Posts by Brother Jeramy

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

cappytan . . .

For starters, what I wrote wasn't ad hominem. I was identifying the nature of Viviane's statements, not casting any aspersions on her character.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

OUTLAW, with all due respect (and yes, even with a slight appreciation for your snark), given the very little I've mentioned about where I stand and why, you simply don't know enough about the details of my personal life and nature of my congregational involvement to draw the broad conclusions about me that you have. What the WTS is corporately does not make who JWs are communally, nor defines who I am personally.

Simple conclusions hoisted upon generalizations, while satisfying and convenient, rarely ever represent the complex realities of a matter.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

Viviane, you wrote . . .

You posited a position that YOU don't agree with.
You claim to be a JW, which requires 100% agreement (at least publicly) with the GB, a position you disagree with.
You teach people the JW religion, yet discount it as false.
You proclaim faith in Jesus and to teach the truth, yet are actively involved in and claim to be a member of a religion that teaches the opposite of Jesus and obvious falsehoods.
What else are you but a troll?
...
You choose to remain part of and preach on behalf of a family destroying, pedophile protecting and family destroying organization even though you know better. It makes you very responsible.

Thanks for demonstrating my point about the pathological negativity and spiteful generalizations many exhibit on this forum.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

A number of people here have, in their responses, accused me of "trolling" by virtue of my having posted this topic. I don't understand the accusation, given that it's quite untrue. As it is, it seems I am being called a "troll" by some merely because I expressed a position that several don't like and don't agree with. I didn't make my post to cause a stir. I simply shared a viewpoint. Many may find that viewpoint unpopular, but that doesn't make the one who posts that unpopular viewpoint a "troll."

I'm not the only one on this forum who is a currently active Witness. I'm not the only such Witness on this forum who disagrees with the Watchtower Society on its teachings and policies. I also know I'm not the only such Witness on this forum who still loves Jehovah's Witnesses, the community and Family of brothers and sisters.

While I understand that a great majority of active posters here are former Witnesses who engage mostly in anti-JW and anti-WTS sentiment of varying degrees (some presented rationally, some not), my understanding was that this was an open forum where former as well as active Witnesses can share their views and engage in discussions. Instead, it appears that only one prevailing viewpoint is permitted here by mass default. Deviation from that viewpoint invites a barrage of antipathy.

Obviously not all will agree with different viewpoints. But the toxicity exhibited in the responses to my post is rather astounding, ranging from outright venomous remarks, to broad-range assumptions about my character, to the strange notion that I am somehow blind and uninformed as to the beginnings of the Watchtower Society, the history of Jehovah's Witnesses over the past century, or the theology embraced by Witnesses. I am, I can assure all here, not uninformed on these matters at all.

All the ridicule has been bizarre, especially given that those casting the ridicule at me are in fact behaving in the exact same cult fashion that they accuse Jehovah's Witnesses of: acute intolerance of alternative viewpoints, broad categorization of others as "deluded" who hold to different viewpoints, mean-spiritedness, and deprecating by name-calling (i.e., Witnesses use the word "apostate," many folks on here use the word "troll").

The only difference is that where Witnesses engage in disfellowshipping, many here engage in outright flogging and crucifixion (figuratively speaking, of course) of those presenting alternate views, and done with a viciously disproportionate negativity.

I understand many here have gone through painful experiences with Jehovah's Witnesses. I honestly ache for them. But I, Jeramy, am not responsible for that pain. My otherwise good and happy experience as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in spite of my dissidence, does not make me complicit in the pain caused to many by other Witnesses that such ones were once associated with. (Any more than my being a tax-paying American citizen makes me complicit in the wrongful deaths of innocent thousands at the hands of the U.S. military over the past thirteen years; other similar examples abound.)

I've encountered many people who have posted here telling their stories about why they left the community of Jehovah's Witnesses. And so I simply wanted to share my views on why I remain as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I did so rationally and respectfully. No agenda. Just . . . sharing.

Blessings to all.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

Brock Talon, you wrote . . .

So, the individual German was either part of the solution, or they were part of the problem

This is a woefully broad oversimplification of a complex history, and is an affront to the truth of what happened in Germany and to the German people under Nazi rule. Yes, many Germans were indeed part of the problem. Yes, many Germans were indeed part of the solution. Some Germans were both (like Oskar Schindler, who was a member of the Nazi party and part of its manufacturing apparatus while at the same time a secret savior to hundreds of Jewish people). But most Germans were in fact captive, stuck, immobilized. Neither part of the problem or part of the solution. Such is the nature of captivity under a fascist regime during war time.

But as regards the "Nazi:WTS" analogy, your re-write of it is a clearly motivated reconstruction made to suit a broad anti-WTS and anti-JW formula. A telling factor revealing your motivation is your choice use of the phrase "innocent" Germans to analogously contrast your perception of "complicit" JWs. It demonstrates the inflexible two-dimensional "either/or" rule you employ (which, by example, is a rule Oskar Schindler could never fit into, considering he operated under a "both/and" process; both "not innocent" and "innocent"), which is unsustainable as a method of examining the multidimensional complexities that attend any human community (which Oskar Schindler does fit into), JWs or otherwise. It simply doesn't work, and as such your motivated reconstruction of the "Nazi:WTS" analogy, and thereby all the points you attempt to make by it, ultimately fails.

As such I refer you back to the analogy I presented yesterday.

You also wrote the following . . .

JWs are not similarly kept anywhere, except in their own minds, and choose to remain of their own free will (like you).

JWs DO HAVE to feed the WTS new victims or they are not in good standing (like you).

JWS DO give their money voluntarily, at minimum in literature purchases that funds the WTS machine (like you.)

JWs DO NOT work against the WTS and try to save anyone from it (like you.)

JWs don't hate the WTS and actually defend its teachings in private (like you on this board.)
(Emphasis mine)

In each of your statements quoted above, you punctuated them with "(like you)," clearly inferring that you somehow have an insight into the nature of my personal, social, financial, and congregational standing and activities as they relate to Jehovah's Witnesses and the WTS. For you to draw such inferences is wildly presumptuous, to say nothing of blatantly arrogant (especially in that you manufacture those inferences in an attempt to pigeonhole me into your broad and oversimplified anti-JW construct). In reality, you know nothing whatsoever about the nature of my personal, social, financial, or congregational standing and activities.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

bellasmile, thanks for your kind and wise words, which, as it turns out, are among the only kind and wise words that have been given in response here. With a couple exceptions, the vast majority of responses have been, shall we say, less than civil. Toxic, in fact.

You made a great point when you wrote the following:

I know if someone truly "knew" in their own heart and are at peace with leaving they would not be here trying to hate on someone else's views.

True indeed.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

dubstepped, you wrote . . .

The OP lost me as soon as I saw that he couldn't spell "Jeremy".

My name is, in fact, spelled Jeramy (with an "a" before the "m"). It's not an entirely uncommon spelling.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

Miss Behaving, your analogy about the Nazis would almost be apropos were it not for your error in making the Nazi government analogous to all Jehovah's Witnesses.

The more accurate analogy would be: the Nazi government is analogous to the "Watchtower Society" where the German people are analogous to "Jehovah's Witnesses."

The Nazi party steamrolled the German nation in its legal rise to power and then with its later authoritarian domination of the German people. Though the Nazi party intimidated citizens to join (since it had outlawed all other political parties), a great many Germans were not members of it, nor supported its fascist ideology or condoned its control of the German people. It's true, many Germans who opposed the Nazis (dissidents) were either sent to concentration camps or executed. Most other Germans submitted out of fear. Yet other Germans, swayed by the Nazi ideology, joined the party and embraced its agenda.

And there were then other German citizens who, remaining in Germany, engaged in secret activities to oppose and undermine the Nazi regime.

Yet while many Germans escaped Nazi control by leaving Germany, the vast majority of Germans remained. It was their home, and they loved their home and their people. Though Germany was poisoned by the Nazis, that didn't make Germany or the German people "all bad."

The Nazi party may have controlled Germany, but it did not define Germany. To be a German was not the same as being a Nazi, no matter whether the Nazi government did good (such as in the economic revitalization, which you mentioned) or bad (such as in its atrocities in war and the Holocaust).

And though the Nazis were finally defeated, the German people remained.

And so in this way, and to again realign your analogy, the Nazi government is analogous to the "Watchtower Society" where the German people are analogous to "Jehovah's Witnesses."

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Brother Jeramy

Allow me to begin with a clarification: when I say I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I don't mean that I am an advocate of the Watchtower Society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings. I mean that I am a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ dedicated to Jehovah God, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the Family of Faith that globally refers to itself as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Some totally understand the distinction between the Family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the Watchtower Society (WTS). Some don't see the distinction. And yet others don't want to admit the distinction because they're too invested in bitterness and the broad-stroaked negativity such bitterness inspires. To such ones, the WTS and all Jehovah's Witnesses are one and the same "organization," and that it is bad, all bad.

But they are quite simply wrong.

Generalizations are easy and convenient. They give place to negative and reactionary impulses, and permit scapegoating, whereby one can lay the abundance of blame upon something or someone as the cause of all their problems.

Of course, nothing is really ever that easy or simple. Life and people are far too complex to attempt fitting into easy generalized categories.

And so why do I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

A member of this forum posed the following question to me a couple days ago . . .

So why are you engaging in the preaching work and still an "active" WT if you know it's all wrong.

Here's how I answered:

For starters, the preaching work is a commission from Christ, not the Watchtower Society.

Secondly, I'm not an active "WT," by which I mean that while I am a Christian witness of Jehovah, I am not an advocate of the Watchtower Society that has unrightfully imposed itself as an authority over the Family of my brothers and sisters.

Thirdly, it's not all wrong.

When Jesus was on Earth he preached to the nation of Israel, which had been poisoned by the hypocrisy and bad practices of some (though not all) of the religious leaders. And many of the people were misled, which is why John the Baptizer gathered them to repentance in preparation for Jesus. Yet poisoned as Israel was, it was not "all wrong." What Jesus sought was repentance, not retreat.

And so in a similar way I have chosen to remain with my brothers and sisters, in spite of the poison of the "religious leaders" (i.e., the Watchtower Society and the many elders who bow to it).

Because it's not all wrong.

For me it's about choosing to exist in the tension. Others choose to fade or leave, and I fully understand this and I will not criticize such ones, many of whom have endured terrible injustices at the hands of elders and others. I cannot blame them for fleeing to safety. At the same time, the experience of such ones is not universal. Not all Kingdom Halls have bad elders. Not all Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced the injustices that others have. While the Family as a whole has systemic issues that affect it, those issues are not equally felt across all congregations.

In my case, I also know I am not alone, and that there are a great many others of my brothers and sisters -- a good number of them on here -- who also choose to remain and exist in the tension in spite of doubts, misgivings, struggles, and pains. Because, as with God's people Israel, we see in the Family a convincing embrace of Truth (such as the Kingdom, the Oneness of Jehovah, the promise of resurrection to life on Earth and transformation of the world, etc.) and evidence of the "fruit of the spirit," in spite of the distortions borne of the "poison" of hypocrisy and falsehood that has harmed the Family (though not fully overtaken it).

Those immersed in bitterness and negativity will insist that people like me are "Watchtower apologists," or that we are "cult members" or "liars" or "hypocrites" or "blinded" or "misguided" or "brainwashed." Again, easy and convenient generalizations that are, ultimately, untrue. One poster on another thread even insisted recently that all Jehovah's Witnesses are accomplices in a criminal organization and its criminal enterprise. An absurd notion, to be sure.

But the fact is, I and many like me stay for a rather simple reason. We love and trust Jehovah, and we love our Family. In spite of its current dark issues.

59

'Anointeds' Do you know any and if so what are they like ?

by Introvert 2 in

would like to hear about any experiences anyone has had with the so called ' anointed ' .

Brother Jeramy

Thank you Introvert 2. And glad we can encourage one another.

There are many who have left their congregations for several different reasons. Some leave because of abusive elder bodies. Others leave because of doubts about the Watchtower Society. Some leave for both reasons. Others fade and exist quietly on the edges in order to maintain family cohesion. All of it is understandable. When there is an injustice, it is natural to want to flee from it.

But while there are systemic issues mainly linked to false teachings by the Watchtower Society, this doesn't blanket the entire Family as "bad." And again, just as the religious leaders in Jesus' day didn't get it all wrong, the WTS similarly doesn't get it all wrong. But that nonetheless does not make either of them virtuous or qualified to be shepherds of "Christ's flock." Such is the complex nature and resulting tensions that attend human imperfection.

The Truth remains the Truth, which is not the property of the WTS but is sourced in Jesus Christ the Son of God. And part of the Truth includes teachings (such as the Kingdom, the Oneness of Jehovah, the resurrection to life on Earth, the transformation of the world, etc.) and behaviors (such as love, kindness, joy, etc.) that, by and large, I have found adhered to with remarkable dedication and unity by the vast majority of Witnesses.