Where else is there to go?

by snare&racket 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  carla

  Nice post!

  From an outsiders point of view, I never understood the jw view of 'where else can we go'. If one is a (traditional) Christian the answer would be to 'whom' not an organization but that is not in the jw mentality so they don't understand the comment at all in my experience with jw's.

  Over the years of being on the boards (or a jw in person) I would often ask 'why must you go anywhere?" why not either take a break all together or study the Bible on your own and see where it takes you? You would think I was asking them to kill their first born if they are not at the stage where they are willing to take personal responsibility for their own sprititual well being or lack thereof, whichever they choose. The first thing to come to mind would undoubtedly be the shunning aspect of making such a decision and who could blame them? Yet, shouldn't that in itself be a huge red flag that all is not right in dubland? And so the circle begins again for the questioning jw. Round and round they must go in their head and at some point it is often easier to give up and just go with the program as usual.

  Outsiders do not understand why a jw can't just decide to go to the church down the street and jw's cannot understand that to many Christians they certainly can choose to go to a Methodist church one week and say a Lutheran one the next if they so desire or none at all and still maintain a relationship with God.

  I don't think anybody on the outside understands the incredible courage it takes to leave this destructive cult. My hat is off to all of you!
• 

  Comatose

  I was asked this question a few days ago during a judicial meeting. I corrected the elder that it was who not where. He didn't think so, and said we should read it. Then he was surprised to see it said whom shall we go away to in their new bible. I remarked that leaving an organization didn't mean you were leaving Jesus (personal feelings on the deeper issue of god and Jesus aside).

  They all think it says where will we go.
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  WTWizard

  First, if they take the time to read the scripture, it reads "To WHOM shall we go?" Not once does that account ask "WHERE". The "whom" in this account was Jesus--and, if the washtowel is half jewish and still professes to be pure xian, they are not getting the right "whom" at this "where".

  And that's if you even believe the LIE-ble in the first place. It takes a little research to find what xians are seeking to destroy--the truth about that jesus was nothing more than a fib. That thing was stolen from numerous other Gods that supposedly had similar lifestyles, all representing the sun. It also represents various stages of the soul. You take that thing hanging on the tree, stick, or cross, and put your trust in that thing, all you do is funnel whatever psychic energy you have to the vatican and the jesuits all trying to enslave the world and damn our souls. So, that "whom" is even bad--as with the "where".

  Whom else is there to turn to? Who was it that tried to liberate us at Eden? Who blew the whistle that joke-hova's demands amounted to tyranny, and ultimately we were to be enslaved to that sexist, homophobic, racist thing that wanted us to suffer? None other than Satan! Just by reading the account in Genesis 2 and 3 is proof enough--who issued the death threat about exploring beyond that thin red line?
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  Terry

  It's kind of like saying, "Why leave home? Where are you ever going to find Home Cooking?"

  We so easily become accustomed to the ease of comfortable reassurance we can form lazy habits.

  Somebody assures us there is no Hell. Great--we didn't want there to be a Hell, did we?

  So, where can we go if we leave that reassurance? To Hell?

  No, silly--belief and disbelief are different sides of the same monotony of imaginary premises.

  This life we live is ours. If we turn it over to other people's whimsy and imaginary folk tales we're cheating ourselves mightily!

  Explore a richer and fuller way of thinking and living.

  Belief is a default setting for truly lazy people.

  Think how intellectually dishonest it is to simply accept something without checking it out thoroughly.

  That's how people become sports fans, Chevy owners, Democrats/Republicans, optimists/pessimists and so on.

  This life is YOUR LIFE. Make it whatever way you want.

  If you want to believe in UFO's, bigfoot or demon infestations--go right ahead. Does it make your life better or just crowd out real information.

  Well, YOU get to decide.

  But, to hang on to something totally made up out of thin air just because it is all you know--that's your own fault.

  Remember, we deserve the life we've chosen because we didn't get up off our butt and find a different way to live.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Other mental blocking questions that follow are:

  But who else is following Jesus' command to preach house-to-house?

  But how will we follow Jesus' command to make disciples?

  But whom else is doing a world-wide preaching work?

  Where & how shall we worship Jehovah? With whom shall we "gather together" for worship?

  Their obvious answer to any of those questions takes them back to JWs.

  Doc
• 

  AlphaMan

  Where else is there to go?

  .

  Nothing but a typical Watchtower programmed response from JW drones.

  I would tell them.....I don't know where I'm going, but my thinking mind & my intuitive gut tell me to get the hell out of here!
• 

  Ding

  The GB creates a bunker mentality.

  First, they indoctrinate JWs to believe that outside the organization there is nothing but evil that is about to be destroyed.

  Then no matter how bad things get inside and no matter how many errors and flip-flops they see, JWs say, "Where else can we go?" and hunker down.

  When you see the GB resorting to those tactics, you realize that the WTS is hardly the "Jehovah's happy, clean, and loving organization" the magazines portray.
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  DS211

  Great post this is always the gnawing question on my wifes brain i think.
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  NewYork44M

  You go where ever you want - that is why they call it freedom.
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Great analysis!

  A favorite illustration that I learned here and have used a few times, deals with the question "Where else is there to go?" Imagine that your house is on fire and you begin to run for the door but stop and ask yourself, "But where else can I live?" When the fire department comes and tries to rescue you, will you respond, "I cannot leave my house until I have a new home to move into!" Of course not, you grab your family and get out. Once you are outside, you have to wait and have an inspection to see if the house is livable. If it is beyond repair, you salvage anything of value and start the hunt for a new home.

  Another thought that came to mind is how they've reduced the value of CT Russell, no longer part of the FDS. While it could be to distance themselves from him wacky teachings, it could also be because he fits the def. of an apostate and "independent thinker". He examined other religions, left them, and pretty much started his own organization from scratch. Watchtower doesn't want to encourage that kind of critical examination and "rebellion" against the establishment.