so very sad indeed...I'm sorry to hear your news......
broken hearted
by recovering 20 Replies latest social family
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Este
What difference does it make which faith you get baptized under even if Jehovahs Witness? If a person believes in their heart and with good intent that they are following the correct faith. would this not be acknowledged by GOD? GOD is not unreasonable. Which is better to follow a life of Christianty or to remain in the world? The answer is obvious.....
E.
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jwfacts
Este " Which is better to follow a life of Christianty or to remain in the world?"
It is not a black or white question, and you are creating a logical fallacy to frame it that way. A far better choice would have been to not join a high control, fear based religion.
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Este
It is not a black or white question, and you are creating a logical fallacy to frame it that way. A far better choice would have been to not join a high control, fear based religion.
How many faiths are not a high control and fear based religion? All pretty much teach destruction of the wicked.
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soft+gentle
I'm so sorry recovering.
A couple of my distant relatives are getting baptized and another is thinking about going back. The one who is thinking of going back says that when they visit the KH they feel peaceful.
I think the economic downturn is affecting them - they all have jobs but like everyone else face uncertainty about their jobs in the future (2 are professional people and have academic qualifications). The other thing that they worry over is climate change. But the most significant reason why they are taking this action is the persistance of Jehovahs witnesses preaching to them and giving them a strongly certain worldview and story. They are all under 50.
Nowadays quite a few at the KH have left for a time and then gone back and these ones tell a convincing story about how much they prefer being inside than out. On the other hand I don't think this makes for what the GB would term spiritually strong congregations as a trend seems to be to spend more time engaging in leisure pursuits.
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jwfacts
How many faiths are not a high control and fear based religion? All pretty much teach destruction of the wicked.
Few religions take such a hard stance as JWs on shunning, devoting a life to making money for the religion, following the leadership without question, avoiding education, and looking on everyone else as worldly and wicked.
Recovery, sorry to hijack your thread.
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Julia Orwell
It is not a black or white question, and you are creating a logical fallacy to frame it that way. A far better choice would have been to not join a high control, fear based religion... Few religions take such a hard stance as JWs on shunning, devoting a life to making money for the religion, following the leadership without question, avoiding education, and looking on everyone else as worldly and wicked.
*like* from me, JW Facts. Jesus never advocated an organisation. He advocated a way of life, and his followers then organised themselves into groups. Like birds organise themselves into flocks- they stick together because of common belief, not because of fear or coercion.
And sorry for posting off-topic, so now I'll get on topic: I'm a teacher, and I meet JW kids who want to get baptised and go to Bethel. I can't tell them TTATT though, so I just watch these sweet little middle school kids go off to the slaughter. It's sad. I imagine it's worse if you're really close with your niece.
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zeb
does she have a feller?
does she have kids?
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Reopened Mind
First of all, ditto what Blondie said. A person in a vulnerable situation has no defenses against what a cult can level against them.
I attended pioneer school back in 1986. We spent a great deal of time practicing how to talk to different kinds of people. For example from our "secret" pioneer book, "Shining as Illuminators in the World", p. 54 under the heading Choosing Bible Topics for 'All Sorts of People', it says: What Bible subjects do you find appeal to: men, women, youths, older people, religious people, agnostics, atheists. Then there are numerous sample discussions for each topic.
Added to this are tracts, brochures, magazines, and whole books devoted appealing to a person's particular vulnerability. One that stands out for me was the brochure, "When Someone You Love Dies". I always carried a copy in case I came across a person suffering the loss of a loved one. It very powerfully gave them the (false) hope of seeing their dead loved one back here on earth. It was difficult to resist.
I am sorry for you recovering that your niece became another victim of the cult. I myself was recruited as a teenager and spent most of my adult life in the WT clutches.
Steve Hassan says that everyone in a cult has an authentic personality and a cult personality. Try to reach your niece's authentic personality. Although I suspect as a newly baptized Witness she has buried it deep.
Please accept my sympathies.
Reopened Mind
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zeb
but, does she have a feller or kids?