most jws i know claim they are happy being in the great crowd.
they'd rather live on a paradise earth and pet lions than go to heaven.. heaven is a place they can't relate to, a place where they don't expect their friends and loved ones to be.. so why are more and more jws claiming to be of the anointed?.
aren't they looked down upon as if they are crazy, proud, ignorant, or engaging in apostate thinking?.
The question of WHY there are more now really hasn't been answered.
The reason is that when they changed the GENERATIONS - and have the new Overlapping Generations - and did away with the number already been sealed - it was an opportunity that people are taking (and that's how many of the comments above fit in)
we all know that the governing body claim to be "god's representatives" and the "faithful and discreet slave" that dispenses spiritual food..... but where is the proof?.
according to the bible (if we just for a moment take it as a reliable source), all of god's representatives in the past furnished proof of their appointment - not just self referential claims or statements.. for instance, moses and aaron performed miracles before pharaoh (such as the snake staffs.).
other prophets performed signs and miracles such as making the sun stand still, healing sick people, making walls fall down, etc etc.... even jesus performed miracles as proof of his divine appointment!.
Well the have ALWAYS been right!
...
Except when they are wrong.
when i joined this site at the beginning of this year, i was serving as an uber-zealous regular pioneer and ms in a foreign congregation where the need is greater.
i was giving public talks and having parts at regional conventions.
had started to have doubts but i hadn't time to focus on them, i simply was overcharged with so many activities and things to do.. i started by quitting pioneering but couldn't think i would give further steps for a long time.
Skepsis - Good for you!
That is a giant step for you. FYI it doesn't get easier but hang in there.
You will face many challenges, moments of confusion, sadness, and worry.
It's all worth it to not be part of a devious cult!
We are all here to help!
we just realised that everyone has had it wrong!
the bible even got it wrong.. noah didn't build an ark that stopped in one place.
no my friends, it was actually more of a shuttle ferry that had multiple stops on its journey.
OneEyedJoe - its like shooting fish in a barrel:)
so one of the things witnesses have been saying for years is how marriage is under attack, typically marrying the word "soaring" with the words "divorce" and "rate".. here are some metrics that suggest that for those who do get married in england and wales this assertion is not actually correct.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40524156.
sure there are less marriages than there used to be and more people cohabiting but it does throw some water on the argument that the sky is falling in as far as marriage is concerned..
One of my last appearances on STAGE included me telling the Congo to make sure their facts were straight when they gave talks or were in service.
On of them was about divorce.
I pointed out the rates in a number of countries, some who have divorce in single digits.
Also pointed to the actual rate in the USA and how that statistic needs to be understood.
Mentioned how even in our congregation a few people have been divorced 3 times and how that changes the statistics:)
The point was to try and get people to think - and not just vomit from the mouth.
And check their sources.
It was fulfilling to do even though it fell on the deaf ears of a cult.
a lot of religious folks can have an open-minded discussion about their beliefs without getting defensive.
some can actually consider things from another point of view and point out the validity in the other person's point.
obviously, a lot of jws may just be scared to think/speak in a semi-detrimental way about their religion.
Religion tends to make people closed-minded. They are often told they have the only way to god (truth).
Most religion has historically put all human relations and actions into Black & White context. Not good for fellow feeling.
JW are amongst the most closed minded, not because they are religions, but because they are a CULT that force feeds its members to NOT think, to NOT investigate, to NOT ask questions, to NOT be open to anything anyone says but the GB.
I hate all religion by the way.
yes god directs our writings but they're not inspired, so gods directions are staggered and overlapping , so the genuine innocent believing jw has a wonderful life of overlapping bullshit.
so next time you meet a jw priest ask them what is the difference between being directed and inspired, then i promise you will hear first hand an example of overlapping bull..
Well Yes.. and No..
i was wondering today what i would say if i ever were to be called to a judicial trial in the congregation, and my conclusion was that i didn't really have any biblical defense against it.
so i was wondering what you guys would recommend.
it seems far fetched to me that the bible condones a 1 vs 3 biased trial (where you already have been judged beforehand), instead of one where you have a unbiased judge, a defense and a prosecutor/accuser.
So the calling on the Older men to Grease your head with oil isn't a exact parallel of the modern Judicial Committee?
Shocking!
i come from a catholic background, but most recently had been with the churches of christ.
i have contacted my local congregation and will be talking with someone tomorrow, hopefully setting a study up for next week.
i want to study scripture, but also want to immerse myself in everything jw publishes.
Hello Rob,
Just to let you know it will be hard for you to immerse yourself in everything JW publishes.
They will only give you what is currently out now.
This is because the many many root dogma has changed through the years.
Books that were published as Truth just a few years ago are know eliminated, for new Truth.
See this happens all the time with the Watchtower.
Go to Wikapedia and check their history of false prophecies, changing policy and changing beliefs.
JWFacts.com is great since it puts it all in one place too.
Final comment - RUN WHILE YOU CAN!
after being a jw made me lose trust in religion, from the lies, hypocrisy and greed of this organization made me lose faith completely.
what does one do after this mind f$%@, what is there to look forward to?
do i make up my own agnostic theory in head and hope for the best?
One thing being a JW did real well is show you how all other religions are False - so when you find out JWs are false, well - why would you go to one of the others.
