Help - it's drawing me in again (page 2)

Greenpalmtreestillmine

AJN,

May I suggest that you e-mail Raymond Franz at his Commentary Press site and express your concerns to him. He is very capable and loving and will I am sure give the best advice he can.

Sabrina

waiting

AJN, can you honestly and sincerely love and worship a God who will kill you if you don't? - James Thomas

This is such a GOOD QUESTIONS! I've read several books non-jw related about God, "being saved" .....and it occurred to me.....WHO am I supposed to be saved FROM?

In other words, God is telling me to believe in him & be saved......saved from God killing me.

The Baptists, etc....believe they'll be saved from God throwing them into a burning Hellfire. The JW's believe they'll be saved from God killing them at Armageddon - which means the Second Death by being thrown in the Lake of Fire....and no resurrection.

If a parent told a child that "If you obey me, I'll save you (save you from being killed by me.). If you don't obey me, I'll kill you." Well, if a parent said that to a child they're supposed to love anyway, we might wonder about that family, now wouldn't we.

But somehow......most of mankind feel the need to be saved from God killing them.

waiting

wednesday

I physicaly left several years ago, but mentally, well, i was still a jw when i came to this board sept 02. I knew the jws were unloving , but i could not bring myself to read the doctrine threads. Boy i do now, and am i amazed at what i did not know as a jw.

It is hard to leave a group that makes u feel special, and has all the answers. It is nice having all the answers. Now i don't have all the answers, and know i was just being duped anyway. Its hard to leave a buit in social group. But by the time i left, they could have cared less if i ever came to the KH again.

I would suggest u go over to Freeminds(link is in the link section) and read some of Garybuss writings. They are simple and easy to understand. They have helped me a lot. Another poster who could be of some help is JT. do a search and read some of his posts. He was an elder and x bethlite. also, Lady lee has some amazing posts. Gary buss is right too, u may need some help from a therpist who knows about cults.

Carmel

I don't know where you live, but if I were you, I'd link up with the next apostafest and get some support in person. You seem to honestly neet people in you life to help you with the isolation that being a dubby created for you. I sincerely hope you can find another xjw to link with. You need a life ring!

carmel

jgnat

Great advice all around. Here is my thread for newbies.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/58215/1.ashx

Amen and amen about the information available from Gary Buss, AlanF, Freeminds, Lady Lee, and Maximus. Thanks, Big Tex, for resurrecting some great threads.

My theory is that it is not enough to turn away from a negative religion. That creates a black hole, so your feelings are not surprising. And the Witness religion is VERY negative. Everybody else is wrong save the FDS.

If I were you, I would work on filling your mind with new thoughts and ideas, and filling your days with new friends. Take a book out from the library on spiritual matters. Join a club or start a hobby. Fill up your life with positive alternatives. Trust me, the warmth you remember from the KH will appear anaemic by comparison. I do believe that such a self-reforming exercisw will leave you in a better position to recognize a twisted bit of logic, or if you are being treated rudely. So much behavior in the KH is treated as "normal" that is actually very rude and dismissive of a person's privacy and individuality. As you build up a better picture of who you are and what you believe, you will be more resistant to bad behavior.

AJN

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply and give me all that info, advice and links - I really appreciate it :) I've checked them all out and I'm a bit mindblown by it all but it'll sink in slowly :)

I did something really stupid or brave today - I contacted an Elder and went round to buy some literature - didn't give him my address of course and because I'm disfellowshipped he didn't push for a Bible study (thank heavens for small mercy's). I got some mags, the NWT and the knowledge book and draw close to Jehovah book. All good stuff for research :)

Thanks again everyone :) You're awesome ppl :)

Mysterious

I got some mags, the NWT and the knowledge book and draw close to Jehovah book. All good stuff for research :)

I would suggest along with your NWT you cross reference the scriptures in another translation of the bible as well. That should get you a clearer look at what the scriptures are saying. You can find the NIV bible free online so you dont have to worry about going out and getting yourself a copy.

Mulan

I don't know if this is the right question to ask but don't any of you feel there might be genuine 'Truth' in the 'Truth'?

No...............the longer I am out, the more I know they have very little truth. At first I thought they had the basics right. Now I realize they miss it so far, at least a mile off.

You have to reach your own conclusions though. But a group that is so mean spirited so as to coerce its members to shun their own family if they don't support their teachings cannot, in my opinion, have any truth to them. A little rottenness spoils the whole thing.

patio34

Waiting brilliantly said:

If a parent told a child that "If you obey me, I'll save you (save you from being killed by me.). If you don't obey me, I'll kill you." Well, if a parent said that to a child they're supposed to love anyway, we might wonder about that family, now wouldn't we.

But somehow......most of mankind feel the need to be saved from God killing them.

Now, that is just plain smart. I'm so glad you elaborated on James' question! I thought the question was good but didn't get the full import of the implications!

Thanks Waiting!!

Pat

patio34

And AJN,

Sorry you feel that way. I guess you have to be the one to make that decision. There've been a lot of good posts on it, especially I liked Gary's that says that's a sign of high-mind-control groups. All the best,

Pat

Help - it's drawing me in again

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