by hushai 30 Replies latest jw friends
Maybe as clean as any other religious group, but not as clean as they protray themselves. They are no worse than any other group of humans. I think the real problem is self-righteousness and the ficticious idea that they are the only ones that God approves.
Ken P.
That is a good post Jayhawk, there is not a single orginization, religion, or group that doesn't have its problems with pedophilia,heartless people, and at times just stupidness. I think people do get more pleasure at making fun of the WTBS because of how many portray themselves as holy. There are a lot of great Witnesses out there, Catholics, Men of Knights, Mormons, etc....
Jehovah's Witnesses, today, remind me of the Catholics of yesteryear, when they were smug in their 'belief' they were the only true religion.
Hushai, first and foremost, welcome. Whatever claims JWs may make of inhabiting a ``spiritual paradise," I suspect that their record of ``cleanness" (however you define that term), corresponds roughlyto that of any other people for whom spirituality is a priority and involves a greater commitment than mere attendance at Sunday services, as is the case with many Evangelical/Pentecostal/Baptist types. And because of their almost total lack of a social conscience, JWs often compare unfavorably to groups who organize and practice charity and social activsm.
Anyone who's been an elder for any period of time, and certainly anyone with access to the Internet, quickly learns that the Watchtower's claim to a virtual monopoly on decency, morality or integrity, is baseless.
JWs love to say that they find a ready, warm welcome anywhere in the world where they encounter their brethren; and it's true that homogeneity is one of their more attractive traits. Still, in the U.S.at least, it's a oft-heard JW lament that their brethren greet well-appearing visitors more warmly than the local fellows who they see twice every week; ditto for the phenomenon of District Convention euphoria, which dissipates rapidly after the , often on the way to the parking lot after the closing prayer.
Bucknut makes a good point (welcome to the forum, by the way), and that is one of the problems that I have with Jehovah's Witnesses: they try to set themselves up as better than everyone else, when the reality is they're just like every other religion. My therapist once said that there's good and bad in all religions and you just have to pick what you can put up with at that stage in your life. Might sound wishy-washy but it's true. And the reason why the JW organization is causing so much trouble in people's lives is because they're trying to promote themselves as the One True Way and cover up their problems, like child abuse, instead of facing them head on. You can't fix something if you won't admit it's broken.
Nina
I've often said that, if I were to make lists of the 10 finest and 10 worst people I ever met, that there would be JWs and non-JWs on both. Once life's choices led me away from Bethel and into the larger world, thanks to my employement with a multinational company, the myth of our (JW) unique worthiness to inhabit the earth was shattered by the huge number of really fine, decent, noble-minded people I met along the way, in amongst the ``stinkers". I miust admit to having felt shame at this realization, beause I once considered them all ``Armageddon fodder," i.e. food for the carrion birds of Revelation.
Me too, Room 215. I am constantly amazed at how nice "worldly" people are, and I mean genuinely nice. What a crock all of the JW brainwashing is!
Nina
Welcome to the board.
The organization is far from clean. I believe a septic field is cleaner.
cj
Welcome Hushai
When I left about 13 years ago, a lot of things were unclean at my hall. Alcohol abuse and wild parties etc. It seemed like it was just swept under the rug. I didn't like the way the elder's families seemed to get away with more than the common folk .
I use to look down my nose at "worldly people" until I left the religion and realized that good, hardworking, honest, loving people were right under my nose and I used to stick my nose up at them thinking they were worthless. Now I have come to respect the people I did that too. They are cleaner than a lot of people I knew at the hall.
I agree there are a lot of nice "wordly" people. There is also a lot of horrible people in the world. Same with theJW orginization. my ex-wife was a JW her entire life, and she is down to the core a bad person. Honestly, I have no ill will towatds her at all just a very selfish person ( no longer a JW). My current g/f a non witness (she is Catholic) is hands down the sweetest person one could ever meet. Hands down she is more caring and loving to others than myself, and I am a JW. Jehovah knows each of our situations and hearts, that is why I remain in the faith. Even with the obvious flaws I still believe in a lot of what it says and some of the things I believe no other religion provides that. I have been to MANYother religions to find out for myslef. If nothing else Jehovah can read my heart and see my actions are because the love I have for him and not because the orginization says I have to do this and this and this. I have no problem going out with friends who are in the "world." If they are participating in something I don't like I won't do it. There are people in the orginization I don't consider clean or good influence regardless if they are a witness or not.
What gets lost in a lot of Halls I feel is Jehovah is a god of love and forgivness. The best thing I could have ever done for myself is serve Jehovah and not worry about the thoughts of "imperfect men". At the end of the day if I can say I am doing my best and mean it, then rock.
