Hmmmm, I would say no punishment as long as they don?t hurt others, let them believe what they want. But on the flip side they tend to prey on the weak and pull them in. Good question.
What if?
by jula71 42 Replies latest jw experiences
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tijkmo
k....i guess my point is then that if there is no punishment for being in the wrong religion...and the benefits of being there outweigh the disadvantages..ie do whatever your conscience allows you to do but no need to cut off links to family and friends..then that would be the prudent course to take
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mtbatoon
As there are many who believe they are in the right religion but don't follow it's teachings for non conscientious reasons, I'd say that actions over membership is the benchmark on which any judging should be based.
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tijkmo
i agree...my question was..what is the judgement
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jula71
mtbatoon, you are right to a point, the thing is being a witness seems to soley be based on works, how many hours a month you get, then just being a member.
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jula71
tijkmo, are you asking, what harm is it to be a member as long as your happy? Or are there more benefits staying in than by leaving?
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mtbatoon
I'd like to know first what the options are. Are we talking everlasting life or everlasting death? Maybe heaven or hell with a bit of purgatory thrown in. Is it a pass/fail situation or will we have a sliding scale of some sort?
Secondly, does a creator have the right to judge his creation having given them free will?
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vitty
To tell the truth it would be a lot easier in some ways to still be in the org, as most of my family are still in.
I go through some moment of madness wishing it was true. Although this is the kind of thinking that got me in this mess 20 years ago. I like easy answers to difficult questions, and they certainly have that scenario of to a tea.
To start thinking about life with all its problems, to have to face them head on, its very hard, when yourve stuck your head in the sand for so long.
In my head I know they are wrong, but after years of thinking it was the only truth, it will take a long time to disconnect emotionally
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tijkmo
i just remember thinking when i was younger that jws were the only ones who believed they were the only true religion and the only ones who would survive....all other religions believed that every religion would be acceptable which obviously meant including jw so from a purely logical point of view it was better to be a part of the one religion that believed they were the only true one because you were covered either way.....logic isnt the same as love though..i was a jw because i loved j and now i dont but i find myself falling back on my logic even though i dont even want to live tomorrow far less forever..its a kind of just in case scenario which is what you are also stuggling with....i think
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jeanniebeanz
Even though I know they can't be right, it's the only life I've known.
Jula,
Knowledge and time are the key. What steps have you taken to un-learn what you were taught by the witnesses? If you have turned your back on the witnesses and their teachings, but have not replaced those beliefes with something that makes sense, you are operating in a vacuum and fear based instinct is the primary operation system of the human race. The witnesses understand how to use that basic operating system to control their people, and that foundation of fear is their main tool.
What ideas are you filling your mind with to replace the false reasonings, fear and kneejerk reactions that were pushed on us by the WTBTS? What tools have you gained to control and direct your own internal dialog?
Fear is the main weapon of the WTBTS, and if you ask yourself if your reactions are logic or reason, I believe that you will find that you are still operating on fear.
J