Posts by Eyes Open

223

Diary of a thinking to return ex-Jw

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard about posting this but the mis-information on this site finally persuaded me, i already accept many may not accept what i say on face value and get their appologist pens ready for making sure no pro-witness propaganda slips through the net on this site but here goes....... i've been on this forum for a few months my first post was about how i was thinking of returning to jw's and at my sisters recommendation to look at this site for both sides of the story before taking that step.. i faded from jw's 10/11 years ago now i left my hubby at the time divorced him to going on to have more relationships and kids, i was definately given the impression after asking on this site and with what i read that if i tried to return i might face df or at least a jc but definately a couple of elders questioning me over what i've been upto these last few years - none of these have happened.

i talked with an old jw friend (yes i do have then and she never shunned me quite happily accepted an offer of coffee from me and my asking for a chat) i told her i was interested in going back and was very frank about what i done in the last 10 years but not sure how returning was done now, she quite happily said she go ask for me to find out.. result!

she came back this week and said "all i had to do was goto meetings again" and an offer of a study was there for me if i wanted it to explore the open doubts that i had expressed i now had.. not quite the fire and brimstone welcome this site led me to believe would happen.. i will keep you posted with further updates if i feel the need to put them in future.. .

Eyes Open

McKenzie’s purpose is to provide readers with a way to accept biblical stories that can’t be literally true, thus preventing them from dismissing the Bible entirely. In this I’m sure he will succeed...

Do any amount of research into many of the stories of the old testament and you'll soon find they're not actually historical accounts. So what do you do? Dismiss the bible? Not necessarily. How about understanding what the message behind a story is? As JW's we were taught a fundamentalist, literalist interpretation of the bible and it can be hard to see any other way. But educated Christians are not so restricted. Real truth does not have to hide from information, and if God doesn't want you to lose your faith you won't by learning more about the bible.

How you cultivate your faith with the new knowledge is then up to you. But sticking your head in the sand is only ever a temporary solution; temporary just like the WTS.

223

Diary of a thinking to return ex-Jw

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard about posting this but the mis-information on this site finally persuaded me, i already accept many may not accept what i say on face value and get their appologist pens ready for making sure no pro-witness propaganda slips through the net on this site but here goes....... i've been on this forum for a few months my first post was about how i was thinking of returning to jw's and at my sisters recommendation to look at this site for both sides of the story before taking that step.. i faded from jw's 10/11 years ago now i left my hubby at the time divorced him to going on to have more relationships and kids, i was definately given the impression after asking on this site and with what i read that if i tried to return i might face df or at least a jc but definately a couple of elders questioning me over what i've been upto these last few years - none of these have happened.

i talked with an old jw friend (yes i do have then and she never shunned me quite happily accepted an offer of coffee from me and my asking for a chat) i told her i was interested in going back and was very frank about what i done in the last 10 years but not sure how returning was done now, she quite happily said she go ask for me to find out.. result!

she came back this week and said "all i had to do was goto meetings again" and an offer of a study was there for me if i wanted it to explore the open doubts that i had expressed i now had.. not quite the fire and brimstone welcome this site led me to believe would happen.. i will keep you posted with further updates if i feel the need to put them in future.. .

Eyes Open

In response to your desire to study what the great crowd is, can I recommend The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology), Richard Bauckham.

Yep, another book and more time reading/studying. But that's what you gotta do if you wanna get things right.

I'd still suggest reading the other one by Steven McKenzie first, though. All the best to you with your studies - post back if you think any of us can help.

223

Diary of a thinking to return ex-Jw

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard about posting this but the mis-information on this site finally persuaded me, i already accept many may not accept what i say on face value and get their appologist pens ready for making sure no pro-witness propaganda slips through the net on this site but here goes....... i've been on this forum for a few months my first post was about how i was thinking of returning to jw's and at my sisters recommendation to look at this site for both sides of the story before taking that step.. i faded from jw's 10/11 years ago now i left my hubby at the time divorced him to going on to have more relationships and kids, i was definately given the impression after asking on this site and with what i read that if i tried to return i might face df or at least a jc but definately a couple of elders questioning me over what i've been upto these last few years - none of these have happened.

i talked with an old jw friend (yes i do have then and she never shunned me quite happily accepted an offer of coffee from me and my asking for a chat) i told her i was interested in going back and was very frank about what i done in the last 10 years but not sure how returning was done now, she quite happily said she go ask for me to find out.. result!

she came back this week and said "all i had to do was goto meetings again" and an offer of a study was there for me if i wanted it to explore the open doubts that i had expressed i now had.. not quite the fire and brimstone welcome this site led me to believe would happen.. i will keep you posted with further updates if i feel the need to put them in future.. .

Eyes Open

How to Read the Bible: History, Prophecy, Literature - Why Modern Readers Need to Know the Difference, and What It Means for Faith Today at Amazon Used and New A few pounds and hours invested in consideration of a scholarly view of the literature in the bible will hopefully open up your eyes to what your faith should be based on.

223

Diary of a thinking to return ex-Jw

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard about posting this but the mis-information on this site finally persuaded me, i already accept many may not accept what i say on face value and get their appologist pens ready for making sure no pro-witness propaganda slips through the net on this site but here goes....... i've been on this forum for a few months my first post was about how i was thinking of returning to jw's and at my sisters recommendation to look at this site for both sides of the story before taking that step.. i faded from jw's 10/11 years ago now i left my hubby at the time divorced him to going on to have more relationships and kids, i was definately given the impression after asking on this site and with what i read that if i tried to return i might face df or at least a jc but definately a couple of elders questioning me over what i've been upto these last few years - none of these have happened.

i talked with an old jw friend (yes i do have then and she never shunned me quite happily accepted an offer of coffee from me and my asking for a chat) i told her i was interested in going back and was very frank about what i done in the last 10 years but not sure how returning was done now, she quite happily said she go ask for me to find out.. result!

she came back this week and said "all i had to do was goto meetings again" and an offer of a study was there for me if i wanted it to explore the open doubts that i had expressed i now had.. not quite the fire and brimstone welcome this site led me to believe would happen.. i will keep you posted with further updates if i feel the need to put them in future.. .

Eyes Open

reniaa, As far as I'm concerned, you can post as much positivity about the WTS as you like here as long as you don't mind it being responded to. I do not question your motives - I don't know you.

lol haven't really had chance to read any books suggested yet it's early days

Make time. The one I suggested (see my previous post) is not a big book, but it is vitally important for fundamentalist Christians to read. If you read that and then go back, I will at least be satisifed that I was able to pass on the information to you and that you had some other input on correctly reading the bible. Don't rush - this is important for you and your children.

8

An excellent book you need to read on Apocalyptic Belief

by drew sagan in

i have recommended this book in a number of other thread but have never taken the time to start my own thread for this book.. .

the book is titled war in heaven, heaven on earth (theories of the apocalyptic).

it is a collection of essays by a number of prominent scholars which analyze millennialism and apocalyptic belief form a number of different contexts.. .

Eyes Open

Thanks drew.

52

How did you find JWD?

by sweet pea in

jw
friends

prompted by the thread about jwd v wts i wondered how many of you found jwd via the internet or friends/partners?

what were your first impressions?

i found this site through besty (husband) once my faith had crumbled after reading www.jwfacts.com.

Eyes Open

I was merrily surfing the web, looking for some nice recipes for our next JW get-together, when a demon flashed a popup onto my screen consisting of a NWT mistranslations thread. Now I'm a miserable apostate, doomed to destruction... Ahem... actually it was Google. I'd already been doing my own research using books and commentaries.

223

Diary of a thinking to return ex-Jw

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard about posting this but the mis-information on this site finally persuaded me, i already accept many may not accept what i say on face value and get their appologist pens ready for making sure no pro-witness propaganda slips through the net on this site but here goes....... i've been on this forum for a few months my first post was about how i was thinking of returning to jw's and at my sisters recommendation to look at this site for both sides of the story before taking that step.. i faded from jw's 10/11 years ago now i left my hubby at the time divorced him to going on to have more relationships and kids, i was definately given the impression after asking on this site and with what i read that if i tried to return i might face df or at least a jc but definately a couple of elders questioning me over what i've been upto these last few years - none of these have happened.

i talked with an old jw friend (yes i do have then and she never shunned me quite happily accepted an offer of coffee from me and my asking for a chat) i told her i was interested in going back and was very frank about what i done in the last 10 years but not sure how returning was done now, she quite happily said she go ask for me to find out.. result!

she came back this week and said "all i had to do was goto meetings again" and an offer of a study was there for me if i wanted it to explore the open doubts that i had expressed i now had.. not quite the fire and brimstone welcome this site led me to believe would happen.. i will keep you posted with further updates if i feel the need to put them in future.. .

Eyes Open

reniaa, Will you consider my suggestion of reading that book I mentioned? It's by a scholar of Hebrew and I found it very useful.

19

Fantasizing about the end of the Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Bring_the_Light in

i'm pretty new here.

after being on my own 10 years, i'm finally coming to grips with my past (which i previously just ignored/didn't think about).

thanks for existing everyone, its been very existential.

Eyes Open

Email... yeah, would be nice. But those addresses I have are people I know and who would no doubt get me disfellowshipped which I don't want right now.

2011, eh OBVES? I look forward to checking back with you in 2012 to see just where your mistake in calculation was, and then you can tell me why I should still trust you even though you got this one wrong.

10

Some Inspiration

by LouBelle in

jw
friends

i'm changing my lifestyle for the better.

i've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to getting fit, but that all changed yesturday.

i've also read some inspiring stuff - we've heard it before but it really is in our grasp.. take responsibility....sometimes the situation you find yourself in may or may not be your fault.

Eyes Open

Sounds good. I'm not used to talking to myself - will have to give it a try. :)

All the best with your new lifestyle.

36

Hi everyone I am a newbie and I need help

by philosopher in

jw
friends

i have been coming here for some months y i must admit that i am still in.

but i have serious doubts, i mean, i am 99.9% convinced, the jws are not the true religion, but i still live with my family, and they are jws, and i love them.

my parents have a long time been jws, and it is very hard for me to tell them the truth.

Eyes Open

Hi philosopher, welcome to the forum.

As others have said, you need to appreciate you can't make anyone do anything. Your only responsibility is to yourself. BUT, if you are an active Witness in good standing with your family there are ways you may be able to help them.

If you display doubts in a direct way, and let on that you don't believe JW's are the true religion, they will be frightened of you and block out what you show/say to them. You may wish to approach things by asking questions, or requesting help to understand certain points/doctrines. You could then perhaps bring in points which make it difficult for you to understand. Make them think they are helping you. The process would have to be very gradual, so it would need your commitment for months and months, maybe longer.

Feel free to post for any specific advice.