Has The Internet REALLY Hurt Jehovah's Witnesses? (page 9)

Sweet Sally

jgnat:

i am not offended at all. your questioning my 'logical fallacy' is a bit disconserting as i still hold what i said there. how does anything i said there seem different than what i'm saying now?

Sal

I am glad I did not offend. I will try and explain again. You say that people that come here were on their way out anyways, so the internet has little impact on the WTS. You also claim that loyal witnesses would not post here, because they are not supposed to. Yet, you come here. Though you claim your belief is unshakeable, you still come here. You say you come out of curiosity.

Would it not follow that there are others like yourself that lurk here?

Nosferatu makes another excellent point. WTS growth is also dependent on a certain percentage of returns. If those who leave learn more about the WTS through the internet, wouldn't it follow that the rate of return would go down?

Before, former Witnesses would say, like Peter, "Where else would we go?". Now they know.

Sweet Sally

jgnat:

you will have to explain a lot harder. where in anything i've posted here did i say what my beliefs are. as i said before, you assume too much! curiosity does not equal a certain belief IMHO.

Sal

jgnat

You are saying that firm belief is commendable, and that it is an inborn need.

Shouldn't the people change instead of the belief?
If the belief has been good enough for centuries, isn't it good enough now?
The basics Jesus taught are still relevant.
If you believe all scripture is inspired why change?
Civilizations have advanced beyond all predictions lately but humans still have the same inborn needs.

I concluded from this that you believe your own belief is unshakeable. Did I take my assumption too far and assume that your belief is in the WTBTS? You have used certain trigger-words that XJW’s typically avoid like the plague...

Are you a believer in predestination?

Sweet Sally

jgnat:

the basic 'inborn need' that man has is to 'call on' a higher power. certainly while a firm belief is commendable, not all attain this. a study of the scriptures may be helpful as a means of gaining a firm belief. as i stated in post 21 sometimes i take a certain side 'for the sake of arguement' so what my true beliefs are is totally irrelevent here. i still say a JW who is swayed by searching the net was ready to leave anyway.

Sal

jgnat

Surely, firm belief alone is not commendable. The man who hijacked a plane and flew it in to the World Trade Centre had firm belief, misplaced.

Sweet Sally

jgnat:

your words "that firm belief is commendable". now you twist it around to make it look like i think it was ok to hijack a plane and fly it into the WTC. get real!!!!

Sal

jgnat

Sorry, I am not trying to twist. I am just trying to establish a common foundation. All I am suggesting is that firm belief, alone, is not commendable.

I am suggesting that firm belief must be in something worthy of that belief.

Can you agree with that statement at least?

BluesBrother

i still say a JW who is swayed by searching the net was ready to leave anyway.

Ok, I had some issues with the faith and local congs, but It was only when I found out the hard information on the net , that I really found that I could never follow it again.

There was a Kingom Ministry insert that really hammered the net. I thought I just had to get on line and see for myself. From then on the rest is history . Think of the lurkers who may never register but see enough to change their views and the "Interested ones" who take the trouble to find out and it is a big reason why the influx has turned to a trickle

WOW! I just noticed that I am a Jedi master ! I trust that will gain me suitable respect

jws

Two things....

First off, the question was whether the internet hurts the JWs. I believe it can hurt them and affect people who have never even been on the net. People who would never think of disobeying the Society and searching the net may be influenced by a fellow JW who has gone on the net. Tracing it back to the start, the info on the net was the thing that started it all.

And secondly, we know there are JWs who come to these boards strongly defending the JW position. I believe there are personal experiences of people who once defended them and are now ex-JWs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when this board started off, wasn't it pro-JW? Wasn't Simon a JW? I remember a few months ago, the order of posts got rearranged and I started seeing early posts and was shocked. I thought the board was taken over by pro-JWs.

The Watchtower is a lie. Seeing it exposed, it's hard to maintain loyalty. It can be done, but often times, doubt creeps in and eventually takes its toll.

Has The Internet REALLY Hurt Jehovah's Witnesses?

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