Why did I fall away from the truth??? (page 3)

Beans

http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com

Beans

Danny, I read your response & appreciate everything you said. I don't know about your 98% figure, I wonder how many did eagerly read the new releases. How can we answer that? Anyway, I didn't sleep well last night because of thinking about my last post about field service & meetings. I felt like I had degenerated to mud slinging. I say this because what I posted wasn't really a fair picture. I had some good times in field service, not just driving around aimlessly looking for somewhere to go. It wasn't always "you got a call? I don't have any RV's left, I don't either". Sometimes I had very pleasant times in service. Sometimes I felt like I had productive times in service, talking to people about the Bible or the state of the world or whatever. I also enjoyed the meetings for the most part. Maybe I was not the deep thinking intellectual that some here are (I'm not being sarcastic), but at the time I don't remember it as a mind-numbing waste of time. Reading all the posts here & thinking back on it now maybe it seems like they were boring or simpleminded, but that may be revisionist history. At the time, I was at almost all the meetings & I think I was benefitting from them.

I just don't want to be slamming the organization & saying & thinking things that really aren't true. I'm sure my questions & doubts are valid, but I don't want to be unfair & mean spirited about it. This kind of free thinking is so new to me that it is probably going to take me quite a bit more time to see the big picture. I just needed to get this off my chest.

JNS2

Craig, your post was wonderful salve for my wounds. I needed that. It just reaffirms my being here on the computer reading posts & occasionally adding something. Thank you for your sincerity.

Beans, you added the link to old WT quotes. I've gone there before as a result of coming to these forums. I think it is interesting to see the things that the society has written in the past. There is so much that really is almost funny in retrospect, & obviously way out in left field. But so much of it is old, 1800's, early 1900's. I know it is an easy excuse about the light getting brighter, & new understandings coming to light, but why isn't that valid? I'm not being stubborn or blind I don't think, but I always accepted the societies position of admitting a past understanding was incorrect & correcting it. Am I still wearing my blinders?

gumby

Are there some here who can really say they were doing all the things we were told to do to stay "spiritually strong" that managed to get out anyway?

Yes.....there are plenty and I am one of them.

You mentiones ALL of the "things" that a person was/is to do to stay spiritually srtong.Does a man in order to love his wife.......have to keep doing "things" to remain in love with her? Does he? Does he need to read about her, look at her everyday, keep filling his head with her for fear if he doesn't he will............"fall away", or lose his love for her ? No. When you love something that much it stays in your heart.

If this is true.......then why would a person who truely loves god need to read his word each day, or pray several times a day, or do ALL these "things' FOR FEAR HIS LOVE WILL FADE?

Do not blame yourself in thinking had you done these "things" you would have been OK.

Gumby

DannyBear

JN,

*** I felt like I had degenerated to mud slinging. I say this because what I posted wasn't really a fair picture. I had some good times in field service, not just driving around aimlessly looking for somewhere to go. It wasn't always "you got a call? I don't have any RV's left, I don't either". Sometimes I had very pleasant times in service. Sometimes I felt like I had productive times in service, talking to people about the Bible or the state of the world or whatever. I also enjoyed the meetings for the most part***

Your above comments made me take a step back, and reread my comments. You may have helped me to tone down my approach.

I have been out of the borg for more than 20 yrs now. Even so, I can still relate to what you just said.. I have said many times before on forums like this, that many of the things learned and experienced while a jw were in fact benefical. I to have fond memories of many activities they sponsored.

Yet these positives do not in anyway negate the facts. The wtbs is an incidious cult, that imprisons it's adherents to a life of servitude. My entire family is still confined. My fondest wish is for them to be set free. So every time I post I try and emphasize the glaring contradiction of this fanatical religion.

Any positives one can identify, are so pale in comparison with the negative effects, that I have chosen to keep hammering on the facts. The fact is the wtbs is a man-made, man inspired, mind numbing, religious cult in dire need of exposure.

Hope you can understand my motives.

Danny

JNS2

Danny, I really do think I understand your motives. Everything you've said makes sense & when a statement is true it's true. I hope for your sake that you regain your family somehow.

Thanks Gumby (now that REALLY does sound strange), you do seem to have a crystal clear view & a nice way of expressing things. Your points are well made & taken with gratitude!

jns2

gumby

JNS2,

You are a delight to have here. Why? Because you let people know you appreciate them who have said things that help you. You seem very humble and willing to listen to reason. I hope you will be helped here by the many members insights that are offered. I know I was. Anyways.....it's nice to have your type here.

Gumby

blondie

Hi JNS2, welcome.

First, I need to reword or redefine the question, "Why did I fall away from the truth?"

If by "the truth" you mean what the scriptures and the holy spirit have helped me to understand about God, I have not fallen away from "the truth."

If by "the truth" you mean the doctrine as taught by the FDS/WTS through the WT publications, yes, I have left that unless the scriptures clearly support it.

I would like to think that I have not "fallen" but drawn closer to the truth of God and the scriptures by reading the Bible straight through, not just a scripture here and a scripture there, although that technique has its place in the proper context. I have become like the Bereoans, carefully examining the scriptures.

Acts 17 (NIV) 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Acts 17 (NLT) 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.

Blondie

JNS2

Thanks again Gumby & Blondie. It feels like coming out of a fog into clear blue sky. I don't want to throw away whatever good there was in my last couple decades, but I do like the idea of examining things closely from now on & not making the same mistakes over & over.....jns2

donkey

Apologies in advance Simon for some bad language - I cannot express myself any other way without portraying how strongly I feel:

What eats me so much till this day is that I was willing to die for beliefs I held as a JW. I was threatened with my life and I had clear visions of possibly having to die for the faith I used to have (sorry but I refuse to disclose any further details on my history for personal reasons - suffice to say I still suffer from nightmares from what happened over 20 years later). I would have been dead and gone for nothing but lies and unproven beliefs. It is so fucked up and I was such a fuckup for believeing in this religious fairy tale bullshit. I absolutely despise religion now - it is the greatest evil ever devised by man. I wish people could see how powerful belief systems are, what they will make people do and what they will make people go through (all at the huge risk of the belief being WRONG).

Jack

Why did I fall away from the truth???

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