Is There Any Thing That Would Make A JW SERIOUSLY Question Their Religion?

by minimus 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  careful

  MNINC:

  Perhaps if one of the governing body members showed up to morning worship with a beard, that might do it.
  

  On the contrary, it might show that they are lightening up and thereby attract some inactive ones to return.

  Of course, it's impossible to just show up with a beard. Since it takes time to grow one, the scenario is unreal (perhaps your comments were meant to be?) and the GB members are so high profile and constantly in the limelight, they could never take off for a while and then grow one unawares. It would be nice if they did grow some beards, however.
  
• 

  minimus

  I think it’s a combination of things. Most times we allow things, absorb them, and MoveOn. But I agree that when it becomes very personal it may make a difference. For me, it was a combination of things . Many of the viewpoints just make no sense plus having to legislate rules that I knew were stupid and judgmental made me want to exit it all.
• 

  Island Man

  I will say that for the overwhelming majority of JWs, only a very negative, disillusioning personal experience in the religion, will get them to seriously question their religion.

  Very few will seriously question after hearing TTATT. Most dismiss TTATT as being nothing but "apostate driven" lies.

  JWs have been carefully trained to dull their own rational, logical and critical thinking skills in favor of gullible emotional thinking that blindly and naively laps up rose-colored, self-serving, emotive Watchtower propaganda and super cynically and prejudicially dismisses all negative information just because it is negative, without any regard whatsoever as to testing out its truthfulness. In fact, many JWs will outright tell you they do not want to hear it, if they know you're about to share negative information with them. Classic burying the head in the sand!
• 

  Finkelstein

  The core doctrines of the JWS such as 1914 and the following This Generation were derived with fault and tainted by virtue of the non scriptural support and commercial appeal toward literature proliferation.
  
• 

  moreconfusedthanever

  From my own experiences with family still in nothing will have them sway. They want the live forever in paradise with your resurrected loved ones and no amount of scandal and negative personal experiences will shake them awake.

  Everything we say is written off as Satan influencing our minds to take us from Jehovah. Every Injustice is committed by imperfect humans and not Jehovah and therefore we must not leave Jehovah because of what imperfect man does.

  Leave it in Jehovah's hands. He will fix it in his own time. Remember he is very patient with mankind because he loves everyone.

  It's hard but I have to shut up and leave them to their delusion. They couldn't survive the wake up.
• 

  nowwhat?

  Tithing might do it
• 

  stillajwexelder

  We got it wrong on 1914 ? That would be dynamite imho.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Just consider how many JWs you know that were around to witness the 1975 fiasco. (Doc meekly raises his hand.)

  Add to that how many JWs you know that witnessed first hand the changing of the 100-year old doctrine of "THIS GENERATION (of 1914) WILL NOT PASS AWAY" to this incredulous "Overlapping Generation" joke.

  If one (or both) of those was not enough to wake up every JW to the bullshit of it all, then there is nothing that cannot be "excused" in the mind of a loyal JW . . . UNTIL THEY WANT TO RESOLVE THE QUESTIONS & DOUBTS that have been accumulating in their little locked compartment of their head.
• 

  mikeflood

  It's really difficult change things when you believe...for exampke, we couldn't make the Amish leave their horses and carriages.....
• 

  dozy

  The Society - whether by accident or design - have developed a form of "associate member" where you get most of the perks without paying the full subscription , as it were.

  Many JWs have kind of left anyway - mentally at least . It's very easy for JWs to stay in and just go through the motions - an occasional bit of notional ministry , attending as few meetings as they can get away with. Why go to the effort of completely leaving a religion with all of the hassle , potential blackballing and shunning and rebuilding of a life that is involved?

  I remember a few months before I stopped attending sitting at the back of a KH and collating who answered up at the Watchtower. In an attendance of maybe 80 ( of a congregation where the official size was over 120 ) , only about 40% bothered to answer up even once. I did microphone duty for a few minutes - easily half the Watchtowers or more hadn't been studied ( that was in the days when they were paper copies ). Songs were mumbled. People were nodding off. The main activity seemed to be toilet breaks to relieve the boredom.

  Many JWs have already voted with their feet.