Any ex-JWs from Tennesee? I met a JW whose family might use this board...

by somebodylovesme 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  somebodylovesme

  Let's see if I can explain this a little better. I actually went to meeting two weeks ago (husband is an inactive dub, and we went to oblige his family while we were home visiting on a school break) -- the brother giving the talk is brand new to the area. He is from Tennesse, although I'm not sure where. He went on a ten-minute tirade during the talk (topic: "bad associations") about the evils of the Internet...

  He said that his mother, who was raised a Witness, was strong in her faith until she bought a laptop and got online. She then found a website that sounded like it would be an official JW site (which makes me think it is this site), started reading the rants of 'apostates', and abandoned the faith -- and that now, of course, he will not even open the mail she sends.

  I don't know exactly why I'm posting this, except that I thought maybe somebody might be interested.

  ... I did think it was interesting that the Internet and websites like this were discussed at a meeting.

  -- slm
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  crinklestein

  I've always said that if what you believe in can be shaken and destroyed by simply buying a laptop or hanging out with someone that doesnt think like you then either your faith wasn't strong to begin with or what you believed in was wrong. If there was nothing wrong with your beliefs then you would hold fast to them and not abandon them so easily. The elders might want to take a look into what is shaking up everyone's faith if they are all dumping it along the wayside. If I saw so many people jumping out of the boat that I was on I might want to find out why to see if I should jump out too...before it was too late.
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  Gopher

  The JW's want SO badly to control the information that their members see. Haha, the cat's already out of the bag. The horse has left the barn. The beans have been spilled. (Any other tired cliches?)

  As Crinklestein said, if the beliefs of JW's were really THE TRUTH, it would stand up to any and all scrutiny. However, since those beliefs (as a whole) are A LIE, they whither under even moderate pressure.
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  avengers

  She then found a website that sounded like it would be an official JW site (which makes me think it is this site), started reading the rants of 'apostates', and abandoned the faith --

  That is the purpose of this site. Yippeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  We are making a difference.

  sorry. Andy.
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  chester

  I was at the District convention at the Pontiac Silver Dome in Michigan in June of 2000 when one of the speakers made the comment,"If you are happy with your life the way it is now, stay off the internet"

  My wife was there but she says she can't remember hearing that.

  Is there anyone on this board who was there that year? It is hard for me to believe that I was the only one who heard that statement.

  My wife told a "friend" of hers what I said and her "friend" said she is happy with her life the way it is.
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  minimus

  Chester, I remember a speaker saying those words. It made me think that the Society was getting paranoid.
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  Country Girl

  What I always want to ask:

  Are you happy living a LIE? If you are, then we have nothing to discuss. If you aren't then you have lots of stuff to think about.

  CG
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  Stephanus

  Haha, the cat's already out of the bag. The horse has left the barn. The beans have been spilled. (Any other tired cliches?)

  The fat lady has sung. Elvis has left the buiding. It's all over, including the shouting.
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  Stephanus

  He said that his mother, who was raised a Witness, was strong in her faith until she bought a laptop and got online. She then found a website that sounded like it would be an official JW site (which makes me think it is this site), started reading the rants of 'apostates', and abandoned the faith -- and that now, of course, he will not even open the mail she sends.

  Three things leap to my mind here:

  1. That Mum may be here even as we speak. If so, welcome!

  2. Are they really THAT stupid with this "looks like an official JW site" thing? Surely JWs know that there are only two official Watchtower sites, and the rest are, in the Watchtowers words, an irrelevance. If they don't, then perhaps the 'Tower should start telling people about those official sites (from the platform and in the mags) to prevent anyone else thinking that something like this board is an "official site". Of course, the message from such a course of action may be interpreted as: "By all means, go on the internet! We're on there, so you should be, too!" From what somebodylovesme says, it doesn't sound like the guy giving the talk gave out the official urls.

  I guess this all suits the org. They don't want their own people on the 'net; the official site is meant for outsiders.

  3. The loving org: "and that now, of course, he will not even open the mail she sends." More and more this shunning crap will bite the org on the arse. And it may well backfire, even in this one instance. Can you see a middle aged pioneer lady about this guy's mother's age sitting in the cong. thinking: "Why you little upstart - I was pioneering since before you were in nappies (diapers), and I have nothing to fear from apostates!"? Next week, she logs onto the internet.
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  somebodylovesme

  Stephanus: