Why do they stay?

Roamingfeline

I am very puzzled. When I find out I've been lied to, deceived, and mistreated, I don't ask for more. I vote with my feet.

The entire JW religion has been BASED on Armageddon coming soon, and the preaching work having to be done so a "dividing" can take place before Jehovah annihilates all the ones who do NOT come into the "umbrella" of the Organization. Everything in the literature over the years, has been geared toward this one thing. It is an elitist religion, considering itself to have higher moral values (they're just better at sweeping things under the rug than others), a better understanding of the Bible (blinking light!) and true prophecy (since when?).

Why, when the people KNOW it's wrong, that it's NEVER going to happen as they've been told, do they STAY? Because they don't want to lose their families who are too blind and elitist to see? If people would just WALK OUT of it, maybe it would die off like false religion should! What keeps people in such an unloving religion? Do people thrive on mistreatment and mental torture?

mgm

I'm in that situation. I stay because of familiy reasons.
Don't forget, even if the number of puplisher decrease a lot, there is always an excuse found for it. It wouldn't die, just make this religion stronger, because only the "hardliner" would be left. I think, a lot of so called "neutral witnesses" can change or reform things from inside.
MGM

mgm

I'm in that situation. I stay because of familiy reasons.
Don't forget, even if the number of puplisher decrease a lot, there is always an excuse found for it. It wouldn't die, just make this religion stronger, because only the "hardliner" would be left. I think, a lot of so called "neutral witnesses" can change or reform things from inside.
MGM

Roamingfeline

My point is, why try to CHANGE the religion? The entire basis for Jehovah's Witnesses even BEING a religion has proven to be a falsehood. There IS no basis for it to be an Organization. We were always told that the "Modern day" Jehovah's Witnesses were brought together by Charles Taze Russell to DO the preaching work before Armageddon, and for no other reason were they Organized. It's been established many times that their prophecies about the "Last Day's" are basically a load of BS, so again I ask, WHY would you even WANT to reform a religion that has NO BASIS left?

RedhorseWoman

In my own case, it has been a matter of growing up in the religion. You know nothing else, and you have cut yourself off from the "world". It's a frightening prospect to consider leaving a comfortable, albeit hypocritical, venue.

Then, too, there's the nagging thought that you MIGHT be wrong, and if you're wrong, you are condemning your family to die. Heavy burdens.

Discussions such as this, however, help to clarify matters and strengthen the knowledge base, making a break a definite possibility. Knowing that you're not alone and do not NEED to be alone helps immeasurably.

The internet is a very powerful tool. It has helped to eliminate one of the Society's strongest weapons.....that of isolation.

Dubby

Feline,

Your post is the brutal and honest truth about the whole situation. I strongly disagree with most WT doctrine and walked away. But somehow I still think of my self as a sort of witness. I don't know why. I never really got close to anyone in the hall because no one wanted to associate with a brother that had an "unbelieving" mate. I have one fleshly brother who is a witness. He and his family are what I would consider very liberal for JW's, so I still can associate with him.

The hypocracy of the religion is coming back to bite them in the a**. Like you say, the whole religion is based on 'geddon. The way things are going for the WT, there's going to have to be a major crackdown, they will convert to just another mainstream religion, splinter off like when Russell died, or go defunct.

"Enjoy God's creation, ride a dirt bike!"

Roamingfeline

Yes, for a long time, I put up with the inconsistencies because I WANTED THE PARADISE. I wanted it so badly.. and I wanted to see my dead relatives. My mother who died of cancer, my brother in law who committed suicide at the age of 23, my friends who died for various reasons, mostly car accidents and cancer. My grandparents.

It was not easy to give up the dream of a paradise with all my loved ones there. But I realized that it was a big fat lie when I researched and found that ALL the Society's predictions were fabrication to serve the "Big Publishing Machine". Wake up y'all. It isn't going to happen! Live life today. Make today count. Quit serving a lie and a pipedream. Sigh.....

Caine

I totally understand as this is where i am. As i said before I am in the JW sprint plan(friends and family). When youre raised in this religion is all you know. You are spoonfed it. So you stay for the social aspects and such. If the religions were switched and catholics were going door to door, most of us who are in would be the "I have my own religion type"

Why do they stay?

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