I went to the elders several times as a teenager telling them of my father's physical and emotional abuse. Although they were kindly and "loving" all they ever told me was "Wait on Jehovah". The fact that they wouldn't step in to help, but would be more than happy to spank me or my brothers when my parents weren't around, blew me away. And this was at the "good" congregation I enjoyed being at. Ultimately it was the lack of love shown me when I confessed my disfellowshipping offense. I wanted help for our family and found a cold shoulder. I knew at that point something wasn't Right. I asked myself for years, would God's ordained organization of today be this unloving? I don't even look back anymore. There is truly more relief than mourning.
As a loyal JW, what made you to start doubting the Watchtower ???
by run dont walk 57 Replies latest jw friends
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blondie
That's true, Eduardo. But it makes one think. So a creative day was not 7,000 years long back in 1968 when this concept was being used to make JWs think there was a chance the end might come in 1975 based on the end of 6,000 years of human history in 1975 and the start of 1,000 years of Christ's reign. It was singularly deceptive of the WTS to quietly slip in the concept of a creative day now being many thousands of years. There was no fanfare like there was in 1966 with the release of the Freedom of the Sons of God book. I'm sure it was/is embarrassing for the WTS and they would like to pretend that they always thought that a creative day was more than 7,000 years long.
The Reasoning book did not come out until 1985 (revised in 1989).
The Creation book also came out in 1985.
The brief mention of creative days being thousands of years escaped many JWs so that when the Creator book came out in 1998, they were surprised by the change and in some cases felt betrayed.
How many JWs realize that until 1943 the WTS taught that Jesus presence began in 1874 not the 1914 the WTS now espouses.
While the WTS does not teach a creative day is 7,000 years now, at one time it was taught vigorously and based a crucial teaching about 1975 being an important year.
I wonder how many other teachings the WTS will quietly ignore and sweep under the "rug" when "new light" is presented. Rewriting history, makes the spectre of Big Brother loom large with doublespeak.
Blondie
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pamkw
The way I had always been treated. I was never good enough and it wasn't because I wasn't trying. I had mad mistakes as a kid, and no one seemed to be able to forget them. I was one of those people that new ones were told about. She used to be df, she has two kids and not married, etc, etc. I hated being so alone. I felt guilty because I didn't want to go, and I didnt want to go to meetings and I didn't want to go out in service (hated that). So I got married so I could use my non jw husband to stop going to meetings. Then I felt guilty and thought I was killing my children. I was miserable. Until I started reading on the internet. Then it was the generation change that really got me going. It was great to get rid of the guilt, I was not killing my children. I have never looked back since.
Pam
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nelly1
you know its amazing how some of us experienced the same things...ironic isnt it??
I was in the org for 13 years..a very loyal and faithful witness..who beleived she was truly serving her god....i went to all meetings..feild service...I was a single mother with 3 small children and we were going thru alot when i first got involved..the kids father was a pedophile( and no he wasnt a witness)
i got rid of him..but when i look back on those 13 yrs in the org... there was only one sister who truly cared and it was she who taught me what love was...as a child i was abandoned so i really didnt know..
she was always supportive and loving to me and she wasnt even in my cong...sad to say she is fanatical about the religion..:(
still in and i havnt talked to her since i left... i can relate to what alot have posted here..but you know you dont realise how bad it was in until you get out.....
gee so much to say wants to all come out at once...one thing i experienced is that alot that have priviledges in my cong will talk the talk but not walk the walk...busy preaching and teaching it but man soo hypocritical....cold hard men...i cannot stand any of them..I really tried to like them and be upbuilding to them..but all they did was ignore me...
i had a hell of a time to go through when i was in there with high court trials..and all that crap that went along with it..no matter how hard i tried to be the perfect witness it was never good enough..no matter wether i pioneered....worked on QB over and over whatever was required i did....
I felt worn out and tired and depressed...and when they started setting me up elders lying and me having to have a judicial well that was the begining of the end for me...and trying to control my every move ohh mani hated it...
counseled for the most ridiculous things...going out to lunch with my bible student..then my answerphone message which i got rapped on the knuckles for . so stupid as it was real funny.
but suffice to say...it is correct about no love there is none at all...and as far as christianity...there is more of that in paganism than there is in the WT...
and i relate to what was said about so called people outside the org who are said to be wicked etc...sheesh since i been out i have met more loving ppl in just under a year than in 13 in that stupid cult.....I feel so much happier now im out :):)
huggss from nelly to all
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Swan
The brief mention of creative days being thousands of years escaped many JWs so that when the Creator book came out in 1998, they were surprised by the change and in some cases felt betrayed.
THIS CHANGED! I didn't know this! Did this really change in 1998? I've been out since January 1994. I grew up thinking a creative day was 7000 years and that everything except the Earth and the heavens were less than 50,000 years old. This change is a fundamental back-pedal. If I was still in, this convenient change would really give me doubts.
WOW!
Tammy
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tonyend
For me it began with the blood issue as I was reading in Genesis and comparing it with Acts then realizing (in my opinion) that these scriptures have nothing whatsoever to do with blood transfusions. Also, the not being able to take the so-called "major components" of blood but being allowed (if it's ok with your conscience) to take blood fraction products. I began to think "Aren't the major components themselves fractions?"
Then I read Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom. I began to see parallels between the society and Orwell's 1984. Also, I began to be conscience of my guilt just for reading these books. I began to wonder why should I feel so guilty just for reading a book? Why do I feel I have to hide the books? Everthing went downhill from there. I began to realize that I feel like I'm on a treadmill and want to get off!
"despite all my rage i am still just a rat in a cage" - Smashing Pumpkins
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freein89
I am about to turn 47-yes I am having a BIRTHDAY soon, I was raised a JW by parents who went through the motions, I wanted to be a good person-with all my heart I wanted to be a good person, so I had a sister pick me up for meetings when I was 11 years old. My parents thought I was being self-righteous. Can you imagine a self-righteous 11 year old? Anyway I married at 19 and my husband became an elder and we lived the good life being catered to. Who says there is no clergy class. We had 4 kids in 5 years and I did everything to be the proper elder's wife, I had nagging doubts and of course went to my husband with them like a good little wifey. He always soothed me and said "you know it's the truth." Meanwhile back at the ranch he was renting porn and carrying on with a 15 year old. Well eventually the old fur hit the fan and he was df''d but the girl went to the police several months later and my husband was arrested. The elders tried to talk her out of it, told her to let Jehovah's organization take care of it, the elders tried to visit him in jail that night, but were not allowed. You see their loyalty was to him even though they knew that he was guilty. WOW! Of course I had forgiven him without his even having to ask. Ever the good little wifey!!! I didn't know about the porn, or the girl until he was caught with the girl and then I caught him with the porn one night and it scared me to death, plus by then he had done some even worse things which I cannot even bring myself to write and I finally divorced him.
My original doubts from back when I was living in blissful ignorance were very simple. The society always said that as Jehovah's Witnesses we knew the purpose of life, I always tried to discover what that was, I read the literature, I studied, I prayed and of course waited on Jehovah but I could not figure out the purpose of the "happy purposeful life" I had been promised. These were the questions I went to my husband with. After he was df'd I finally saw the hypocrasy, life on the other side of the fence, my loving brothers and sisters weren't my friends anymore, all of a sudden I was one of the wolves in sheeps clothing that we were warned about at the meetings and that hurt. Then we began to study the "new" Revelation book and I realized, "They're making this stuff up!!!!" It hit me like 20,000 volts up my spine, just like that I said it out loud "They're making this stuff up" I'll never forget the shock as long as I live. I disassociated myself with a simple one sentence letter, " I no longer wish to be considered one of Jehovah's Witnesses." Of course much has happened since then and I fulfilled many of the self-fulfilling prophecies, they said I would be scum and sure enough I was. After awile I figured it out. any more of you out there who fulfilled those prophecies? It looks to me like those are the only true ones-at least until you figure it out.
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run dont walk
wow freein 89 unbelievable,
and thanks to everyone who replied, I think these stories will help a lot of people,
keep 'em coming.
run don't walk
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RubaDub
The "One Towel Rule" at assemblies pushed me over the edge.
***** Rub a Dub
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Swan
Oroborus;
My point however is still valid which is that such UNAUTHORIZED behaviour is and was never some sort of deliberate attempt at manipulation by the SOCIETY the way that some anti-JWs have suggested. (Not to mention again that all indications are that such subliminal messaging attempts are ineffective anyway.)
Yes, that is a good point. I don't believe that the Society deliberately did that and I never said that. I don't know the motive of the artist. I only said that if it was Jehovah's communication with his followers, why would his Holy Spirit allow some artist to slip that kind of stuff through undetected. It gave me strong doubts.
Jehovah struck Uzzah dead for keeping the ark of the covenant from tipping over. Imagine what he would do to some smart-alec young priest who tried to draw a mustache on one of the angels. It shook my faith to think that pranksters or apostates in the art department could do this to the "letter from Jah" as I was taught the Watchtower was.
Tammy