Yes, doing mental gymnastics trying to reconcile conflicting thoughts takes its toll.
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5104087982931968/physical-effects-cognitive-dissonance
has waking up ever made you physically ill?
perhaps because of the emotional strain etc..?.
if if so what were / are the symptoms?.
Yes, doing mental gymnastics trying to reconcile conflicting thoughts takes its toll.
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5104087982931968/physical-effects-cognitive-dissonance
according to the last paragraph of the article entitled "escape from slavery—then and now" (wt#2, 2017).
jehovah god felt grieved by the harsh treatment of israelite slaves in egypt; he must feel the same way about similar injustice today.. .
if you call modern slavery "injustice", wasn't the slavery during moses time also "injustice"?
Slavery in any form , at any time in history is wrong.
The biblical "approval" of slavery, no matter how it was "regulated" was wrong. Pure and simple!
So too was the forced taking of women and children for the Isrealites to "use" when they captured nations. Wrong. Pure and Simple!
No one can try and convince me otherwise.
the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.
today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.
gonna try and record it if i can.
Also, how about:
So will everyone who doesn't agree with your faith be killed? Even little babies? How do you personally feel about watching babies be killed?
any elder has never asked me that question so far but i want to be prepared to answer that question if any of them ask me that question in the future.
i hope that they will never ask me that question.
any suggestions on how to answer that question would be very much appreciated.
In addition to all the great comments in the thread already, I would add:
"well, Jesus had some fine words to share on this topic. Can you please turn your bibles to Matt 7:15-20. Would you care to read these powerful words please?"
Then say no more. Let your silence, along with "our Lord's" words speak for itself!
most of us have seen the video created by a huge team at bethel in the usa: (i still wonder if any heads rolled over it??!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwkdmja2y_i.
but here is a new version set to a different song..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxdtqg7lqni.
Most of us have seen the video created by a HUGE team at Bethel in the USA: (I still wonder if any heads rolled over it??!! anyone know??)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwKdMjA2Y_I
But here is a new version set to a different song....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxdTqg7lqnI
Enjoy....
this place is great and it helped me.
for anyone i used to interact with, i think about you often.
i just wanted to read and catch up..
Gday from Australia!
my sister got baptized at 17 or 18 years old in 1983. she was ripe for the jw picking as she was shy, quiet, naive and with low self-esteem even though she was tall and beautiful and she attended one of the best high schools in philadelphia.. she wasn't outgoing and she only went out on a couple of dates prior to her baptism.
she worked at a day care center.
she loved children and animals.
Yes, sadly I have seen that in the elders book. A witness can "disassociate by their actions" by doing something the society considers wrong. They are then to be treated as a "disfellowshipped" person with all the scorn and judgement that involves.
It is so inappropriate that an organization has that level of insidious control over the mindset of its members!
hey everyone.
so a few weeks back i getva knock at the door, i could tell they were jw immediately, its always obvious.
i think its just a regular door knock but at 5.30pm i did think it weird.
If they do come back, be polite but take control of the conversation in a dignified but non-committal way.
"Thanks for popping in. Just curious, how did you get my name and details please? (allow for brief response)________OK, thanks.I hope you take care and have a nice day. Good bye"
jws like to think they have found the one true religion.
but like so many other religious people, it's usually the religion they were born into, the only religion they know because it's the first one they found or, at the most, one of two or three (typically the second one after they left their first / born-in faith).. the trouble is, there simply isn't enough time to explore and investigate each and everyone of the many thousands of belief systems, religions and sects around the world.. think of it this way: which is the best neighbourhood to live in where you would be most happy and most successful?
not just in the city or even the country you are in, but the entire world.. how would you ever know?
FANTASTIC post Simon, and great comments Steve2 as well...(and everyone in fact)
Another thing to add is that : Nothing is constant. Things change (evolve) over time, so what was PERCEIVED to be truth once, needs re-evaluating as more information comes to light. Most religions don't do that....
For instance, Christians (and witnesses in this case) will take the accounts in the OT as factual and acceptable behaviour. (eg Lot committing incest with his daughters, or the killing of babies by soldiers etc) But we know now that there is NEVER an acceptable reason for such behaviour!
I challenge a witness to try and tell us otherwise!
for any who may be fading, or trying to break free from the society, or those who fear how things will transpire , please do yourself a favour and watch this video!.
it is long, but worth the investment in time, for it will help in many ways.. its called "coming out" by theramin trees, and for those who "come out" about recognising the truth of the society, it will help.. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mj-8ocmtb_8.
Bumped for ones who have not seen these videos as yet.