What are the things that wake people up from the Watchtower Corporation?

by punkofnice 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Sofia Lose
    Sofia Lose

    The new theory of 'generation' back in1995 immediately made me think "this is bull shit!"

    SL

  • punkofnice
    punkofnice

    Vid - You're probably right.

    Sofia - I agree. the generations thing isn't really buying them any time now like it did.

  • johnamos
    johnamos
    taught me how to read the bible. He taught me how to question the bible and look for answers from the bible.

    That would be great for all here to do…then you would know what it really means to be “Awake” and know the so-called “TTATT”. But as it stands now, I have yet to see any here that are “Awake” or have ANY understanding of what is true.

    You have concluded that all the lies, bad policies, misapplications, changes (so-called new light), etc…and all else that can be included in regards to the teachings/beliefs of JW’s from the WTS/GB…you have concluded that this is a sign of not being God’s people, and for many because of this have concluded that there is no God at all.

    To the contrary, if what is in the above quote was followed, you would know that all the negative that is rightly pointed out in regards to JW’s and their beloved WTS/GB, that it is all suppose to be that way prior to the beginning of the GT.

    It will be the GT that will correct everything…it is the true time of refinement that was said to have occurred back in 1914-1918. The biggest lie that the WTS/GB put forth and maintain is that that refinement took place in the past…but the fact that it is still yet to come clearly shows that God’s people would surely be in a present state of needing refinement along with a great purging.

    ______________________________________

    Simplified version

    [5-1-98 WT- The locust plague is a harbinger of something. Of what? Joel plainly tells us, saying: “Alas for the day; because the day of Jehovah is near, and like a despoiling from the Almighty One it will come!” … At Joel chapter 2, verse 11, God identifies the locust army as “his military force.” Yes, he was the Source of the locust plague that would devastate the land and cause severe famine. When? Just before “the day of Jehovah.” … “Jehovah himself will certainly give forth his voice before his military force, for his camp is very numerous. For he who is carrying out his word is mighty; for the day of Jehovah is great and very fear-inspiring, and who can hold up under it?” Yes, Jehovah God will send forth his military force of locusts—before his great day.]

    [6-15-85 WT- Another remarkable divine utterance will come to pass when Jehovah symbolically puts “hooks” in the jaws of Gog, challenging him and his “military force” to attack His people on earth. (Ezekiel 38:2-4, 8-12)]

    Ezekiel 39:23 And the nations will have to know that it was because of their error that they, the house of Israel, went into exile, on account of the fact that they behaved unfaithfully toward me, so that I concealed my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they kept falling, all of them, by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I did with them, and I kept concealing my face from them.’

    [3-15-61 WT- Isaiah 29:4 reads: “And you must become low so that you will speak from the very earth, and as from the dust your saying will sound low. And like a spirit medium your voice must become even from the earth, and from the dust your own saying will chirp.”

    The opening verse of Isaiah 29 shows that these words are addressed to Ariel, concerning which the footnote of the New World Translation states: “‘Ariel.’ Meaning, perhaps, ‘the altar hearth of God’; or, ‘the lion of God.’ Designating Jerusalem here.” This prophecy would therefore apply to spiritual Jerusalem as represented upon earth by the remnant.

    These words show that God’s earthly organization would come under attack and would be reduced to a very low state by the enemies of God’s kingdom. God’s people would be, as it were, crushed to the earth, at the time of Gog’s attack upon them, so that what utterance they made, what vocal sounds they made, would come up from low down in their abasement. It would be sound coming up from the very dust of the earth. It would be as if a spirit medium were talking with the vocal sound coming from the dust of the earth. However, the next verses show that God would turn his attention to his faithful people who had been brought so low and he would work miracles on their behalf to deliver them from the power of the enemy so that their enemies and oppressors would become like dust and chaff that are quickly blown away by a violent windstorm.]

    Isaiah 29:13 And Jehovah says: “For the reason that this people have come near with their mouth, and they have glorified me merely with their lips, and they have removed their heart itself far away from me, and their fear toward me becomes men’s commandment that is being taught, 14 therefore here I am, the One that will act wonderfully again with this people, in a wonderful manner and with something wonderful; and the wisdom of their wise men must perish, and the very understanding of their discreet men will conceal itself.” 15 Woe to those who are going very deep in concealing counsel from Jehovah himself, and whose deeds have occurred in a dark place, while they say: “Who is seeing us, and who is knowing of us?” 16 The perversity of YOU men!

    __________________________________________

    Version for those willing to put the time into understanding.

    [Joel 1:5,8,9,13,14 “Wake up, YOU drunkards, and weep; and howl, all YOU wine drinkers, on account of sweet wine, for it has been cut off from YOUR mouths. Wail, as a virgin girded with sackcloth does over the owner of her youth. “Grain offering and drink offering have been cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, have mourned. “Gird yourselves, and beat YOUR breasts, YOU priests. Howl, YOU ministers of [the] altar. Sanctify a time of fasting. Call together a solemn assembly. Gather together [the] older men, all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Jehovah YOUR God, and cry to Jehovah for aid.

    Joel 2:12,17 “And now also,” the utterance of Jehovah is, “come back to me with all YOUR hearts, and with fasting and with weeping and with wailing. “Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep and say, ‘Do feel sorry, O Jehovah, for your people, and do not make your inheritance a reproach, for nations to rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples: “Where is their God?”’]

    [1-15-04 WT- As foretold in Ezekiel chapter 38, Satan will soon complete his role as “Gog of the land of Magog.” This will involve a worldwide attack on Jehovah’s people. It will be an all-out attempt on the part of Satan to break the integrity of God’s loyal ones. As never before, worshipers of Jehovah will need to call upon him earnestly, even crying for help.]

    [Quote from Ciro Aulicino speaking about Gog’s attack. “What the Future Holds” talk-

    “What's the point? Brothers, we should expect them to despoil us of our human rights. We should expect them to confiscate all of Jehovah's belongings and close down and take possession of all our branches, factories, depots, kingdom halls, assembly halls, everything. Don't make any mistake about it. We are all in this together. We have a common enemy.”]

    [Joel 1:6 For there is a nation that has come up into my land, mighty and without number. 7 It has set my vine as an object of astonishment, and my fig tree as a stump. It has positively stripped it bare and thrown [it] away. The twigs of it have become white. 10 [The] field has been despoiled, [the] ground has gone to mourning; for [the] grain has been despoiled, [the] new wine has been dried up, [the] oil has faded away. 11 Farmers have felt shame; vinedressers have howled, on account of wheat and on account of barley; for the harvest of [the] field has perished. 12 The vine itself has shown dryness, and even the fig tree has faded away. As for [the] pomegranate tree, also [the] palm tree and [the] apple tree, all the trees of the field, they have dried up; for exultation has gone ashamed away from the sons of mankind. 16 Has not food itself been cut off before our very eyes; from the house of our God, rejoicing and joyfulness? 17 Dried figs have shriveled under their shovels. Storehouses have been laid desolate. Barns have been torn down, for [the] grain has dried up. 18 O how the domestic animal has sighed! [How] the droves of cattle have wandered in confusion! For there is no pasturage for them. Also, the droves of the sheep have been the ones made to bear guilt. 19 “To you, O Jehovah, I shall call; for fire itself has devoured the pasture grounds of [the] wilderness, and a very flame has consumed all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field also keep longing for you, because the channels of water have dried up, and fire itself has devoured the pasture grounds of the wilderness.”]

    [6-1-81 WT- Joel 3 2-16, 19 It tells us why Jehovah is angry with the nations—because of the way they have treated his servants. They scattered them among the nations, making slaves of them. Also, they robbed Jehovah’s temple of its gold, silver and other desirable things, and brought these into their own temples. They did violence to the sons of Judah and shed innocent blood.]

    [Ezekiel 38:13 Is it to do much plundering that you have congregated your congregation, in order to carry off silver and gold, to take wealth and property, to get a very great spoil?”’ 14 “Therefore prophesy, O son of man, and you must say to Gog, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “Will it not be in that day when my people Israel are dwelling in security that you will know [it]? 15 And you will certainly come from your place, from the remotest parts of the north [Someone coming from the north is referred to as being a northerner], you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great congregation, even a numerous military force. 16 And you will be bound to come up against my people Israel, like clouds to cover the land. In the final part of the days it will occur, and I shall certainly bring you against my land,’]

    [Joel 1:6: 2:3,4,5,11 For there is a nation [the northerner], that has come up into my land, mighty and without number. “There is a people numerous and mighty; one like it has not been made to exist from the indefinite past, and after it there will be none again to the years of generation after generation.4 “Its appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like steeds is the way they keep running. 5 As with the sound of chariots on the tops of the mountains they keep skipping about, as with the sound of a flaming fire that is devouring stubble. It is like a mighty people, drawn up in battle order. 11 And Jehovah himself will certainly give forth his voice before his military force [the northerner], for his camp is very numerous.

    [10-1-07 WT- “the northerner”—the insect assault.] [5-1-98 WT- God identifies the locust army as “his military force.”]

    [Isaiah 29:1 “Woe to Ar´i·el, to Ar´i·el, the town where David encamped! Add year upon year, YOU people; let the festivals run the round. 2 And I have to make things tight for Ar´i·el, and there must come to be mourning and lamentation, and she must become to me as the altar hearth of God. 3 And I must encamp on all sides against you, and I must lay siege to you with a palisade and raise up against you siegeworks.]

    [siegeworks-The surrounding and blockading of a city, town, or fortress by an army attempting to capture it.

    palisade- A fence of pales forming a defense barrier or fortification.

    pale-A stake or pointed stick; a picket.]

    [Luke 19:43 Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side,]

    [Luke 21: 20 “Furthermore, when YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. 21 Then let those in Ju·de´a begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her; 22 because these are days for meting out justice, that all the things written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.]

    [Revelation 11:2 But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple [sanctuary], cast it clear out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.]

    [Revelation 13:5 And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, and authority to act forty-two months was given it. 6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven. 7 And there was granted it to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.] (This authority to act forty-two months is associated with the time the two witnesses prophesy for forty-two months and the holy city is given to the nations to be trampled, which takes place during the time the 6th angel blows his trumpet/the 2nd woe.)]

    [Ezekiel 39:23 And the nations will have to know that it was because of their error that they, the house of Israel, went into exile, on account of the fact that they behaved unfaithfully toward me, so that I concealed my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they kept falling, all of them, by the sword.]

    [6-1-81 WT- Joel 3 2-16, 19 It tells us why Jehovah is angry with the nations—because of the way they have treated his servants. They scattered them among the nations, making slaves of them.]

    [Joel 2:17 ‘Do feel sorry, O Jehovah, for your people, and do not make your inheritance a reproach, for nations to rule over them.’ Joel 3:2 I will also collect together all the nations and bring them down to the low plain of Je·hosh´a·phat; and I will put myself on judgment with them there on account of my people and my inheritance Israel, whom they scattered among the nations; and they apportioned out my own land.]

    [Joel 1:6 For there is a nation that has come up into my land,]

    [Ezekiel 38:16 In the final part of the days it will occur, and I shall certainly bring you against my land,]

    [Isaiah 29:3 And I must encamp on all sides against you, and I must lay siege to you with a palisade and raise up against you siegeworks.]

    [Luke 19:43 Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side,]

    _________________________________

    [3-15-13 WT- THE churches of Christendom have generally avoided using God’s name. For example, the introduction of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible says that it is “entirely inappropriate” for the church to call God by any name.

    2 In contrast, Jehovah’s Witnesses are proud to be called by God’s name and to honor it. (Read Psalm 86:12; Isaiah 43:10.)]

    [6-1-91 WT- Like ancient Jerusalem, Christendom looks to worldly alliances for security, and her clergy refuse to take refuge in Jehovah. Why, they do not even use his name, and they mock and persecute those who do honor that name.]

    [9-15-10 WT- The Governing Body publishes spiritually encouraging literature in many languages. This spiritual food is based on God’s Word. Thus, what is taught is not from men but from Jehovah.—Isa. 54:13.]

    [Ezekiel 13:1 And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, prophesy concerning the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and you must say to those prophesying out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of Jehovah. 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “Woe to the stupid prophets, who are walking after their own spirit, when there is nothing that they have seen! 4 Like foxes in the devastated places are what your own prophets have become, O Israel. 5 YOU men will certainly not go up into the gaps, neither will YOU build up a stone wall in behalf of the house of Israel, in order to stand in the battle in the day of Jehovah.” 6 “They have visioned what is untrue and a lying divination, those who are saying, ‘The utterance of Jehovah is,’ when Jehovah himself has not sent them, and they have waited to have a word come true. 7 Is it not an untrue vision that YOU men have visioned, and a lying divination that YOU have said, when saying, ‘The utterance of Jehovah is,’ when I myself have spoken nothing?”’ 8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “‘For the reason that YOU men have spoken untruth and YOU have visioned a lie, therefore here I am against YOU,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” 9 And my hand has come to be against the prophets that are visioning untruth and that are divining a lie. In the intimate group of my people they will not continue on, and in the register of the house of Israel they will not be written, and to the soil of Israel they will not come; and YOU people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 10 for the reason, yes, for the reason that they have led my people astray, saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace, and there is one that is building a partition wall, but in vain there are those plastering it with whitewash.’11 “Say to those plastering with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding downpour will certainly occur, and YOU, O hailstones, will fall, and a blast of windstorms itself will cause a splitting. 12 And, look! the wall must fall. Will it not be said to YOU men, ‘Where is the coating with which YOU did the plastering?’13 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘I will also cause a blast of windstorms to burst forth in my rage, and in my anger there will occur a flooding downpour, and in rage there will be hailstones for an extermination. 14 And I will tear down the wall that YOU men have plastered with whitewash and bring it into contact with the earth, and its foundation must be exposed. And she will certainly fall, and YOU must come to an end in the midst of her; and YOU will have to know that I am Jehovah.’ 15 “‘And I will bring my rage to its finish upon the wall and upon those plastering it with whitewash, and I shall say to YOU men: “The wall is no more, and those plastering it are no more, 16 the prophets of Israel that are prophesying to Jerusalem and that are visioning for her a vision of peace, when there is no peace,”’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.]

    The ‘stupid prophets’ are said to be in the in intimate group of Jehovah’s people and they are leading his people astray with lies and untruths. The core ‘lie’ that these ‘stupid prophets’ perpetrate is saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace. This said peace, is the claim that Jehovah and or Jesus has already refined and judged his people faithful, and views them as being in an approved state as a group/organization. This claim is a ‘lie’ and the fact is that this refinement is still yet future and takes place in the 3 ½ years leading to the great day of Jehovah/Jesus’ arrival at Matthew 24:30.* (Luke 19:43,44; Isaiah 29:2-4 Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5)

    * [3-1-97 WT- The Bible links “the great day of Jehovah” with “the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2)] (1 Corinthians 15:51,52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Matthew 24:30,31)

    In order to maintain this ‘lie’, the ‘stupid prophets’ have to continue to tell more and more lies to keep the ‘lie’ going. This is likened to plastering the ‘lie’ with whitewash, coat after coat, trying to keep all the cracks filled in to keep the ‘lie’ intact.

    Gog’s attack in Ezekiel 38, the calamity in Joel’s account, the holy city being trampled on in Rev 11:2, the attack upon Ariel in Isaiah 29, the major fulfillment of the disgusting thing in the holy place, etc… are all counterparts of one another and is what the future great tribulation will entail. This will occur at the time that the wild beast receives his 42-month authority, which will then at that time make him the 8th, and final king that will soon go off into destruction after those 42 months are up.

    At the time that the wild beast receives his 42-month authority it will not only be a great tribulation upon Jehovah’s people but will also be for the rest of the world as well. This is the time that ‘the mark’ will be given out and all those that refuse it will either be incarcerated or killed. Even before one of those two fates meet up with these that refuse ‘the mark’, they will have already begun to have a difficult time being that they can no longer buy or sell at this point.

    Those that refuse ‘the mark’ are refusing the counterfeit kingdom of Satan and are holding out for the true heavenly kingdom of Jehovah God under his son and Christ, Jesus. Those that are refusing ‘the mark’ will be calling upon Jehovah’s name and it stands to reason that the majority of those will be those that already today call upon his name and have faith in Jehovah and his son Jesus and their heavenly kingdom, but during that time many more will understand and join themselves together to take a stand for Jehovah’s kingdom. These combined are who will make up the great crowd. (Revelation 13:5, 7; Daniel11: 33,34; Revelation 7:9,10,13,14)

    While Jehovah’s Witnesses are warned by their Governing Body about the attack that Jehovah’s people will face by Gog, they close their eyes and ears and are silent when it comes to Ezekiel 39:23-29. While Jehovah’s Witnesses are warned by their Governing Body that the attack on Ariel is the counterpart of Gog’s attack (See 3-15-61 WT p.192) they close their eyes and ears and are silent when it comes to Isaiah 29:9-16. While Jehovah’s Witnesses are told by their Governing Body that it is Jehovah’s people that he will act on their behalf at Joel 3:2-16, 19, they close their eyes and ears and are silent when it comes to Joel 3:1, 21, as well as completely twist and misapply chapters 1 and 2 of Joel and close their eyes and ears and are silent when it comes to Joel 2:20 even thou they admit that the locusts (insect assault) is ‘the northerner’ in verse 20.

    While the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses apply Revelation 11:2 as to coming upon them, it is claimed that it already occurred back in 1914-1918. This all (and of course more not mentioned here) is in order to maintain the ‘lie’ that ‘there is peace from Jehovah’ since 1919.

    The inspection and cleansing work did not occur back at that time, it occurs upon those that are alive just prior to Armageddon arriving.

    (Luke 19:43,44; Isaiah 29:2-4 Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5)

    They have to be refined and cleansed to such a degree at that time (pre-Armageddon) because they are the ones that will live on in post-Armageddon without ever having to die.

    Like Jehovah’s people of old, the following still applies to today:

    [Jeremiah 5:31The prophets themselves actually prophesy in falsehood; and as for the priests, they go subduing according to their powers. And my own people have loved it that way;]

    [Isaiah 30:10 who have said to the ones seeing, ‘YOU must not see,’ and to the ones having visions, ‘YOU must not envision for us any straightforward things. Speak to us smooth things; envision deceptive things.]

    But as Jehovah said through Ezekiel:

    [8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “‘For the reason that YOU men have spoken untruth and YOU have visioned a lie, therefore here I am against YOU,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” 9 And my hand has come to be against the prophets that are visioning untruth and that are divining a lie. In the intimate group of my people they will not continue on, and in the register of the house of Israel they will not be written, and to the soil of Israel they will not come; and YOU people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 10 for the reason, yes, for the reason that they have led my people astray, saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace, and there is one that is building a partition wall, but in vain there are those plastering it with whitewash.’]

    And Ezekiel continues:

    [11 “Say to those plastering with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding downpour will certainly occur, and YOU, O hailstones, will fall, and a blast of windstorms itself will cause a splitting. 12 And, look! the wall must fall. Will it not be said to YOU men, ‘Where is the coating with which YOU did the plastering?’ 13 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘I will also cause a blast of windstorms to burst forth in my rage, and in my anger there will occur a flooding downpour, and in rage there will be hailstones for an extermination. 14 And I will tear down the wall that YOU men have plastered with whitewash and bring it into contact with the earth, and its foundation must be exposed. And she will certainly fall, and YOU must come to an end in the midst of her; and YOU will have to know that I am Jehovah.’

    15 “‘And I will bring my rage to its finish upon the wall and upon those plastering it with whitewash, and I shall say to YOU men: “The wall is no more, and those plastering it are no more, 16 the prophets of Israel that are prophesying to Jerusalem and that are visioning for her a vision of peace, when there is no peace,”’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.]
  • Chris Hannover
    Chris Hannover
    punkofnice - What are the things that wake people up from the Watchtower Corporation?"

    Really, there is only one thing that makes anyone wake up from delusion: personal honesty.

    All the beliefs & teachings are just smoke & mirrors designed to help the person remain dishonest & feeling special, while also remaining socially acceptable (or socially rebellious if that serves their goals).

  • WingCommander
    WingCommander

    Being perpetually shit on by these delusional, End-Times Apocalyptic religious loons my entire life was enough for me!

    I was never included or invited to anything JW related growing up - EVER! I was treated like an outcast. My mother actually worked for a living as an R.N. (Gasp!!!), my father was not some MS or Elder who owned a janitorial or construction business, and hence was ignored as well. Nearly 20 years of being denied my childhood, my life, and my freedom, and for WHAT? These people did exactly ZERO for me or to help me the entire time I grew up. On the contrary, they did nothing but ignore, belittle, and judge me. It was like being surrounded by vipers!! These people are totally USELESS, you cannot depend on them for anything, except to stick their noses in where it doesn't belong or offer up their opinion when you didn't ask for it, or show up looking for a free handout. Biggest bunch of lazy, uneducated (and proud of it!), freeloading, backwards, simple-minded half-wits I've ever encountered. I am so glad to be away from them all that I could do backflips down the street! I couldn't imagine living in an eternity around such judgment, Pharasitical, douchebags! Sounds more like Hell to me.
  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Chris Hannover - "All the beliefs & teachings are just smoke & mirrors designed to help the person remain dishonest & feeling special, while also remaining socially acceptable (or socially rebellious if that serves their goals)."

    Wow, you're right.

    Name your neuroses... the WTS is a big enough tent to cover all of 'em.

  • Crazyguy
    Crazyguy
    Johnamos nice try but after i woke up i studied and read the whole bible bought several different translations studied and compared the texts with the original Greek Hebrew and Aramaic. I can for the most part using just the bible blow up most of thier doctrine. But when i truly became Awake is when i studied and found that the bible is full of contradictions, errors and prophecies that did not come true. The bible is crap put together by the Romans and some elitists to control the people, and most of the old testament was stolen from other writings. Read Hammurabi's law stella and youll think your reading from the bible. Read epic of Gilgamesh, you will think your reading from the bible. Read the Emu Elish you'll think your reading from the bible. Read the Ugaritic writings about thier high god El , you will be reading about the same god in the bible.
  • done4good
    done4good

    Lots of things can wake someone up....too many to list. However, while I dislike to just cut and paste links, I think this one explains well while despite overwhelming evidence of falsehood, even intelligent people cannot easily break free from any religious belief.

    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessindixie/2015/10/09/why-do-intelligent-well-educated-people-still-believe-nonsense/

    The article mentions four key points:

    1. Intelligence is compartmental.

    2. The earlier someone is raised in the belief system, the more difficult it is to overcome.

    3. Christian religions in particular drill into believer's heads to distrust themselves.

    4. Psychological and social fears of questioning prevent one from facing their cognitive dissonance.

    I would add that in the particular case of JWs, the degree to which all four points affect a person, are much greater than the mean, and in some cases a positive feedback loop is created, making it that much more difficult to break free. Those that do break free generally do so because the positive feedback loop in of itself tends to cause instability, which typically translates into some personal event that causes the awakening.

    d4g

  • Giordano
    Giordano

    I came to the conclusion early on that the World was too serious a place to spend any more time associating with a wack job of a religion, especially a dangerous religion. Nor wasting time with the Bible.

    The Blood issue was certainly a key element. Back in the late 1950's through out the 1960's, my witness era, and all the way through the 1980's a blood transfusion was the only option for a chance at a life saving operation or treatment.

    Armageddon was another ridiculous. belief........... that the NT god wants to, once again, slaughter an entire world except of course for the loyal JW's......... meaning those JW's who obey the GB even when it's wrong.

    Delusional doesn't cover it............... it is insanity. I can accept that I held insane beliefs long ago. Then I got better.


  • xjwsrock
    xjwsrock

    For me it started with being involved in congregation problems (which are people problems) that were perpetrated and/or exacerbated by "bad elders". I would spend hours and hours twisting my head into a pretzel having long conversations into the night with other brothers, trying to figure out why Jehovah would allow this to go on. Where was the holy spirit,where was Jesus as head of the congregation. The cliche's didn't help. "Jehovah allows things for a reason" "Jehovah allows things for a test" "Wait on Jehovah" etc etc. These cliche's werejust escape hatches for the organization -just excuses anda way to kick the can.

    It's nuts to think now. The answer was so easy. This isn't the truth. These are just dudes with varied levels of delusion in a building. There is no "Jehovah" as taught by JW's, there is no Holy Spirit, there are no angels directing the work etc. Once you get that - suddenly it all makes sense. no need for the mental pretzel at all.

    My frustrations eventually led me to read online and discover there were way bigger problems than I ever knew about.

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