evergreen

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Posts by evergreen

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  35

  Why is religion such a mass of confusion?

  by evergreen in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  as a person who has not attended meetings for some time now, and having stood back and looked at the thousands of different faith groups, organisations, churches etc i often think how on earth are we to know what direction to go.

  if a person looks deeply into their own faith questioning how, what and why... the deeper the hole gets as to errors.

  from my own experience having firstly been a catholic then a jw, all i see are manmade rituals and rules mingled in with biblical principles and commandments.

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  evergreen

  Thanks for the link Gopher.
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  35

  Why is religion such a mass of confusion?

  by evergreen in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  as a person who has not attended meetings for some time now, and having stood back and looked at the thousands of different faith groups, organisations, churches etc i often think how on earth are we to know what direction to go.

  if a person looks deeply into their own faith questioning how, what and why... the deeper the hole gets as to errors.

  from my own experience having firstly been a catholic then a jw, all i see are manmade rituals and rules mingled in with biblical principles and commandments.

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  evergreen

  As a person who has not attended meetings for some time now, and having stood back and looked at the thousands of different faith groups, organisations, churches etc I often think how on earth are we to know what direction to go. If a person looks deeply into their own faith questioning how, what and why... the deeper the hole gets as to errors. From my own experience having firstly been a Catholic then a JW, all I see are manmade rituals and rules mingled in with biblical principles and commandments. When I have read up on other christian faiths and their fundamental beliefs, I just find the same thing. This very much confuses me and wonder how the ordinary man and woman on the street can ever find the true faith.

  I believe in a number of things in the bible such as the raising of Lazarus; as their were eyewitnesses who saw that event. Again the many miracles witnessed by many etc. But yet some of the bible just seems far fetched and puzzling. Then there is the twisting of scriptures to suit the beliefs of the thousands of Christain denominations around the world. Confused? I am.
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  27

  How many years before you left did you realise it was not the truth?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was only in for 10 years.

  however, i never feel that i 100% believed it all, even at the point of baptism.. i think after the initial period of 'love' shown on the part of the brothers, i must have only been a baptised brother for about 4 years when i knew it was all wrong on so many different levels.. i remember a sister saying to me "once they have got you under the water, that's when you see the real way they treat you".

  it all changed after baptism.

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  evergreen

  I often remember going out to the mens toilets at the kingdom hall and singing the line "oh yes im ,,the great pretender" (Queen), ie being someone that was not me. I hated me back then. I just wanted to be me again, having friends and doing the normal things a young man would do etc. That began in 1993 about 2 years after baptism. Even some months after baptism, i often questioned the societies beliefs, but kept suppressing these thoughts. In fact i was brainwashing myself with my own suppressed thoughts to the point that i would say over and over again that Satan is trying to get at me; or the light is getting brighter...yeah the society gets it wrong, they admitted it and on and on and on it went.

  But would have to say that full realisation came in 2001 when i had full access to the internet. That is when i thoroughly realised that the society was just another good old US of A religious organisation. (no offence to my american friends, but that is the way I now see the Watctower org)
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  24

  Did you feel like this toward the end? Brothers/Sisters & worldly people

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i can remember about 2 years before i exited the org i had a terrible dilema which didn't really have anything to do with my doubts in relation to doctrine.. the problem was hearing over and over and over about the fact that being in the org was 'the best place to be'.

  that the brothers were 'true friends'.

  didn't they have a video out called 'ypa - how can i make real friends?'.

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  evergreen

  I felt like i was in a strait jacket whenever i was at a gathering, especially when there were the ultra spritual ones that,made you feel conscientious about even farting in the toilet when in their presence.

  I hated going to gatherings in the end and preferred to be with people i could totally relax with and let my hair down a bit, whether it be work mates or worldly family.
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  13

  1984 - Some Quotes... long so no pressure to read it all :-)

  by AlphaOmega in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have just read the book (and seen the film) "1984", by george orwell.

  i would like to share a few quotes with you all.

  at this moment, for example, in 1984 (if it was 1984), oceania was at war with eurasia and in alliance with eastasia.

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  evergreen

  The one thing i remember most about this book was the constant paranoai that big brother was watching. For years i felt this way when fading, the paranoai i felt taking the huge step of going to a city library and getting the book crisis of conscience; the looking over my shoulder; the worry that the person on the desk was a witness; the worry that my wife would find me with the book and report me to "big brother".

  Interestingly , even Jehovahs name is mentioned in this book.
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  74

  Update! Drew Sagan is no longer a Jehovah's Witness

  by drew sagan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as promised here is all of the info regarding what has been going on.

  per the last jc with the elders i realized that all i had done was buy time.

  they felt that we should be df'ed right on the spot, but because i made a plea to wait for a letter coming back from the wts they decided to hold on taking such action.

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  evergreen

  Utter travesty. Absolutely terrible. Any excuse will do. Thats about all it amounts to. They are a law onto themselves.

  I wish you and your wife all the best Drew.
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  34

  Discussion with Elder....a must read story

  by drew sagan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those who don't know i've been 'inactive' for around one year.

  i stopped attending meetings late last year.

  all during this time i was working on my wife (known on this board as amber rose), helping her see the problems with the watchtower.

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  evergreen

  That took a lot of courage to do that Drew. You are a man of principle and you show no fear in what you believe. I wish i could have that same courage. The nearest i came to it was last year, when i sent a very detailed letter to the presiding overseer of my congregation explaining why i couldnt go back to the meetings. He came round to the house and was very understanding. He said he would keep my letter confidential and would not share it with the other elders. He is a very nice individual and said that the door would always be open if i wanted to return. I admired him for doing that. I have never heard from the elders since and will not be going to any more memorials.
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  17

  The first signals of doubt?

  by The wanderer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the watchtower and the deciding factors

  can you recall the very first inner voices of doubt that.

  you carried about the watchtower society?

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  evergreen

  DfG, You heard about the 1975 thing from a friend! I heard it from a lady we had called on in the ministry. I remember saying that that was not the case and she said she used to study with the witnesses untill the 1975 thing happened. The brother said that it did happen and that set alarm bells ringing as i was still wet behind the ears in the ministry.
  
  I would have to say that my doubts began with their ridiculous view on having a beard. I was approached by both an elder and a M/S who explained to me in their tactfully watchtower way that beards arent the done thing in Jehovahs organisation.
  
  The revelation book really set doubts in me as well. Paticularly the dates in the 20th century and how certain scriptures in revelation applied to rutherford etc.
  I remember saying to myself is this for real.
  
  Right from the very beginning i had those little nagging doubts, but was taken along with the tide of WT doctrine and accepted the view that the society didnt claim to be infallible and whence got things wrong at times.
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  35

  Ever tempted to reveal yourself?

  by 5thGeneration in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  being from canada and still "active", i always wonder whether i know other canadians on this board.

  trust me, some of you would know my family.. however, still being "active", i guess i'll have to wait to see some day.. anyone else same deal?.

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  evergreen

  Glad i looked at this thread , that mr bean pic just about knocked me of my seat. Still cant stop laughing.
  
  Would i reveal myself?
  
  unlikely, sorry, not for a long time yet. Saying that i wish i could
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  14

  JW doctrine aside, where has your research of Christianity taken you to....

  by evergreen in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i felt i would ask this question in the friends forum as it seems to get the most viewing.

  my question is this.

  leaving aside your research of what you have found out about the organisation and focusing more on your research of the "christian faith".

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  evergreen

  Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I am currently in conversations with an Aunt of mine who felt that she had read the bible through and through and came to that point wher she could no longer be a Catholic and has found what she believs to be her own spiritual path in life Although some of her ideas are a bit way out there, i do admire her conviction and honesty and has given me some food for thought. In my own personal way i feel i am getting closer to God because he knows i am honestly searching for him. He knows that i am making every effort to find him and then follow a path that i will know in my heart is the way forward. Through my study of the scriptures , putting faith in our lord Jesus is the key to finding God.
  Only through Jesus will we receive Gods grace.
  
  I do however feel that as some have already touched on earlier, that a person needs to be rational about what we believe. For a start i will not follow something blindly when my conscience is telling me "to hold on a minute", or my alarm bells are going off telling me that some doctrine doesnt sound logical or make sense. I will worship God by obeying his commands within the scriptures and use common sense in my day to day lfe.
  
  One of the things i feel i would like to eventually do is something similiar to what Ray Franz has been doing and have some sort of fellowship by having some form of bible dicussion with others ( even if there are minor differences). At least my association would be with people who have a love for the bible and genuinly want to understand it and upbuild each other. This hopefully will be something i will do in the near future. I often think of the scripture where it says "For where 2 or 3 of you are together in my name, there i am in their midst" Matthew 18:20
  
  I would have to say that i have found out a great deal more about God through personal research and will continue my research for as long as it takes. We know that God is not far off. I also know ( from the sciptures) that if we earnestly seek God, and p[ut faith in his son , we will receive Gods blessings.
  
  
  
  
  Evergreen