I recently had a very long conversation with my mother, about what Jehovah's Witnesses teach and believe now. While I could gleam ideas and thoughts, that kind of worked with the religion I once called home. More often then not, I had to come to a extreme conclusion. In the fifteen plus years since my exit, the religion I used to hold to has changed to such an extent... I no longer see it's current state to be the same religion. What seems to be more important to them now, is controling the masses and not caring anything about the supposed "End of days." Like they now seem to laugh at their chicken little messages of the past and now simply are taught to play the live until you die game and hope for the ressurection. In all honesty, this reminds me of main stream religion now with the die and go to heaven thinking. Just seems like they are trying to become more main stream, as their insane thoughts of the past have become harder to express in the internet world of today. I was a Jehovah's Witness, in a "Completely" different religion... not the one of today.
I was a Jehovah's Witness in a different religion
by free2beme 30 Replies latest jw friends
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MrFreeze
Never really thought of it like that but the difference between JW's now and Bible Students back in the early 20th century is kind of astounding. Yet somehow that religion, which apparently had so many things wrong since it's a completely different religion, was personally chosen by Jesus.
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free2beme
Picked, and then "Supposedly" guided to get everything wrong and misunderstood. I think about this, and think of Jesus with the 12. Did he tell them wrong information and figured they would figure out the truth decades later? Did he tell them to preach false information, while he knew the truth inside and concealed it from them? I ask, as I find it interesting to say he was a leader in those early days and yet had leadership that was horrible with information, when all writtings of his time show him to be a "Great and accurate" teacher. How this is not seen in their illustration is amazing and an example of mind control that is distrubing.
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gma-tired2
Free2beme this JW religion is nothing like the JWs my husband and I grew up with in the 50's and 60's. I hardly recoqnize it as the same at all. I see a group of repressed hardnosed members compared to any loving members. Of course I remember many being hardcore in the 50 and 60's but remember having some fun times in between, we had cong. picnics, parties with dancing, skating parties even hayrides and you didnt have to be in good standing we believed in encouraging those who were weak "IN the Truth"
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free2beme
Frankly, and this might sound odd. But the older version seemed nicer and more friendly. The newer one seems very rude, hateful and hard to see love in.
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gma-tired2
That is what I was thinking I saw more love and kindness in the religion before 1980's. Not as restictive as it has become now. I was just mentioning to my husband a talk or WT study in the 80's about the diferrence of' laws, rules, regulations and suggestions. It ended by saying we had to follow even suggestions because they were for our own good and plus we were responsible for hurting others around us consciences. I decided then if I had to be responsible for my brothers and sisters consciiences I was done with this nonsence.
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Ding
I don't see the current version as mainstream or trying to be.
It's still all about:
-- An us v. them mindset
-- A never-ending treadmill of works
-- Loyalty to "Jehovah's organization"
-- The GB supposedly being the only one who speaks for God
-- Never questioning anything the GB says no matter how many times they change their teachings
-- Shunning any JWs who dare to deviate from the company line
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fresh prince of ohio
Not to defend this religion as it ever existed at any point in time but...
I joined the JWs in the early 1990s. Some things about JWism as it was at that time:
- Fred Franz was still alive
- The literal 1914 Generation teaching was still in play (though not much talked about).
- The internet was not yet widely used.
I think that I caught the very tail end of the JW era that started with Knorr - there was still some genuine enthusiasm among JWs in the early 90s. After Fred died and the Generations teaching was ditched, I could sense a cold change. By 2000, it seemed to me that the literature had become just microwave-heated leftovers and watered-down recyclings from the uniquely strange mind of Freddy Franz, and constant, increasingly shrill, cries for obedience and loyalty. It got to be absolutely unbearable, to me anyways.
It amazes me that the people I once knew are still on that treadmill, week after week, year after year. I about had a breakdown from it after being in just 10 years.
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free2beme
From what I see, the urgent thoughts of the end have been lowered and the urgent thoughts of controling people have risen as the most important.
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cantleave
Good point.
Not quite mainstream though, manistrem religions don't hold you hostage by threatening to cut you off from family and friends, mainstream religions don't expect you to refuse life saving medical treatment and mainstream religions don't take away their children's childhood.