Posts by inbetween

37

Lack of education does not = stupid.

by bluecanary in

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[endif] in combatting cult mind control, steve hassan writes:.

in principle, i am against banning cults from college campuses unless they expressly violate rules of conduct that every student organization is expected to follow.

inbetween

theoldhippie: I know exactly how you feel, though I dont have a university education, I always was the type of person to go deep , to understand, to comprehend things, to ask questions where others are happy with a simple answer...

and often I wished to go back to times of ignorance, where everything is just black and white according to WTS, it is just much easier...

plus I met highly intelligent witnesses, who may have asked the same questions (some actually did) but just shelve them to wait for Jehovah, as I did as well, ..

one time I pushed it a bit, was not happy with a general accepted answer to an issue, and got the reply, that we just shouldnt think about it...why ? arent we supposed to keep asking (chapter one bible teach book ?)...

at times I`m very confused, angry, depressed even, wish to never opened my eyes, and also wished to just d/a myself, ....

but as a matter of fact, I´m stuck atm, Ihave to find my way of dealing with all this, and still hold a good conscience and find happiness...

8

drama dc 2009

by inbetween in

jw
friends

the drama was really ridicolous, man, but i noticed, in some of the jw objected to it as well,.

first of all my wife, she said it doesnt feel right, and she strongly disliked the music (she has no idea of my being at this forum btw).

then some friends, who also complained about it, but just to us, because they know, we do not judge them for their questions and almost doubts on some things.... i m sure there were more, but they just dont think out loud, and keep it to themselves.... anybody similar experiences ?.

inbetween

the drama was really ridicolous, man, but I noticed, in some of the JW objected to it as well,

first of all my wife, she said it doesnt feel right, and she strongly disliked the music (she has no idea of my being at this forum btw)

then some friends, who also complained about it, but just to us, because they know, we do not judge them for their questions and almost doubts on some things...

I´m sure there were more, but they just dont think out loud, and keep it to themselves...

anybody similar experiences ?

66

If there's some good in the Watchtower, why leave it?

by AlmostAtheist in

jw
friends

the post about crisis of conscience in which the poster said he knows there's some bad in the watchtower (as brought out in coc), but there's some good in it too got me to wondering about people that stay for the good in it.. the united states makes some decisions as a country that i don't agree with, perhaps even object strongly to.

but i don't disavow my citizenship.

it's mostly a good place to live, so i stay.. if you want to live in a way that utterly conflicts with the watchtower -- homosexual, multiple sex partners, smoking, whatever -- then you have reason to leave.

inbetween

been pondering over this question for couple of weeks now...

in just a short time, I came to realize, the WTS is not Jehovahs channel, doubts I had many years ago already, but always considered it as something I may not understand fully or hoped, the "light gets brighter".....

but I came to see, that those doubts was not my failure, it is a deficit of some doctrines...

for now I found a solution: staying in for family/social reasons, while using whatever influence I have to prevent damage from harmful teachings, planting seeds whenever reasonable and possible, softening the load of the brothers, and avoiding to become "bloodguilty" .

In the end we have to render an account to our creator one way or the other...

Some compared it to Nazi, which is certainly exxagerated, however, even there we find people realizing the insanity of Hitler, and still pretending to cooperate, while trying to use their limited power to help others escape or survive (e.g. Schindler etc)

If they had oppenly opposed Hitler, they would not have been able to do good at all.

thas just my current approach, dont know what the future will bring in this regard...

58

The Social Structure in the Congregation

by Mary in

jw
friends

ever notice how the "happiest people on earth" are also the most class-oriented?

to say that jesus said his followers should all be on equal footing, it's incredible how much the r&f witness is not on equal footing.

the social structure in the congregation is more complex than the blueprints of a nuclear warhead, but just so that you "remember your place", see if you can find where your niche was/is:

inbetween

well, according to this list I would be 2,

but I guess things are not so bad in our congr., elders really view themselves as servants mostly, its really quite cool...

no its def. not our congr. that makes me come here, its the fallible doctrine of WTS that sucks...

57

Question

by inbetween in

just have a question,.

when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?

maybe an elder or a good friend ?.

inbetween

thanks for the answers, very interesting viewpoints...

yes,regarding my friend, I just wanted to plant a seed, he is very open, not dogmatic at all, we`ve been friends half our lifes. He is really a "cool" elder, but of course, questioning the org is something that is to be done very carefully. I know of myself, you just think the org and Jehovah are the same almost, thats what you hear everytime at the meeting...

however, its not done in a merely "planting the seed" way, I still have some hope to find convincing answers, even though this hope is getting darker and darker.....

14

I went on another Bible study yesterday - Any suggestions on what I could have said?

by BonaFide in

i was visiting a friend that is a witness yesterday.

his mother was preparing for the bookstudy with another sister who is very new.

we are on the chapter about blood this week.

inbetween

thats difficult, for me as well to sit at the CBS this week, and listening to the blood discussion....

but I have to remember, just not too long ago, I also took it for real, beleived everything the WTS said about it, and tried to explain the fraction/component thing not only to myself also to others....so it takes time, opnening eyes can be a long and even painful process...

40

I had one of those discussions this weekend - Am I getting anywhere?

by BonaFide in

last week during bible highlights, a sister commented on leviticus 19:28 about not having a tattoo.

i also commented, saying that we are not under the law, but the principle should be taken into consideration.. a sister i don't speak with very often called me.

she is in the same congregation as some of my family.

inbetween

interesting, I know from personal experience, some are just following blindly whatever the slave dictates, others are thinking, trying to understand, but sometimes fail, however, they ususally give up and move on (waiting on Jehovah), or silently disagree on some matters...

I slowly build up the reputation, if they have doubts, they can always talk to me, I never judge them for that, never did, even before my own doubts became manifest....

on the other hand, being in a such a situation is actually more difficult than being a blind follower, i tell you that...everything could be so easy, if you just close your eyes....

24

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 07-12-09 WT Study (DAY NEAR)

by blondie in

jw
friends

(b) pressing on to maturity requires effort in what two areas?

(read hebrews 5:14.

2:10) moreover, their perceptive powers are trained through use--through application of what they know--helping them to distinguish right from wrong.

inbetween

follow the slave whatever future direction he gives....

I had to comment that evening, and said something like, that we do it, because we trust everything the slave does is in line with the scripures...

but I think nobody got it really, they always think , the slave has some supernatural secret Information directly from Jehovah...

and then they call it "not inspired" ???

57

Question

by inbetween in

just have a question,.

when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?

maybe an elder or a good friend ?.

inbetween

reniaa

I read some of your posts already, surely I still agree with some, but I found one important misconception in your defense of the WTS: you compare them with servants of God in the past, who made also mistakes. However, they never once made a mistake regarding their inspired prophecy or counsel or whatever. They themselves were imperfect, but not what they wrote under inspiration ! Thats the difference, the brothers at the GB are imperfect and make mistakes, this is no problem for me, but their writings is also flawed, and this is a problem, because they claim to be guided by Gods spirit. So in effect they say, everything we write is from God, except those things, which are changed later, these are of human error. This is the same as I would say, everything I do is perfect, only when I do something wrong, Im not perfect...whats the logic there ??

Additionally the writing of the GB is taken by witnesses as coming from God, so it has a tremdous impact in their life. Granted a lot of advice is given in a rather foggy way, pretending to leave matters up to the conscience of the brothers, but others are even disefellowshipping offences (blood for example).

inbetween

57

Question

by inbetween in

just have a question,.

when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?

maybe an elder or a good friend ?.

inbetween

just have a question,

when you found out about things regarding the WTS, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ? Maybe an elder or a good friend ?

and how was their reaction ?

I`m asking this, because I seriously think about discussing some points with another elder, some teachings/doctrins really bug me...cant stand to be silent, especially since I ought to be a teacher, how can I teach things, I do not understand (or even not agree) anymore...

please share your experiences, thanks !