current JW's, asking a question... (page 2)

jwbot

I came to realize that an organization that has such interest in supressing information and silencing dissent can't really be trusted to tell the truth about its self. I would have to go elsewhere to get a more complete picture of what this organization was really all about. So, I ended up here.

I know exactly how you feel, that is why I came here. Of course, there are other reasons why I can not be in the religion, one being their treatment of women. But I didn't exactly need answers, I needed to know I wasn't alone.

Thanks to everyone for responding!

Pyrohectic

What are your reasons for being here?

Curiosity, mostly. Like minded people? Not so much.

To argue with those that oppose? To seek answers to questions? To share your doubts?

No, although sometimes I sure feel like it(some of these posts either have me laughing uncontrollably or shaking my head or some mixture of both.) The only doubts I have are due to my own issues. That's what therapy's for, I suppose.

Flowerpetal

I am a current witness. I agree a lot with what Still said. Also I have been on a JW discussion board for almost 7 years on AOL. There are many BACs who inhabit that board, and while all of them said they "loved" us and were concerned that we weren't being taught the "truth" many of them did not know how to make rational arguments and resorted to ad hominen attacks, which we retailated in return. But some of the BACs (Born-Again Christians) were very nice, and I learned a lot about more about certain interpretations of the scriptures from them. And I started to notice that the society does not discuss a lot of chapters in the Bible--they sort of leave them alone. In looking at these chapters, mostly in the Greek scriptures, I found some treasures and realized that the society does not (although it is stressed) consider the entire context of some scriptural text. They just pick out certain verses and make an application which most of the time is in error.

I have had questions all along, I have come to realize, but have kept them to myself. I decided earlier this year, that I would do a slow fade. The district convention this past year was agony for me. Now I've been to a lot of conventions over the years, and many of them were pretty good, but it seems like in the past few years, they've been going down hill. All I seem to hear is the droning on of subjects that I have heard since I was a child. (I was raised in the "truth"). I am of the old school I guess you would say, having spent my childhood in the '50's and my teen years in the '60's.

Several years ago I read CoC only to shut up witnesses and non-witnesses alike on the JW AOL board. I felt that I could not argue something about someone whom I have not read. Before that, I also was of the opinion that Ray Franz was an apostate, but when I started reading his book, I saw that he wasn't--and his book is not an attack on the society. I have ordered In Search of Christian Freedom to read as well. There are other things going on in my life as well that need resolution--and I'm not sure how they are going to turn out--but it's going to be a slow resolution.

I have also talked to athiests and agnostics on AOL, and their questions, somewhat, made me start questioning what I have been taught more than the BACs. After you're around them for a while and try to convince them that an invisible creature talking thru a snake made Eve eat of the fruit of the tree starts to sound silly. Plus trying to tell them that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914, and them asking for proof and you go to WWI, they will shoot that argument down in a heartbeat. It really started making me think more about what I have been taught. How can anybody put a date on anything superhuman beings might do? Some of my questions have to do with 1914-1918, Christ coming to clean his spiritual temple, and all that stuff. There is absolutely NO physical proof that this has happened. And if it did happen, then following the course of events in Revelation, everything should have been all over with by now. There wouldn't be this period of seeming peace since all that stuff "happened" during 1914-1918. It sort of leaves me hanging...if you know what I mean.

Plus, I think you guys are great. You have incredible wit; I love your sense of humor and the way you express yourselves about the "truth" and the Borg,---only another JW with a good sense of humor could appreciate it!!!!

JT

"What are they (the Society) so afraid of? What information is out there that is so powerful that they have to try so hard to supress it?"

and this is the most powerful issue facing any jw who honestly thinks about it- we knock on doors day and night and tell folks to challenge their faith put it to the fire test

yet a jw knows NOT TO ASK CERTAIN QUESTION - how sad

ALL the cheap lines of , IT WILL WEAKEN YOUR FAITH, IT IS POISION, ETC after awhile simply don't cut the mustard as to why jw are so afraid to put thier belief system to the fire test

welcome to the site

JT

for those of you who are still jw, take your time, don't feel a need to rush one way or the other- it is a "Process"

the most important one is called Confirmation, as has been pointed out here over and over almost every jw has FORBIDDEN QUESTIONS and the way the org is structured one is made to push those questions into the back ground- as i used to tell folks

if you spend more time in service, meeetings and reading the publicastion you will not have time for such FOOLISH QUESTIONS - of course that never really addressed the quetion, merely pushed it into the background

so for many coming here merely CONFIRMS what many have had as concerns for YEARS-

ONCE the confirmation takes place then it is a matter of deciding do i want to continue being involved with something that consumes up my entire life where all my hopes and dreams and goals have to be put on the backburner for what i know now will never take place

i think of all the dr and lawyers and scienctist, actors, musican, folks who would play in orchestras, etc who will NEVER COME OUT OF THE JW due to believing that to pursue such things NOW is wrong, but wait till the new order then you can study about the different birds and so forth

i think of all of us here many who have literally PUT OUT LIVES ON HOLD waiting for a new system that was promised over 130yrs ago-

so for folks who come here and get the confirmation they then have to make a choice and it takes time

some leave right away for me it took 3 yrs - in 1995 with the generation change i started heading out the door- in 98 i turned in my Flock book and my wife and i have never crossed the sill of a Hall since

we started new careers, moved, built a home and now back in college to get the degrees we gave up to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM - pio/bethel

for some they will not be able to move or go back to collge, but regardless the freedom of knowing that now my wife and YOU TOO can lay in the bed on Sunday Morning in your "Drawers" and read the Washington Post

man there is no greater freedom

tyydyy

Just let me say to those of you who are currently still JW. Congratulations for making it here. The ability to examine your religion and even your own beliefs makes you a unique person. Very few are able to do that. Even people who are not JW hold tightly to what they were taught as a kid. Most of us here understand the fear and anxiety that you must be going though. It is tough. Exciting, but tough. Hang in there and keep exploring for yourself. Don't just find another way to belief the same thing. Find out what the "truth" really is. You may never be satisfied but it's the search that brings the most pleasure anyway. Keep asking yourself the tough questions. Prove just how strong you really are. Good luck!

TimB

SM62

I am still a JW married to a JW. He is a 'proper' (for want of a better word) JW and I am just going through the motions. I am irregular at meetings - haven't been for a while, and I never go on field service any more. Having said that, I still have doubts about whether this is the 'truth' and whether I am making a mistake in leaving, but then I think of the horrible way they treat people by DFing and DAing and then I think it can't be true.

Still pretty confused at the moment, but hopefully things will settle down soon. Whenever I think I have gotten things staight in my mind, my husband will talk to me about some point from the meeting and then I get confused again. He has a great knowledge of the Bible and can run rings around me.

Terri

Flowerpetal

Hang in there Terri. Keep looking and searching..you may find a lot of answers right here, where you will get stronger with knowledge, not be confused and be able to one day run rings around your hubby. There will be a time where you will approach him with something or ask him something and he won't be able to answer you.

Also, I suggest you read Amazing's story of how he got out of the org. I just finished it the other day. It's a great story and you might be able to use some points in discussions with your hubby.

To Amazing: I'm not much for sending private messages, and I think this deserves public attention:

I loved your story---it was funny and sad all at the same time! It has helped me a lot. Still waiting to see a pic of your brother whom you say looks like Mel Gibson..unless you posted it somewhere already where I haven't looked.

zev

SM62:
"Whenever I think I have gotten things staight in my mind, my husband will talk to me about some point from the meeting and then I get confused again. He has a great knowledge of the Bible and can run rings around me."

just a thought.

my 2 pence as it were.

Stacy Smith

Wow

I didn't think a dub would respond to this thread so I admire your honesty. You guys rock.

I was never dunked in the pool but of course witnesses won't associate with me any longer and I miss a couple of them from my old congregation. I'm sure they miss me too but they are locked into the current rules and trying to be good witnesses. I hold no resentment towards them at all. I hope you guys are happy.

current JW's, asking a question...

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