mark jones, a witness for over 30 years describes what jws call bible studies offered to the public.. .
"they (jehovah's witnesses) offer you a free home “bible” study - which turns out to be a study of a watchtower publication with the bible brought out as an afterthought to try and prop up whatever current idea the governing body are claiming is “the truth” this week.. i think it’s underhanded.. when my parents became jehovah’s witnesses and they offered people a free home “bible” study, this is what they brought to study with them:.
what, did you think they were going to study the bible with you?.
Looking back, I can't believe how easily I fell for the bait and switch.
I remember asking why we were going to study the little blue Truth book instead of the Bible itself.
The answer was, "Oh, this book is organized topic by topic and makes things easier to understand."
I just said, "Oh, okay," and away we went.
I think it's a matter of trusting people's sincerity.
I still think those JWs were sincere.
They really thought they were studying the Bible.
why do you think many jws are hostile and rude?
or is that just my imagination?.
mark jones writes: the vast majority of jehovah’s witnesses are nice people.
JWs are trained to believe that the world is a horrible place and that virtually everyone else is evil, out to persecute them, and about to be destroyed at Armageddon.
In addition, the WT treats them like children and rules them through fear and guilt.
That's enough to make anyone angry and rude.
a friend of mine was compelled to reach out to as many members as possible in her congregation, by sending them the following letter that i would like to share.. to my brothers and sisters,.
i’m sure you’ve realised by now that something isn’t quite right with me as i haven’t been around in months.
the truth is i have been going through a crisis and the last few months have been the hardest time of my life.
Sadly, most JWs won't read past the first paragraph.
in the november 2022 study watchtower, "jehovah's organization" (or variants) is repeated at least 37 times.. the word 'organization' - like 'governing body,' 'trinity,' hell-fire,' & 'immortal soul,' - doesn't exist in the holy scriptures.. interestingly, jesus christ is mentioned only twice in all of the study articles - as an aside..
Not surprising.
WT theology is centered on the WT organization.
In WT teaching, you can come to Jehovah without coming to Jesus (Jesus is in heaven and you can't have any personal relationship with him), but you can't come to Jehovah without coming to his organization.
The WT mindset is also that to be loyal to the organization is to be loyal to Jehovah and to leave the organization is to leave Jehovah.
i'm sure this has been discussed, but 1914 has to go away.
instead of, the overlapping generation teaching, they should have just ditched 1914. .
they should have done that a long time ago with 1975. it's the last of the teachings in the charles taze russell era.. i'm thinking they just will stop talking about it, and it will be out of the mind of the rank and file loyal witnesses .
Contradictions don't bother most JWs.
Whatever the GB says is true, even if it contradicts itself...
don't complain if you get kicked out of bethel after 23 years (it's really a blessing to be assigned back to the field) and don't complain if they sell your kingdom hall even if you have just invested your time and energy renovating it.. so encouraging?.
Jehovah's loving organization...
i recall having to go in the ministry, not just saturday but strongly encouraged to go out sunday after the meeting.
then they had the lame idea to organize evening witnessing, or maybe before the midweek book study.
it could be minus 40 and there would still be a group organized.
How could people not want to hear the WT's (ever-changing) life-saving message at any hour day or night?
Amazing...
they were positioned in a walk way and i had to go right pass them.
i tried to keep walking but my legs went straight to them like they had a mind of their own.. they pointed to john 17:3 on how to get saved.
1 peter 3:18. .
Remember when JWs enjoyed the give and take of a good discussion because they were convinced they had the truth?
Now they get very uncomfortable with any sort of disagreement, pack up, and refer you to the website.
i was out on the ministry(tm) in the 1980's when i was pie-on-earring.
i was only a lowly publisher(tm) being coached by a rather odd elder(tm).. one of the publications(tm) had recently mentioned japan and the growth(tm) of jws there.. the elder(tm), brother(tm) i was with offered the magazines(tm) to the householder(tm).. then he stated, 'there are (gave the reported numbers at the time.
i can't remember the number he stated), jehovah's witnesses(tm) in japan.'.
The most embarrassing thing I encountered was a foot-in-the-door JW who wouldn't take "no" or "not interested" for an answer.
One time he wouldn't leave until the householder threatened to pick him up and throw him off the porch.
it's difficult to comprehend how arrogant the members of the governing body must be to sanction much of the content that appears in their literature.
they identify themselves as the 'faithful and discreet slave' - that alone requires an astonishing degree of pride.
but what is even more amazing - arguably to the level of insanity - is the way they then use that phrase to elevate themselves above the rest of the organisation.
I'm reminded of the recent video in which a GB member (I think it was Lett) said something like, "Since Jehovah and Jesus trust the faithful and discreet slave, shouldn't we?"
What he really meant was, "Aren't you ashamed that you don't trust us as much as Jehovah and Jesus do? How disgusted they must be with you!"
