jehovah is such a righteous, merciful, loving god -- slow to anger, overflowing with loving kindness and blessing.
yet it somehow bothers many of you that he will shortly execute his judgment on mankind and wipe out 99.9% of the world's population, as if that somehow is supposed to conflict with his loving qualities.
personally, i have no idea why many of you feel this way.
I was an adult the first time I saw that picture and had never seen anything so awful before!
Most human consciences are more merciful than a god who would destroy so many people for merely misunderstanding.
Capital punishment is reserved for the most heinous crimes.
i have been noticing people posting on this site have a "deep" spiritual desire, but don't quite know how to find it, or where it is at.. this beg the question...do we need to be involved with a "religion" to find "spirituality"...especially an "organized religion"???.
anyone that has there eyes open can see that all religion is loosing their influence over people around the world...i spent 47 years thinking i was in the "truth" being one of jw's!
and now that i am out...and looking back from the "outside"...all i see is that its just another religion...filled with all the "control-grid" stuff found in any other group.. worse yet...they are worse than other religions...so it begs an answer..is there such thing as a "true religion"???.
Do we need to belong to a religion to be a spiritual person?
A lot of people seem to believe this.
If you dont go to church, or you dont go to THEIR church, or if you dont say "AMEN THANK YOU JESUS!" after they do, or you are not a Christian or a Muslim or whatever they are, they feel you are either going to hell or will be put to death by God.
The question could be asked "Do we need to belong to a religion to have a human conscience?"
We as humans are intrinsically spiritual. We have been created or evolved with the capacity for abstract thinking and appreciation.
We can be grateful creatures or resentful and bitter,or a mixture of both.
I think religion is a scam taking advantage of our desire for answers and consoling and our desire to know our creator and the answers to the bigger questions.
Its a big commercial enterprise to get you to buy their particular product and then become a free salesman for them and to recruit others.
Its a scam because when did a religion ever publish its views and then leave you alone to enjoy it all? Why are they always trying to imprison and control and extract money from you?
You are better off developing yourself and your own spiritual views and your conscience and being as good a person as you can for the short time you are alive.
Anewme
i see some here who seem to despise the religion.
others seem to feel that witnesses are wacky but they don't hate them.. do you hate this religion?.
Scam artists selling a bogus paradise! Bootleggers!!
A huge con!
Anewme
i see some here who seem to despise the religion.
others seem to feel that witnesses are wacky but they don't hate them.. do you hate this religion?.
Yes, Minimus, I hate what it almost did to my life! It made me into an ignorant slave of men. I feel very ashamed for allowing myself to be tricked into falling for all the gobbledygoop.
Hey, suckers are born everyday.
I was a sucker. But I was not a loser.
I got out!
a lot of talk has centered around information dispensed at the recent km schools.
many brothers feel there is a "tightening up" taking place.
i had a recent experience that you may find interesting.. after the meeting i was working with our cobe on some congregation tasks when out of nowhere he said, "have you looked up any extra information about higher education since the km school?
Yes, Franklin, the WTS has definitely "crossed the line" on many matters for many years.
a lot of talk has centered around information dispensed at the recent km schools.
many brothers feel there is a "tightening up" taking place.
i had a recent experience that you may find interesting.. after the meeting i was working with our cobe on some congregation tasks when out of nowhere he said, "have you looked up any extra information about higher education since the km school?
I think this is great! A real ultimatim for the elders with children! Hopefully this ridiculously tight control over their lives and their financial futures will send many over the edge and their limit! They will emerge from the fight with their own 'NEW LIGHT' about the WTS!
One of the absolutely beautiful things about being out of the WTS is learning to use my own God-given conscience.
I do not have to believe anything other people tell me to believe but what my own mind and heart tell me is believable and true.
I make up my mind about everything.
All these people trapped in the WTS need to realize they are needlessly handicapping their lives in that organization.
They can love God and their neighbor, read the Bible, preach the end of the world if they desire, go to college, buy a house, move to Hawaii, write their own copy of the Bible, become a doctor, whatever. Nothing in the Bible says you cant be free at this time.
They are not getting paid! They are constantly being threatened! They must teach whatever is the prevailing Bible understanding even if it contradicts an earlier teaching or their own conscience!
Why do these men want to be elders anyway? Just step down and send your kids to college! Big deal!
What, are they making promises to these men beyond the scriptures? Are they promising them houses and positions in the New World?
Bologna on bologna!
A father doesnt have to be an elder for his family to get into the paradise last time I heard.
Anewme
as most of you know, my husband and i da's ourselves almost 8 months ago.
the communication with my family stayed pretty normal.
they would call once in a while and text me.
I would NOT write any email right now. First envision the life you want for yourself. Envision the relationships you would like with all your family members. If, like me, you wish for a loving relationship with them all, then act in a loving way toward them all. This will pay off down the road, years from now.
What they do with that love is up to them, right?
I decided to leave town after my dfing. Months later I wrote to those I love that I missed them and was sorry for all the pain I created by walking away from the religion. I actually allowed them to encourage me. I even attended the hall for a while in my new town and told them so, but that did not last long as "the bird was out of the cage" so to speak, and was not going back. i write every now and then and once a year I visit secretively. I also got a job locally and a few former JW friends come in and say hi. I also see them at restaurants and we exchange smiles. Some even pat my shoulder upon leaving the restaurant.
So I recommend visualizing a healing over the years and an adjusting. Also I have been immensely helped by this website and making new friends in the world. Understand that your relatives do not want to give up their standing in the JWs just to associate with you. They still love you but cannot associate with you. They miss you and are hurting too. But until they leave the org you will have to understand their restrictions. I recommend being kind and patient with them.
And enjoy your new freedom!
did you get angry?
feel pity?
not care?.
When I was younger I felt sorry for them for rejecting what I thought was the truth.
Later when I was older I felt ashamed for going door to door and selling my precious faith in that fashion.
It didnt feel right to peddle my personal beliefs like that. I wanted to stop going door to door so much that I dont ever wish to associate again because of that requirement. I love to sell and I love people but it was like trying to sell my husband and children or sex door to door to strangers. It made me feel sick and strange and innappropriate and ashamed. I had dreams for years of going in field service naked and when the people came to the doors I was speechless as to why I was there! It was always night in my dreams and I had no pants on to cover me and I would sneak around the houses and see lights on and realize I had no Bible but only some crumpled old pamphlets on death or hell. I would peek in the windows and see the families having dinner or watching tv and I really did not want to knock on the door. Sometimes I did though out of obedience and just could not explain satisfactorily why I was peddling crumpled papers on hell without any pants on. The householders thought I was crazy! I remember feeling so much shame.
I think my subconscious was rejecting this aspect of the JW requirements.
remember the video of all the nice dudes who were on the governing body in the 70s?
(here's a refresher).. well this is what their lives were really like - the same as when i was there.
by the time it got to the end, all was left was chicken backs.
What a writer! I havent laughed like this for a long while. Truly funny humor and perspective!
Two thumbs up for Keith!
What is he up to these days Dogpatch?
Anewme
my family was enmeshed with the wtbts for generations before my birth.
i'm certain it has been asked before but i am curious what brings others into the fold?
what was the attraction?
I was the child of very unhappy alcoholics and was a very lonely 17 year old when I met a JW girl at school. It was 1972 and little did I know that the summer before school started this girl had attended a DC where all the witnesses were whipped up about the big A and the big T starting in 1975. She was determined to start a bible study during her senior year at school and I became her senior project.
I knew nothing about the Bible and so was hearing it all for the first time. I longed for all the dream to come true. I longed for a happy family life.
It was hard getting to know the JW families and feeling a part of the group when you are a chubby depressed female. I starved myself down to 105 lbs and found love amongst the brotherhood meanwhile working as a housekeeper with another female witness.
My parents disinherited me for getting baptized. But I kept going in the religion despite family opposition. I married the witness young man who returned my affections and hoped to have the happy family life I longed for.
But things did not turn out well for us. He was horribly injured in an accident and life became a struggle to stay alive.
After 35 years I felt my life was a big dissappointment.
I went to a therapist who gave me the idea I could change my life by making a few adjustments......such as divorce and getting out of the JW religion.
I took the advice and made the adjustments.
Now, ten years later I can say that I have some happy days. In fact many days are quite happy. I found new love. Bought a house.
Have a career. Just got an email from my ex. We have remained good friends.
I remain hopeful that God will do something to fix the world....or that a plague will eliminate 2/3 of the human population so that nature can recoup.
So to answer your question "what brought you into the witnesses" I would say a dream of paradise brought me in.
Anewme
