Somewhere along the line, the WTS dumbed down the process to becoming a JW. When I was little, people had to go through two or three books, understand doctrine and the "deeper things", have a continuous regular share in service and be on the minstry school before baptism. Years later, I noticed that the WTS was pushing the JWs to rush people through the "Knowledge" book and get them to commit to baptism earlier and without near as much knowledge. Service is required but I don't know about the school. Somewhere, in print, it says that they can learn the "deeper things" after baptism as they continue to grow. A few years after that though, they seemed to go back to slowing it down just a little. It seems many were being rushed in too quickly but were not strong enough to go it alone, so then the WTS decided two books should be studied and the new one should be brought along a bit slower. All in all though, it's not near the hassle it was back in the 60s or before. I think it's because the teachings can't stand up to scrutiny today. Too much information out there. They have to get them in quick before somebody enlightens them. Once their in, they just can't walk away.
undercover
JoinedPosts by undercover
-
22
After Baptism Was There Anything That You Didn't Comprehend About The Truth
by minimus ini've seen a lot of persons that got baptized and go thru 100 questions with the elders say that they did not know that such and such a thing was a disfellowshipping offense.
or that they would be counseled or looked down upon for a certain thing.
did you ever experience that type of thing?
-
-
-
30
Maybe the Beatles were right......
by Sentinel ini just came upon a very interesting article, appearing in the atlantic monthly, may 2003, titled let it be, by jonathan rauch, correspondent.
the first introductory statement reads: the greatest development in modern religion is not a religion at allits an attitude best described as apatheism.
this immediately caught my attention.
-
-
undercover
Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still f**king peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to beWorking Class Hero - John Lennon
-
31
Throwing out Old Watchtowers
by Okram inwhen you were a jw,.
did u feel guilty about throwing out old copies of the watchtower even if you had the yearly bound volumes?
my mom won't do it.
-
-
undercover
Oh yea. It was like a sin or something. They'd stack up for months until we took them to the hall for pioneers to use as old mags. Then one day an elder that was quite practical thinking(for a JW anyway) said that it seemed silly to him how the friends were afraid to throw away old magazines. His comment opened my eyes and the next week, I threw a big ole box of them out. That elder, unbeknownst to him, helped me on my way out of the organization. He was one to buck the tide at times. His reasons for going against the other elders or the "accepted" way always made sense. It showed me, in a small way, that one doesn't have to be a blind follower. Little by little I started questioning things and asking, "why". The end of being an active JW was not far away after that.
-
20
Capital Punishment and the WTS, yes or no?
by blondie inwhat is the wts official stand on capital punishment?
http://www.wftv.com/news/2707605/detail.html
eugenio muriel, a jehovah's witnesses elder who found the bodies when he arrived at the house for bible study, said he was satisfied with the prosecutor's decision monday to seek the death penalty.
-
-
undercover
Anyone who knew a victim of murder cannot remail neutral when it comes to trying and punishing the murderer. I speak from experience. A friend of mine was murdered during an attempted robbery. I tried to remain neutral. I even stayed away from the trial even though the family asked for support during that time(a decision that I regret to this day). When the murderer was found guilty, I wanted to see him receive the death penalty. I never spoke it, because of trying to remain neutral, but deep down inside I knew that he should pay and pay with his life.
An interesting side note to this story is that when the trial was going on, many of the JWs from the congregation went to the trial daily. This upset the visiting CO to no end who said that their place was in field service instead of sitting in a worldly court room. When some mentioned that the family asked for support, he replied that going and sitting through the details of what happened did no one anyone good. It was better to share good news about how God would do away with all wickedness with the community than to sit there all day. Even at the time, aware that I didn't go to the trial myself, I thought it was a harsh thing to say.
-
23
After Disassociation or Disfellowshipping, can u still pray or read bible?
by NaruNaruChan in...because i can't, not after what they said to me.
i've been noticing more an more that i'm more athiest than anything else because i don't have a gret attachment to god or spirituality.
ive mentally grouped it as a pseudoscience.
-
-
undercover
Disfellowshipping is a punishment. It means you cannot associate with others socially or spiritually. It does not mean that you cannot pray, study or read the Bible. It is hoped that you do actually study(their publications) and pray, realize your mistake and come back to be reinstated. That's the WTS stance on it.
As someone else noted, this may not be your issue. Sounds like they may have said some hurtful things to you, making it hard for you to want to go back. It would be easy for us to say, "Good, don't go back", but this time away from the influence of the WTS does give you oppurtunity to search and see just what you do believe. Pray, read, study. Not just WTS publications, but other publications and faiths that interest you. Be open minded, think for yourself. You may become agnostic or athiestic. You may like another religion. It's up to you.
-
45
homosexuality
by wilton inim am a 19 year old male who is thinking of leaving christianity for another religion.
i am looking at jw first and before i really start studying it i want to know how the religion works on homosexuality because i have a boyfriend and dont want to leave him.and would i be able to go date and have sex with someone not in the religion.. thank you .
wilton
-
-
undercover
That's been the JW teaching since at least the late 70's. A person can be a homosexual and be in the organization - as long as he/she doesn't act upon those urges in any unclean way. Thus, no holding hands with someone of the same sex either. Nada, nothing. It would be up to the homosexual to police his/her own thoughts and "get them under control" thru prayer & works befitting repentence (going out in service). And it wouldn't hurt to marry someone of the opposite sex either.
I've never seen that in print. I've never heard that from the platform either. I'm not saying it hasn't been said somewhere by somebody, but I seriously doubt that this is the "official" stance of the organization. I suspect that maybe some empathetic elders or COs have given this information to some who admitted having these "feelings". Their publications, though, are condemnatory against homosexuality.
-
35
RATED R MOVIES
by sandy inthis past weekend a relative came over with these ultimate fighting dvds that he bought but he wouldn't sit down and watch city by the sea because it is rated r.
they can be so dense and hypocritical!
when i pointed out to him that his ultimate fighting dvds are un-rated but in my opinion it is far worse to watch people fighting for pure entertainment purposes than it is to see a rated r movie that teaches a great life lesson.
-
-
undercover
It's rather funny that JWs avoid R-rated movies. If a film was ever made of the Old Testament, it would be rated X for violence.
A movie made on the life of Jesus would have to be rated R. I'm curious to see Mel Gibson's new movie about the last day of Jesus.
My wife's JW family came over one day while I was watching Harry Potter on HBO. Some of them sneaked peeks when they could but my mother-in-law huffed, puffed, snorted and rolled her eyes and refused to come into the room while it was on. It's not rated R but it's a JW no-no because of the "demonistic nature" of the film. Now I know how to keep my mother-in-law out of my hair when she's over.
-
26
Which is worse - a JW wedding or a JW funeral?
by jgnat inbesides the regular stress that all brides go through, a jw couple must worry about being caught in inappropriate behavior through the engagement period, thereby nixing a kh wedding.
and then there is the stress of the invitation list.
who must be shunned, is so-and-so of an approved state to attend, etc, etc, etc.. then there is the jw funeral, or jw participants in a regular funeral.
-
-
undercover
Dubs like captive audiences. They use these occasions to teach their doctrines to any newcomers there........and there is ALWAYS newcomers at these two events. Both of these occations are more like a talk to instuct, rather than the purpose it should really serve.
Nobody really listens to the wedding talk, especially those getting married. By the time the reception starts, everybody has forgotten the actual wedding itself and is ready to party. Unfortunately for those non-JWs visiting, they will dissappointed. Very little if any booze, boring music and it shuts down by 10pm(can't be late for the Sunday mtg, ya know).
The funeral talk is more deceptive and dangerous. People are upset and depressed. The talk may go right through a JWs ears without much recognition of what's being said(heard it all before anyway). Non-JWs though, in their emotional state, may be curious about this "future paradise" scenerio. They want to hear and believe good things about the deceased and here stands a spokesman for this religion spouting "good news of God's kingdom which will wipe out every tear from their eyes". It's shameful really. The one day that should have honor reserved for the deceased is turned into an oppurtunity to gain new recruits at the expense of the dead.
I remember standing with two other MSs, strategically placed, around the graveside service of a brother in our congregation, handing out the brochure about dead loved ones to all non-JWs as they came within arms reach. I had forgotten about this until I read this thread and now I'm embarrassed that I took part.
-
45
homosexuality
by wilton inim am a 19 year old male who is thinking of leaving christianity for another religion.
i am looking at jw first and before i really start studying it i want to know how the religion works on homosexuality because i have a boyfriend and dont want to leave him.and would i be able to go date and have sex with someone not in the religion.. thank you .
wilton
-
-
undercover
But they also believe that gay men and woman can be happy without engaging in homosexual acts.
Is that in print somewhere? I completely missed that new light, if it is. I always thought that their stance was that since homosexuality is condemned in the Bible it is wrong. No if, ands or buts. Prayer and study would "cure" them of these "wrong" desires. In time they would overcome the feelings and become acceptable in the eyes of God.
If man is not to even look at a woman so as to have a passion for her without it being adultery in the heart, how can a gay person be non-gay or even happy by just not "engaging in homosexual acts"? I think you've got the WTS' policy confused with the U.S. military's: Don't ask, don't tell.
-
19
Breakingbenjamin MIA (What Happened?)
by 95stormfront in.
seems that all the posts by breakingbenjamin have been removed from the forum.
what happened....did he get caught by his jw gestapo parents?
-
-
undercover
I noticed that some of his posts were gone too.
I know that he was having some problems with his dad over something and they were going to ban the use of the computer. Things may have worsened. I'd say he either chose to cover his tracks or like you said, his "gestapo" parents are on to him and discovered his presence here. The admins probably know but aren't at liberty to say. I just hope things work out for him.