by skeptical 1 17 Replies latest jw friends
I believe that Jehovah's Witnesses teach some true things. I do not believe they have the whole truth or that they are the only source of truth.
I come here to discuss topics that are unique to people who are or who have been Jehovah's Witnesses. My workmates and friends do not have the frame of reference necessary to discuss these topics with me in a fully satisfying way.
Joel
all your responses are greatly appreciated! your points are well taken. I will take these into consideration on my search for the truth. but I must admit that alot of what the witnessess believe and teach, unlike other religious organizations I've been exposed to, seems to make some semblense of sense out of it all. it seems to have a ring of truth you might say. I'm not looking for perfection because as we all know this cant possibly exist in any human organization. whats the alternative? catholisism, mormonism, scientology ect. ect. the hypocrisy of these and other organizations slap you right in the face. whereas in the case of the witnesses, although such hypocrisy exists, you really have to look long and hard to find it. would'nt you say that there is something to be said for that?
LOL. Yes. It says that they are MORE dishonest.
Try the better alternative. Nothing. God has your number, He/She/It will call if He/She/It/They need you. Meanwhile, life will be more interesting for you, and you won't be a danger to others.
It's all good.
SixofNine With all due respect, I dont follow your logic that the witnesses hypocrisy is less apparent than other religions because their more dishonest. logic dictates the reverse to be true. Also you state that Nothing is a better alternative than becoming a member of a religion other than the JW's. My experience is that this is almost invariably the case with former JW's. It's as if their saying in effect that if their not going to be a witness, for their own personal reasons, their not going to be nothing at all. This seems somewhat revealing about what they really believe! Finally, you state "It's all good". Bury your head in the sand if you want but life in this world we live in is far from all good. Just ask the kids in the cancer ward at the hospital and a great many others who have been handed a raw deal in this life! I would prefer to be more realistic and say "It's mostly bad".
Skeptical1
you seen very obsessed with ex-jw's. Could it be they have the 'truth'?
Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!
gsark, Simplistic answers to complex problems have never been very compelling to me. Besides, when I ride a roller coaster I like to shout and wave my hands in the air rather than shut up and hang on as you recommend!
skeptical 1
What initially makes the organisation's interpretations easier to swallow is that it is more concrete than spiritual. eg. After WWII in Europe with intense hardship, tremendous loss of life, why wouldn't the concrete concept of no more war, no more money problems, no more hunger, no more death, seeing your loved ones who just died in bombings appeal to you? The lovely doctored pictures in various books now providing visual support to the concrete dream. It is everything you want and need to hear. If someone had come along and said "I'd like to share with you how to come into a relationship with Jesus and the Father", this is a spiritual concept and relationship and not particularly appealing, dare I use the word, to our sinfulness. Why JWs and other man religions make so much sense is because so much of it is of human origin - mind you under the guise of God's Word. Jehovah is put in a box, JWs and others have disected him, know all the answers, and we certainly want answers and guidance in life. When you ask "what is the alternative" you immediately mention other cults or organisations. Until you wait for God (Jehovah) to show you the "way" or "the truth" (Jesus) you could be shopping from one religion to another, but always based on your expectations and your predetermined (brainwashed)concept of the truth. On hyprocisy, every sinner is some way displays hypocrisy at some time in their life. We know the right way to go, especially for other people, but when it comes to me, well... I believe the apostle Paul had this struggle, knowing the right thing to do but....and we would hardly call him a hypocrite. When you mention you have to "look long and hard" to find hypocrisy in the JWs, it all depends on what glasses you are looking through. I recall the struggle after being raised a JW in trying to find the truth - it is there alright - but until we say, as I experienced "I don't know what is the truth anymore, I don't trust anyone anymore, I don't trust any version of the Bible and I'll go back to the Hebrew and Greek Interlinear and asking Jehovah that "whatever, whereever the truth is" you want to be part of that and Him, your mind is still closed because you have set parameters around your search for truth. It causes great pain to those of us who have left and indeed found the TRUTH in Jesus, not some organisation, so see our former brethern caught in the barb wire on their way out of the organisation. It causes even more pain, that their stories are duplicated millions of times through the same issues with other religions or cults. Keep searching - the TRUTH is out there but just not in the form you have been brainwashed to believe.
He already has his mind made up...that much is clear.
