a few weeks ago, i was chatting with a brother who is well into his 80’s.
he went to college, got his bachelor’s degree and was a school teacher for many years.
during that time, he was an elder in his congregation, had many privileges and cared for his young family.
All of that may be true.
However, I believe the modern reasoning stems around the fact that college education leads to high paying careers in a profession that might take 40 to 60 hours a week from your life. You should get a job as a window washer making minimum wage working 20 hours a week and share a one bedroom apartment with 3 families in the slums so you can pioneer.
i was baptized in 1985, was a regular pioneer, ministerial servant, and on the way to becoming an elder when i left the witnesses in 1999. i also was one of those who claimed and (at the time ) believed i was one of the anointed.. i am wondering if there are any others here who also claimed they were of the anointed?
how did you come to that conclusion?
how do you feel about your claim now that you are out?.
My father claims to be of the anointed. Growing up it was not until my teens and after my father moved the family to another state that I saw him being treated differently. It was not until just before I called it quits that he revealed some horrible things about how not only he was treated, but how my whole family was treated.
At first, my dad was beloved by the congregation I basically grew up in. He was an elder and the presiding overseer of the congregation. He always had a part on the assemblies and conventions.
After we moved into the new congregation things changed. Eventually he stepped down as an elder because he was being threatened. He was disagreeing with the presiding overseer too much.
My dad moved the family to another congregation that was in the same Kingdom Hall. It wasn't too far after that he found himself being targeted for being disfellowshipped and was. Until this day, he still doesn't know the official reason why, but I do know that elders in that congregation bragged about disfellowshipping an apostate. I do know that he was asked "Do you believe that because you are part of the anointed on earth that makes you part of the faithful and discreet slave class?" to which he answered "Yes."
What I found out some 15 years later was that my father was being targeted for disfellowshipping even prior to our moving to a new state. My father told me that a new circuit overseer that came in was gunning for him. This circuit overseer had a reputation of making sport of DFing those who professed to be of the anointed.
What was even more interesting is that after my father was re-instated (even that is an interesting story) we had a new District Overseer who just happened to be our old District Overseer from the state we moved from. He told the elders that my father was never to have any of his privileges given back to him.
The worst part, that part that effected me the most, the part that put me into a rage, was just before I called it quits my father revealed to me that he was recently told by three brothers this - When we moved into the new congregation, the presiding overseer went around quietly telling the brothers in the congregation now to associate with my family. I was 13 when I moved in.
I remember when my younger sister married my best friend. His parents threw a fit. The yelled at him "Why are you marrying the daughter of that man!"
It all made sense. I didn't get married until I was 26 and not for lack of trying. No sister my age in the circuit wanted anything to do with me. I was appointed a ministerial servant right out of high school. I pioneered and put in 100 hours a month. I had every privilege that a MS could have, including giving public talks and assembly parts. I started to think I just wasn't a charming or attractive person.
The prejudice and bigotry towards those who profess to be of the anointed is real.
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.
Common sense and science ended it for me.
The Biblical account of the Great Flood of Noah's Day. When I learned of Kepler's Law in my college Astronomy class you soon realize that the math doesn't add up.
It was only after I called it quits that I decided to look behind the curtain and investigate the origins of the religion. That just sealed the deal.
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 remember hearing complaints over newer study books versus "You Can Live Forever on Paradise Earth". The complaint was that the WBTS scaled down newer books by only teaching Witnesses beliefs and removed portions that disproved other religions. The WBTS did.does an excellent job convincing its people that there can only be one true religion, one true god, and they are it.
So, once you come to learn the Truth about the Truth, it is easy to come to the conclusion that no religion is correct and there is no god.
just look at his history!
w00 8/15 pp.
8-11 - the watchtower—2000: "kevin needed an additional $900, so he decided to sell his 16 two-year-old pigeons.
Goes into JW Bunker - Still gets caught.
if i mention "1984" you will probably think of george orwell and his book " 1984".however i think of "1984" as a year in my life when watford football club reached the f.a cup final.
( the f.a cup is the biggest footballing occasion in english sport, and my club " little watford" were in it) but instead of going to watch the game, i was forced by my dad to miss attending the match and prioritize on theocratic w.t study.. so for me the year 1984 was the year i should have woken up to " the truth about the truth" sadly it took another 30 years of generation and doctrinal change before this boy became " awake" and understood his defining moment and realized he was fooled by the w.t.. anyway 1984 was a long time ago, but today in 2016, i realized 1984 had a " modern day 2016 application" that happened last saturday, when i took my boy to watch my " little " watford play "mighty "manchester united" and we won 3.1. now it's wednesday and my boy and i are still on cloud 9, even orlandos school teacher started monday lessons by saying " well done watford ".
yes little watford outplayed and beat the mighty united.
I have many such stories, but I like yours the best.
Who the eff is Manchester United?
reading konceptual's account of talking to cart 'witnesses' and it reminded me that when we left in '89 we thought the religion would do one of two things.
get more hardline, consequently lose members and eventually come to an end in some way.
or ease up on the members, fewer rules, less fs time, less meetings, just to keep them in.. all the recent apostate stuff, treatment of dfed kids and the hardline attitude to people who leave or try to fade has confused me, made me think they are harder on the r+f., but i don't think this is true.
As someone who grew up in the tail end of the hardcore days, I can attest to the fact that it is easier to be a JW now than in the past whether you like it or not. I say "whether you like it or not" is because there was a time when those active in the organization lived and breathed the Bible. Get-togethers focused on talking about the Bible and studying it beyond the meetings.
Not only are there fewer meetings and lower hourly requirements to pioneer, but Witnesses are discouraged in studying the Bible outside official Witness meetings. So much so, that if you do, you risk being labeled an "apostate".
Studying now includes fewer monthly publications and watching videos or tv rather than reading.
The religion is truly dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. Not only is the issue of avoiding higher education affecting Witnesses, but the lower quality public education in the United States has created an uber-sheep.
has anyone else noticed how alarm bells go off inside a jw mind as soon as they hear someone that "is out" refer to the leaders of this org as "watchtower"?
i've chatted with a few friends now about my doubts and each and every time i've started using phrases such as "watchtower said this" or "watchtower did that", i can almost see their heads about to explode in anger, as if they've just realized they are talking to the lucifer himself.
some have even interrupted and corrected me by reminding me that it's not "watchtower", it's "god's organization".
About 20 years ago we starting seeing letters from HQ change from "Watchertower Bible & Tract Society" to "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". Witnesses were told to stop saying thing like "The Society (i.e. WBTS) says..."
Here's the thing; talk to someone who has been in for 30+ years and drop the "Society says" and I bet they won't bat an eye. Of course, good luck finding anyone still in for 30+ years.
this is big!
according to what they say if i'm correct an investigation was done back in 1998 in concerning what american companies invested money in to germany.
mike and kim state that a document they have attained shows a list of american firms that had invested into germany as late as 1943. on this list is non other then watchtower !!
I think the bigger issue that has gone over people's head is the fact that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society makes investments, period. I remember stories of brothers being "stumbled" to learn other brothers did this as it was viewed as "gambling".
firstly i'm a df'd witness.. i was in the org all my life.. vividly remember out witnessing as a kid in the 80s with my mum and having apostates jumping houses before we could get to them ..all the way up the street.. remember it because the guy looked like tom baker from dr who - frizzy hair and long colourful scarf.. i think the people at the doors were made more curious by them actually, so when we knocked ,they were inclined to have a listen.. anyway i'm out and cant see myself ever going back,because my family has fully shunned me..and even if i was to go back and be a member..i don't think i could forgive them...totally scarred me.. anyway my question is :.
if you were head of this religion and you wanted to keep it clean and pure etc..how would you deal with people who delib broke the rules?.
no shunning of course..but whats the alternative?
Why should humans do the work that belongs to the Lord? When the Israel, God's chosen people and practicers of the only true religion, strayed from the path YHWH sent in the Babylonians and punished them. After all, only Jehovah truly knows a person's heart and whether they are repentant.
