by HomebutHiding 38 Replies latest jw friends
hello F.As you I am ongoing JW, and I must say what you was writing here was exatly how i also feel, I feel for the peopel here, some have been very badely treated, i dont understand why some areso angry on uss who is ongoing JW.
I have here find peopel like Hilary steep, and Amazing, casseline, kenpodragon to menchen a few.
And i am sure Jehova on the judgments day will look at the hart.
Not what some persons have try to decide.
Flowerpetal
I am very glad too see that you have decided to think for yourself and separate the org. from jehovah. I think however that you may be the exception that proves the rule. My mother in-law was assualted by an elder that took out to "shepard" her and tried to get down her pants. long story short...he got a "severe talking too" by the CO and nothing more. He has not admitted to it and so nothing else has happened. I asked my mother in-law why she did not go to the authorities and she said "I do not want to bring reproch to Jehovah's name". Most "rank and file" very clearly equate the org. directly with Jehovah. Incedently I told her that if one person mugs another and they both happen to be cathlolic, you never hear that in the news report...(unless of course it has something to do with the motivation). The very simple fact is that the vast majority of JW's simply put the "organisation" and jehovah at the same level. I never have been a witness and can only see this as a form of idol worship.
Keep up the freedom of thinking flowerpetal....you have the true meaning of a relationship with Jehovah...no matter what the religin may be.
best of wishes.....FRUSR8TD
Edited to say one more thing: I assume by "JW" that the originator of this thread actually means "Watchtower apologist" since there are MANY JW's in good standing who post here on this board who in no way, shape of form could be considered "Watchtower apologists".
There is no evidence that ANY Jehovah's Witness posts on this board, EVER. There are people who CLAIM to be JW's, but their claims cannot be substantiated. On no occasion have I ever seen these supposed JW's discuss or post ANYTHING that is not already on the internet somewhere, and as a matter of fact, these so-called JW's post misleading/incorrect info. Especially You Know, whose information is usually woefully out of date. I don't see any evidence that they are even ex-JW's...
It wouldn't be easy to fake being a JW among other JW's....but it would be vey easy to fake being a JW among ex-JW's IF ONE WAS EXTREMELY CAREFUL.
Like it or not, part of being a JW was being extremely gullible and prone to being manipulated. As ex-jw's these traits will not disappear from our psychological makeup unless we make a deliberate effort to deal with these personality traits. And untill we do, we will continue to fall for the "Hi I'm Mario Kempes" blah blah blah.
edited to say: oops I take that back. Oldhippie is verifiable, Kent has vouched for him that he is genuine. Sorry, Oldhippie...
Edited by - dungbeetle on 3 July 2002 13:29:40
Edited by - dungbeetle on 3 July 2002 13:53:14
Edited by - dungbeetle on 3 July 2002 13:54:1
<I used to post here many months ago, and left because I got sick and tired of ex-jws telling me how I feel and think when I KNOW how I feel and think>
By the way, Flowerpetal, I went through every one of you 100+ posts, going all the way back to April 2001---
Would you care to share with me where anybody told you how or what to think? Because I could find no evidence of this with my research.
Nice post Flowerpetal, I enjoyed it. It was refreshing to read an alternative to the normal anti-jw rhetoric.
I wish there were more jws like you, the religion as a whole would be far healthier. I would like to say though that people here mostly hold no animosity towards individual jws, they are angry at the organisation. If you did get some stick it's because you are a visible defender of that hated religion; it's not personal and only happens because the real criminals behind the organisation hide in their ivory towers where their victims can't reach them.
In actual fact, I don't think you are a JW, except in name only. You exhibit independent thought, and we both know that isn't allowed for good JWs. What I do think you are is a devout and good Christian who has survived as such despite the organisation's best efforts to turn you into one of their clones.
Good for you!
Well, it's nice to have articulate people putting across the Witness point of view every now and then - but I still say, an informed JW is an XJW.
Personally, I've grown rather tired of flaming Witnesses over and over about their religious beliefs - there is no such thing as convincing someone.
The only person who can convince someone is that person.
If you can look at the entire history of the Society as has been "laid bare" (to use an extremely inappropriate phrase) on this and other XJW-compatible sites in the past, I simply can't understand how you'd still want to be associated with such a group at all. Hell, there's CLEAR evidence that they have KILLED and ABUSED people! What on Earth could possibly be your motivation to stay in such a Society?
That, and the fact that your God has been gone for about 2000 years now (or 3000 or 4000, there are several versions of that particular story). Don't you find it surprising that "Jehovah" has an "Invisible" presence? (And that Christ has been reigning "Invisibly" since 1914?) Do you know why this Omnipotent God has kept himself hidden from us? Obviously is must be to test our faith, I guess.
How can you dismiss the fact that people like Farkel got sentenced for not doing Military Service and then later the doctrine changed? Farkel was extremely inconvenienced by this (to put it lightly ), but the flip-flopping of the GB's doctrine has caused DEATHS, honey, DEATHS. How a "Christian" could condone THAT, is beyond me.
Petal, I'm really trying to restrain my animosity in this post, because I appreciate the balance you bring to this forum, you are a valuable contributor. A real live Wtness here on JWD who can actually talk coherently is pretty rare! You're welcome here anytime, unlike some of your more....volatile....brethren and sesthrern!
That last word was a bit dodgy....LOL.
<<Would you care to share with me where anybody told you how or what to think? Because I could find no evidence of this with my research. >>
I forget her name--I don't see her here anymore...but she seemed to demonstrate feminist qualities. I felt the heat of her anger--that I was a suppressed female which isn't the case at all. My hubby is not one of those "lord it over" types of individuals. I guess she was also angry that women aren't allowed to "teach" in the congregations. However, the society didn't make that up, they were following the advice of the apostle Paul. But now I realize that we aren't living in his day, and maybe he had reasons for giving that advice then that don't apply now.
Anyway that wasn't a big issue for me as it was for her. I have other issues that concern me more.
By the way, Flowerpetal, I went through every one of you 100+ posts, going all the way back to April 2001---
Would you care to share with me where anybody told you how or what to think? Because I could find no evidence of this with my research
dungbeetle needs a chill pill from phil
SYN, I liked your post and your sense of humor. OK so maybe in your book I am an X-JW. I have no qualms about that.
My motivation to stay associated with the society? Honestly, I don't know. I know that many things have been hidden that I didn't know about--like their membership with the UN, and their still holding stock with the Rand(?) Corporation. Maybe I am hoping things get better--and I do see a softer attitude toward their view of people in the world. One thing I do know, is that the messages I received from their articles, was to develop a personal relationship with Jehovah, which I have done. Which means if the society is ever dissolved for whatever reason, I will still have HIM. Others who are organizational type JWs will run around like chickens with their heads cut off, not knowing what to do, but I believe those who rely on God more, will be better off.I do speculate about where God is or his son...especially the verses in the Bible which speak of Christ's return. Where did he go that it is called his return? Those are questions I don't have answers for but I still have faith that something will be done to make this earth a better place to live in the future. I have faith, but I sometimes don't understand how long God expects us to continue with it. And I have questions about when will he decide it's His due time to do something. I am sorry about Farkel but I know of some JW men who went to prison too rather than serve in a hospital. Their attitude is not one of Farkels, but men can do some strange and horrible things in the name of religion.
Maybe God and his Son are not in this part of the universe at all, thus the "return" might be when they come back and see how things progressed or not progressed on this earth. I think about that often.
dmouse, I understand. As an athiest once told me, "we all have our bite marks--but we heal and move on."
