How can I prove to my wife the WT false prophecy quotes are real?

by The Leological One 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  garybuss

  I'm just more concerned for her depressive states

  Maybe her mental illness is not caused by the religion. Maybe she is medicating the mental illness with the religion. If she has depression, that's a mental illness and I think it always requires a doctor's analysis. Maybe there's a physical problem underlaying it. Some people have unresolved issues of abuse or unfinished grief and they just need help accepting it and working through it.
  
  I'm not much for laymen diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. Maybe you are a psychiatrist but I'd think you're not since you are posting the problem on a public forum looking for suggestions. I think your motives are great. I'd just absolutely not confront her about religion at all. If she is searching for information, I'd just answer questions that I objectively can.
  
  As far as the Watch Tower goes, I'm absolutely convinced we don't get people to quit their religion by exposing them to the group's errors and I think untrained spouses make bad doctors.
  
  There is a tremendous amount of evidence that much of what I say today will be my error of tomorrow. Best wishes!
  
  
  
  
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  The Leological One

  Garybuss,

  I totally appreciate your response and concern. In some ways, you are right about the situation in that she has had some other issues in her life that have deeply affected her. But the WT also has been a huge part of her life up until just recently (and we even went to the Memorial this year) when she got DF'd. Basically, she gets in depressed states dwelling on what others in the cong such as elders have said or what they might think, such as feeling she's no good, and that seems to translate into her feeling God not forgiving her or something along those lines. The WT is a big influence on her depressive states, such as when she sees a JW she knows or hears preaching of about any kind, making her feel she's not a good enough person, doing God's will, etc...

  I believe you have some good advice there, but I also feel the only way I've been able to get her to think in a way that gives her hope that just because she's been DF'd doesn't equate to her being hated by God and unforgiven, etc. is by trying to show where the WT is far from perfect and not in a place to make harsh judgements on people that affect them to the point where they lose the ability to talk to their own family (such as my wife's situation) and friends, etc.. But I do try to think along the lines you presented as well, trying to be careful not to push my own views on someone else but rather hopefully just present another side to look into that may help.
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  garybuss

  I hope it all works out Leological. Sometime you might want to give me a call and I'll tell you the part of my story that I won't write anywhere. I live in South Dakota, USA in the central time zone.