed out a contradiction between what the Bible said to my wife vs the WT and she went to the WT CD to clarify what the Bible says. Most religious people of all denominations do this and this includes the witnesses.

I had a Ouiga board that I used as a drawing and writing board for many years before I lost it. It had no power. These things have no power unless you give them that power.

sizemik

Anyway, after we had our encounter, (which was very scary- basically we had an encounter with a "being of light")

Penelope . . . let me tell you about an experience I once had . . .

When I was in my teens . . . I attended a boarding school. It was a school for boys but had a resident "Matron" who basically oversaw the boys health and various "social" issues. She was however a part-time "spiritualist" who dabbled with things occult. One evening, she invited abour four of us into her room to engage around a Ouija board. During the "seance" a column of whitish-colored light appeared and appeared to rush toward us and then suddenly disappear.

Everyone in the room (including Matron) . . . was startled and very afraid. All of us boys rushed from the room and our hearts thumped for hours. For several months following I had several nightmares, and all of us boys remained troubled by it . . . it was a frequent topic of conversation.

About four months later I was nursing a sprained ankle. Matron asked me to wait in her room while she went to the medical centre for supplies to refresh the bandage. It was dark as it was evening, and there was only a single lamp burning. While there, the same column of light appeared and seemed to rush toward me . . . and then stopped.

As I examined it in a frightened state . . . it became obvious after some time passed, that it was actually on the wall and furnishings. But it still carried the illusion that it was in the room. When I moved across the room I interrupted it. I then went to the window and saw that a beam of light was striking the window at an oblique angle and being refracted by the bevelled edge of the glass. I could simply hold my hand in front of it, and it would appear on my hand. The beam of light was coming from the headlight of a car on a seldom used road some distance away, which on this occasion had stopped. Of course I was very relieved. I have never seen anything remotely like it since. (40+ years)

Your experience may bear little or no resemblance to this, but here's my point. Sometimes very unique occurrances can take place which defy any explanation. If I had not experienced this for a second time . . . I would remain unable to explain it to this day. The fact that the original occurrance took place during a seance was purely coincidental. But the only explanation that seemed logical was that it was supernatural.

When things of this nature defy explanation, it becomes very easy to attach an apparently reasonable explanation to it . . . but it can still be wrong. That the Witnesses have been able to offer such a plausible explanation has played quite nicely into their hands. Try and maintain at least a degree of scepticism. Demons may not necessarily be the answer . . . in spite of it seeming to make perfect sense.

Hope this helps.

tenyearsafter

Penelope,

First of all, welcome to the Board!

As many have pointed out already, not everything is as it seems on the surface, and that is especially true with JW's. As with most things, there can be found some good sprinkled in among the bad with JW's...at first, they are very welcoming and loving. They will try to convince you that they are the happiest people on earth and make you feel special for having found the "truth". Unfortunately, there is no half in, half out with JW's. As you continue to study, you will be asked to not question teachings and eventually be pressured in to making a commitment to baptism. If you don't "progress", they will drop you like a hot potato!

The best advice I can give you is to research, research, research before making a decision. And that means not just studying JW literature...use the internet and see the whole story, not just what is spoon fed to you during your study. JW's don't do well when you start to question beliefs...they become defensive and see you as an opposer. The majority of them cannot answer simple doctrinal questions outside of the "company line" they receive from the Watchtower Society.

Good luck in your search...a final note, if you love Christmas, this isn't the religion for you!

TYA

I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses

leavingwt