by almosthome 76 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Most of the stories I have read on this site are of people realising untruth, not circumstnces for leaving the wts. That takes guts. They are not victims, they are warriors.
A warrior goes to places where all their senses tell them it's frightening. Some succome to fear and turn back. You are one of these.
You can return at any time to this journey, be brave and true to yourself.
I think if you see the witnesses as a social club where you think you can have fun. It's ok to go there.
But if you think they have the truth and God is with them only, i do not agree with that. They do not have one drop of truth with them.
I can accept a person lie to me but not an organization. When someone is in an position of authority lyed it is a big deal. A president can be impeached for lying to the public.
When a religion lied it looses it's credibility. It lied to God. Is also a false profet.
Let me tell you a lie they told us. They add Jehovah's name in the greek scripture was enough for me to do more research about them and see they are liars. They liar to cover another lie.
In no way the WT has God backing.
But i wish you luck
amen
Wow, you guys post alot when us PacificNorthwesterners are trying to sleep!
Confession
and that individuals will use examples of what SOME of the people did to justify their wholesale denunciation of ALL the people. There are threads here in which many contributers have suggested that all elders are idiots--or that they never met an elder who wasn't a jerk. I don't think any honest person can believe that's true............Would you agree that many in this forum make generalizations about JWs that are also unfair?
Yep, I certainly agree with you there. This is a differentiation problem though. If a number of those in power become cruel and dictatorial, it is fair to say that group is corrupt. Depending on your viewpoint, you may feel this is implying also all of the individuals in the group, but that is a matter of perception. It's a double edged sword. For instance, with my own experience, I stayed in the Organization long after I knew there was something wrong. I had never been cruelly mistreated, though I had suffered much "lack of love." I'd seen some things that I chalked up as "isolated incidents." But I stayed in because I knew good people in the group.
Now, when I meet someone who asks me about the JWs, I will tell them "that's a bad group, you do not want to get involved with them. They are deceptive and manipulative. They kill babies, and protect pedophiles..." Clearly I don't mean EVERY INDIVIDUAL. But the group, to a certain extent, bears responsibility for the sins of its leaders, even if it's not ALL the leaders.
Do I think sweeping generalizations detract from a convincing argument? Yes, absolutely. But it is human nature to make them, especially when deep emotional pain is involved. I think you will find that the less pain a person had inflicted on them, the less inclined they are to make wholesale condemnations. I try to keep that in mind when I see people saying "All the elders are evil." I try to remind myself that they must have endured a great deal of pain at the hands of one or a few of these men in positions of power.
And some people just like to exaggerate... but there may still be a core of truth in the story.
I've read your story and it is sad and tragic and I feel for you. Equally tragic is the fact that you think you cannot live without this organization, but to each his/her own. It is certainly not for me.
This statement I found tells all. It says to me that you are copletely indoctrinated into the idea of a FDS who can do no wrong in your eyes.
I think the UN stuff is just completely blown out of proportion! But each of us will view this the way we are ready to view it.
The Revelation book and other lit. clearly identified the UN as the Wild Beast, an enemy of the kingdom of God. If I as a Witness cannot go into a church even for a wedding or funeral, how can any Witnesses rationalize the WTS joinging this organization AND PROMOTING IT - WITHOUT TELLING THE PUBLISHERS WHAT WAS GOING ON . If what they were doing was so innocent, why wasn't it revealed to the R&F untial AFTER it hit the newspapers? THEN, only to those who inquired? (I smell fish here).
Like I said, that organization is not for me. But if you feel it's for you that's your choice.
Lastly, and I mean this in all sincerity from one woman and human being to another; Get some counseling. Talk to a neutral party and get to know and understand YOU as an individual. In the org. you only understand you as a part of the whole (hence the reason trekkies refer to it as the borg - they are all one, assimilation is the only way to be a part of the whole).
Odrade,
Comments well taken. I recognize this forum as being (primarily) a place where ex-JWs go to connect and share their experiences. I enjoy it as such, but have to admit I'm more concerned about existing JWs and my desire for them to learn the things we have. So I bristle when one of them comes here and is met by the type of generalizations I described earlier. Do I think people have every right to vent--and warn others based upon their experiences? Certainly. I just remember what it was like when I was mounting my investigation into this organization. Anytime I found an ex-JW message board I recognized it as exactly what the FDS had warned us about. It just seemed like a lot of opportunistic faultfinders and justified my former understanding of so-called "apostates."
Now I understand better that these boards are not full of only this type of person--and that many of those who seem to be negative and hateful are that way for good reason. But I also know that, for those existing JWs who are searching, emotionally charged wholesale condemnations of the organization usually won't succeed in anything but possible validation that "apostates" are evil, vicious manslayers--and resulting disbelief.
I have met more vicious and evil jws in chatrooms and message boards than apostates. Nothing that has come before in this topic said to this woman has been mean or evil or vicious. If she didnt want conflicting opinons to what she posted here she had every right not to do so. But she did because even though she's going back she has a voice here. She wont have a voice when she goes back to the hall.
Josie
mrsjones,
My reference to evil, vicious apostates was sarcastic; what the WTS would call ex-JWs. And I was referring not to anything written in this thread, but to her comments about things she'd read in other threads.
The only real problem is...
IT'S NOT REAL! THEY MADE IT UP! JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!
That said, whatever makes you happy. Don't support the judging of the world. I hold you personally responsible for every bit of damage done by the WTBTS if you chose to go back.
You said:
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"But nowhere was there conspiracy."
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Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be adequately explained by ignorance and stupidity.
Either way, I wouldn't trust these guys with my lunch menu, let alone my path to salvation.
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time."
It sounds like you are in the first category; most here are in the second -- we were fooled once, but won't be fooled all the time.
Best wishes on your quest for happiness and understanding!
~Quotes, of the "glad you were brave enough to post" class
Whether you go back or stay here is your choice, but either way, I think you should go to a counselor. It sounds like you have a lot of unresolved issues from the past and a history of poor choices. Perhaps a social worker or psychologist would be able to help you in ways that the JWs and this board have not.
Good luck to you on your journey!
Tammy
