every so often, i'll read on the board how some just hate jw's.
whether it's the individuals or the organization, some vehemently abhor everything connected to jehovah's witnesses.
i do not personally hate anyone.
Yeah, I've even thought about going behind the JW's in a niegborhood with a disclaimer kind of a document that explains what a person can really expect joining the Watchtower Society, that the JW kindly forgot to mention while aqt the door. But life's to short for dat . . .
Steve
one of the things the society prides itself over is that jw's are not only preachers but also teachers.
jw's are told that they have the "best education in the world".
jw's are taught for a number of months before they are allowed to get baptized.
What I have learned after the fact, as it were, is that the JW baptism means nothing. Its all about the set-up by the Watchtower Society to make you 'official' so they can use all their scare tactics on ya to make you obey. They make you feel like a second class citizen (can't comment at meetings, etc.) till' you get 'dunked'. Getting baptized as a JW is like selling your soul to the devil. When you do this, the devil (Society) owns ya. I think that’s why it feels so good to come to the awareness of the meaninglessness of the JW baptism. It’s kinda like tearing up that contract with the devil.
If all JW's could come to this realization about the Watchtower Society that folks like us here on this board have come to, would there enough JW's left to have a meeting? LOL
Steve
jw's always say that we better watch out because satan the devil is always looking at us to try to devour us.
we are told not to get involved with anything that is against god's will because satan is constantly looking at us to trick us into serving him.
satan is so powerful that he influences billions of people.
Yeah Hamas, it seems the older I get, the more 'Option C' appeals to me.
Steve
i was watching one of my favorite movies the other day -- "all the president's men" -- when this fabulous statement was made : "when you've got 'em by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.
how true.
makes me think of the drones in the land of dub.
Yea, pretty much sums it for me. Did you also mention the fear of seperation from God if the JW leaves the organzation? This may the the biggest of all the 'fears' the Watchtower uses to keep the JW in line. Ironic since, if there was ever a religion that keeps people bogged down and seperated from God, it would be the Wacthtower Society. Unreal . . .
You're right though. It is a religion based on fear, while all the while it's followers walk around with 'smiley' faces. I could never live a lie like that again. So glad I left.
Steve
every so often, i'll read on the board how some just hate jw's.
whether it's the individuals or the organization, some vehemently abhor everything connected to jehovah's witnesses.
i do not personally hate anyone.
I think JW's are turned into the 'victim' state slowly. There's the old analogy of how you go about cooking a frog that comes to mind. You don't throw a frog into boiling water, cuz he'll just jump out. You place em' in cool water, in a pot, and slowly turn up the heat. He never realizes he's getting 'cooked' until it’s too late. He just stays in there until he's finally cooked. I know its a simply analogy, but I believe this is how it basically works. If JW's were forced to state a disclaimer at the door about the whole religion, they would get very few people willing to jump into 'boiling' water (IMO). Instead, the JW presents the peculiarities of the religion slowly to the new 'believer'.
It’s an indoctrination process.
every so often, i'll read on the board how some just hate jw's.
whether it's the individuals or the organization, some vehemently abhor everything connected to jehovah's witnesses.
i do not personally hate anyone.
Uh, how does it go again? Witnesses don't hurt people; the Watchtower Society hurts people. Or something like that.
I'm forty-eight years old and if there's one thing I've learned, is that anyone is capable of anything given the right circumstances, motive and opportunity. You can't hate the people who are Jehovah's Witnesses for the harm they cause anymore than you can hate the German people for being Nazis. The potential to be destructive to others is in ALL of us.
However I don't buy into the idea that they (JW's) are simply victims. They're victims to be sure, but they are WILLING victims. I truly believe that in every JW's life, they are given the awareness at some point in their "walk" that they are wrong and are doing wrong. It is at this point they become willing victims (IMO) if they continue being in the organization/cult. Ergo, I have little sympathy for them for the pain they ultimately experience from their choices.
Steve
occasionally the enormity of it all just comes flooding back in on me.
at times it just seems so overwhelming.
at times it seems so incredibly fantastic so as to be unbelievable.
The Matrix? Yeah, don't know why I never saw it that way. You bet.
I'll take the RED pill please, Morpheus!
when i was 11 or 12, my best friend (who's father was also an elder) suggested i get some of my mom's cigarettes for us to smoke.
sounded like a good idea, so i did and we tried it.
i thought it was horrible, but she had done it before and whatever.
Hi Believer.
Well, then show your brother how happy you are. I know (as well as you), that JW's are trained to think that only JW's are genuinely happy. Another Watchtower lie. Let him see all your success and how good life can be, even though you're not a JW anymore. Of course this assumes he still has anything to do with you. One thing I would advise against is 'witnessing' to him. Let someone else maybe do that. I have known many folks in your situation who took their JW loved ones to task about their JW beliefs only to have it backfire on them. Just love him and maybe one day he'll see the light and what a blessing he has in his sister!
Steve
my 10 do's and dont's when witnessing to jws seems to be popular.
let me know how you like them and if you have any other methods that you use that seem to work well.. tower man.
http://www.towertotruth.net/do'sanddont's.htm
I warn those who may be interested in becoming a JW. And I try and help those who have come out of the relgion and need direction. But as for those caught in the middle (meaning the active staunch JW who you can't get to even admit to one error) I leave alone. Been there , done that, and all I got to show for it is a bunch of wasted time. Witnessing to a JW ain't my gift. That doesn't mean others can't be successful at it. I relize that. Just not me.
Uh, that doesn't mean I don't like to have a little 'sport' with one form time to time. Its enjoyable for me to shake up their little world with a dose of reality. Oh yea, I always enjoy that! But I don't hold out any hope that I can change their minds. Nope, not anymore anyway.
Steve
occasionally the enormity of it all just comes flooding back in on me.
at times it just seems so overwhelming.
at times it seems so incredibly fantastic so as to be unbelievable.
"Like being raised on a movie set, you walk through a door one day to find it is all just a facade. The enormity of the lie, the world they created for you to live in, the mindset you once excepted as normal, is sometimes too huge to comprehend yourself, much less explain to others who grew up "normal." "
Hey Tammy,
NOW, your life can begin! I think its kinda like a death, leaving the Watchtower Society. First there's shock, then denial, then anger, then sadness, and then finally, acceptance. It can take a while to go through these phases for someone who leaves the JW religion. But it comes.
I like your "movie set" analogy. I can just hear God saying "CUT". I'm sure He is exited about you 'walking off the set' and your new found life and realization. I don't believe He wants anyone to be caught up in any thing that keeps people from knowing Him.
With freedom comes the responsibilty of making wise and sound choices. But give me my freedom please!
Steve
