Posts by Disillusioned JW

18

Do you sometimes bemoan the LOST idea, or Belief, that Someone Powerful was going to set all things right?

by pistolpete in

so it looks like about half of my jw relatives are not going back to the meetings once they open up the kingdom halls.

the main reason all of them give is that if we were truly living in the last days, jehovah would not have allowed the door to door preaching work, and kingdom hall meetings to stop for over a year.. the elders have talked to some of them and tried to convince them that letter writing is accomplishing the same thing as door to door, and zoom is the same as meetings-----------but my relatives just won’t buy it anymore.

just a note here, at first, the kingdom hall lock-downs, and the no preaching door to door was not that bad,the relatives still held on to their faith strongly because they believed it was temporary.

Disillusioned JW

From time to time I feel very sad that my body will become frail when I become very old and that I eventually will die and that is there is no resurrection. I also feel very sad when I contemplate the major problems in the world that thus far are not going away and that most of those are caused by human society. For example watch the programs called "Extinction: The Facts" and "Climate Change: The Facts" by the natural historian David Attenborough. The shows aired on PBS in the USA and they aired on the BBC.

But, during my teen years as an active JW and during my adult years as an active JW I did have serious doubts from time to time about the very existence of Jehovah God, Jesus Christ, Satan, angels, demons, and that any miracles ever happened. I thus didn't have great hope that Jehovah would be the one to solve the world's problems; I probably had more hope that humans would solve some of the problems, since history shows that humans have solved many problems. For example: humans ended slavery in virtually all countries, eradicated the Polio disease, have thus far avoided a nuclear war (other than the two nuclear bombs that were dropped in WWII), repaired the ozone layer (sealed up the ozone hole), dramatically reduced the per capita violent crime rates in multiple countries, made factory work far less dangerous for workers (at least in the USA), increased average life expectancy in many countries and standards of living, etc.

Regarding KHs being closed and the door to door work stopping, in past the WT/JWs fought many legal battles against various governments for the right to go door to door (including on Sundays) and to keep in KHs open. But when Covid-19 came they quickly cooperated with the governments to stop meeting in KHs and to stop preaching door to door; that is kind of strange. It is even stranger when one thinks that according the WT and the Bible Jehovah God is the creator of all living beings (other than Jehovah himself) and thus even the creator of bacteria and viruses, yet Jehovah did not prevent Covid-19 from severely disrupting the worship practices of Witnesses of Jehovah around the world.

The Bible also says that Jehovah brings diseases to punish people, yet Covid-19 is severely restricting the preaching work and in person worship meeting attendance of the Witnesses of Jehovah. How could those things happen if Jehovah is real and if Jehovah is the one and only true God and if the JWs are his chosen religious people and ruled by Jesus Christ the King of God's Kingdom? JWs should think about that question.

66

Jw spokesman Says door to door preaching not coming back!

by nowwhat? in

https://youtu.be/uaaztatkhkg.

hope link works.

Disillusioned JW

Pete Zahut, shortly after I read your post about Mormons, I went outside. After I walked one block I saw two young men dressed as LDS (they were wearing black pants with a white shirt and a black tie) and two young women (wearing black skirts, or was it black blouses, I forget which) get out of a car and walk across the street to talk to people at a park. The four people who got out of the car were all wearing masks. I think it is interesting I saw such in my neighborhood so soon after I read your post.

66

Jw spokesman Says door to door preaching not coming back!

by nowwhat? in

https://youtu.be/uaaztatkhkg.

hope link works.

Disillusioned JW

From what I read in an article the WT representative said that the 150 a day was the number contacting the USA branch of the religion and that it was an increase from pre-Covid 19 times. The question though is, in other countries are JWs encouraging people to contact a different website (such as one that defaults to a language other than English) of the JW religion and thus reaching a different branch of the WT? Or are they going to the same website, but in a form are they specifying the branch for their country?

20

Would the world be a better place without religion?

by pistolpete in

i know what you’re gonna say---------everyone has a right to believe whatever they want.. but the question above is not about everyone’s right to believe whatever.. the question is very specific------will the world be a better place----without religion.

think for a while what the world would be like without any religion.. no conflicts between islam and christianity.. no conflicts between different sects of christianity.

(example; jehovah’s witnesses vs catholics).

Disillusioned JW

Page 169 - 170 (in ph. 2) of the WT's book United In Worship of the Only True God (copyright 1983) says: "In the year 1914 C.E. an even more marvelous event of universal importance took place. God's Kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ actually was established in heaven. Next, Satan and his demons were hurled down to the earth. (Rev. 12:1-5, 7-12) The last days of the present wicked system had begun. Before the generation that witnessed the events of 1914 dies off, God will crush the entire Satanic system of things. (Matt. 24:34)"

The Governing Body of the WT religion is not being directed by an all knowing honest God. If it was, it wouldn't have made the false claim stated above. Wake up JW people! The god you worship does not exist (except as a false idea). He is only a figment of human imaginations. The one claimed to be his son, Jesus Christ, is not real either.

If you want guidance and structure in life then study helpful secular literature instead of putting your full trust in the literature available from organized religions. The best self help advice found in religious books often is based upon secular sources anyway.

20

Would the world be a better place without religion?

by pistolpete in

i know what you’re gonna say---------everyone has a right to believe whatever they want.. but the question above is not about everyone’s right to believe whatever.. the question is very specific------will the world be a better place----without religion.

think for a while what the world would be like without any religion.. no conflicts between islam and christianity.. no conflicts between different sects of christianity.

(example; jehovah’s witnesses vs catholics).

Disillusioned JW

People, come out religion, including the JW religion, and embrace philosophical/scientific naturalism and atheism. Cease engaging in all acts of worship, including of the biblical God the Father and of Jesus Christ. There is no god who can save us, none at all, for no personal God exists.

Page 140 (in ph. 33) of the WT book called "Let Your Kingdom Come" (copyright 1981) says: "At this writing, in the United States alone there are more than 10,000,000 persons still living who were old enough to observe "a beginning of pangs of distress" in 1914-1918. Some of these may still survive quite a number of years. Yet Jesus assures us that, before "this generation" passes away, he will come as "Son of man" to execute judgment on Satan's system of things. (Matthew 24:8, 21, 37-39) We should keep awake, expectant of that 'coming of the kingdom.'--Luke 21:31-36."

How many people from 1914 who were old enough to be aware of the World War I are still alive today in the year 2021? Are there millions of such people today who were at least 10 years in 1914? No. There are less than 10 people in world today who are at least 116 years old. [See https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2020/10/the-worlds-oldest-people-and-their-secrets-to-a-long-life-632895 .]

Should people, including JWs, really accept all of the teachings of the WT's JW religion and of its Governing Body? No.

66

Jw spokesman Says door to door preaching not coming back!

by nowwhat? in

https://youtu.be/uaaztatkhkg.

hope link works.

Disillusioned JW

People, come out religion, including the JW religion.

66

Jw spokesman Says door to door preaching not coming back!

by nowwhat? in

https://youtu.be/uaaztatkhkg.

hope link works.

Disillusioned JW

The WT book called True Peace and Security -From What Source? (copyright 1973) on page 86 in ph. 24 says: "In all the religions of Christendom, fewer young men are entering the seminaries, religious schools are closing their doors, and a great number of the religious magazines have ceased publication. The churches in general are finding their attendances growing smaller. Many church buildings are up for sale."

Something similar to that is now happening to the WT's JW religion. Years ago the WT stopped allowing JW's to have a subscription to the issues of the WT and the AW (I remember the WT cancelling my subscriptions to such), telling them instead to obtain them at the KH. Later the number of pages of WT issues per year were downsized and especially of the AW. KHs have been bought out by the WT (from the congregations) and a number of those have been sold off. In person face-to-face witnessing (especially door to door) by JWs has virtually ceased. A high percentage of young people raised in the JW religion do not believe in the religion (at least people on this site have said such). Meeting attendance in the KHs has virtually ceased, and there is evidence that attendance numbers in virtual meetings of the JW religion are likely overstated.

The WT claims that Christ is ruling as king and that JWs on Earth are subjects of that kingdom. As such, the WT claims that their JW religion is a part of Christ's kingdom, but claiming to be an earthly part of Christ's kingdom makes it a part of Christendom - by definition. The JW religion is going down with the rest (or at least most of the rest) of Christendom, as rapidly increasing numbers of people embrace irreligion and secularism.

20

Would the world be a better place without religion?

by pistolpete in

i know what you’re gonna say---------everyone has a right to believe whatever they want.. but the question above is not about everyone’s right to believe whatever.. the question is very specific------will the world be a better place----without religion.

think for a while what the world would be like without any religion.. no conflicts between islam and christianity.. no conflicts between different sects of christianity.

(example; jehovah’s witnesses vs catholics).

Disillusioned JW

Vanderhoven7, the world is already without Christ, for Christ does not exist and neither does anyone else supernatural. Much of the world however does have belief in Christ and thus belief in Christ exists in the world.

20

Would the world be a better place without religion?

by pistolpete in

i know what you’re gonna say---------everyone has a right to believe whatever they want.. but the question above is not about everyone’s right to believe whatever.. the question is very specific------will the world be a better place----without religion.

think for a while what the world would be like without any religion.. no conflicts between islam and christianity.. no conflicts between different sects of christianity.

(example; jehovah’s witnesses vs catholics).

Disillusioned JW

If the world were to become without religion (the kind which claims someone and/or someone supernatural exists), without it being caused by coercion, and as long there were effective checks and balances preventing the existence of totalitarian states/governments, then the world would be a better place. Today some oppressive highly controlling secular ideologies exist which are like religions and which some call secular religions. One is communism, at least in the form practiced in North Korea, in the form that existed in the former U.S.S.R., and perhaps in the form which exists in the People's Republic of China (excluding Taiwan). Those kinds of secular 'religions' would also need to cease to exist if the world were to become entirely without religion and become a better place as a result.

But there are other ideologies (and/or philosophies or worldviews) which are sometimes called religions which are not dangerous and not controlling, which provide a net benefit to human society. One of those is Secular Humanism, which is now a days sometimes simply called Humanism. But I think even Humanism may have some flaws (at least, some of its ideas are too liberally permissive for me [and some of its ideas in my mind show a lack of appreciation for certain living entities, such as human embryos and livestock, for me for me to feel fully comfortable with Humanism]). [There are however some who call themselves Humanists (or who at least identify with much of the ideas of Humanism) who are pro-life and who are for animal rights; see https://www.prolifehumanists.org/ and https://thehumanist.com/commentary/should-humanism-extend-to-animal-rights/ .]

I think it would be beneficial if institutions continued to exist which teach and promote morals and ethics, provided they don't teach supernaturalism, and provided they encourage critical thinking instead of blindly accepting dogmas. Such institutions could provide parents with information to assist in raising their children to be good, moral, ethical, and sensible people. Such institutions could also help prevent the rising into existence of evil totalitarian governments. Such institutions could also resist current evil totalitarian governments.

27

Spiritually Weak Ones Are Bad Association according to the Governing Body

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

after you read the words of jesus in mark 2: 17, you will see that the contrast between the teachings of jesus and the governing body.. .

you clearly read what's written in the bible, but the society is always twisting and bending scriptures to their benefit.

here is stephen lett talking about ''spiritually weak'' members and twisting jesus's words teaching on sinners:.

Disillusioned JW

Although 1 Corinthians 15:33 is in the context of those who denied the resurrection I think the verse also rightly applies in a broader sense. That is partly because Paul was quoting a pagan (non-Christian) Greek poet (Menander) when Paul said spoke of bad associations spoiling useful habits. Menander obviously did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, yet he nonetheless wrote of the danger of bad associations.

I think it is very sensible for people to limit their association with those who have much lower standards of morality (and other behaviors) than ourselves. That is especially the case if those with lower standards than us are promoting the lower standards to us.

Likewise, associating greatly with those who are frequently deceptive in their speech (and/or in their writings, including in online blog posts) is dangerous since listening to what they say and /or reading what they write can put us at risk of becoming deceived (and of making bad choices) if we are not very careful.

It is however good to occasionally listen to those who say (and/or write) things that we currently disagree with, for they might be right in some of those matters. We should use discernment.

In a number of ways, even people within a congregation of a religion which we might think is the correct religion, there can be people who to varying degrees are bad associations. Likewise bad associations can exist in completely nonreligious organizations. Some who are not members of any organization can also be risky to associate with.