When we were initially taken in by the supposed ring of truth that the Watchtower espoused, we came to find out that in reality the supposed ring of truth was actually handcuffs and prison garb. Once they have you there is no way of leaving without them shooting at you trying to kill you with viturpretive (spelling) mouthings, slander, and a complete absence of human feelings.
Did the "Truth" really have the "Ring Of Truth"?
by ssn587 12 Replies latest jw experiences
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WTWizard
It did seem to make sense--at least the Suffer Forever book itself did. That is, until you find out that most of the bans were needless. Personally, I think "We don't know whether Sodomites will be resurrected, and it really doesn't make a difference now" would have been a sufficient update. Other things, like holidays and birthdays, are pointless bans. People can choose to not celebrate them, or they can scale back as they see fit (if it gets to be too much of a burden, that is). But, imposing them as absolute bans is absurd.
However, it was the religion itself that made little or no sense. First, the scumbag that dragged me into the cancer was senseless even beyond the book. He insisted that I visit him for Thanksgiving a mere 6 weeks into the study--failure to do so would celebrate the holiday. He went to the extreme in wanting me to throw away my music, even consulting another of his students and a couple of hounders to reinforce on me that I had to get rid of them, regardless of whether or not others were (or, even if the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger itself wanted them gone). He wanted me to waste 6 hours practicing a damn Number Two talk (2-3 line introduction, read 12 verses or so, a 1-2 line break, finish reading the section of the Bible, 2-3 line conclusion--total, 5 minutes). He had a place he wanted me dry cleaning my suits. He wanted me to use liquid laundry soap, at a time when powders were still better. He wanted me out in field circus at 9 AM, knowing I had to work evenings and usually got home no sooner than 1 AM and sometimes later.
Yet, the hounders were insisting that I had to go along with all that extra rubbish if I wanted to make the paradise.
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man oh man
Well looking back on it, it means they can't prove something so the "ring of truth" must suffice?
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designs
The Vietnam War was building in the 60s so anti-war stuff made sense. There were 30 teens in the Congregation I was in so we had a lot of fun together, Surf Camping, Football, Yosemite Camping. The Music died after the Peace On Earth Assembly, 1969. What a ride we were taken on.
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james_woods
Cult religions do not have to actually make sense - if that is what the "Ring of Truth" means.
For example - what makes sense about Scientologies "Xenu the Alien" collecting all evil beings in the universe, putting them into volcanos on Earth, and then blowing them up with hydrogen bombs? Or, that they still survive as ghost spirits and then infect everybody on Earth who have not gone through a $200,000 Scientology auditing process?
I think that sometimes with human nature (and wanting something to be true), the less sense it makes the better.
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OnTheWayOut
Not that others cannot do it, but I can sense the "ring of truth" most of the time. The thing is, I can do it from listening to people speak, not always from reading material that is supposed to be the truth.
The people speaking from the Live Forever book with me believed every word they were saying. THEY had the ring of truth.
As far as the written word goes, I can usually find the flaws- the things they leave out. But WTS got me when I was extremely vulnerable and needed "the truth" in my life, so I didn't use my ability to the full to find flaws in what I read. Plus, the people studying with me tackled any questions I had.
WTS has "the answer to everything." The way I put it when I figured out years later what happened:
Looking back, I’ve made some realizations. The WatchTower organization told me they had all the answers to the questions I was asking. The problem was that they provided the wrong questions. They told me I was seeking a deeper spiritual truth when all I really sought was an ordinary truth. I hadn’t actually started pondering, “Where does life originally come from and where are we going after this life? I simply wanted to know, “Who am I?”
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Regardless of how true or false Watch Tower’s doctrines were, seeking to accept and understand their version of deeper spiritual truths was sidetracking me for years from discovering myself and my true value.
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Sometimes when I was learning “the truth,” a little voice inside my head should have been screaming. Instead, it was there whispering to me, quiet enough for me to ignore it. [Implying that I had valid questions but did not want the truth to be a lie, so I suppressed them.] -
Nice_Dream
OTWO - "Looking back, I’ve made some realizations. The WatchTower organization told me they had all the answers to the questions I was asking. The problem was that they provided the wrong questions. They told me I was seeking a deeper spiritual truth when all I really sought was an ordinary truth. I hadn’t actually started pondering, “Where does life originally come from and where are we going after this life? I simply wanted to know, “Who am I?”
Wow! That was amazingly put OTWO, that is so true. You made me have an epiphany.
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wha happened?
It did, that's why I drank the kool aid. No internet and the only people I saw that thought it was a bad idea were the nuts screaming and holding signs outside of Dodger Stadium. They didn't impress me with that tactic. No internet so the wits seems to have it together
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Londo111
Being a born-in, 3rd generation (from both sides of the family), I had no other frame of reference. I never stood a chance.
And like wha happened? said, the opposition seemed like raving lunitics. The "evil slave" was scary and only reenforced in my mind that I had the "truth".
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breakfast of champions
OTWO - that's what it's all about! Asking the right questions in the first place. Great post!