So being a Mormon might seem nicer than being a JW.
I would rather be myself and think for myself.
Prostitutes are nicer to you as long as there's the possibility that they will profit from their niceness. But in the end, they are self-serving lying whores just trying to make you feel good while they take something away from you.
Formerbrother: The truth from the JW org, does have the ring of truth to it.
Yeah, I get that you believe that. Here's the thing.
1. They do Biblical gymnastics to make all their doctrine seem to fit the Bible. If you want to believe the Bible, the JW teachings will seem to be true.
2. Most JW's believe what they say. So you read that Mormons believe in the alien stuff and it doesn't have the ring of truth to your mind, but you have heard directly from JW's that God will destroy 99% of humankind and the people telling it to you were positive that it was true, so you heard the ring of truth.
while attending a week long training class for elders in patterson, bro losch gave the concluding talk about loyalty to the borg, which i was in awe of(i went more in detail in a recent post about a s.a.d.
I buy the occasional ticket because Watchtower says it is wrong. I also like to imagine for a day or two that I will be a multi-millionaire later this week.
I have considered telling my JW wife that we can only keep our hundreds of millions of dollars if Watchtower says it's okay to keep the money or else we will do whatever Watchtower says to do with it. Either that, or she can leave Watchtower and we won't ask.
I consider that, but I know I would never give them all that money.
here in the uk new drinking guidelines have been issued which suggest "no more than 14 units a week - equivalent to six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine.".
another piece of the advice which is getting a lot of attention is that "if people drink, it should be moderately over three or more days and that some days should be alcohol-free.".
I am an alcoholic. I wouldn't stick with two drinks a day or 14 drinks a week or many limitations.
Some people need to do a self-examination to see if they do (or can) go alcohol-free for several days or even just one day.
That said, I think that there are many young people who party and drink heavily, but are not alcoholics- it could be just an occasional thing or something of a phase they go through. Others drink a little every day and are not alcoholics.
The guidelines are okay, but they are not the end-all. They might just be a good guide to make people look at their habits.
Simon, I think our difference came with your words, "There is no reason for them to be unhappy..." Yet I never see it happening that way. Every frigging story about the blood issue ends with someone being unhappy. Otherwise, we are fully on the same page.
You speak logically about the result and I refer to the emotional aspect of it.
Welcome. Before I comment, please go back and read carefully what LisaRose said on page 2. Here's the highlights I want you to catch:
LisaRose on page 2:
You and your family may be suffering in ways you don't realize, just because you are so used to it. ......... .............Many have been abused and are suffering due to hidden child sex abuse, abusive marriages, depression, missing out on educational opportunities, etc. The person sitting next to you in the Kingdom Hall may want to leave, but they look at you and think "brother Closed keeps going and he is a nice person, so it must be the right thing to do"................. Your being a part of this organization, even if it's to a lesser degree than before, validates it and gives it power and authority. You are helping to maintain the status quo of an organization you know to be corrupt, because it suits you to stay at this time.
You see the elders abusing their privileged status (and denying they even have status). I mean, it's great if you can see that and not let it bother you personally. What about your family, especially the children? Will they surely know the religion is not to be taken so seriously, or will they fall into the trap of becoming zealous adults for Jehovah, or maybe will they just suffer the ostracizing caused by JW's?
There's really no reason to stay with a corrupt organization because you like the moral standards. You can establish moral standards and try to pass them on to your family without Jehovah's Witnesses.
Now that I said that, I am a faded JW- meaning I don't attend meetings anymore and I don't disassociate. I do this simply to keep contact with JW loved ones. If I had children being raised in the lies, I would disassociate and help them see how important it is to find a better path, and how they can decide whether or not to celebrate a friend's birthday or go to college or play high school sports or YADDA YADDA!!!
Some think that even a faded JW should take a stand and "get out of her." So I get that you may make unpopular decisions with others in this group. You are free to do as you please, but you should know why so many disagree with you. Anyway, I hope the best for you.
hello, this is my first post, i would like to introduce myself and say thank you to every one on this forum, you have been a lifeline to me these last few years.. i had been a jw for 30 years when i walked away a few years ago disgusted by the treatment victims of child abuse, domestic abuse and rape receive from the wtbts.. at first i thought it was a local problem, elders personal opinions, the way they handled the situations, imperfect men etc., until i checked out jehovahs witnesses and child abuse/domestic abuse online.
that's when i realized they had the same modus operandi worldwide.
that led me here, tbuo this forum, and then to crisis of conscience, jw facts, watchtower documents, jw survey, old watchtower literature and cd s, reading a couple of steve hassans books, and more recently exiting the jw cult.. the feelings of shock, betrayal, anger at the wtbts, angry with myself for being so gullible, depression, reflection, loneliness, have taken their toll.
That led me here, tbuo this forum, and then to Crisis of Conscience, JW Facts, Watchtower Documents, JW Survey, old watchtower literature and cd¨s, reading a couple of Steve Hassans books, and more recently Exiting the JW Cult.
Just so everyone is clear, I believe that last one you mention is the book, "EXITING THE JW CULT." Even though I am already out, I read that book and it was great. So were your other choices.
It is refreshing to read how many woke up. Welcome to the forum.
I tend to agree that the GB members were, in the past, mysterious and thought of as so much better than the members. And now that image is shot to hell.
The "overlapping generation" along with other strange changes allowed many hardcore JW's to start questioning.
But it is money problems that really do it to hurt the organization among the membership. From reduced printing to layoffs to the big money grab and now there just isn't enough money for anything, the membership is seeing a lack of God's blessings.