i asked an old jw friend of mine why so many baptized individuals leave the jw religion.
"did it ever occur to you, old friend, that maybe they know something that you don't know and have valid reasons for leaving?
", i asked.. his response set me back for an answer.
I'll take door number 3!
I saw something bad happen involving elders. That wasnt what did me in though.
It was the cover up by a Circuit Overseer and the branch helping in the cover up rather than a simple straightening out of the problem.
That was my first moment of realizing the Emperor has no clothes.
Finding this site and getting facts to back up what had just dawned on me was the natural progression for me.
when you were "in" did you ever actually enjoy the ministry?
and i made no secret about it.
instead i would joke about me feather knocking, and made sure i had my bible in hand so as they come to the door they know what im about so they can shut me down before i even start.. i always wondered how or why there were people who enjoyed it.
I think it goes against the basic nature of a human to want to go up to a strangers door and talk about a topic that may/may not be controversial or well received.
That is why to get people to over ride that basic feeling you either have to give them a monetary reward (vacuum cleaner salesmen) or a prestigious status within the group they treasure (pioneer).
Everyone else just goes along to get along.
We are whipped into guilt induced cooperation by being told its the basic command of our time (Matt 24:14) and by peer pressure from family and friends in the Org.
It took being out of the Org for me to realize that the good feeling I felt after service was NOT joy from service but a giddy relief that it was DONE!
now i know i am getting older or of the older generation.
i have had a very strange day with a lot of strange dealings with people with strange behavior today but this one incident was just over the top.
so i came out of a store in a busy shopping center.
I would have been stunned too rebelfighter!
Quarterbacko
It's ok if you are Spider Man, or Superman.
Ha ha, that is a good one!
my wife is in the hospital.
complications of a ruptured appendix.
she had it removed around 1am friday morning.
Hey Azor,
How is your dear wife today and how are you? Lots of love and support being sent your way!
i find myself still at 25 nervous around women.
i wonder is dating and marriage really worth the hassle.
?.
You are still relatively young.
Get to know women you like and let them get to know you.
Take your time.
Enjoy the process.
i'm curious if we will have eyewitness reporters at the stanley theater like we do every year....
I think there will be some experiences (stories) of Jahs direction on the sale of Brooklyn properties,
They want to reinforce the idea that this sell off and move is spirit directed.
i think that's a fair comment.
but i am not convinced by the " god" outside the w.t so far, and i think that's also a fair comment.
if god exists why does he seem a complete liability to convincing the majority of decent people i know to associate with his one true religios organisation?
I love reading such honest sincere thoughts.
Thanks everyone.
my wife is in the hospital.
complications of a ruptured appendix.
she had it removed around 1am friday morning.
So sorry Azor. You have certainly been through it and are still facing it.
Your wife is in the best place right now as the hospital can monitor and care for her.
Good for your mom for helping you. I agree with ToesUp, dont give your heart to the silliness of family members right now.
You hang tough and please know that many here are caring about you and admiring the strength of character and love for your family that you have demonstrated over and over.
Hugs from here to you,
Millie
what do you think the jw religion will be like in oct 2021?
if we go back five years from oct 2016 you get 2011. there was no jw.org, really pretty much no tablets, most people were using paper copies for everything.
now that's all changed.
I believe the rumor we have heard that they hired a consulting service.
With that in mind I think they will start their own version of a Brigham Young University. They will convert some already existing property in to a campus OR that will be the next big building project.
Witnesses will pay tuition to get their kids a college education.
This will solve two problems for them. It will keep born in kids away from universities and will divert that income into Org coffers.
I think they will also begin offering trips to the Holy Land type travel arrangements. I dont think they will literally BE to the Holy Land - just modeled after the way religions today do those kind of travel trips.
Perhaps they will arrange conventions in odd places and arrange travel trips there. Any place they want to throw dollars at and create excitement while charging money to do it under their umbrella.
I can see them allowing for a "provision" of travel missionary" or "travel pioneer" where you pay big bucks for a trip and get to be pioneer for a day/week/month while on the cruise or flight or train trip.
It is another spin on what was mentioned in an above post $$ for service time.
since leaving the jws i have looked into many beliefs and have come to this conclusion.. paganism has a high regard for women, as they worship goddesses and respect the female for the ability to give birth to new life.
christianity puts females in second place to males and blames women for male temptations which goes back to eve eating the fruit and tempting adam with it.
they also created a devil with the appearance of the pagan god pan and built churches on pagan worship sites so that people would still go there to worship, but within a christian building.. i have come to the conclusion that paganism versus christianity is about a battle of the sexes.. the fear of demonic forces is taught by religions to deter you from straying.
DL2,
You are correct about religions' roles in subjugating women. One of the primary ways theyve accomplished this is to infantalize men and blame shift their own lack of control onto women. It is still alive and well in Islam and various Xtian groups. Hinduism and other religions also seek to control women, especially their sexuality/sensuality because their poor little men just can't help their poor little selves.
And it has caused great harm to women for centuries.
Very soon after my exit from the DarkTower I had a brief and unusual relationship with a young woman who was part Buddhist, part Pagan and part Wiccan princess. She helped to educate me about a lot of things I knew only on the surface and help the DarkLords de-programming process wherein anything labeled "Pagan" meant the devil.
I followed her to the Buddhist temple and other places I can't write about on this site. She was Way, way fun. Bat-shit crazy, but over the top fun. And one of the least judgmental, most accepting individuals I've known. I'm glad I met her: I'm also glad her husband didn't kill me.
I came to greatly respect the Pagan world that pre-dated all the world's major religions. I still have several books she gave me on the subject.
What an incredible experience for you!
She blew away the walls didnt she?
I love it when I meet people like that.
