Feeling Frustrated

by 24k 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  24k

  Have you had this experience when talking with friends and family members who are still in? It goes something like this:

  YOU:Well the society looked down on attending college when I was getting out of high school.

  THEM:They never said you couldn't attend college.

  YOU:Maybe not specifically, but they certainly painted those that did as spiritually weak and discouraged young people from pursuing higher education beyond highschool.

  THEM:I don't remember that. I never read anything about higher education. It was always left up to your conscience.

  YOU:You don't remember that no one you know sent their kid's to college.

  THEM:That was their choice, the society wasn't to blame for their own personal decisions.

  YOU:Let me get this straight, your saying that the society exercises no influence over it's members. The articles that they printed regarding the unwise nature of pursuing higher eductaion, had no bearing on parents decisions to send their children to school? Not to mention the constant harping on the idea that we're living at the end and so don't want to waste time in wordly pursuits. None of this effected anyones decisions?!

  THEM:I'd have to re-read the articles your refering to myself.

  YOU:AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! (running out of the room, hair on fire)

  The above experience illustrates one of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with those friends and family members who are still in the organization; intellectual dishonesty. They seem incapable of acknowleding even the most basic truths about the society's teachings when they percieve that doing so may paint the organization in an unfavorable light.

  From the "generation of 1914" teaching, to the arbitrary rulings on the blood issue, no witness seems to be able to admit error or at least inconsistancy. How can you reach someone who can't even be honest about the beliefs of their own religion.

  Sorry, just had to vent.
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  kls

  Just had a experience some what like the College one. My so asked his JW dad why we never saved money or put money aside for him and the other kids for their future such as college? His dad replied " cause the end was supposed to have happened". Well yes the idiot actually admitted that the WT lied and the end never came. Well that is how o took it .My kids are now 20,25,27 and 30 . Do you think he would see the lies in the WT ? ----Nope.
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  Happy Guy :)

  Good vent. Probably everyone on this site is very familiar with the frustration involved as you illustrated above. We have all had those discussions. The words might have been different, the topics different but the attitude the same. As a matter of fact I recall reading JW literature where they were far more harsh about higher education comparing it to exposing yourself to the devil and learning worldly ways as taught in the courses which were secretly inspired by Satan etc etc.

  If you ever try pushing harder when they say "I can't recall" by pulling out there own books to show them some will completely freak out on you. I was physically attacked once when I said "That's okay I have the Watchtower published book here it's right on page.....". With another Witness who was willing to refresh their memory by reading their own literature they got mad at me and accused me of producing a book which had sentences altered by Satan. In other words they couldn't even accept the teachings of their own religion (which just goes to show that some of them don't care to dig too deep). This is something that always irritated me (and does about many fundamentalists for that matter): If a JW is prepared to shun family over questioning the teachings of the Watchtower over say blood; if a JW is prepared to abduct thier children and hide them away for years from the spouse who is disfellowshipped for say smoking; if the JW is going to forego higher education; if a JW is going to tithe thier income to Watchtower and buy thier books every year and will thier estate to the Watchtower than you would think they would make sure that they are on solid ground and not just being duped by a cult with beliefs and formal lifestyle policies which change as often as someone's underwear. Some are just brainwashed and some use it as a convenient tool to control others i.e. spouse, children, extended family.
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  xjw_b12

  YOU:AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! (running out of the room, hair on fire)

  LOL. That is why I refuse to talk with JWs with a fork in my hand. It's less painful to stab myself in the head than it is to try and reason with the borg.

  The above experience illustrates one of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with those friends and family members who are still in the organization; intellectual dishonesty. They seem incapable of acknowleding even the most basic truths about the society's teachings when they percieve that doing so may paint the organization in an unfavorable light.

  Very succinctly put. You should post more often

  xjw_b12 "Millions Now Living Will Never Die Learn
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  Doubtfully Yours

  The WTBTS members are in constant denial and have blind faith in everything their 'mother organization' tells them. There's no winning with that bunch!

  I've given up trying to reason with them, specially members of my family and my husband who are very heavy into the religion. I just go about my business of doing as less as possible with the JW Klan.

  DY
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  confusedjw

  No kidding. That is dead on. NEVER ADMIT ANYTHING. It's a "certain" brand of truth telling.
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  jschwehm

  Sounds like the numerous conversations I have had with my JW father over the college thing.

  Jeff S.
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  JamesThomas

  No need to become too frustrated.
  
  Just see that being a Witness is to be extremely identified with a set of beliefs. To have ones sense of self tightly wrapped within religious or political beliefs often results in cognitive dissidence and the inability to see outside ones secure little identity.
  
  
  j
• 

  Xandria

  *Sings: "Queeeen of DENIALL!" it is easier to denial all knowledge. Than to take responsiblity.

  X.
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  24k

  The other day my brother in law actually tried to argue with me that the wbts never taught that the generation of 1914 would not pass away before the end came. He said he got this info from a 1960's watchtower. I was stunned! I served for years with this man as an elder. After I copied the chapter on 1914 from the live forever book and showed him the words in black and white, his response was, "I'll have to check that 60's tower and get back to you." Again stunned!!

  The level of denial is astonishing, and I think it evolves from the inability of the society to admit it's errors. By that, I don't mean a tacit admission of over zealous expectations, but a real live humble apology for having taught something that did not come from God as though it did.

  Ranting again... 24k