by wallievase 54 Replies latest watchtower bible
I'm a UBM, having been married 35+ years to a JW spouse.
I couldn't tell you what kind of people the leaders and policy makers of the JW faith are. I do know as someone who watches pretty closely and who's pet peeve is revisionist history, that the biggest whoppers are usually told from the stage at or near the end of conventions. The speaker is often a 'governing body' member.
I don't know what to make of that.
Wallievase,
I think alot of people become so disilusioned by what they have experienced and the indoctrination against Christendom and all other religions so strong that they simply give up on God. They are taught that this is the true religion and when it fails to live up to their expectation of "true," then they find no other alternative but to leave God out of the equation of their lives.
As for the GB not being bad people, I will not argue with that. Another poster referred to the "captives of a concept" mentality. When one believes that they are endowed by their creator with special privileges and that God works through them, the authoritarian structure is the logical progression.
In any event, good luck on your quest for truth. Don't allow the rhetoric to get you down, that's just how some people cope.
SOP
Second-I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided by something that has been drilled into their heads since they were little and are actually sincere people.____Wallievase
Hmn........ I wonder what spirit has "misguided" this Spirit directed organization
After all , they do claim to be directed by such that "Evidently" continues to withhold the " truth "
.
I just don't think you can let any religion change how you view god or the bible.
I think the most discouragement after being involved with this religion wholeheartedly with conviction is that
many realize that the WTS. doctrines of "Truth" were really tainted by the WTS's proliferation and
commercialization of its published literature.
After people spend time involved with a religion like this its no wonder people start to rethink the god question.
For myself after going through the high anxiety years around 1975 and then realizing its was all a deliberate
marketing scheme played out by the dishonest leader(s) of the WTS. at the time, it was mine and many others
scenario to make their way out of the JWS .
Welcome, Wallie. You will find your way. Check in frequently and you will learns loads you never knew. It is worth it to learn ttatt.
Welcome Wallievase, I agree with you in that the fact that we were hurt as JW's doesn't mean God is not real or I should harbor hate for him. Also you're right, most JW's are great people and are sincere but it's hard when you encounter those who aren't and really show you the other side of the coin.
Look forward to more of your posts...
wallievase:
I have issues with people who go from being a witness to losing all faith in god or the bible which seems to be the case with some members of this site. I just don't think you can let any religion change how you view god or the bible.
How much of that is your own thought, and how much is the Watch Tower Society thinking for you? Despite what the Society wants JWs to think, people don't just 'lose all faith' for no reason or because they're being influenced by 'demons'. They come to a different understanding through research into the roots of their own religion, followed by further research into religion in general. (Nor is 'losing faith' the same as 'hopelessness'.)
If it were the case that a person shouldn't "let any religion change how you view god or the bible", then how should people who don't grow up as Christians view god or the Bible? Should they maintain their view that the Bible isn't 'inspired'? Or should they let another religion change how they view it??
Second-I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided by something that has been drilled into their heads since they were little and are actually sincere people.
They (the leadership) are either insincere or extremely deluded. Their self-proclaimed 'authority' stems from distorted chronology that contradicts the Bible.
Please reply, let me know what you think and what my next course of action should be as I think I'm too afraid to leave because of the effects on my wife, family friends, etc.
Your next course of action should be research. Other than that, only you can really know what will work best in your personal situation. It is generally difficult to leave a high-control group all at once without it causing major problems. But you should probably let your wife know about your general concerns to avoid tension causing additional problems to the relationship.
Welcome aboard!
On this:
Second-I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided by something that has been drilled into their heads since they were little and are actually sincere people.
You're absolutely right: they don't HAVE to be bad or evil people to do harmful or bad acts.
However, they've ALL ended up in a situation where they ARE responsible for causing harm to others, from the GB down to the baptized publisher, and hence they ALL share a tiny slice of responsibility for the sins of the group. It's quibbling to argue how much each one deserves, since there's plenty of blame to go around for everybody.
In fact, I've explained that concept in this video, but the collective blood-guilt of the group is VERY REAL, it's NOT insignificant or to be trivialized or dismissed, and if anyone has an ounce of moral fibre remaining in their being they need to look long and hard at themselves in the mirror and stop denying the participation they play by being a member of a group that perpetuates intentional infliction of emotional harm on it's OWN members, simply by continuing to participate.
Adam
Welcome Wallievase!
I believed all religion was man made and false. When I was 18 I started studying with jws and came to believe they had the truth, they were the true religion.
Around 30 years later I saw evidence of wrongdoing and hypocrisy by the wts such as the UN/NGO thing. I was shocked. But it opened my eyes. Once realizing that jws also were a man made religion, not really God's organization, I decided all religion is false.
While I still believe witness teachings are closer to the Bible than are other religion's, to me it has become all just academic.
Welcome. Glad to have you join in the conversation.
You wrote:I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided...
I felt exactly the same way when I got up in the middle of a meeting and said a little prayer as I walked out the KH door. I could not sit in my seat and say nothing. But I could not tell anyone what I felt was inappropriate and wrong. But it was clear to me that people were being treated badly and the gag orders were not right.
I 'walked away' and waited for the org to figure things out and get back on track. For 13+ years I worked my job and waited for the org. They got worse and I found JWD/JWN.
Just the fact that I could not talk to anyone freely about my concerns in itself is a big deal.
I no longer believe they were ever Jehovah's chose people. I do not believe they ever will be.
-Aude Sapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding; Dare to Think for Yourself)
