How did you feel about "apostates" when you were a devout JW? (page 3)

Incense_and_Peppermints

i never knew any, or ran into any. but i was told they were very evil, so i was afraid of them.

eyeslice

I was always very wary of the reasons given to avoid apostates.

I have always been of the opinion of that the truth is always strong than the lie. In other words, whatever apostates can come with, there should always be a clear truth that would expose it. The closed nature of JWs only shows they have some thing to hide.

Eyeslice

onacruse

Interesting question.

I never really had any personal concern about apostates; they were virtually a non-entity to me...until after 1975.

Then, in the late 70's, at a DC at the Tacoma Dome, in the parking lot, a certain fellow (read "apostate" LOL) approached me with a pamphlet. As I stood there and talked with him, a JW (some fellow who I'd never met in my life) approached me and said "He's an apostate, and you better not talk with him!" I said: "Mind your own business."

As an aside, the most adamant "apostates" were those I knew were within the congregation. We had numerous round-robin conversations of about 20 people, including some elders.

Shades of 1925-1935.

TheEdge

Hang on - so an ''apostate'' is someone who speaks AGAINST the Watchtower? Or is it anyone who speaks against your chosen religion? Or am I being silly in thinking that it's anyone speaking against God's Word?

OR is ''apostate'' just another 'WATCHTOWER WEAPON' used to dismiss anyone else's belief and reinforce their 'superiority'?

Narkissos

the most adamant "apostates" were those I knew were within the congregation. We had numerous round-robin conversations of about 20 people, including some elders.

This really struck me when I was in Bethel (the French one, far from Brooklyn). The tenth part of what could be freely discussed and admitted in private conversations would mean immediate disfellowshipment in a JC context.

Honesty

My closest JW 'friends' always referred to apostates as scum who had forsaken Jehovah's organisation and I'd better not talk with or associate with them. I could never understand why anyone would turn their back on such a loving provision as the FDS.

My closest REAL FRIENDS now are called apostates by my former 'friends' who are being decieved by an evil slave.

freedom96

When I saw them sometimes at the assemblies, I was younger, and never paid too much attention to them.

I remember hearing about one group of them attending another church. The ringleader of them, had a name, that when spoke outloud, seemed to bring chills to everyone.

Sunspot

Like many, I was afraid of them. Even the "word" Apossssssstate had and evil and venomous sound to it. The first one that I saw was someone I knew well when I went back to MA for a DC. He was always screwy or should I say eccentric. (For instance, we had him and several other single bros over for a hommecooked spaghetti dinner one night-and this fella brought in a bottle of wine, poured everyone a small glass, and then went out and put it into his car! He was VERT frugal and also had some really odd ways.

Anyway, he's standing at the Civic Center with an old beat-up station wagon, covered with anti-WTS slogans and I walked waaaaay around him to get to the entrance. I thought all apostates were cut from that same cloth---extremely mentally unstable.

I NEVER ever thought I would become one!!! (grin)

Annie the aposssstate

How did you feel about "apostates" when you were a devout JW?

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