Why would anyone choose to support Jehovah’s Witnesses? (page 5)

cofty

PS:I was not raised or born in. I converted at 25. And yes, I did study virtually all religions before converting from Presbyterian. - Makeme

Were you a homophobe before you became a JW?

Doubtfully Yours

If there is a hell, I will be there with friends.

Did I mention the WTBTS does not look at American football favorably? Our click does not care about that view point.

And remember... Buffet style, take the good while skipping the non-sense.🏈

DY

Doubtfully Yours

One has to fight it constantly. Being a JW does make you a homophobe. I intentionally make a conscious effort to deprogram in this regard.

Is one of my many complaints to a God creator. How dare you create or allow the existence of certain types and then require them to act against nature? How dare you, you unjust evil jerk?!!!

I digress from the main topic. Sorry. Complicated being I am.

DY

neverendingjourney

So far nothing has moved me enough here to "make me an unbeliever". Thank you for your passionate effort though.

Nah, I don't really care whether you believe. Lots of people on this forum obviously do. That's their right just as it's your right to defend the Witnesses.

I wasted too much of my life trying to change people's beliefs. I'm just kind of over it on a personal level, to be honest.

The facts are out there. Surely you've been exposed to them being on this forum. There is no rational defense of this religion to be offered. Yet some people need belief to help make sense of the world. To each his own.

Just don't pee down my leg and tell me it's raining.

Bonsai

Doubtfully yours and Make Me,,

I see your points. I have a friend still in who is basically there to keep his family and social circle. He has a miriad of problems with the org and we often debate furiously over the org and its future. I asked why he still puts up with me despite how much I hate the religion of our youth. He said, "despite the sub culture of JWs that we grew up in, I don't believe that friendships are disposable."

This experience made me realize that there are so many quality people stuck in the organization. I feel bad for them and they are not to be despised. I really appreciate those stuck in who don't make excuses for the org and are trying to affect changes from within. The Berlin Wall didn't just collapse because of pressure from the west. The wall collapsed mostly because those stuck on the inside were brave, fought the system discreetly and slowly bled it out by inflicting a thousand paper cuts.

neverendingjourney

Now as to answer your "real question". The ancient Jewish faith was flawed but they were the chosen nation. No doubt surrounding nations thought them crazy and they probably warned their young ones of pitfalls. So the comparison to Christendom could very well fit today.

Here's the problem. If all religions are flawed, this reasoning will prevent people from changing beliefs.

Someone who's born a Mormon, for instance, would not make a change to the JWs because while his religion might be flawed, so are the Witnesses. It's the "where shall we go?" fallacy. Absent evidence of a lack of flaws in another group, the person will stay in their current group assuming it's the "chosen religion."

And it assumes there is such a thing as a "God's people" or a "chosen nation" to begin with.

Going back to your example. Maybe the ancient Jews made up a religion just like every ancient group of peoples did. Maybe Yahweh was just a mythical as Zeus, Krishna or Ra. Maybe the Jews were crazy and the surrounding nations were right to warn their young ones.

sparrowdown

Some people just don't care if their religion is true or stupid, or if their policies are right or wrong, or even if their policies are just plain cruel. They just don't care if their religion's policies cause suffering and death. They just don't care if their religious leaders lie or what they do with donated money. They don't care if abuse victims are treated like sinners and abusers are protected by the silence of the elders. They just don't care. They're happy, so that makes it all ok.

neverendingjourney

Some people just don't care if their religion is true or stupid, or if their policies are right or wrong, or even if their policies are just plain cruel. They just don't care if their religion's policies cause suffering and death. They just don't care if their religious leaders lie or what they do with donated money. They don't care if abuse victims are treated like sinners and abusers are protected by the silence of the elders. They just don't care. They're happy, so that makes it all ok.

I couldn't have said it better myself, honestly. You've distilled it down to its very essence in a few short sentences. Bravo.

Makemeanunbeliever

PS:I was not raised or born in. I converted at 25. And yes, I did study virtually all religions before converting from Presbyterian. - Makeme

Were you a homophobe before you became a JW?

Childish argument. I don't like murder, does that make me a murderphode? I don't like rape, does that make me a rapephobe? Geesh.

Makemeanunbeliever

Now as to answer your "real question". The ancient Jewish faith was flawed but they were the chosen nation. No doubt surrounding nations thought them crazy and they probably warned their young ones of pitfalls. So the comparison to Christendom could very well fit today.

Here's the problem. If all religions are flawed, this reasoning will prevent people from changing beliefs.

Someone who's born a Mormon, for instance, would not make a change to the JWs because while his religion might be flawed, so are the Witnesses. It's the "where shall we go?" fallacy. Absent evidence of a lack of flaws in another group, the person will stay in their current group assuming it's the "chosen religion."

And it assumes there is such a thing as a "God's people" or a "chosen nation" to begin with.

Going back to your example. Maybe the ancient Jews made up a religion just like every ancient group of peoples did. Maybe Yahweh was just a mythical as Zeus, Krishna or Ra. Maybe the Jews were crazy and the surrounding nations were right to warn their young ones.

Maybe, maybe not. I'm leaning towards the latter.

Why would anyone choose to support Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Share this