Posts by scratchme1010

36

Jehovahs witnesses that believe its "The Truth" vs JW's who know it isn't

by Christian Gutierrez in

jw
friends

hey guys!

what do you think is the percentage of jw's believe that it is the truth and the percentage of those who think it might be some false or all false??

?.

scratchme1010

Hey guys! What do you think is the percentage of JW's believe that it is the truth and the percentage of those who think it might be some false or all false???

I took some time thinking about this before entering an answer. What I think is that the question is a little too broad. In order to accurately quantify this, I think one has to consider that many current JWs may not believe in certain things, but believe in others. It's not a believer/non-believer thing. So there might be a need to define what constitutes a person thinking that the WT is a "false religion". Will that be based on a percentage of the things that they teach that they accept versus the ones that they don't?

Then there's the issue of believe vs action. Many people still follow their rules and act as JWs out of fear, not trusting their own doubts. I'm not referring to those who are truly PIMO. I'm talking about people who don't believe or have doubts, but are too afraid of acting on it, out of not trusting their own feelings. Will that be considered people who think it's a false religion? The same concept applies to measuring actions and activities. Will there be a percentage of practices that a person does according to what they teach versus the ones they don't?

Also, in this very forum there are many people who are in various stages of leaving, some no longer attending meetings, but still holding on to some or all of the JW believes. A sample of those might increase the number of believers if you can count them as believers of that religion being "the truth", or otherwise counted as believers of it being a "false religion" because of where they are now in relationship to the WT.

Then there's the issue of "true religion"/"false religion". If you ask me, all religions are false. They all have at least one believe I don't accept as right or truthful. I am sure that I am not the only person who thinks that way. There may be others that still consider it to be truthful in spite of things that they don't accept or understand. What exactly constitutes a "true/false" religion?

Finally, there's the issue of the real reasons why people join religions in the first place, especially one like the JWs. According to research, the main reasons why people join and stay in a given religious organization have nothing to do with what the religion teaches. They are related to relationships with loved ones, or because many people feel safe from abusive families, or that's how they abstain from abusing drugs and alcohol, or to find a suitable mate. They care more about the structure and guidance that religion gives them (or the opportunities to socialize) than whether or not they actually believe (or even understand) what they teach. To me, it seems like by default, the vast majority of people can't care less about what they teach.

Sorry if I'm being too analytical.

4

White Christians Minority in U.S., Survey Says

by jws in

jw
friends

this is from earlier this month.

the opening line of the article reads:.

the share of americans who identify as white and christian has dropped below 50 percent, a transformation fueled by immigration and by growing numbers of people who reject organized religion altogether, according to a new survey released wednesday.. the article is at: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-09-06/survey-white-christians-are-now-a-minority-of-us-population.

scratchme1010

White Christians Minority in U.S., Survey Says

23

Did you ever buy into 1975?

by tornapart in

for those of you that can remember.... did you really believe that armageddon was going to come in 1975?

i was a child of the 60s, in my teens in the 70s and can honestly say that i never bought into it.

i saw brothers and sisters selling their homes and moving into rented property.

scratchme1010

For those of you that can remember.... did you really believe that Armageddon was going to come in 1975?

What I find interesting about my born-again weirdo JW father, is that he never bought that 1975 nonsense. Looking back, I think that it had more to do with the fact that he became a JW in 1974, so he wanted/needed more time to do his born-again testimonial preaching act. It was too soon for him. We, his children (I was 9 back then) had no choice but to believe whatever crap he came up with, so aside from being too little to discern on my own, I just followed what my dad said.

I remember him having heated arguments with the elders in the congregation over it, and making fun of this one elder who decided to become a pioneer in October 1975 and train himself to eat leaves (don't ask me, I was only 9). That elder had 13 children...

...Gee, sometimes I wonder how I manage to maintain some sanity!

Anyway, I was only 9, was more interested in getting away with playing whatever I found cool at that age, so couldn't care less about the insane behavior or believes of the adults I was surrounded with at the time.

20

Why the verb shun is missing from the JW lexicon

by cognisonance in

so my parents when i confronted them about how unhappy i am at them shunning me, responded by saying: "you keep using the word shunning, we're not shunning you.

"i am a bit confused how they can say that.

i'm an ex-jw and an atheist.

scratchme1010

Why don't JWs or the governing body use the word shun?

Because if they use that word, they would be admitting that they are in fact shunning you. By not using it they convince themselves that they are not doing anything wrong, and therefore in their mind they are earning paradise on Earth by shunning you.

One distinctive characteristic of cults and high-demand, controlling groups is the use of unique, made-up words and concepts. The only organization (that I and the researchers I know, know of) that uses the word "disfellowhip" is the WT and the JWs.

Other groups use different, exotic sounding terms, concepts and words that they make up, to make their followers believe (a) that they are the only ones who have some kind of unique truth or knowledge of something no one else knows, and (b) that they are not taking harmful actions by not calling their actions for what they actually are. Followers buy into that nonsense and convince themselves that they are not doing something bad.

Other words/concepts that I have heard other groups use are:

1. De-foo: In one of those groups that word means that you are cleansing yourself from abuse from your "family of origin" (F.O.O.), what they are doing is actually shunning their family or "de-fooing" themselves. That group convinces all members that you were abused by your parents simply because you have parents, period. Every person has been abused according to them and therefore need to get "de-fooed".

2. Out of righteousness: Another group uses this term to shun family members who don't follow everything and anything that their leadership says they should. They believe that they are the only ones in "the right path", and therefore anything and everything else is "out of righteousness" and should not be considered worthy of anything.

3. Liberal: Some groups (and people) use this term to identify anything and everything that they don't like hearing from other people, or anything that represent things that makes them uncomfortable, or don't agree with. They use that term to dismiss and, therefore, shun people and things that they don't/can't hear about.

In my files I have a collection of ridiculous made-up terms that religious, political and other groups that don't care about their people use to mask their harming, shunning and/or isolating people from their loved ones. I used them in a speech I gave on cults and other high-demand, controlling groups.

The JWs use disfellowship, which is their made up term for shunning.

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.

scratchme1010

pimojw, I just want to welcome you. Please feel free to explore this forum. There are lots of different views, ideas and stages of involvement with the WT.

8

Malloy v Watchtower

by John Davis in

a woman asked the federal court in michigan for a restraining order as well as she has sued watchtower.

the restraining order was denied.

the following is from the court's decision not to grant the restraining order.

scratchme1010

Plaintiff appears to assert that she is entitled to a total of several billion dollars (“$4,000,000,000” and “2.4000,000”) for “kidnapping in infancy and as a young adult, separated from parent, family and country for 53 yrs.[,] unlawfully took my children and had adopted, arranged (5) sexual aggravated offenses including statutory, mutilated and dismembered, denied education for self and children, denied legitimate employment for 38 yrs, orchestrated (5) car accidents to injure-causing multiple injuries, defamation of character, physical and mental torture for 16 yrs, physical abuse for 49 yrs, monopolized and defrauded of revenue, secretively implanted the Nkultra Military Device, forged identity, inundated compulsive conceptions, attempts of murder, inventions of criminal and[d] psychological incidents, 30 yrs. of destruction of property, innumerable irreversible damages and 53 yrs in a conspiracy that denies liberty and justice and coerces slavery.” [Dkt. No. 11] Prior to the Motion, Plaintiff did not seem to seek injunctive relief for the alleged conduct of Defendant.

That plaintiff sounds like she's full of --it.

27

2018 Annual Meeting

by EyesOpenHeartBroken in

does anybody have any word on the 2018 annual meeting?

i assume something new will be rolled out, since they are having all the congregations do special weekend streaming.. my guess is that there will be some major "new light" concerning the memorial, partaking, anointed, etc.

i would guess that they will say all baptized believers should partake.

scratchme1010

It's a very special meeting with very special announcements about new special things.

13

Do A Majority of Those That Bother With Doctrine Reject the Current Teachings?

by OnTheWayOut in

on another thread, shadow asked pimojw, a newbie still serving in a congregation, "how about the overlapping generation?

do you know anyone who actually believes that?

"answer was "no i dont!

scratchme1010

OnTheWayOut, I can only feel sorry for those die-hard JWs that are experiencing the worst kind of BS from the WT. Aside from that, I've been out of that nonsense for far to long to even wonder.

4

"See, I told you so!!"

by stuckinarut2 in

a thought occurred to me that most humans (whether they like to admit it or not) love to take a firm and proud stance on something, and love to be able to say to others "see, i told you so!".

this arrogance creates a proud and determined mindset to make people dig their heels in on a stance they have taken - all in the hope that they can one day be proven right, and therefore prove someone else wrong.. so it is with most witnesses.

they are so desperate to be proven correct after all they have invested in their faith, and they have a keen desire to say "see i told you so!".

scratchme1010

"See, I told you so!"

I agree. In fact, during my early days after leaving, when I felt alone and needed support and couldn't find it, those are the words that always came to mind (in my parent's voice).

41

My Mothers Ultimate Rejection

by What Now? in

i went into my mother's office to leave her a small note to say that we love and miss her and would love to get together.

i found this on her desk.

this is jehovah's witnesses.

scratchme1010

I'm so sorry to hear about this. You certainly don't deserve such treatment. Please keep in mind that you are a nice, good, valuable and decent human being, and your mom may be that too, but she's brainwashed by a high control group.

I'm sure that you have other people who love and support you. Make sure to have them with you. Only time will tell who is the one showing the right morals.

Please keep taking care of yourself and children.