Nothing I do now is a waste of time, when compared to the thousands of hours of my life that I threw away preaching what I thought was Truth, but found out through taking the time to carefully research the WT's history, it was all a bunch of complete BS. I discovered I was spreading something that had no solid basis - a complete fairy tale. After two years of intensive research the sad reality dawned on me that I may as well have been telling people that Noddy was going to return and rebuild ToyTown ... here's a video outlining just one of the many lies I had preached to people for decades...
Do You Ever Doubt Your Efforts Are Futile?
by Elephant 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
still thinking
I origianlly came to this site to help me understand why the watchtower was not what they claimed to be, and how I got sucked in to it all. I've learnt a lot.
Now I come because it is mentally stimulating. I test my ideas, my thoughts and my beliefs. The amount of knowlegde held and shared by the people on this forum is just amazing sometimes. Everyone here has helped my on my journey in one way or another. The journey for me now is learning new questions to ask, if you don't ask the right questions you never get the right answers. I had a shortage of questions and a very limited understanding of life. This site has changed my perspective on many things in many ways. And I am still growing as a person.
I have also made some cyber friends...which is nice, because I didn't expect that to happen at all.
Tell me elephant. Can you give me an honest reason for your presence here? Everyone here seems to be being pretty honest with you. It doesn't matter to me either way but I am curious about your motive.
From what I can see, WTS apologists make this site even better. So I am glad of your presence.
-
Xanthippe
I looked on this site a couple of months ago because a JW friend who I haven't heard from for over twenty years suddenly got in touch and I wondered why.
She is still very much in and I couldn't understand why she was writing to me, an aposate from her piont of view.
I didn't know if something had changed in the JWs about the treatment of DA'd people or if a doctrinal change had prompted her.
I still don't know why she's writing to me but obviously I am replying and I am sure time will tell.
It may be the overlapping generations doctrine. As a born-in like me she will be well aware of how that has changed.
She lived throught the 1975 debacle as I did.
Or maybe it's the Candace Conti court case and the pedophile haven that JW land has become.
It could be the change of view on IVF. She was another one that I knew who couldn't have children and couldn't go down the IVF route because it was considered murder when some of the embryos are discarded. Now I hear IVF is a matter of conscience! Too late for her though. She must still grieve for the babies she couldn't have.
So that's why I came on here originally but I have been touched by people's sad stories of leaving and losing loved one to that cult, as did I.
Also I laugh at the funny things people say about that religion and I rejoice that people are leaving in their droves to find a good life out here in the real world.
I left in the dark ages before the internet.
Everything is on the internet now.
The Borg can run but they can't hide.
-
Joe Grundy
Strange thread title - a sort of 'double negative'. Reading OP I'm taking the question as 'Do You Ever Think Your Efforts Are Futile?' so that's the question I'll answer.
As a never-was dub, I joined this site in an effort to find out more about the dubs. No, that effort was far from futile. I have learned a great deal, including the personal effects, doctrine, history, etc., and read some excellent scholarly material.
Having been touched by the dreadful experiences of shunning suffered by many, I made the effort to fly a US JWN member to the UK for a 'break' and an introduction to the 'real world'. She met my 'worldy' family and learned, or had reinforced, that us 'worldly' people outside the dubs are not so bad. (I spoke to her recently and she's doing fine). That effort was far from futile.
As a retired police officer who dealt with child abuse (and whose own daughter was raped) I have made the effort to contribute to discussions and add a 'professional' knowledge to those debates. Feedback suggests that those efforts were not futile.
And overall, as a 'worldy' never was dub, I have made efforts to offer support (practical or otherwise) to show that us 'worldly' people are not as bad as portrayed by WTBTS, that we are a 'normal' selection of good and bad, and that for those leaving the narrow and closely-controlled world of dub-dom there IS a world outside. It's natural, of course, to be apprehensive (as when entering any new environment) but there's no need to be scared. Again, feedback suggests that those efforts were not futile.
-
Vidiot
Joe Grundy - "Again, feedback suggests that those efforts were not futile."
Amen, officer.
Sorry to hear about your daughter (I have two). You and your mates catch the guy?
-
outsmartthesystem
For me....this is a place to vent.......obtain advice and experiences as well as help others. I was once very much on the fence as to whether or not the witnesses had the truth. But after much research as well as reasoning on points made by certain posters on this board....I was able to conclude without any doubt that the Watchtowr Society was full of ****. My hope is that my postings may someday help someone in a similar situation as me.
I know one thing for sure. My efforts here are no LESS futile than the 30 years I spent parroting cherry picked scriptures at doors and stuffing old magazines into "not at homes".
-
BlindersOff1
Efforts most assuredly not futile. People are fading , walking and running away from this publishing company cult
more and more everyday. If it were not for bornin child baptisms growth in the US would in the negative.
-
Phizzy
Yup, we do get feedback on our efforts, I had a relative of mine, born in and "well" in as I thought, get in touch to say that whatever happens (i.e me and Mrs Phizzy perhaps being DF'd say) she will never shun us. That came as good feedback to me and was a surprise, I thought she was the one person who would tow the WT line, but things we have said and done have sowed a little seed at least, and many on here have had much more dramatic results.
When I compare that to the results in the Kingdom Hall, where 99% have spent years door knocking and never dragged anyone in, our collective efforts are the opposite of futile.
-
Elephant
your responses are most appreciated...
...life, as many of you here can agree on, can be a rather short 'undertaking' let's say...our minds have been given free rein to roam and contemplate as we see fit, our thoughts, ambitions, goals etc. are trully within the realms of our control (unless of course there are psychiatric problems thru no fault of our own)...
...considering how we have in fact been given the freedom to think and 'view' our world as we see fit, why does it seem impossible for everyone here to disconnect from what is obviously a great source of frustration to (in extreme cases) anger bordering on hatred?
...even those that subscribe to the 'idea' of a godless existence are drawn to these debates here, thus making god real by virtue of the very debate over him...
...many who believe in God (thru any religion) will die 'knowing' in their hearts that they believed in something real. Many here could reach their final days having hoped for an end to the wt, and not know for sure if it will ever come, thus my question , is it futile?
...religion has existed since man has existed...man would have to dissappear for religion to do the same, no?
-
Londo111
"Why does it seem impossible for everyone here to disconnect from what is obviously a great source of frustration to (in extreme cases) anger bordering on hatred?"
That's simple…in a normal religious denomination:
(1) One can leave and not lose friends and family.
(2) One can question or disagree with any or all beliefs and not lose friends and family.
However, in a high control group, like the Witnesses, one cannot leave without losing all loved ones inside. And there is no more vicious a person than a member of a high control group toward one who has decided to leave it.