I can see how someone outside, looking in, might see JWs as good, harmless,clean living folks who have strong principles. That's because they put so much effort on how they appear to others. Hypocracy is a feature of many religions, few more so than JWs but it is not always apparent to others.
jaffacake
JoinedPosts by jaffacake
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A woman that strongly supports the dubs
by greendawn ini was talking with a woman today who admires the jws, though not one of them, and she was telling me things like they are the only people with strong principles and families and the only ones that really try to apply god's laws in their lives and uphold biblical truth.
also that there are many diseased individuals among the blood donors and most donated blood is contaminated so the dubs are doing well to avoid transfusions.
i was going to say to her i am surprised that you did not join them.
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I have been told by "born-again christians" Booker, why do you attack BACs
by booker-t inwhen i was growing up as a "devout" jw's i ran into countless of born-again christians(bacs) that would tell me i was going to hell, i was in a "cult", jw's were the "anti-christ" the wts was "satanic" and we were going to burn in the lake of fire for all eternity.
can you imagine how i felt as a jw's working at a place with 10 bacs telling me this at lunch time.
but still i would treat them nice and play cards with them and never openly judge them.
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jaffacake
The term born-again covers a broad range of people and beliefs. The fundamentalist born agains are unwittingly quite unChristian, due to there incorrect over literal interpretations of scriptures.
Similarly, most Christians who describe themselves as Bible-based do not realise that they are quite the opposite, and are possibly almost as mistaken as JWs about what the Bible actually teaches.
Many Christians consider themselves to be born again, because Christ clearly thought it so important to be born again. But that does not mean all born again Christians are judgemental like the ones you describe.
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I have been told by "born-again christians" Booker, why do you attack BACs
by booker-t inwhen i was growing up as a "devout" jw's i ran into countless of born-again christians(bacs) that would tell me i was going to hell, i was in a "cult", jw's were the "anti-christ" the wts was "satanic" and we were going to burn in the lake of fire for all eternity.
can you imagine how i felt as a jw's working at a place with 10 bacs telling me this at lunch time.
but still i would treat them nice and play cards with them and never openly judge them.
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jaffacake
The term born-again covers a broad range of people and beliefs. The fundamentalist born agains may be unwittingly quite unChristian, due to there incorrect over literal interpretations of scriptures.
Similarly, most Christians who describe themselves as Bible-based do not realise that they are quite the opposite, and are possibly almost as mistaken as JWs about what the Bible actually teaches.
Many Christians consider themselves to be born again, because Christ clearly thought it so important to be born again. But that does not mean all born again Christians are judgemental like the ones you describe.
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Cancer has taken way to many people out of my life, how about yours?
by free2beme inrecently a female friend of mine was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
she is 22, and has a long fight ahead of her.
in my 35 years of this life, if there was a year book that showed all the friends and family members that i have known, far to many would have a note saying "died from cancer, on such and such date.
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jaffacake
Hi Free
I'm so sorry to hear this news.
I know how you feel. I have lost several older relatives to this disease, but recently it has come closer to home.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, and my sister in law's funeral was today - age 39. I lost a younger cousin in November, and another cousin was diagnosed just last week.
On a positive note, many are living longer or beating this disease, some as a result of medical advances. Stay positive
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Is It Possible That The Society REALLY Believes The "End" Will Soon Be Here
by minimus indo you think they might really believe that?
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jaffacake
In my view none of the Governing Body really believes the end will come in their lifetimes.
I don't believe many JWs in senior positions really believe half of what the Society teaches - for example when I put him on the spot, my local PO admitted in my home last year there had never really been any 'new light' from God to JWs.
By the time they're senior enough to find out, they have too much to lose by coming clean.
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catholic funeral today
by jaffacake inmy dear sister in law died last week age 39 leaving 3 kids (16, 12 and 5).
we're very close and the youngest kids are staying with us, off and on, for a while.
got to know the catholic priest who has been wonderful and made all the difference to helping her accept what was happening.
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jaffacake
Hi old friends,
My dear sister in law died last week age 39 leaving 3 kids (16, 12 and 5). We're very close and the youngest kids are staying with us, off and on, for a while.
Got to know the Catholic priest who has been wonderful and made all the difference to helping her accept what was happening. She was not religious at all - quite the opposite, and he hardly knew her until very recently, but he treated her like a daughter. After some of his visits when she had been upset and afraid, he shed tears with us. After a few of his visits she lost all her fear of death and she told us she was ready.
My wife and I are so grateful for the love he showed to a stranger, who did not share his faith - he feels almost like part of my family now, a wonderful Christian human being!
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How many people have you SAVED from the JWs?
by kid-A inok, maybe the word "saved" is inappropriate.... in my case, i would have to count three.
two of my best friends from when i was growing up who initially resisted my questions and apostate leanings but are now free of the borg and have confided it was our conversations that led to their de-programming.
and, my sister, through pretty much the same circumstances.
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jaffacake
Me: zero. But working on it
Somehow I doubt your score is zero even though you may never know how many people your posts influence. This is something impossible to quantify - sometimes people make a decision influenced by something they heard or read years earlier.
I find it sad that the most difficult people to rescue are those we love and have set out to save from the JWs. If one day I help to get one complete stranger out that will be wonderful, although I'll never know about it.
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New to this!
by supersonic inwell ive just registered with the site and not sure what to make of it.
i feel i shouldn't be here.... anyway i'm just a normal 17 year old lad from the uk who is a bit confused at the minute.
i want nothing more than to go out and enjoy myself with my mates in the world but it proves difficult.
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jaffacake
Hello and a Warm Welcome Supersonic. There are all kinds of people on this site. I've never been a JW although my closest friends have become JWs in recent years, hence my interest.
I've been in a KH once - the 2005 Memorial, and studied with my local PO for several weeks, until he realised how much I knew about "the truth".
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Do you ever get overwhelmed trying to sort your thoughts out ...
by troubled mind inmaybe i need to start a journal or something to help sort my thoughts .
it seems like right now i have to many things to deal with at once and i don't know how to slow down and take one issue at a time .
this past weekend i met a pastor from the church down the street .incredibily nice guy .
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jaffacake
TM,
I wish you well. Being on this site, reading and posting, used to keep me going strong. But in recent months I haven't been able to be here because I need to clear my mind from the constant thinking, and striving to make a difference. I've been at overload.
I like what you said to Trevor, especially the last few words - it would not be a belief if there were absolute proof, would it?
I am confused as to what I really believe anymore .I am not 100% either way on whether I believe in life after death , leaning more to no. I am trying to differintiate between what I only hope exisits, and what really does exisit . Maybe that will never be possible because there is no absolute proof for any religious beliefs.
I read a book last summer, whose early and late chapters helped me see more clearly what beliefs begin to make some sense to me. The middle chapters were harder to follow, but i have had relative peace of mind ever since, at least in relaton to my beliefs, which are not without significant doubt.
Anyway, I bought a few copies - you're welcome to one free of charge should you wish to pm me.
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My daughters didn't invite me to the Memorial
by MsMcDucket in.
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i'm considered a full-blown apostate now!
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jaffacake
He he Brucie, Don't you suit suspenders? It could'a been one of several, but Romans Chapter 13:1 came up in conversation. I just asked - why, if the JWs (or more specifically the FDS) get information from God as they claim, were they the only religion to have the wrong understanding of that text between 1929 and 1962.In 1962 they got new light (which now agreed with the catholic, protestant and every other Christian's understanding). It also agreed with the Watchtower's own pre-1929 understanding. I asked how this demonstrated the JWs information from God was better than, for example, the Catholic's information. He just closed his Bible and said in a quiet, gentle voice "We don't get any information from God". I then asked him why my best friend - a JW - has been told they do? He didn't respond but said a prayer and left a few minutes later.
See WT 1 December 1981 page 29 “Happily, in the year 1962, Jehovah led his people to an understanding of the principle of relative subjection. It was seen that dedicated Christians must obey secular rulers as the "superior authorities," gladly recognizing these as "god's ministers," or servant for their good. (Rom. 13:4) However, if these "authorities" ask them to violate God's laws, what then? Up to that point Christians have obeyed the command at Romans 13:1: "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities." But this is qualified by Jesus' words, as recorded at Matthew 22:21: "Pay back, therefore, Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God." So whenever "Caesar" asks Christians to do things contrary to God's will, they must place Jehovah's law ahead of "Caesar's."
This had also been referred to in a 1972 article:
WT 1972 “Then again, because Romans 13:1 had been construed to mean that the governments of the world must be given unqualified obedience, the witnesses interpreted the "higher powers" or "superior authorities" there mentioned as applying to Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. However, a closer examination of the context revealed that Romans 13:4: does indeed refer to political governments of this world But by comparing this scripture with others, such as Acts 5:29, which states, "We must obey God as ruler rather than men," it was seen that the "subjection" mentioned at Romans 13:1 must be a relative subjection, not an unqualified one. That is, Christians are to be in subjection to the governments of this world so long as these do not ask Christians to go contrary to God's laws”. But old Russell had always understood the principle of relative subjection! So where did Rutherford's 'new light' come from. This wrong understanding cost many faithful JWs years of freedom due to the alternative service doctrine based on the 'wrong light'. I believe the poor witnesses did not see the policy abandoned until the 1980s or 1990s.Volume I of Studies in the Scriptures (1886) CT Russell described what Jesus & apostles taught as the Christian position:
“ They taught the Church to obey the laws, and to respect those in authority because of their office, even if they were not personally worthy of esteem; to pay their appointed taxes, and, except where they conflicted with God's laws”(Acts 4:19; 5:29), to offer no resistance to any established law .” (
WT January 15, 1916. Russell, the editor of The Watch Tower and the author of the article in question, stated:
“The Bible directs the followers of Jesus to be subject to the powers that be. (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17) But while seeking to be thus law-abiding in every respect, Christians are to recognize that there is still a higher law and a still higher Ruler, and are to be subject to the worldly powers only in the absence of a contrary admonition from the Higher Power - from God”.
The Watch Tower , July 15, 1916 , CT Russell wrote in the article, "Militarism and Conscience":
” While Christians are enjoined to be subject to the "Powers that be"—the kings, governors, magistrates, etc. - nevertheless this is not to be understood as meaning the renouncement of our fidelity to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our Over-Lord. Our allegiance to earthly lords and powers and their commands is merely to the extent that they do not conflict with the commands of our Over-Lord. The Jews in renouncing Jesus cried, "We have no king but Caesar"! The Christian's position is, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's but unto God the things that are God's." Whenever Caesar and his laws conflict with the divine requirements, all true soldiers of the cross are left no alternative”.