Posts by StephaneLaliberte

27

A Jehovah's Witness in a relationship with a non-Jehovah's Witness

by KShelton in

my name is kevin shelton.

my wife is a jehovah's witness.

my two children are jehovah's witnesses.

StephaneLaliberte

I'll even go a step further: I'm willing to bet that this woman loves her man, and they are indeed happy, but not as happy as they could be.

There is cognitive dissonance happening here due to the fact that Watchtower keeps repeating to her that inter-faith marriages don't work, despite her being in one!

If her husband forces her to confront that paradox, she will double down on one side over the other. If she doubles down on recognizing that she is in a happy, loving relationship, she will feel liberated, and this will result in even more love and happiness.

I've known a JW woman married to a non-JW. At the Kingdom Hall, many treated her as a victim. For years, I've seen her act as if she remained with him because "marriage is sacred." Then, when the man took his retirement, something changed; they did many more things together, and that loving spark grew between them until he passed away years later. My point is that all those 20-some years before that, she could have accepted the fact that she loved him and wasn't a victim of anything but love. They could've had 20 more years of that loving spark.

In the end, JWs say with their lips that "marriage is sacred," and then willingly destroy the joy, love, and happiness out of inter-faith marriages. You want to say that a marriage is sacred? Then make sure it is a priority in your life, and you keep that loving flame burning.

27

A Jehovah's Witness in a relationship with a non-Jehovah's Witness

by KShelton in

my name is kevin shelton.

my wife is a jehovah's witness.

my two children are jehovah's witnesses.

StephaneLaliberte

suggeting he ends his marriage just because she has a different view on the Bible. - ExBethelitenowPIMA

It's not about view point, its about who he is and who she is!

The OP said that he got into a heated argument with his wife on the idea that a JW can have a relationship with a non-JW. This is exactly what their own relationship is. Take away religion, let's use politics instead: A Republican father had a heated argument with his Democrat wife because she believes that their son will not be happy if he is with a Republican woman. How about this: "I'm an African, my wife and I fell in love when I was on a trip to America, but the other day, I heard my wife tell our kid that he won't be happy unless he marries a white American girl."

Am I starting to make some sense? How can you insist that a relationship is doomed to failure if your own couple is the living proof of the opposite? Unless she feels that the only reason she remains married is out of faithfulness to JW's standards of upholding a marriage, even if it means being unhappy for the rest of your life.

I believe that marriage is sacred, and you should work very, very hard to make it work. Constant communication, faithfulness, love, tenderness, all that jazz. But if you try all this and, after several years, the prevailing feeling is that there is no love, only commitment, no happiness, only obligations, then you are wasting your life away.

Let's assume here that the OPs marriage is just fine. They are both happy and and in love. Considering this, how can his wife have a "firm conviction" against interfaith relationships. If her point of view was, "Listen, if both believe in the same religion, it will be easier...", yes, she does have a point! But to be "firmly" against it when she, herself, is living in this sort of arrangement goes against the reality experience by both her and her husband.

27

A Jehovah's Witness in a relationship with a non-Jehovah's Witness

by KShelton in

my name is kevin shelton.

my wife is a jehovah's witness.

my two children are jehovah's witnesses.

StephaneLaliberte

If there is one thing I've come to realize over the years with any religious people is that you can't explain their belief using their sacred texts. You say: The bible or Coran says this, and they'll say: Yes, but it also says that. And then you end up in an argument where the ultimate authority is not logic, but some thousand year old book that can be understood one way or another.

I find that relying purely on logic is often much better. Ask your wife what kind of relationship you have with her. If she finds plenty of positive things, then ask why that would not apply also to your son. If you are a happy couple, then you are the living proof, first hand account, that their rule is senseless.

If she can't find positive things and you find that you've been unhappy for several years, then, perhaps its time for you to make your own way. If she begs you not to leave, than ask her what's the point of saving a relationship if she doesn't cherish it.

If you do end up leaving, then, you'll have time to explain to your kids your views on relationships that is not dependant on the adherence to any religion.

I know, this sounds complicated, but it is not. It is hard to handle, very hard, perhaps devastating, but its not complicated.

When your wife questions the validity of relationships where the basis is identical to yours, its not complicated.

773

Breaking News: Anthony Morris III no longer serving on the Governing Body

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

this has been announced on the jw's official website, in the "jw news" section.

this is not a joke.

anthony moron da turd is out as a gluttonous body member!

StephaneLaliberte

Spreading of rumors and suspicion as done by ExbethelitenowPIMA is disgusting.

Obviously, something serious happened, or was happening, for AM3 to no longer be on the GB. Based on what people know about him, alcohol abuse related to his PTSD would be a good candidate. This "educated guess" is indeed plausible. In the absence of being told anything at all by the Watchtower, I believe that JW and xJW alike are entitled to venture into such "educated guesses".

Of course, to say that he "touched his daughter in law inappropriately" makes it sound like he got sexual gratification out of it, and quite frankly, I find the idea repulsive. There is nothing in that man character that lends credence to it. However, if he did something like that, it was probably a "Holy Shit, I thought you were my wife! Oh my God! SO SO SORRY!" moment. I've seen that happen and people generally understand it to be poor eyesight or drinking problem; not "He's a sexual predator".

773

Breaking News: Anthony Morris III no longer serving on the Governing Body

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

this has been announced on the jw's official website, in the "jw news" section.

this is not a joke.

anthony moron da turd is out as a gluttonous body member!

StephaneLaliberte

i think it happens in congregations a awful lot. So many bros and sisters consume too much alcohol but they seem to get away with it for years.

The problem isn't really the alcohol, it's more of: What you do under the influence. For old timers, it's easy to get away with it. They just have to say that they mixed two medicines together and it had side effect. I've seen it happen a few times.

But if weird stuff happen too often, they will get called out for it. In the case of AM3, he literally seemed under the influence of alcohol during public speeches!!! So, it probably got really bad, like, out of control bad, to the point the other members of the group had enough.

By the way, the rumors about an alcohol problem isn't just in the xJW community. I know some folks inside that heard the same thing without me saying anything.

60

What Will JW's Do If They Find Themselves Still Conscious after Death?

by Sea Breeze in

we all know that despite many scriptures to the contrary, jw's believe that when they die, their consciousness will cease.

my question is this: what will be the likely reaction of jw's if they find themselves conscious after death?.

StephaneLaliberte

They'll say:

Well, looks like I'm anointed afterall!

lol

10

Wise counsel for JW's in latest WT

by BoogerMan in

june 2023 study watchtower p. 13, par 15 - “we will not be fooled if we “make sure of or, “test” all things.”...we need to test what we hear or what we read to determine whether it is genuine.....instead of naively accepting what others the org say, we use our thinking ability to compare what we read or what we hear with what the bible and jehovah’s organization say.”.

StephaneLaliberte

It was advices like this one that lead me out.

When I was a kid, there was a convention where a District Overseer made jokes about an elder turned apostate who wrote a book. Apparently the author stated that it took him 20 years to leave the JWs. To which the District Overseer added: "Well, if it took him 20 years to realize he had been wrong all along, obviously, he's mentally challenged. What an idiot!" And everyone laughed and laughed.

I took note.

I told myself: Before I ever take on any responsibility, I will need to make sure I answer all of my doubts. This is what eventually lead to me leaving.

19

Elder asks my disfellowshipped cousin to leave house while grieving for his grandmother

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

fourteen years ago i started a thread on how horrible my disfellowshipped cousin was treated after his mom passed away and the terrible actions on the part of the elders at the funeral home.. 67. horrible conduct by congregation elders at my cousin's funeral.............. well, here we are 14 years later, and things haven't changed!.

my aunt ( who is my disfellowshipped cousin's grandmother ) was placed in home hospice care.

the nurse told her daughters ( who are jehovah's witnesses and live with their mother ) that their mom probably has 2 days left to live and that they should call the immediate family.. my disfellowshipped cousin and his sister show up in the early morning.

StephaneLaliberte

I sincerely believe that the actions of that elder don't represent the written teachings of the watchtower. I often heard of people not even being told about someone passing away, but THIS. wow!

On the better side, I have seen a couple of WT deaths in which the rules were relaxed to allow a d/f child or grandchild to be there and to mingle with us - until after the funeral anyway.

When one of my disfellowshipped relatives died in a car accident, there were two elders from two different congregations I attended that showed up to the hospital. While we were in a room with our dearly departed, the only one IN the religion was me; everyone else was either disfellowshipped (4), inactive (2) or non JW. One of the elders stayed outside and was nice to anyone who wanted to talk to him. The other one came right into the room, talked with everyone. And since the majority there still, in their hearts, believed in the JW, he prayed for everyone. To this day, I still hold that man in high regards.

Only in the land of Jehovah's Witnesses will you find this disgusting and heartless behavior!

I don't know if its only in the JWs, but one thing for sure, is that even if their writings don't condone the actions of that elder, they still create an environment that enables it. And that's where JWs need to understand that they shouldn't judge their religion solely by their writings but also by the actions of the people making that group. These are the "fruits" that they produce.

I'm also curious: weren't there other JWs in that house? Ministerial Servants? Other elders? I wonder what they thought of all this.

171

Mass Shooting at Kingdom Hall in Hamburg, Germany

by EdenOne in

mass shooting at a kingdom hall in hamburg, germany this evening.

at least 6 or 7 killed, dozens injured.

single shooter on the run, police doesn't rule out more shooters.

StephaneLaliberte

If you believe that God is much greater, both in terms of power but also in understanding and ability to 'read' the heart, mind and motivation of people, then it's no comparison.

If, by reading hearts, God comes to the conclusion that 90% of the human race is beyond redemption, than, there is an issue with statements such as "he created man as his image" and "that he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son for it."

Regardless, many view that God will destroy people that are not part of their religion, or do not believe this or that. If their view is correct, than God won't judge based on reading hearts and motivations, etc. He will just destroy groups of people based on some broad scoping criteria.

There is no justice in that, only global genocide.

171

Mass Shooting at Kingdom Hall in Hamburg, Germany

by EdenOne in

mass shooting at a kingdom hall in hamburg, germany this evening.

at least 6 or 7 killed, dozens injured.

single shooter on the run, police doesn't rule out more shooters.

StephaneLaliberte

The bible speaks of armageddon where a great deal of people will be destroyed for their wickedness. JWs understand this to mean that the majority of the human population, women, children, young, old, disabled or not, will be killed. After this world wide massacre, a thousand years will go by before there is a second and final massacre to rid humanity of evil, once and for all.

Based on this concept, the shooter felt that Hitler did a small gesture in that direction in trying to get rid of many who, according to JWs belief, would be killed by God at the end times.

People read about the shooter's beliefs and immediately recognize him as unhinged, insane. And yet, they do not question their own beliefs. How can you reconcile a loving and just God to the concept of Armageddon? The world saw and kept records of the monstrosity of the holocaust; the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Nazis. Why would you judge God any differently for doing something similar on a much greater scale? It's not logical, its.... insane.

Such belief is a stepping block upon which more radicalized beliefs can be built: "If it is God's will to do it eventually and everyone agrees with it, than I could do it now and I'd be doing God's will. Now or later, what's the difference?"

If the human race as a whole viewed the concept of God committing global genocide for what it is, unjust and evil, than radicals, like the shooter, might not be able to make a leap from "here" to "there" and justify horrible actions like he did.