I have been thinking a lot about the illustrations that JWs use to "show" that they are the truth. There is a definition for this type of reasoning, logical fallacy.
This diamond illustration has nothing to do with JWs. Here is a funny logical fallacy from South Park. Anyway, if you analyze the logic of their defense, you will be able to see through them. Hope this helps.
eljefe
JoinedPosts by eljefe
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19
I let a friend know I was having problems......
by nemo inhello everyone nemo here...just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.. anyway, i let my closest friend know how i felt currently about the organization and what affect it has had on me.
she has agreed to not share it with anyone, she won't, but these are the questions she possed to me.
i need to reply soon but my mind is overwhelmed with everything i have learned so i would like help formulating some answers.
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eljefe
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Toothpick skinny or the real thing?
by Stefanie inthis is just off topic of a recent thread about britney or beyonce.
how many of you guys out there prefer a real woman with curves.
how many of you guys prefer a boney stick body?.
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eljefe
I think a lot of a man?s preference has to do with his age. Younger guys tend to like women a bit skinnier and as we get older we find that curves are easier to snuggle with. I am definitely a breast man first and I love naturally ample breasts that just don?t occur often with toothpick women.
That is why God created breast implants. It even says it in the Bible:
Genesis 2:56-57
56 And God looked down on the Earth and beheld many flat chested women. And he began to weep for them. 57 And God proceeded to take silicon and form implant with it. And for 3,000 shekels per breast the flat chested women's breats were enlarged. And he looked down on and them and it was good. -
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An honest estimate of ourselves.... (long)
by Theocrat ingod says: ?blessed is the able-bodied man who puts his trust in jehovah, and whose confidence jehovah has become.?
a governing body that made decisions based on the scriptures and blessed by jehovah!
now, he is once again serving as a christian elder.
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eljefe
However, his family and the other elders did not treat him as if he were an apostate. They lovingly helped him through prayer and upbuilding conversations.
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What Made You Realize The WTBTS Was NOT The Truth
by Kevin inmy wife is a jw.. i've been trying to point out the errors of the wtbts but she just doesnt want to hear it.. i'm wonder if some people could share your turning point in regards to your relationship goes.
with the society.
what made you realize that the society was false.
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eljefe
I'm surprised no one has talked about 607. This is what broke the camel's back for me.
I had a meeting with the elders and told them I doubted the org. One said "Do you believe in 1914?". I said I would do more research into it.
1914 is a relative date based on the destruction of Jerusalem happening in 607 bc. There is absolutely NO evidence to support this date for the destruction of Jerusalem. Even in the JW's publications, they can not quote a single archaeologist or scholar that agrees with their interpretation. They can only offer mis-quotes that seem to cast a shadow of doubt on that date. Believe me, I looked everywhere. I looked at Barnes and Nobles, the Local Libraries, local professors, and local religious people.
I would recommend a challenge for her. If she gives you credible recent evidence of 607, you would study, quit pestering her, or something to that effect. This is just an example, but making her check it for herself may be the only way. -
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Make up your own Young People Ask titles
by doodle-v input yourself back in a dub's kids shoes and make up your own young people ask titles.. here's mine:.
young people ask:.
why do i have to go to these lousy meetings five times a week?.
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eljefe
--Why is there always a $$$ deficit at the end of every assembly?
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Most hated WT publication
by Nosferatu inwhat is the wt publication you hated the most?
why did you hate it?
for me, it was probably that damn pink great teacher book.
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eljefe
The Revelation book was the worst. They made us study it 3 times almost in a row to make sure everyone understood it. Now the majority of it has changed with "new lights" especially the parts about the Beast/UN.
Everyone thought the end was very near because we had to study it so often. -
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What effect did, being called "Brother or Sister" have on you?
by JH ini remember a month ago, receiving a slip at my door, saying that the memorial is this coming sunday, and it was signed by an elder, saying "your brother" elder so and so.
it was as if he and i were at the same level by writting "your brother".
the first reaction i had, seeing "your brother", acted as if we had a special bond, with a responsibility attached to it.. do you think that being called "brother or sister" is a way of manipulating you, a way of getting more out of you?
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eljefe
I always thought it was funny that JWs made fun of Mormons with their "Elder Smith" nametags. Yet substitute Elder with Brother and you have the same thing just different churches.
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My Dissassociation Letter
by eljefe ini have been poking around the forum for a while.
i have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.
here is my disassociation letter.
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eljefe
Thanks to everyone who read my letter and commented on it. I appreciate the kind words. Now, I wish my parents, family, and friends could do the same.
It has been really difficult for me the past few months. In essence, I lost all of my friends and family. I realized that my friends were only my friends because I was a JW. Worse than that, I found out that my family was only my family because I was a JW.
LittleToe, you are right. I need to re-word the part about my family. What about something like this:
I would have disassociated myself much sooner if it were not for being permanently separated from my family. I knew that the Society?s position on ?apostates? forbade virtually all contact with any Jehovah?s Witness, including their family. My family would follow these guidelines and shun me. I decided to start to leave about 2 years ago. Yet, I chose to give Jehovah?s Witnesses a second look as I knew the repercussions of leaving were to never see my family again. I knew I would never see my nephew and nieces grow. However, this is not reason enough to stay a Witness. And now I will have to say my last goodbye to them.
Purza, my family was directly affected by an abuser. Yet, my family has taken the "wait on Jehovah", "JW's are imperfect", and "you expect a perfect organzation" stance on everything. No matter how I reason on it, they don't seem to agree that JW abuse is business as usual.
Regarding the decision to DA instead of fade away, I have a couple of reasons for doing that. One is in line with the 'get out of her' and I would be completely out. Another reason is so that my family won't bug about going to meetings, etc. Finally, it was eating me up to live a lie. I had no desire to be JW, but went through the motions out of habit. -
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My Dissassociation Letter
by eljefe ini have been poking around the forum for a while.
i have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.
here is my disassociation letter.
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eljefe
Yes, I plan to send a copy to my family and friends. I have most of their E-mail addresses. For this reason, I made the letter so short. I wanted them to actually read it. Whether that happens or not is another question. I realized something today. I have already intimated that I am leaving to my parents. They are already distraught. But they are losing me by their own choice. But more importantly, I am losing all of them (both family and friends). So my loss is much greater than them losing just one person. I will try to explain that to them.
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My Dissassociation Letter
by eljefe ini have been poking around the forum for a while.
i have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.
here is my disassociation letter.
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eljefe
I have been poking around the forum for a while. I have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.
Here is my disassociation letter. I would like some feedback as many you have already done so.
Thanks.
Dear XXX congregation,
I wish to inform you that I am hereby disassociating myself from Jehovah?s Witnesses. I have three main reasons for disassociating myself.
The first reason is culpability with child molesters. Jehovah?s Witnesses have taken a very lax view of dealing with child molesters despite their statements to the contrary in publications and articles. This guilt is shared by people from Circuit Overseers to Bodies of Elders to Publishers. This guilt is exacerbated by cover ups. The significant amount of molestation and multiple molestations by the same person augments this culpability. In fact, no organized religion has behaved even remotely irreprehensible in this area. To its great hypocrisy, the Society has written about Catholic abuse over 14 times in the 1986-2001 Index under (Child Abuse-Sexual Abuse-By), and wrote 0 times about Jehovah?s Witnesses? sexual abuse scandals. This unclean practice was spoken about at length in the 18th chapter of Leviticus. No religion has the excuse that there were no laws against abuse when Jehovah made it very clear then that it was despicable.
The second reason is prophecy. I have done a great deal of research into 607 and 1914. Jehovah?s Witnesses are the only ones who believe that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607. I find that Jehovah?s Witnesses have warped the application of Bible verses to support their view of 607. All of my research in the Bible shows that Jehovah?s Witnesses have a very different view of Jerusalem?s destruction prophesies than the Bible really teaches.
The third reason is Acts 17:11. Acts 17:11 says ?Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.? During the past few months, I have been ?carefully examining the Scriptures? to see ?whether Jehovah?s Witnesses? teachings were so?. Paul evidently did not take issue or even berate these Beroeans because he said they were ?more noble minded?. However, following this example I have been called an apostate by 3 separate people for ?carefully examining the Scriptures?. I do not understand how following something in the Bible is tantamount to apostasy if it is recorded in the Bible as being edifying.
I used to look at Jehovah?s Witnesses and wonder why so many bad things happened within Jehovah?s Organization. By extension, I began to wonder if Jehovah really cared about us. As Jehovah?s Witnesses, we are brow beaten to think of Jehovah and Jehovah?s Witnesses in the same thought. Once I realized that Jehovah?s Witnesses are not the true religion much less his earthly Organization, it all made sense. A religion without Jehovah?s backing is no different than any other. So, I am not disassociating myself from Jehovah, but from Jehovah?s Witnesses. The two are very separate despite what the Society wants us to think. My relationship with Jehovah is the same; my relationship with Jehovah?s Witnesses has changed.
I would have disassociated myself much sooner if it were not for being permanently separated from my family. I decided to start to leave about 2 years ago. Yet, I chose to give Jehovah?s Witnesses a second look as I knew the repercussions of leaving were to never see my family again. I knew I would never see my nephew and nieces grow. However, this is not reason enough to stay a Witness. And now I will have to say my last goodbye to them.
Many people have asked me where I am going to go. Or how am I am going to find the faithful and discreet slave? Let me say I will not start looking immediately. I plan to stay as far away from organized religion as possible. I see no religion that truly follows the Bible and its teachings.
I do not wish to be contacted by Jehovah?s Witnesses in any shape or form without my expressed written consent.
I wish you all the best as you try to find the truth. May Jehovah bless your efforts to find the truth also.