Posts by OutsiderLookingIn

57

our secret dating got caught...

by trueloveneverfails94 in

we both are 21 years old.

i am almost done with my study and working on to become one of an unbaptized publisher.

OutsiderLookingIn

Oh, young love. I was 21 once and loved someone then, not the same as who I love now. I know right now it seems like the pain of heartache will never go away but somehow we go on. I first started looking into JWs because I had/have a romantic interest in an inactive, but still indoctrinated, JW. For me, even inactive-but-indoctrinated was too much because I kept thinking about the future. What would it look like? Never able to share birthdays or create special memories at holidays with someone I loved so much. More of the same with any future children because they would live "the best way of life"(TM)...er, because of manmade rules with no rhyme or reason. Every discovery about the JWs has been shocking. How has a web of lies been so effective at keeping 8 million-plus people in bondage? So I've stepped away for now, but who knows what may the future may bring?

Maybe you and your girlfriend can make it work. Just know indoctrination is real and human love does not conquer all. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth it. Don't get baptized and ask questions while you can. Make the decisions about the girl and joining the religion separately. If it's a package deal, from what I've learned here, you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of unrest.

24

Please, tell me.

by andrewlya in

hi, i am a christian and i would like to know jehovas witness's belief in god and whether you believe jesus is god.

please, any statements back up with biblical verses,thank you and god bless, in jesus's name.. i am new on here, so please be patient with me :).

OutsiderLookingIn

For me (I've never been a JW), the JW perspective of Jesus as a lesser being made even less sense to me. If Jesus is a lesser god, that means someone other than God now has all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) and will have that authority again during the millenial reign. How is it possible that God--a jealous and sovereign God--will share His glory and honor with a created being, even requiring us to honor the Son just as we honor the Father (John 5:23)? In the Bible, worshiping a deity goes hand in hand with serving it (e.g., Exodus 20:3-5; Jeremiah 25:6; 2 Kings 17:35-36; Joshua 24:14-15). Yet the apostles identified themselves as bondservants (slaves) of Jesus. Why did they follow and serve another god that is not God?

Christ is God and man. As the Son of God, He is equal to God. That's why the Jews wanted to stone him for "making Himself equal to God" (John 5:18). As the Son of Man, He is less than God because human nature is less than God's nature. With His death and resurrection, Jesus was glorified again to the glory He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5).

As for the JW "proof text": so God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28)...I understand to mean "when all of this is over, the differentiation of the Trinity will no longer be necessary because we'll know God face to face." Overall, though, I agree with others that this isn't the make or break issue; receiving Jesus is.

56

jw family loves to ask df'd ones for money!

by Ghiagirl in

well it finally happened!

we have been waiting about a year for this, my dfd husbands family asked us for money.

even though his own father hasn't met our 8 month old son.

OutsiderLookingIn

To echo Rebelfighter, this does happen in the nonJW world but it doesn't have the extremely ANNOYING additional feature of coming from people who believe they are morally superior to you and shun you to prove it (when money isn't involved, of course). Strong Haiku is also correct about how it often plays out (you fund their fun while making cutbacks to do so).

It's ultimately your decision but I'd say do only what you feel comfortable with. Don't think it will win you any points. Don't lend money you can't afford to lose. As a general rule, think of it as a gift, not a loan no matter how much they say they'll pay you back... broke and financially irresponsible people are struggling to pay their own bills. Paying back someone, especially someone they don't respect, is not high on the list of priorities. I know it's hard to say no to family, so do what you're comfortable with and don't feel guilty about drawing the line there. All the best :)

8

"I hope Disfellowshipped ones do not attend the Memorial"

by AFRIKANMAN in

d---head comment ...by someone called jay witness on that forum-.

what a smug bunch of pharisees they breed !

"""it makes me feel odd to invite tons of worldly people who are obviously fornicators and idolaters and then not be able to even show a little love such as a "hello" to a disfellowshipped brother or sister.

OutsiderLookingIn

Yikes! There are no words On one hand, it shows they feel some tension about their inconsistent behavior. Smiling in the face of "obvious" fornicators and idolaters and refusing to say hello to someone because of their own man-made rules. But it's highly offensive to say who Jesus died and didn't die for. It's the sick who need a doctor, not people who think they have it all together.

As for the Memorial being a closed event for active, approved members of their club, they can keep it. As a never dub, I don't think I could sit idly by as a roomful of "God's own people" reject the sacrifice Jesus made. Sorry, my schedule's all booked.

56

Hello, fairly new, studying for around 7 months, just thought I would introduce myself.

by Conanthebeliever in

hello everyone, i hope you are all ok. .

my name is conan, i am 25, and from the uk.

i have some brain damage, so i apologise in advance if my syntax is off or i go a long way around explaining things.

OutsiderLookingIn

Conan,

You've done well to do your research. And I'm glad to hear the people around you were aware the JWs are a cult. But even then I didn't even know what cult meant beyond legalistic. Add to that, it's hard to find fault because they're so gosh-darned polite. Polite maybe, but that does not make them right.

Re the Trinity, it means God in three persons, not three gods. So the Father and Son are different persons. Jesus is God because he has the same divine nature as the Father. Humans have a different nature subject to hunger, tiredness and decay. The deity of Christ is that He is God in a human body. Jesus knows our struggles because He went through them himself (Hebrews 4:15). Another thing to consider is that the same word is used to describe Jesus and the Father in the Greek manuscripts (kurios, meaning Lord). FYI, many times the NWT masks this situation by inserting "Jehovah" where they want it to mean the Father. Using the same word can't be accidental when the writers were devout Jews; it would be blasphemy if Jesus were merely a lesser god. Which brings up another strange twist of WT doctrine: it's actually polytheistic (the real God and the fake god, Jesus who the apostles served even unto death). Contradictions aplenty.

That's just a short summary; much ink has been spilled on this subject.

92

Only a few days ago I was entirely lost and without hope the rug was pulled out from under me

by elderess in

jw
friends

only a few days ago i was walking around the house in a mindless wander thinking if i needed to seek professional help.

then i got the courage to seek the comfort of complete strangers on the internet and found a world of support here on this website.

thank you simon and whoever else has made this website possible.

OutsiderLookingIn

Congratulations, eldress! This is truly wonderful news! I wish you and your husband all the best as you move forward. Time to get busy living :)

14

Leaving jw propaganda all around the house, what to do?

by Crazyguy in

the wife leaves it all around, not sure if this is by design i don't think so since the return to jah brochure was never left out.

it drives me a bit nuts but haven't done anything about it.

looking for ideas on what i should do?

OutsiderLookingIn

One of two options--

Two can play at that game: leave out some article about the ARC, the headquarters being sold off or some other controversial issue.

Or spring cleaning: just throw them out. If it's a "mistake", she can't blame you when they go missing. Shred well to make sure no unsuspecting garbage collector sees it and wants to learn more.

32

Every Know Anyone Too "Weak" To Wake Up?

by freemindfade in

a jw that is probably irregular, they don't really attend meetings, they are not up on anything going on, they may even seem like they are faded but they are not, they are just slackers.

a jw that is impervious to the f.o.g.

(ok maybe it bums them, but they are too lazy and self serving to do otherwise).

OutsiderLookingIn

OMG, yes! This is pretty much exactly the situation with my (former) JW romantic interest. He only attends the Memorial from what I can tell. We have religious discussions and he's rusty on the teachings besides the basics (paradise earth and holidays are bad). Sometimes it's as if he's guessing at the right answer probably because it's changed lol and gets a quick refresher by going to the website. It's sad. He was born in and I'm sure his main attachment is family, identity and emotional (nostalgia about the brotherhood).

I don't think it's impossible but it's an uphill and slow battle for sure. I think he appreciates my knowledge and respect for the Bible and likes the chance to have discussions that allow difference of opinion. I stepped away physically because of what I've read about inactive people sometimes relapsing and the possibility frightens me. I came to realize that if he's half out, he's all in. And I can't live like that. So from a distance (text), I keep the conversation going. Not only about JW nonsense but also about life, that more often than not, it's what you make of it.

56

A fresh start

by FormerlySandL in

after the worst introduction i could ever make on the forum i would like to reintroduce myself and make a fresh start on the forum and hopefully over time i will be able to redeem myself.

i have changed my user name which was over dramatic and ridiculous in the cold light of day but for transparency and to show i am not trying to hide anything i have adapted the original name and it now has a more positive feel.

after reading a lot of posts on this forum i am feeling more optimistic about my future.

OutsiderLookingIn

Welcome, Formerly S&L!

I've never been a JW...just so you know, we're not all bad ;) A few words of wisdom as you begin your journey:

- Take one day at a time. It's an overwhelming change in worldview.

- You will have to learn discernment. You've already learned JWs aren't all good; the rest of the world isn't all bad and you'll find more good if you're willing to see it. No more broad strokes

- Move forward as it's comfortable for you, not to try to win friends or only because you're trying to rebel. In doing so, it's more than you could do under the WT's thumb--you can decide.

All the best going forward!

3

👑 He Who Is Least In The Kingdom of Heaven....

by Cold Steel in

jesus said that of all those born of women, none were greater than john the baptist.

nevertheless, he added, he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

universally nearly all scholars have taken this to mean that because jesus had taken upon himself the sins of the world, he had the last claim upon the kingdom of heaven.

OutsiderLookingIn

I've understood this passage as setting forth the necessity of being born again for salvation. Contrary to WT theology, it does not say go further and say that John the Baptist was excluded. The comparison is between those born of women (all humans) and those entering the kingdom of God. Kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable. And born again = born of the Spirit = born of God. The entirety of John 3 is about this requirement: John 3:3-5, Jesus telling Nicodemus you must be born again (born of the Spirit); John 3:15-17, believe in the Son for eternal life (also John 1:12-13).

So Jesus was in effect saying: John the Baptist is the greatest among natural born men, but even he would not enter the kingdom of God if he was not born of the Spirit. Other passages show that John believed Jesus for salvation (e.g., when he baptized Jesus in Matthew 3 and when he reiterated the same requirement for salvation in John 3:25-36), so John was born of the Spirit.