when we as former witnesses wake up and choose to leave the society, it is mainly because we value truth and honesty.. the society tries to make out that we are in the wrong.
that we have "left the truth".. but, who really holds the burden of proof?
do we (who leave) need to prove that the society is not the "truth", or does the society need to prove that it is the "truth".. thoughts?.
The onus of proof is usually on the person bringing the accusation. So they need to prove the truth when witnessing, but it is on the "apostate" when confronting a JW.
A JW would say they have 100 years of publications that outlines their proof for the truthfulness of their teachings. It seems that whilst I get your point, it would not make any difference to a JW. It is up to you to prove them wrong, and it takes a lot of work to get through the indoctrination.
this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.
it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.
it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.
Pete, intriguing video. Incredible to see how an atheist sees discussions with JWs, particularly one that had previously been in a Christian religion.
He mentions that the beliefs are childish. I've come to realize that too about JW thinking after researching the beliefs of other Christian groups, yet as a JW I had always thought Watchtower reasoning was so deep.
so i've been thinking a lot about why i stayed a jw for so long even though i had always had doubts about the doctrines.
i was born into the religion, left and came back as an adult for another decade.
some of the things that come to mind (besides the threat of shunning-and this isn't to minimize that very real threat) was:.
i was pretty young in 1975, all i remember was a few complaining at the hall after and those at the door that razed us over it.
does anyone remember how they went about denying it and when this started.
i do remember a scripture in psalms about people being mighty and living longer so this was used.
They started damage control before the expected date. In 1975 they were already saying that we don't know the exact time since the year of Eve's creation is not known.
"Another speaker, F. W. Franz, the Society’s vice-president, forcefully impressed on the audience the urgency of the Christian preaching work.
He stressed that, according to dependable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will end this coming September according to the lunar calendar. This coincides with a time when “the human species [is] about to starve itself to death,” as well as its being faced with poisoning by pollution and destruction by nuclear weapons. Franz added: “There’s no basis for believing that mankind, faced with what it now faces, can exist for the seventh thousand-year period” under the present system of things. Does this mean that we know exactly when God will destroy this old system and establish a new one? Franz showed that we do not, for we do not know how short was the time interval between Adam’s creation and the creation of Eve, at which point God’s rest day of seven thousand years began. (Heb. 4:3, 4)
But, he pointed out, “we should not think that this year of 1975 is of no significance to us,” for the Bible proves that Jehovah is “the greatest chronologist” and “we have the anchor date, 1914, marking the end of the Gentile Times.” So, he continued, “we are filled with anticipation for the near future, for our generation.”—Matt. 24:34." Watchtower 1975 May 1 p.285
this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.
it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.
it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.
tuned out after I saw the depiction of one human leader.
This is a good point. A lot of people think a cult has to have a single leader. Discussions on cults should be clearer that it requires a dominant leadership, not leader. Many will start with a strong leader, but after the leader dies the structure may change. The important aspect is not the number of leaders, but whether the leaders use the concept of mystical manipulation and cannot be questioned.
this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.
it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.
it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.
Island Man, that is a good video too. The Ted one is a good introduction for someone that does not comprehend what a cult is or that they are in one. The one you include is far more in-depth, and I dare say would be somewhat incomprehensible to many JWs when listening to it the first time.
this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.
it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.
it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.
This is not getting much response but I think it is a very important approach to take with JWs. There are so many trigger points to get a Witness thinking.
This is potentially a good topic to raise at carts. Don't tell a JW they are a cult, rather ask, "what do you think are the indentifiers that cause a religion to be classified as a cult?" See what they say and then run through the points of this video.
this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.
it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.
it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.
This 5 minute Ted video perfectly explains what a cult it. It does not mention JWs, but perfectly aligns with them. It is put in a manner that would make some understand why JWs are considered a cult. I would love to see this spread throughout the JW community.
one of the reasons people remain pimo is fear of losing family.
those that are disfellowshipped and shunned regularly comment about how devastated that they have lost the approval of their parents.. when i respond to emails from people saying how difficult it is being estranged or looked down on by their parents, i would like to say that over time they will come to terms with it, except i not sure that people ever do.
i cannot shake that feeling either.
Thanks for all the great comments. A lot of different perspectives.
It almost appears to me that to be a Witness, one must be academically dishonest, disloyal to their natural instincts when it comes to love and mercy, unmotivated to do any research for themselves, easily offended by outside stimuli, judgmental toward others and callous to the plight of those in emotional turmoil around them.
Wham - that may be a bit harsh. Your summary is correct, but I know a lot of really nice, genuine JWs, which I have pondered for years in an attempt to reconcile. Cognitive dissonance is the go to answer. I also like to think that at the core JWs are so beaten down that they don't trust their own judgment. Who are they, as mere mortals, to question Jehovah (AKA Watchtower governing body leadership)?
one of the reasons people remain pimo is fear of losing family.
those that are disfellowshipped and shunned regularly comment about how devastated that they have lost the approval of their parents.. when i respond to emails from people saying how difficult it is being estranged or looked down on by their parents, i would like to say that over time they will come to terms with it, except i not sure that people ever do.
i cannot shake that feeling either.
Contrast it with the folks who shrug off OUR love for no longer wanting to be a Witness. Do THEY appear to be well-rounded people?
Yes, I guess continuing to want the acceptance of such parents shows we have not lost our humanity.
