Posts by Giles Gray

hi everybody.i am new to this forum.i have grown up as a christian in a christian family, but i recognized that jehovahs are more positive about peace on earth.

i believe in peace on earth too.

i believe in god and jesus and angels.

Giles Gray

Ronjom... Didn't they do that song 'Black Betty'?

32

Interesting conversation with JW friend

by Jules Saturn in

i was withh a friend of mine who is a jw still and for whatever reason we started talking the bible.

i asked him about lazarus and how is that when he died he paid the price of sin, but then jesus resurrected him.

and i asked him "where is lazarus today?

Giles Gray

berrygerry:- " I believe the Lazarus' defense is that Jesus hadn't given his ransom yet, so no one was entitled to a perfect resurrection".

I'm sure this is how Jehovah's Witnesses would wriggle out of that question.

However, in the case of Eutychus at Acts 20:9, the ransom had already been paid. So Eutychus, according to God's own law on sin, should still be alive.

Paul resurrected him, but for what reason was he resurrect imperfect? His sin had been paid for by his own death and Jesus' ransom had also been paid.

It's a great question to ask a JW.

38

I'm so confused, help?

by Ponyo in

i want to share my story.

(might be a tad long).

i have no idea where i stand anymore regarding being a jw and where i stand in my marriage.. im 28 years old and the years are certainly ticking by.

Giles Gray

Before you can solve anything you need to separate and clearly distinguish the issues that you have to resolve before coming to any conclusion.

As far as I can see, there are two separate issues that are blurring together in your mind which are contributing to your confusion.

The first issue that seems the most predominant in your mind is the question of rekindling the love you had with Leo.

The second issue that you have is wondering whether the religion you are in is the truth.

At this moment in time the second issue is the most important to resolve, due to the fact that it has a huge bearing on the first issue.

If the Jehovah's Witness religion is true, the answer to the first issue is obvious. You stay with the chap you're with and you learn to love him and progress in the relationship with Jehovah's protection. All very nice, but not exactly what your heart longs for.

If the Jehovah's Witness religion is untrue, the first issue becomes a lot more complicated.

The problem now is remaining objective in your examination of the Jehovah's Witnesses and your faith.

The question for me is, would you even be considering the credentials of the religion if it wasn't for the fact that your heart's desire lies outside of the Watchtower? If Leo had been a Brother and everything was authentic and up to the requirements of the religion, would you at this moment be questioning the truthfulness of the religion?

Regardless of the answers to the question of your motive, there remains the very important point of whether the Watchtower is the true religion or not. You also need to know if there is a god or if there isn't a god, if the Bible is true, or is it a myth like any other 'Holy Book'.

It is only when you know the answer to those questions that you will be in a position to make a wise long-term decision.

Just to finish... I knew a JW sister who remaind in a loveless marriage all her life, staying with her unbelieving husband because she was loyal to the Watchtower, only to reach the end of her life and find out the what she believed all those years wasn't the truth.

I can't imagine what she went through when she was in hospital, after having suffered a stroke, and was lying there thinking about her life and what had passed her by.

You have some very tough decisions to make that don't just affect you. Your belief system is at the very heart of your decision making. That is your starting point.

Good luck in your decision making.

11

Fake personalitys

by Akid48 in

so i know i said on my last post that might be my last i still have one more week till that.. but i want to say somethings untill i see if i can post still but what i want to say is i had to go to the 2017 jw convention and my aunt can be a ass hole sometimes im sorry that was the only thing i could think of.i started to listen to how she acts when talking to people at the convention or the kingdom hall she acts 2x has nice and never gets mad.. i just wanted to talk about this just something i picked up on..

Giles Gray

Fake behaviour happens in all walks of life, but never more so than in an institution like the JWs.

As the stand-up comedian Chris Rock says, when we meet people for the first time, we meet their representatives. JWs just never seem to get past that stage.

We all do it to some extent. Wait until you start dating. I think you'll even surprise yourself. (Girls do it too BTW... so be warned [wink])

49

The Internet is worse for the Watchtower than 1975 was: here's proof.

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

i am translating jwfacts to spanish.

i am doing the "statistics" section.here are two graphs that show that the statistics have never been worse for the watchtower:quantity of hours required for 1 baptism: note how low it went in 1974-1975, and note that 2016 is much higher than the slump of 1978... about double, to be exact.

2016 was a historical record in this statistic (higher is worse for watchtower).. this stat is the baptisms as a percentage of the publisher average.

Giles Gray

I can imagine that the internet has made quite a difference with regards to people who have left with grievances.

People are less likely to go back if they have been mistreated, as these days they tend to look online for support, or are just curious to see if others have had the same harsh treatment. That's when they find sites like this one.

Online offers a community that never used to exist. When you were kicked out 20 years ago, there was no one to share experiences with. Today there is an online community waiting with open arms. Less people will naturally return as a result.

Most seem to find this site because of being mistreated in some way.

42

Returning to the truth.

by Justmeok2 in

hi i am just starting to rebuild my relationship with jehovah.

.

i would like to hear from people who may be or have been in similar situations and now want to dedicate their lives to him..

Giles Gray

Instead of trying out YHWH again, why not give Vishnu a go?

12

so confused!!

by whatisthis12 in

is it possible to keep a somewhat relationship with your family if they are witnesses and have a "worldly" girlfriend?

i just posted a post, and found this site to be very helpful.

sorry to repost but my other thread brought up some other questions.

Giles Gray

A direct answer to your first question is no.

For you to be his 'worldly' girlfriend, without him being rejected by the members of his religion, you would have to continue your relationship in strict celibacy (the expected standard for all courting JW couples).

If you have violated that standard already, they are expected by the religion to shun him for being immoral.

Even if you were achieving this 'high moral standard' your relationship with him would be frowned upon and seen as a bad example to the other members.

I'm sorry to have to say this, from what you have written so far, your relationship with him is not looking good.

Everything indicates he still believes in the religion.

In the world of JWs, relationships come second to the religion. They will prioritise the religion over a marriage partner, a close family member and a long term close friend.

There are people on this forum who are totally cut off from their family, because the JWs put the religion first.

I don't necessarily suggest doing this, not at least until you understand this religion a bit more, but if you want to know how solid your relationship with this chap is, tell him you have been talking to ex-members of his religion, and see what his reaction is like. Tell him about some of the negative things you have learned about the Jehovah's Witnesses.

If he responds defensively, you will know your relationship is in trouble. If he agrees with you, your relationship stands a chance.

While he continues to believe in this religion, you will always be in second place in his life. If this religion can challenge the bond that parents have for their children (as you have witnessed first hand), then his relationship with you as his girlfriend is even more at risk.

I wish you the best.

28

My Boyfriend is a recent Ex Jehovah Witness

by whatisthis12 in

i have been dating my boyfriend for almost a year now.

when i met him i had no idea that he was a jehovah witness.

we took a vacation and he lied to his parents about who he was with, and they ended up finding out not only that he way lying, but who i was.

Giles Gray

Before considering any continuance of your relationship with him I would say that you need to know whether he is out of the religion mentally.

The Jehovah's Witnesses religion has a horrible habit of dragging people back in. Unless he is deconverted, you have a high risk that it could strain your relationship with him in the future.

To reconcile with his parents he has to go back to the religion. If he does that he's going to want to drag you and any offspring (if the relationship goes that far) with him. Or, he could end your relationship in order to go back. Whatever he chooses, it will be turbulent in one way or another

The desire to go back can spring out of nowhere and could happen in 10, 20, even 30 years from now.

The best advice for you is have a little look into the background of the religion before you make any decisions.

If he chooses you over his religion that is his decision. It won't ever be your fault and if he ever resented you for that decision then he would be wrong.

He will have known the implications of dating you in the first place. JWs are very strick on that kind of thing. It's his fault that he is in this predicament.