HELL NO!!!! I think of myself as a very smart person who has found God and the truth! That label does not apply to people who have good sense!
Do you think of yourself as an apostate
by barbar 81 Replies latest jw experiences
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fri
Yes, I think i am an apostate according to the dictionary any way! I looked up the word Apostate in the dictionary and it says the following:""One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause"" So I ask again are we all apostates? Yes! And proud of it. Hell, how many people do you have in the USA (as an example) that vote for one president and in the next election will vote for some one else? All of them will be apostates as they abandon a political party for another. When the witensses address me as an apostate I feel proud of it an hope that everyone out there who left thosed f#$%^&* hypocrites feel the same way.
fri
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Sunnygal41
There are times when I like to "tweak the debil's tail" so to speak, and for shock value I use the term "apostate". I've used it when speaking with my mom, who is still a "dub", but, I also have reasoned with her as to what it's whole meaning is anyways. I've used it in a dry, sarcastic way, with friends and on here, and I've used it jokingly, when I sometimes refer to this group as "apostatoes". If the conversation comes around to JW's with non-JW's I let them know of my experiences with them, and warn them about how divisive and excluding being a witness is. I tell them to be prepared to lose all your family and friends, for the most part, and tell them that it's pretty much a one way trip...........you go in, but, you never come out whole.............and, I tell them in my honest opinion that the WTS is a cult. How can I not warn people of something that will hurt and damage them? I try to spare them the grief and pain that so many of us have suffered. At times I rail against the fact that my sister won't speak to me, and I secretly dread that some day my mom may stop talking with me, but, my sense of fairness tells me that they have just as much right to believe and follow their chosen path as I do. It's a very difficult balancing act to do, and depending on my emotional temperature on any given day, it changes.
Terri
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lilybird
Apostate is just another label that the organization has dreamed up to further alienate ones who turn away from their beliefs, in order to scare other believing ones away from any of their influence. When I was involved in the organization, and they talked of apostates, you pictured evil and dark inviduals who are out to ruin your life, Now I see that "apostates" are just average nice ppl who want to live their lives they way they think best and serve God without the organization telling them how. As for trying to change the views of a believing JW, I don't think it is my place. If they ask my views , I will tell them. If they want to seek further and have more questions, they can search and come to their own conclusions as my husband and I did.
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cyber-sista
I never try to talk my mother out of the religion, I feel that although she has a false hope, it is better than the emptiness she would feel at her time of life if she no longer was a witness. If she was 30 years younger then maybe (but then I would only be 11).
Do you think it is better to turn all witnesses away from the "truth", as they see it?
This is the dilemna for me. I know people in the Organization whose lives are totally screwed up by being JWS, but then again many of these are the same people who would probably flip out if they did ever leave the Org. I see families who have been torn apart by the WT doctrine (parents alienated from Dfd children and vice versa) and this is a truly grievious thing in their lives. I would like them to know that it doesn't have to be this way--that this is all wrong...but then I know those ones who have totally immersed themselves in the JW persona that if that was stripped away I am not sure what you would find underneath. These people would need some major help to recover themselves. So many JWs I knew were on the edge of losing it already I feel like I have to be gentle with some of these people. But then there are the a-hole controlling sadistic type of JWs and I don't care about offending them that much. But I also think there are many in there that are just trapped in the JW routine for one reason or another and while it would be painful for them to realize that they had been living under an illusion already it would also be a relief for them once they separated from the Org.
I view the word apostate as a prejudice word.
The term "apostate" is a WT label designed to create loathing and hatred towards the people who have left the WT Org. In this way they can play on the fears of their members causing them to avoid anyone with this label, thus preventing any members in the WT flock from finding out things that may turn them away from working for the WT Org.
If the WT knew I was writing this they would put the apostate label on me. I feel that it is slanderous and hateful--and it will tear me away from some of my family. I don't like that at all.
cybs
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minimus
yup
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ezekiel3
Yes.
For many years I had a strict policy to keep my opinions about JWs to myself. Then I found JWD and internet apostacy.
Interestingly, "apostate" sites like this require the JW to reach out. There is no attack, it is voluntary exposure.
So this medium allows me to clearly expose JW-land while remaining cloaked to those who might have a knee-jerk reaction to an "apostate."
Hey all you JW parents who's son is an active JW: this could be your boy! Ain't that a trip?!
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ColdRedRain
I am an apostate. Why? One man's apostate is another man's freethinker.
To the Church of Rome, JW and XJW alike (Unless they've become Catholic) are apostates, simply because we don't see them as the authority to all Christianity, or we simply believe that they're powerless.
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Poztate
I'll Have to think about that
POZTATE....and proud of it..
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