Do You Believe Any of "The Truth"?

by XBEHERE 47 Replies latest jw friends

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  Introspection

  Hi XBE welcome. Personally I don't have too much use for beliefs these days. I mean sure, it helps in practical things like how to fix my computer, but in terms of spirituality I see no point. Now this may sound confusing but I'll try to explain where I'm coming from.. For example, someone who leaves the organization concludes that "religion is all bad, all religious people should be cast into gehenna" - that's also a belief. (naturally they are far from all good either, which means in the absolute sense none of them are "good" - but then neither is the guy making the statement) Actually I say beliefs are okay, as long as you recognize them for what they are. It's ONLY a belief - you know what I mean? I don't see how it has to do with spirituality in the final analysis, though. I mean hey, you can program a computer to "believe" something, but does that mean it's spiritual? Some might debate this and what they would be debating is the definition of the word spirituality, but I trust you understand what I'm getting at. Now sure, I would agree that killing people and stealing and such are bad ideas as others have commented, but heck I don't take that position out of BELIEF.

  And that really follows into your concern about the pedophile situation. Frankly I don't think it's about an issue of policy, I mean really if you just have a heart how can you tolerate that kind of crap? I think atleast part of what's happend when a situation like this exists is that people have a insensitive or dead heart if you will, being caught up in their beliefs. It's pretty straight forward when you just step back and take a clear look at it, but what seems to happen is people end up wanting to defend their identity of being a witness or any other religion or non-religion because their sense of self is tied in with those ideas, which is to say it is tied into their beliefs, rather than being connected with their figurative heart as we say. In a sense, they've sold their soul for a belief, and it really doesn't matter what the belief is.
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  buffy

  XBEHERE,

  I think there are alot of active JW's like yourself. The child molestation issue has now brought light to the fact that the organization is far from perfect. In fact it has shown the org. to be down right disfunctional. JW's now share a common thread w/ Catholics (heaven forbid). Because of this issue, more JW's are confused and looking into faults of the org. that they may have never thought about before. When I brought up questions as a teenager I remember being told by my active JW mother, "You can't think like that, that's wrong. Don't question it, just know it's from Jehovah." Wrong, it's from imperfect men, not Jehovah.

  But, to answer your orginal questions, yes, I do still believe alot of what I was taught as a JW. I just posted a thread, explaining that I haven't yet been able to explore other religions because I still believe alot of what I was raised to believe. I'm slowly realizing that most of what I was taught was just crap. I'm getting there, and you will too.

  I agree w/ Roybatty, I know I do not want to be forced to believe anything. And, I sure as hell do not want to be forced to follow such outragously strict guidelines. I lived in fear as a JW, afraid that my free thinking would cause another talking too by the elders, afraid that I might piss God off and die on the spot. I refuse to live like that. If God didn't want us to think for ourselves he wouldn't have given us the brains to do so. So, why be a part of an org. that wants to control our every thought?

  Buffy
• 

  ThiChi

  Please read Brother Franz Book, In Search of Christian Freedom.....Door to Door, the Blood issue, the misuse of Disfellowshipping and much more is discussed from a biblical point of view...it will rock your JW world !
• 

  Room 215

  Welcome XB!

  Speaking for myself, aside from several major issues, I have surprisingly little problem with much if not most of the JWs ``foundation'' doctrines, i.e. the soul, hellfire, the earthy's destiny, the Trinity, etc. It's their unwarranted sense of superiority, self-righeousness, heavy-handed authoritarinism (bullying, really), disparagment of individuality, utter contempt for and unwllingess to see the good in, anyone but themselves, to which I object.
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  Ephanyminitas

  Xbehere, I understand your frustration -- and even repulsion -- with the Society. They are wrong; it's that simple. Right now you might be going through a lot, since having your perfect picture of the Society shattered is a significant ordeal. Always know that despite what you're feeling -- fear, anger, betrayal, distrust, sadness -- you can feel free to come here and vent or share your feelings with those of this forum, who, altogether they don't know you, already probably care for you more than many of your "brothers and sisters."
• 

  Dawn

  Hi XBE & Welcome:

  I also struggled with what to believe - some of the JW doctrines made sense - some didn't. I thought it had to be an all or nothing (which it does with dubs) and I couldn't seem to find another religion that I could believe EVERYTHING they taught.

  Finally.....a teaching of Jesus came to mind. Remember the parable of the wheat & the weeds? He said that weeds would grow up and be indistinguishable from the wheat until it was full grown & ready for harvest. I believe that this means you can not find ANY church that is completely true in it's teachings. ALL have some wheat & some weeds - the trick is to sort out for yourself what YOU, by reading the BIBLE, believe to be the wheat doctrines and follow that.

  It is intersting to me how the JW's use John 17:3 (this means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ). They use this scripture and apply it as intellectual/factual knowledge. In fact, I've heard some quote it and throw in the words "accurate knowledge". They think that if they can accurately interpret the scriptures then they have everlasting life. Unfortuantely they have missed the boat completely. The greek word used in the original manuscripts for "knowledge" was not the factual type knowledge but the tense as to "know someone". The real meaning of this scripture is that it means everlasting life to really KNOW God & Jesus in a way that they are a part of your life and that you have accepted them into your life. To KNOW them as a friend, father, helper.

  Yet the JW's put the "faithful and discrete slave" between themselves and God so they are unable to have a personal relationship with him - they are following men. Putting the "faithful and discrete slave" as your guide to God completely goes against Jesus' teaching. He told his disciples shortly before he died that he would send a counselor to them - the holy spirit. The holy spirit was to be the one that worked within you and helped you to understand the bible, to guide you to God. The FDS have basically eliminated the holy spirit by saying (1) it doesn't really exist, and (2) they took it's place. I would say that the FDS is in a very tough position when their time comes to answer to God.
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  out4good3

  Speaking for myself, aside from several major issues, I have surprisingly little problem with much if not most of the JWs ``foundation'' doctrines, i.e. the soul, hellfire, the earthy's destiny, the Trinity, etc. It's their unwarranted sense of superiority, self-righeousness, heavy-handed authoritarinism (bullying, really), disparagment of individuality, utter contempt for and unwllingess to see the good in, anyone but themselves, to which I object.

  That's the best description of how I feel about the WT I've ever come across. Please allow me to use that in my next encounter with a witness.
• 

  undercover

  Hi, XBE

  I'm new here too. As my name indicates, I'm kinda in hiding. I'm inactive now for a couple of years and my family are JWs. I have and am going thru some of the same questions that you are. The one thing I keep thinking about is that the witnesses remain politically neutral. What other religion can claim that? There might be a couple but not any of the big ones. Jesus said his followers would be no part of the world. Being politically neutral seems to indicate that. But then you look at predictions about the end of the world that didn't come true and you get confused all over again.

  This is a trying time, when you start to realize that all you beleived may not be true. Kinda like Neo in the Matrix. I'm trying to swallow the red pill, but the blue one still has some influence. Just watch out for the Agent Smiths(Elders). All kidding aside, I hope we can find the answers and put our hearts and minds at peace so we can enjoy life, instead of trying to emulate someone else's idea of what they think we should be.
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  XBEHERE

  Umm...... "Agent Smith" reporting for duty here!
• 

  LB

  XBEHERE welcome. I did believe the basics for quite awhile. Now my belieft system is shot. But you'll find all sorts of viewpoints here. The nice thing is we won't get shunned if we disagree with each other.