by LostMyReligion 42 Replies latest jw friends
Welcome to the board lovingkindness! You certainly had a lot to get off your cheast! Thank you for sharing and I know I still have done days but talking about my experiences, both good and bad, have helped me start to get past this.
Welcome!
Slipnslidemaster: I thought you said your dog doesn't bite? That isn't my dog!
Lovingkindness,
You said:
“They deserve to know "the facts". ( and to learn that Ray Franz has been lied about and mistreated for many years and the lies are still going on today. And the lies that all those who leave the WTS leave God, Jesus, and the Bible. etc. ) Well, I feel that it is well worth the effort even if only a few listen. (after all, only 8 survived the flood) smile”
Please don’t misunderstand the meaning of my earlier post. I was just relaying my own feelings of frustration over having argued (with other JW’s) some of the more blatant doctrinal wrongs taught by the organization, only to have them disengage mentally and start spewing platitudes. Often at times like these, I would see fear in the eyes of the person to whom I was speaking. As a rule, the brothers didn’t like anyone rocking their boat.
Often, while teaching from the platform some hopelessly convoluted or self-contradictory material, I would step down and be congratulated by many for having given such a fine talk. It broke my heart to think that I had just lied to these people, and they didn’t have a clue. So much of the society’s questionable message is hidden behind the credibility that the congregation vests in the speaker – it really bothered me.
So. . . yes, it’s worth it if only a few will listen. They do deserve to hear the facts, even if most refuse to consider them. And I commend anyone who has the courage to take a stand. Jesus said “everyone that is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.” I could never reconcile that statement with much of the material I was directed to dispense. It still bothers me today. That’s what was coming through in my post.
Hi "Copernicus,
I just read your post. I know what you meant, and I know also how extremely difficult it is to try to warn other JW about the WTS, for yes, I also have seen the fear in their eyes. Many who are in the WTS have swallowed the WTS teaching that to go against anything the WTS teaches, is to "sin against the Holy Spirit". (many are so afraid to do this because as you know, to sin against the HS, is an unforgivable sin) In this case, it appears that the WTS have even placed themselves higher than Jesus then, because Jesus said that to sin against him, a person can be forgiven. (One of my JW brother's friends came here last winter and she told me that it is wrong to say anything negative about the WTS' and their teaching, because it is
sinning against the Holy Spirit. Sheesh) They are also very frightened that Satan and the demons will mislead them. As you
know, this is nothing but the "regular programing" they have received weekly, year, after year, coming to the fore. As we all know, we all were also "programed" into believing that the WTS was the "Ark of safety" and to leave it, would mean that we were leaving our chances for survival through Armageddon. (another fear, we received from the Society) Of course now, we know that Jesus said that he was the only door to the sheep and if someone provided a different "door" they were thieves and robbers. Well what the WTS has done is to teach most JW that Jesus is not their mediator but they, themselves are their mediator. ( they replaced themselves as the "door" to the sheep instead of Jesus. The old law covenant is now fulfilled, because Jesus' ransom fulfilled it. Now if a Christian (JW) is not under the new covenant, ( which basically is to love God, accept Jesus as the messiah, and love our neighbor as ourselves) then what do they think that they are under? Just living by their consciences only, such as the lawless, and non Christians? To make a claim of being Christian, a person has to be under the new covenant, or they cannot even say that they are a Christian, for all followers of Christ come under the new covenant. Even Jesus told the Jews at John 6:53.....
" Most truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, You have NO LIFE in yourselves."
It is Satan's trick to make JW think that the new covenant is not for them, and Jesus is not their own mediator, for he wants to mislead as many as he can. ( Matthew 24:24-25) Thankfully, most of us now have our eyes opened to the real truth, and have recognized that Jesus IS OUR MEDIATOR and WE ARE IN THE NEW COVENANT! (Praise and thanks go to our heavenly father Jehovah as well as our Leader and Lord, Jesus. Amen
It seems to me now, that for some JW, it doesn't take much for their eyes to get opened, but others, it almost takesan armored tank, and yet still they can't see the real truth of the WTS. ( my JW brother is the tank type. Grin ) I am now convinced that allot of it has to do with a number of conditions; The person's love for truth and righteousness is perhapsone. The amount of God's Holy Spirit with a person, perhaps another. It seems that God's Spirit might have allot to do with who's heart is open to the message, and who's is not. This is just like planting the Word of the gospel message of Christ. We plant the "seed" and other people, or circumstances, does the watering, ( or unless they keep in contact with us to learn more information) but it is God who makes it grow. For me, it really didn't take much. When I learned about the earlier date (1874) they taught for Christ's return, it shocked me. (for some reason I do not remember seeing that date in the WTS literature before. I guess it is because I never had read the older literature, or paid attention when it came out somewhere in it) I figured that if they were so wrong for so many years before, then what proof do they have now for 1914? Also it burned in my mind how the WTS literature talks as if they "always" believed and look forward to 1914 as the time for Christ's return. Which is a lie. ( this, as well as the recent changes, opened my eyes)
At least in the judgment, those around me cannot accuse me of withholding the real truth from them. They will not be able to say that I didn't at least try. What saddens me is that many JW will not actually learn the real truth about this until they face Christ in the resurrection. ( but then it will be too late for them to make a choice)
What a JW does with the information is between them and God. Some find themselves like the seed sown on rocky places. The shock of the discovery sometimes causes them to lose faith in God and Christ, and religion altogether. These had no root in themselves anyway, and if they stumble over the information, then something else might have also caused them to later on anyway. Besides, why should the truth be blamed for the stumbling?. After all, didn't even the Jews stumble over Jesus?
( the foundation corner stone.) Just because Jesus taught them the truth, should we blame the truth for
their stumbling? No, I don't think so. But as you know, all people deserve to know the truth, and this includes JW to learn the truth of the WTS. After I left, I asked another Jehovah's Witness who also left because of love for truth, (who, by the way, had served for many years as a missionary, and elder) whether or not, I should try to help and warn other JW concerningthe truth about the "truth". The answer he gave has stuck with me to this day. He replied: " Well, if you knew that a certain car
dealership sold ONLY LEMONS, wouldn't you warn others not to buy a car from that dealership? My answer was; OF COURSE I would! Only this issue is of much greater importance than just merely buying a vehicle.
Lovingkindness
