i have known many elders who were much more into the idea of being an elder and getting all the old ladies to tell them what wonderful talks they give and the power then really being a believer.
i had one elder tell me that when he became an elder he was on top dog on top of the heap.
i knew some who were really all about the religion and following the cult.
PHOENIXRISING:
In looking at all the answers here, I would have to conclude that a well-liked, fair or unbiased elder, not in love with his title đ is in the minority in the JW religion.
In fact, I really believe that because of how things are set up in the religion (organization) - it would be unlikely for such a person to exist for very long in that position.
driving by a kh yesterday we saw a for sale sign in front of the building.
it's on a beautiful piece of property off a main road outside the city limits.
the building can be no more than 10 years old and is very beautiful.
STILL TOTALLY ADD:
No, I donât think the people all moved away or died either. They left the Witness religion:..either walk-aways, fade-aways, DFd or DAd.
Itâs no surprise that all these kingdom halls everywhere are being sold. They are not needed anymore..Their membership is shrinking - not to mention $ being needed for those CSA lawsuits in the news.
i have known many elders who were much more into the idea of being an elder and getting all the old ladies to tell them what wonderful talks they give and the power then really being a believer.
i had one elder tell me that when he became an elder he was on top dog on top of the heap.
i knew some who were really all about the religion and following the cult.
PHOENIXRISING:
Where else but in the Witness religion could you have a guy who has no status in the REAL world..elevated to feel important (or at least important in the little fishbowl heâs in)?
This is not to say that there havenât been elders here and there who were really caring or tried. But, unfortunately most in later years I was in the religion were company men. I pretty much stayed away from them..not even greeting some of them. They were nothing more than fault finders who would ask for favors. My answer was always No.
i have been quiet of late, developing other interests, happy that there are a whole group of people producing great resources.
however, i found some old emails from ray franz that promoted me to write an article that answers a question i regularly receive.
it is in regards to the motive of governing body members.
TRUTHLOVER123:
Yes..They think because people are supposedly home in the lockdown they should be available almost 24/7 on Zoom. I mean, after all, what else does anybody have to do? đ
An older poster on Reddit is fed up and watches his wife getting dressed up (to sit in her living room) for all the meetings while they can see into THEIR home..He says itâs about five hours a week(?).. When pressed by an elder why he isnât participating on Zoom, he told the guy to back off otherwise heâd be jeopardizing their friendship.
So, the religion is using this crisis to ramp up their intrusiveness and corner everybody.
VIDIOT:
Yes, it wonât make fading easy. But, I think they are going to make people so angry this might be the last straw! Also, instead of one individual leaving - maybe a whole family might stop.
i have been quiet of late, developing other interests, happy that there are a whole group of people producing great resources.
however, i found some old emails from ray franz that promoted me to write an article that answers a question i regularly receive.
it is in regards to the motive of governing body members.
PETE ZAHUT:
Again, thanks for sharing your experience being at bethel sitting with governing body members and seeing their frame of mind and what makes them tick.
I also think you are right about them (those older guys) probably knowing they screwed up and were supposedly worried about stumbling their followers, etc.. I wonder what they were thinking the reaction would be when they published that 1995 Generation teaching?..This was the last straw for me. I knew it was over.
Nowadays, from what I have read and seen with videos..I get a more arrogant âsacred cow/unaccountable and you-better-obeyâ vibe coming from the whole thing. Whatever. Iâm just glad I got Out years ago and not still sitting there like a sucker.
in october of 2000, i faded away from the watchtower.
like most people, i have family and friends who are jw's (including my wife and parents).
fading is generally the best method for people in that situation.
SNAKESINTHETOWER:
Thanks for bumping this up.
I enjoy reading my old posts and I am still in agreement with the post I made eight years ago on this topic of FADING.. Although, I am glad I changed my avatar.
I hope all the posters who no longer post on here including the OP are well.
some towns in massachusetts are fining people 1000 dollars for not wearing a mask đˇ outdoors.
starting wednesday, the governor mandates everyone from 2 years of age up, must wear a mask or get a 300 dollar fine!.
of course some governors are recommending that you rat out anyone that doesnât follow their orders.. i donât like it!đđż.
MINIMUS:
If they want people to wear a mask just to go outside to the mailbox đ and there are no other people around, I have to assume the virus is in the environment like pollen.
Why else would a mask be needed for something like this? I donât put my mask on until I am in a store parking lot getting ready to go in.
the reason that i ask is, in the two years on this forum and you tube, i've seen ex-jw's either drop off entirely or make fewer and fewer videos.
i know the emotional toll can be high.
is that the sole reason, or is it cost (video) or do you think it's external pressure (legal or family)?
SIMON:
I also observed that there are a small few ex-JWs that see it as a career opportunity. It sure seemed that way.
I noticed that in my early years of âfadingâ when I went on different websites. I steered clear of them!.. This is probably why the JWs say that people who leave âstart their own religion or ministryâ. This is how it must appear to them.
do you have any evidence that the gb had bad intent?
as opposed to blind faith/cognitive dissonance and honest mistakes.. i'm inclined to think they have the best of intentions and are just wrong (primarily because the bible is wrong), but i'm willing to consider the evidence otherwise..
PETE ZAHUT:
Thanks for the honest post of how you view the GBâs view of themselves and the world.
Since you were there in their company you saw it up close. Youâre right about the expression âaltered state of realityâ.. Even though I was never in the âinner sanctumâ like you were and was on the fringes with a secular job, I still picked up on that âaltered state of realityâ that some JWs were in and didnât relate and had no desire to.
When that 1995 teaching on Generation came out, it hit me like a sucker punch just how unenlightened they really were!.. Since I had not read the article in advance, I heard it for the first time in the kingdom hall. It was crushing to know what an idiot I felt like and I was glad I at least never gave up my job.. I wasted precious time there. We are all getting old but I was determined I wasnât going to get old sitting in a kingdom hall.
I knew then and there it was over and I had to get out. I was done with unenlightened religious people who had no more insight than anybody else. I âfadedâ sometime after this!
hi one of my jw parents died recently of old age , after decades of brainwashing of the dead are just a sleep and if we are good we would see them again in paradise .. i fully understand now you have one life and should make the best of it but finding it difficult at the moment to get my head around it .. it's just a bit of a rant but your the only ones that i can try and express how i feel and be able to understand after the years of brainwashing how it affects my thinking process.. thanks for any help and advice..
FADEAWAY1962:
When I walked away from the Witness religion one of the first things I did was purge my mind of the JW paradise earth-everlasting life teaching. I felt it was a cruelty to my brain to keep telling myself this was real. I made peace with the idea of death. Before long I felt normal and I think I never entirely swallowed the JW teaching.
Maybe the fact that I was raised Roman Catholic and joined the Witnesses as a young adult also made a difference in how easily I rid myself of this teaching. When I really analyzed it, the Witnesses DO believe in a âhereafterâ. The difference is that they think it will be on a physical earth as opposed to Catholics who believe itâs in heaven..No wait! Witnesses ALSO believe in heaven..but only for some.
All these stupid religions have variations of the same few ideas of what they think will happen after death. Why the hell should I make myself crazy over this???
