Posts by Confusedalot

32

What’s The Strangest Belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

there’s a lot.

i think one strange view is how only 144000 go to heaven.

since the number is mentioned in the symbolic book of revelation, you would expect that the number would be viewed as figurative, but jws say otherwise.

Confusedalot

YHWH = Jehovah

They make you aim your prayers at a specific God named Jehovah while they admit the original pronunciation is lost. People live and give their lives, shun family members for this name.

Isn't it better to just use the title God as opposed to using a personal name with extremely questionable accuracy? Even though their own literature admits the original pronunciation is lost they still put 'Jehovah' into their bible! Of all the things not to take a chance on, the personal name of God must be No: 1 IMHO.

When I meet people and I cant remember a persons name, I normally avoid using a name in the hopes I will remember or someone uses it. Once I'm certain then I will freely use it. GB makes an uncertain name the cornerstone of their organisation and forces their members to use it. Imagine at the second coming if the name turns out to be Yahweh or something else. How would an organization called 'Jehovah's Witnesses' explain using a name they were not even certain of for the God of the old testament and remain alive?

This is a case where people made a God and not a God people.

14

Is the name Jehovah`s Witnesses a misnomer ?

by smiddy3 in

jw
friends

i ask this because from what i read on this board lately is that they jw`s seem to be very reluctant to engage in conversation with anybody nowadays and are only interested in placing literature at carts.. and if anyone brings up questions in their d2d work that challenge them ( like the arc ) they will promptly excuse themselves and move on.

also didn`t jesus say "this good news of the kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth " for a witness ?.

when was the last time you heard a jw speak about "the good news of the kingdom" ?

Confusedalot

Their own encyclopedia - Insight into the holy scriptures admits that the original pronunciation of the name is lost and that they use the common English version under the heading 'Jehovah'. (if it hasn't been changed by now)

How do you base a whole multi million member organisation (that control peoples lives, to the point of having them die or breaking up families) if you don't even know the real name of your God? This is especially mind boggling considering the emphasis they put on the importance of said name!

20

And finally I'm out

by Skepsis in

jw
friends

hi all.. it's being a while that i don't share in the forum.

after moving to another country and finding a job, i asked my congregation in my country to send my publishing card here.

once i did it, i stopped attending meetings.

Confusedalot

Good for you Skepsis! All the best for the future.

For anyone reading this that are still in the org, I know that you have been taught that the freedom talked about in the posts here, the freedom from restrictions and obligations etc are the same that was offered to Eve in the garden. But I can assure you that its not the same. How close can you get to the true God or truth if people and organisations are always a middle man? Many ex-JW's were happy in the org but could never shake the feeling of a distance between them and God or truth, and this is because organisations and people occupy this gap for their own continued existence, profit or to ease their own fears. (sometimes well meaning)

Sometimes freedom means shaking the influence of organisations and people, getting closer to spirit and to truth. For some this means finding a loving heavenly father, and for others it may be answers in reason and logic. They then find that distance or emptiness disappears, and at last they find peace.

All the best to those who seek.

26

gb, PLEASE, PLEASE UP THE ORGANIZATIONAL HARSHNESS IN 2018

by steve2 in

sometimes i have expressed a longing for jw organization to tone down its rhetoric and become, well, nicer and more loving.

i have not been alone in my hope.

some posters have even said that if a wave of kindness washed over jw organization and, say, the shunning doctrine was modified (e.g., left up to the individual's conscience without fear of retribution from elders), they'd go back.

Confusedalot

I'm sorry but I cannot agree. I know people who will follow the WT into the fire without a second thought. I pray WT eases up on the control, especially when it comes to child abuse.

In exodus the pharaoh's heart was hardened, and it caused great suffering before the end and resulted in the freedom of the Hebrews, but the demise of the Egyptians. It did work. What you are suggesting may be similar, the only difference is that the ones we want to save are not the Hebrews temporarily in captivity, but they are so misled and controlled that they ARE the Egyptians!

In the end if there is a God these trapped people will not be judged, and are free by the blood of Christ. Lets rather hope WT can come to the light and lets not wish more pain on its members.

35

Professions in the Paradise

by The Real Edward Gentry in

jw
friends

we know there will be no money in paradise.

but there will almost certainly be jobs to do.

we will be perfect at our jobs but that doesn't mean we will be perfect at every job.

Confusedalot

If you think having Moses, Elijah or Noah repairing your roof or making your cabinets has special meaning, you are elevating these men of flesh and forgetting the one by whose power their great deeds were done. Hopefully there (in paradise), we would stop revering men, or I fear it may be a case where 'flesh' inherited the kingdom of God.

Also, having possessions like houses and cabinets etc. is a way of elevating oneself, and again that would imply we did not leave 'the world and its desires' behind. Back to square one I guess.

I fear these are ways in which Jehovah's Witnesses have made their members blind to the spirit, giving them a compromise where flesh can have eternal life, yet the main theme of the gospel of the good news is our escape from the flesh. The devil said to Eve "you will surely not die", and JW's unfortunately believe that, believing their flesh will live eternally in paradise. Sad, the son of god wasted his time! May that not be so.

21

So today this happened...

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

you all pretty much know my story so i won't repeat it but.... to say i'm being hounded by my local congregation is an understatement.

today the cobe finally found us in.

well, i refused to answer the door but my husband did.

Confusedalot

Phoebe, i cannot add much to the comments already made, only that I wish we could save you all this pain and trouble somehow. We are made to sneak around and be careful of what we say like the offenders in the situation, while we are in fact the victims!

Hope everything works out!

61

Saying hello for first time

by pimojw in

i have been sneakily looking at this forum, almost every day, ever since it began!

it has taken me till now to actually register and contribute.

(actually i did register with a different name in the beginning but never commented).. i am a pimo elder with a fairly long history of senior "positions" in the organization.

Confusedalot

Welcome pimojw,

I believed for a long time that I had "the truth" and it was sad to realize that it was man made.

Where we go from here is our own journey, not controlled by people but by our own hearts and minds. Whether it be in spirit towards a God or rationally towards facts and proof, for some this is also where they discover themselves.

All the best.

42

Do any of the current Governing Body have academic qualifications?

by usualusername1 in

jw
friends

do any of the current governing body have academic qualifications?.

thanks.

paul.

Confusedalot

If you don't need "worldly" qualifications when you are guided by spirit, why do they employ qualified attorneys and lawyers to defend them?

Surely even a carpenter can defend gods organisation when guided by the spirit of truth.

33

New "Annointed" Brother In My Old Hall...

by pale.emperor in

i've only just stopped laughing.. in my old hall there's a brother who's now claiming to be of the anointed.. he's 28.. i do wonder if he's doing this for attention, if he's awake and messing with them, or if he really is that deluded.

when i was in he was an ms. which surprised even me because only a year earlier than that he was "a bit of a lad", is rubbish at talks and relies on his elder uncle to get him out of trouble all the time.. i guess this now means he's get his pick of jw sisters.

he's been after the same one as the rest of his peers since 2014..

Confusedalot

Once there was a visiting brother doing a talk and before he arrived there were rumors that he was anointed going around. After the talk another brother told me he got goosebumps listening to the talk, and could feel the holy spirit working in the speaker, and he was definitely heavenly class. All I felt was indigestion from an unreasonable breakfast.

35

Either God’s non-existence or His majesty

by venus in

in natural calamities, everyone (despite one’s faith) is affected.

when one denies god’s existence, he experiences no punishment from him.

when one worships him, he receives no special favor from him.

Confusedalot

@deegee

I agree with you points. If we dont accept hearsay, how can we form an idea of how, what, who god is?

Yet people using theories (like the cosmos exist, thus god exists), build views on his existence, abilities, personality, how he acts, what he likes and doesn't like etc. They can even end up deciding if he is christian, muslim etc. They can even end up judging others for their beliefs or lack there of.

Sorry to say that it feels like filling the gap with imagination, not facts. And too big of a leap.