My God, What HAVE I done? (page 2)

TR

Slayer,

That IS scary! Looks like we have a lot in common.

Carmel,

you very well could be right. No one else in the family is an 'apostate', so my brother hasn't heard these things before. I sure don't want his family to fall apart over this, though.

Mommy,

Thanks. I'm constantly amazed at how much we all have in common. I hope our respective situations end up panning out for the good. My sympathy for your situation also. Why are we so willing to hand over our reasoning abilities to some other entity?

TR

"cults suck"

RedhorseWoman

Sorry about this, TR. However, I do have to agree with Carmel on this. Perhaps right now your brother may react badly to this, but you have planted a seed that might encourage him to start thinking and investigating on his own. These things take time, but some good may come from it.

Mommy, I'm wondering if you should just tell your children the real reason why Grandma isn't writing or speaking to them. Tell them it's not that she doesn't love them, but that her religion teaches her strange things and they have told her she can't associate with her grandchildren. At least that way they won't think that it was anything THEY did.

slipnslidemaster

My first thought when I read this thread and the other one was that you have planted the seed.

Give it some time.

My name is Slipnslideius Masterus: commander of the armies of the North, general of the Felix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius...

nojw86

WE have done nothing but to give information that might open up their eyes, only out love for them.But hopefully a seed might be planted. Mommy so sorry for you and the children,like RHW said telling them its ways of their religion. What a horrible effect this org. Cult I should say leaves on all of us. nojw

trevor

TR,
I am sorry to hear that you may have lost your brother by speaking the truth.

I had managed to keep a relationship with my younger brother, an elder, going for the fifteen years since I jumped from the tower. He came to stay with his wife, in March just gone. We got into a discussion about truth and whether the old men at the bethel are spirit annointed. It was a friendly and civilized discussion. We had a meal afterwards and made adate to see them. Later that week I recieved a letter telling me he could not see me any more. He then contacted my parents who have also written to say they cannot see me. My sister and other narrow-minded frightened relatives have followed suit.

Do I have any regrets. None at all. I refuse to live my life in fear and silence, being blackmailed by a bunch of selt-righteous religionists. I have spent too long bitting my tounge.

I think you did the right thing in pointing out to your brother the errors of the club he belongs to. It may cause you pain right now but in the long term you will be helping him. At least you know that you have tried. I hope he can accept what you have said was truthful and that you simply presented him with facts that he did not have before. He may yet come to respect you and appreciate what you have tried to do. It could be a long wait but worth it in the end.

JT

tr

sorry to hear about what happened don't feel too bad - it is very hard not to say anything once you come to know what you have

one of the nice things about the net is that we are able to learn from each other had to walk the minefields of WT esp when it comes to family members still in.

as mentioned you have planted the seed-- what happens now will be up to your bro.

we hope that you come out without to many cuts and bruises

james

Thirdson

Hey TR,

I have done the same with my elder (and older) brother. Since I questioned the blood issue in the light of the January BMJ article he hasn’t been in contact with me. My mom and dad occasionally get upset when I send then something or ask difficult questions. We get over it.

With your brother it’s hardly a big issue. After all, you only quoted the official Watchtower.

On the actual issue at hand, and supposing no one believes that the scanned copy is legitimate, what did the term “our generation” mean? Does the Watchtower refer to the generation of 1914, or of 1989? If the 1989 one, then what is implied in the soon to be completed work? Does it mean that the preaching work is destined to go on into the 2060’s or 2070’s? If the generation is the one of 1914 (as believed back then to be the generation of people born in or prior to that year) then the completion work has to be completed in the next decade or so otherwise the generation will be dead. What will the Watchtower passage mean after 2014? It means, whichever way you take it, the men in Brooklyn just don’t have a clue.

Thirdson

'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'

mommy

RHW,
Great advice! My children are already aware she is in that religion. I have educated them on that much. I basically say now that grandma is busy now. But I think I will answer them with all the facts next time they ask. Which I know will be the next time we go to the post office.

ThanksPerhaps a phone call from them asking for answers may do the trick too. I am just frightened she will tell them it is my decision. She firmly beleives it was my choice to leave the family. I just wanted to leave the corrupt org that is holding them so tight. I never wanted to leave my family, to bad they can't realize this.
wendy

RedhorseWoman

Well, Wendy, if your mother tells them it was YOUR decision, explain to them that YOU do not want to break off relations with the family, but that you no longer want to attend their church because you no longer believe what they teach. Stress that you still love their Grandma, and that YOU want to see HER, but that Grandma has told you that you must attend HER church in order for her to speak with you.

Children are not stupid. Even they will be able to see how illogical this is. It's almost the same as their friends saying that they will only play with your children if you shop at K-Mart, rather than WalMart.

ianao

Mommy:

Love for your family cannot compete with arrogant agape. I suggest you tell your kids that your grandmother is dead. That's exactly the way the rest of your family thinks of it anyway.

If that sounds harsh, then I'm sure you could learn to ERASE your mother/family from your life the way they have ERASED you from theirs.

My God, What HAVE I done?

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