Posts by paul from cleveland

12

Just watched 'knocking' Doco on JW on SBS TV. an irony

by Aussie Oz in

just watched this documentary on our local tv.

among all the issues touched on, one really stood out to me.. the elderly jw man, who survived the concentration camps as a jew, who became a jw after observing them in the camp was reuniting his two sides of family.

the jw and his jewish daughters family.

paul from cleveland

Hi Aussie,

That is my major problem too. I can't fathom a God that is going to kill almost the entire world of mankind. How does that make him any different than Hitler? Hitler's solution was to purge the earth of the 'undesirable' ones. The God of the Jehovah's Witnesses solution seems to be the same. Isn't there some better way to solve the worlds problems? Killing everyone is a solution that a man thought up (Hitler). Hopefully God's plan will transcend that. Otherwise, Hitler should be praised for patterning himself after God.

58

World Conditions Continue to Improve

by zarco in

jw
friends

startfragment.

as we enter into a new decade, it might make sense to look back to view the progress than mankind has made in these last days.. about 200 years ago everyone on the planet lived on the modern day equivalent of about $400 a year.

the exceptions were tiny nobilities.

paul from cleveland

Whether it's true or not, the Witnesses are right about this. We need a new system of things. With everything that's going on, it's almost ridiculous to talk about world conditions improving.

95

For those who researched 607...

by AwSnap in

jw
friends

did you use wt dates as well as things found from a secular perspective?

if a witness was researching the 607 dates strictly from watchtower info, would it still become clear they are wrong?

or does the wtbs *make* the dates add up...?

paul from cleveland

I hope there's not going to be a test on this.

67

Did You Exit the Witnesses Due to Injustices / Difference with Doctrine-Both?

by flipper in

jw
friends

many of us leave due to injustices committed inside the organization.

i did initially.

i had doubts about some doctrines for years - but not until after leaving the witnesses was i free to be able to confirm my suspicions and see that yes, i did have valid reasons to have doubts all those years .

paul from cleveland

I didn't leave (well, get kicked out) for either of those two reasons. I just couldn't endure to the end. Not through not trying... I just cant live up to the standards and I can't try anymore. I can't pray, study, or cry anymore. I was in a state of guilt and fear the whole time for not being able to measure up (now I'm just in fear). I'll always remember that song about 'thousands falling on my left and right side'. If Jehovah's standards are so high that 'thousands' are going to fall, I am sure to be among them. I know my faults.

When I was young, I remember being out in field service with and elder when he told me that Jehovah was drawing people with 'good hearts' into his organization. I asked him 'what if someone doesn't have a good heart, can they change?' He just shrugged his shoulders indicating he didn't know. Since I was 'born-in' I was sure I didn't have a good heart but was there just because my mom brought me in, not Jehovah. I continually prayed for God's spirit so I'd be able to please him and have a good heart. I did all the things I was supposed to do but eventually couldn't continue because my own thoughts condemned me. I never got the 'peace of God that excels all thought'.

24

The moment you know you will die, too

by dgp in

jw
friends

at some point in life, everyone outside of the wtbts realizes that death if a fact of life.

no one gets to accept that fact easily, and the moment when you realize you will die, too, usually comes all of a sudden and takes you by surprise.

when you were a jw, did you have such a moment, even though the society told you you would never die?

paul from cleveland

Hi Mouthy, I really want to enjoy life but I just can't! I'm terrified about death constantly. I pray for peace from God but it hasn't come. I want to feel the warmth in my heart that comes from feeling that I have the love of God but I feel a cold empty void instead. The thought of death feels like being sucked into a cold empty hole. I can't explain it.

Some friends said I need to talk to a therapist. But if a person was sitting on death row and was depressed about it would that be abnormal? I feel like I'm on death row with no escape. How can I find peace?

24

The moment you know you will die, too

by dgp in

jw
friends

at some point in life, everyone outside of the wtbts realizes that death if a fact of life.

no one gets to accept that fact easily, and the moment when you realize you will die, too, usually comes all of a sudden and takes you by surprise.

when you were a jw, did you have such a moment, even though the society told you you would never die?

paul from cleveland

I still can't believe it. Life feels like a nightmare that I can't wake up from. None of us are getting out of here alive. Sickness, old age, an accident or some other horrid way of dying get closer with each passing day. For all of us. I hope one day I wake up to an alternate reality and this world and life turn out not to be real.

30

Does Our Being Former JWs Affect Our Enjoyment of XMas?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i went to 2 parties yesterday.

i actually was invited to 4 this year.. i started out at my daughter's at 7:30 a.m. and my daughter, sil, 2 grandkids and my ex gave presents to one another.

95% of the gifts were for my 2 year old grandaughter because it was really her first xmas to unwrap presents and get into the "spirit".. then i went in the afternoon to my gf's and they had a big spread and we (once again) exchanged gifts.. here's my bottom line: i enjoyed the family and friends getting together.

paul from cleveland

Thank you Mouthy. I do love my family. I participated in the dinner and the gift exchange but I just can't get the watchtower worldview out of my head. I don't hate the holidays but Christmas still seems wrong to me on so many levels. I just didn't enjoy myself there. I told my family I wasn't feeling well and left right after dinner.

30

Does Our Being Former JWs Affect Our Enjoyment of XMas?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i went to 2 parties yesterday.

i actually was invited to 4 this year.. i started out at my daughter's at 7:30 a.m. and my daughter, sil, 2 grandkids and my ex gave presents to one another.

95% of the gifts were for my 2 year old grandaughter because it was really her first xmas to unwrap presents and get into the "spirit".. then i went in the afternoon to my gf's and they had a big spread and we (once again) exchanged gifts.. here's my bottom line: i enjoyed the family and friends getting together.