Hello and welcome Do the-math.
Sounds like my dad reminding me to do my homework.
I was born in1935 into a family where the mother was a true believer in the jw org.. My dad, the do-the-math enforcer, was not interested. I was an elder for @ 4 yrs. if my memory serves me correctly.
I lost faith in the wbts after the debacle of 1975. Started to drift away but didn't make waves, due to my now ex wife and my siblings and others still in.
Yes I always knew that I had learned a lot about being an honest person, having good morals, being loyal and forgiving, caring and having a good grasp of ehtics.
Since I had been raised and taught to believe that these things were more manifest, if not found only, in the studies of the wbts. I just KNEW, that the jw's had a much higher and richer standard of morals etc. than the world in general.
When I drifted away I started having more and more associations with worldly people and less and less with jw's.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that the population in general also had these teachings and beliefs. That they supported these same values as the jw's. I learned that not all of the general population upheld or lived within these values. I alread knew, that this was also true of those labeled as jw's.
My message to you is that there are many good things to be found in the jw's beliefs. But since these are also in the general population, this does not put the jw's on an elevated standard.
Then after my daughter told me of being molested by an elder and my finding it was past the statute of limitations, leaving the jw elders as the only other source of justice, other than the civil court, I took this issue to them. To make this short, they acknowledged that they believed two of the ultimate 5 accusers and that my daughter was one of those believed. Then the wbts tells them to drop the issue and do nothing. Leaving this elder in good standing.
This made me into their enemy and filled with anger. When I told the elders of what I thought of them and the wbts they looked for a way to df me. They found a way.
This caused me to recognize that the wbts actions and those of the elders was very similar to the way a corporation or a worldly religion, that is caught indulging in illegal acts, behaves when cornered by the athorities.
After a lot of study, reading, checking out documentation of the actions of the wbts and not concentrating too much on religious issues, I came to learn that it is safer and one is less troubled with emotional and mental turmoil, and maintaining ones marriage and family ties, by living as far out of the jw's reach as possible.
Yes there are many good teachings about conduct in the teachings of the wbts, but they are far outweighed by the many many destructive teachings.
PS Now after 13 years and my sending info to the proper attorney, the situation has gotten so hot for the wbts and the local elders, that this molester is finally disfellowshipped.
I can only wonder what happened in these 13 yrs. How many others??? How many other coverups??. It really makes me sad to think that this could have been handled 13 yrs. ago. What a waste.
Outoftheorg
