Posts by Dan B

Viewing Badwillie's post about being publicly reproved for discussing this UN fiasco makes me think that this issue does indeed matter, but not to the JW's in general. It matters to those who feel that ethical conduct in life, whether personally or as an organized religion, is important. I guess hypocrisy is the key. If it bothers you, this issue matters. If it doesn't bother you, or you find hypocrisy only in all the other religions (due to turning a blind eye to the obvious), then it won't matter.

Maybe if Badwillie's experience gets broad exposure, it will help open the eyes of loyal JW's. After all, anybody who ever has had any dealings with the elders will relate to his experience. I know, I went through it with the beard issue 10 years ago. Most elders I knew were losers in the real world, barely holding down a job. But when they become elders, it is their one and only chance to be a somebody, and, by golly, they are going to rub it in. Common sense goes out the window and egos fire up. Of course, there were some decent fellas who were elders, but this was an exception, not the rule.

Dan

76

Years in v. Years Out

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

i'd like to find out how many years collectively we have acquired in the wts.

please list how many years you were/have been a jw.

please also list how many years you have been out.

Dan B

In- 32 years
Out- 6 years

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

Hi Bridgette,

I can relate to what you said:

"There's some dubs I know (my mother, for example) who, if they personally witnessed Jesus Christ or Jehovah himself coming down out of the sky, hovering right over Brooklyn and declaring "this org a bunch of crap! They are NOT my personal representatives!", would quietly wait on "new light" and accept whatever the "society" had to say in order to explain it."

My mother is like that too. I offered to sit down with her, and her Bible, and Wt's and I would systematically show her how the WT society was deceiving her. She refused, stating that that is not what's important, but loyalty to the org. is the important issue. Truth, to her, is a secondary issue.

That type of blind adherence to the org. is what prompted this post to begin with. And, unfortunately, her mindset is typical of the JW population. My father is like that, my relatives and so on. I've seen it for 30 years. True, information is readily available today, but, the conditioning to treat it like "poison" is deep rooted, and not easily dismissed. The 1914 generation about-face in 1995 didn't even raise an eyebrow with the JW's I knew.

Every wrong that became apparent in the local congs. were dismissed as just being a local problem, not typical of the JW's world-wide. That way the org. remained protected. In other words, WE had the problem, not the Wt society. If something doesn't sit quite right in your mind, that is because YOU are weak, YOU are leaning upon your own understanding, YOU are committing secret sins. I went through this, as do many others I'm sure.

Maybe it is different now, I've been out of touch with it for a few years. One can always hope!

Dan

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

Hi Zev,

You stated:

"IT MATTERS A WHOLE LOT TO ME!"

I'm glad it does, but I can't help but wonder, since you have posted here 532 times, you already had serious doubts about the WT, and it is not just this UN issue that will cause you to leave. Consider if you totally agreed with the teachings of the WT, and would never think of visiting a site like this. Would it still matter a whole lot to you? Or would you dismiss it as lies of apostates?

Dan

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

"But I think the outlook is brighter than it looks."

I hope so. However, any steps taken against the WT society from external sources would only fuel the "persecution complex". If that court issue in Ohio escalates, that will only reinforce the "fact" that the JW's are the "true religion". If this UN issue hits the media in a big way, that too will be seen as coming from Satan and his demons. When the Dateline episode finally airs about the pedophile issue, that too will be dismissed as the work of the Devil. It almost seems like we need "agents" inside the WT to bring reform from the inside. That way, the rank and file JW's will be more likely to listen. Who knows, maybe we already have them in place and we read their reports here daily? Or maybe some who are still active, but are on their way out would better serve the "cause" by sticking around and planting some seeds before they leave?

Dan

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

Please don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the whole thing come crashing down. However, I have to agree with Dungbeetle:

"'Social' JW's don't care about doctrine. The UN issue won't matter to them. The blood, rape resistance, alternative service, pedophilia issues aren't going to move people like this. These people aren't UNHAPPY...why would they care."

This is what I see personally. People who voluntarily join the JW's are looking for an escape, a "happy place" where all there thinking can be done for them. A place where they can follow somebody elses lead, and Satan is a scapegoat for all that is wrong in there lives and this world. They aren't going to leave this "spiritual paradise" because of something like this UN scandal. What about the 1975 debacle? I was there, and I don't remember a mass exodus. Sure, worldwide the numbers dropped, but it was by no means the end of the WT. Neither will this be. (Again, I hope I'm wrong!!)

Dan

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

Trilobite,

I hope you're right. But judging from the responses I have personally witnessed when showing loyal JW's the real "truth", I doubt it.

"More and more young Dubs are going to college and accessing the internet. Tremendous changes have already occurred."

Young people have always left the JW's. That's nothing new. Of all the teenagers who I knew when I was young, 95% have since left. And this was pre-internet. What are the tremendous changes that you speak of?

Dan

43

UN vs WT -It doesn't matter

by Dan B in

jw
friends

does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the wtb&ts and the un really going to matter much in the jw community?

sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the wt.

but it won't even make a dent in the jw population.

Dan B

Does anybody honestly think that all this exposure about the WTB&TS and the UN really going to matter much in the JW community? Sure, it matters to us, since we already know the truth about the WT. But it won't even make a dent in the JW population. They are thoroughly conditioned to ignore news such as this. So when I see postings about dismantling the WT society, I just have to shake my head and wonder what fantasy world we are living in. I wish I was wrong, but unfortunately, I don't think so. They will survive this, as they have survived every other embarrassment in there pathetic 130 year history.

Dan

20

My past weekend

by Leander in

jw
friends

saturday afternoon i made the decision to step down as a minsterial servant.

i had given it a lot of thought and i came to the conclusion that i would be doing the right thing.

i told my wife about the decision i had planned on making and that basically killed her mood for the rest of the day.

Dan B

Leander,

Beware of those who make you doubt yourself. It is not you who has the problem. God gave you the intelligence to decide for yourself what is right. Don't let anyone make you doubt what you know you need to do.

Dan