Posts by Separation of Powers

I encourage you to take whatever path you wish. If you felt comfortable as a JW and you miss it, then by all means return. With regard to the negatvity in your life, simply a point of view, if things were that good in the JW's when you were in, why would you have left?

It may well be that you need to address some deeper issues, we all have them. Those demons that move us in the self-destructive patterns that we learned in our formative years. My suggestion would be...before entering, excuse me, "reentering" a high control group, determine precisely why you feel the need to be controlled.

Just a thought,

SOP

73

Maintaining Faith In God As An Ex-JW

by pronomono in

as i fade further from the jws, i'm finding it increasingly hard to maintain faith in god.

i've been exploring many alternatives from atheism, agnostic, apathetic, pagan, and satanism (not devil worship, but the promotion of self-indulgence) to name a few.

i'm thoroughly intrigued to learn how those of you who remained christian managed to maintain your faith in god and christ, especially after enduring all the lies that we've been told about them.

Separation of Powers

I have had a very, no, VERY difficult time with faith once I saw the org for what it was. Being raised and indoctrinated to the highest degree, my world view was built on the foundation that the org was the "only true religion" and the FDS was the "only true channel." And this, of course, was built on the premise that EVERYONE else and EVERYTHING else was a sham, plain and simple. It is all quite nefarious actually, quite cultish. If one builds their faith on this premise of "us against them" and "true against false" and that foundation crumbles with the realization that it is not what it is purported to be, then faith in anything after that transcendental moment is almost impossible. At least for me. Good luck to all of you who haven't become as jaded....

Just a thought,

SOP

97

First post

by thedog1 in

jw
friends

this is a very strange thing for me to do.

i have been an active witness for over 25 years.

i currently serve as an elder and i conduct the watchtower study.

Separation of Powers

I can understand your apprehension. Posting on here for the first time is difficult for those still in. As an elder, your assessment of what might happen lest you be found out is correct. Please tread lightly when it comes to your concerns regarding the ORG. Many, even those you think might agree with you, are so captive that they may throw you under the bus,

I, for one, served for quite some time. I got to the point, like you, that I could no longer teach something I did not fully believe. In time, unfortunately, the disbelief became intolerance and now I literally become sick by the salesmanship of the ORG. I see through the veil and veneer.

As for your feelings, the reality I have seen in my case is...once you do not accept it, it all begins to unravel. Little things that you mentally covered over begin to peak through your subconscious and poke at you, sometimes incessantly. I feel for you and your situation. What you may begin to experience, if you are anything like many of the ex-elders on this forum, may well be a systematic breakdown of your belief system. Be patient. Be careful. Be resolved.

Kind Regards,

SOP

51

Advise needed please

by EdenOne in

dear forumites, i need your advise please.. i would like to write a letter to the world headquarters of the jehovah's witnesses regarding a subject that i've published an article recently.

i would like to draw the attention of the gb to said article, which i will send in print form (therefore, no attention would be drawn to the website where it was published).. naturally, because i am a jehovah's witness in good standing in the congregation and what i'll be discussing in my letter will be a dissenting view from the official doctrine/practice, i want to protect my identity and i don't want to be harassed by elders or subjected to any sort of judicial investigation.

nevertheless, i would be very interested in reading their response (if any) to my letter.. how can i do that?

Separation of Powers

I agree with everyone else's comment.

The procedure for a letter to Bethel is quite simple. Goes to a mail clearing house. Sorted through to which department. If it does not specifically state which department, then someone opens it up, starts to skim through it, identifies where it should go and forwards it. If it is committee related, it will go to the service desk, someone will open it and decide how it should be handled. Typically, it will be pushed aside if it is simply a letter trying to address some mistake of the organization. Typically, it will NEVER get to the GB even if you addressed it to them personally. The service desk, if the letter is perceived "apostate" or "contrary" will flag it for follow up NOT to the individual, but to his/her elder body to determine if the person should be dealt with and how.

So, I applaud your desire to make your position known, but the hierarchy is well defended from the laymen.

just a thought,

SOP

35

So what if they were wrong?

by DS211 in

this is a reply ireceived from a poster on another forum.

"actually the vast majority of interpretations of prophecy are absolutely spot on.. .

people harp on over this and that that was wrong 50 years ago, but today jehovah's witnesses have all the bible's prophecies pretty much figured out in their entirety.. .

Separation of Powers

"So what if they were wrong?" Listen, if I am investing my life savings with a financial planner, I try to make sure that he is competent (or she). If he is "wrong" than all my life's savings is in jeopardy of being lost. With the org, if they are wrong than my life is in jeopardy of being wasted. Being wrong is unacceptable and should be for God's one true channel.

SOP

178

Honest survey question on effectiveness of 'apostacy'

by Simon in

jw
friends

it seems like lots of people have big dreams of 'destroying the watchtower'.

it's usually linked to a story of how they were wronged and want some revenge.

do these 'in your face' attempts to convince people that the truth isn't the truth really have an effect?.

Separation of Powers

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of the soulless conditions.

It is the opium of the people." Marx

I think everyone here would agree, Simon, that while they were in, they were typically "all in." They accepted the doctrine, even those aspects of the doctrine that made little or no sense because of the "package deal" that Jehovah's Witnesses offer. Other than those raised and indoctrinated to believe (or forced to), those that accepted the doctrine did so, typically, because they were disillusioned with something or other. Their faith in their own religion, their faith in society, their faith in commitment, something arose in their life that moved them to become susceptible to the peculiar nature of JW's. They wanted to believe, they wanted to belong, and learning about "eternal life" and being "special" was exactly what they needed at that time to answer that particular longing.

So, when you ask, does any of this stuff work to get people out? I would say typically no. However, just as there existed susceptibility to move one to accept, there must also exist susceptibility to move one to question. When one starts to see through the "veneer," as Franklin Joseph Rutherford so aptly called it back in the 30's, then the dulling nature of this particular "opiate" loosens its grasp on the believer and they either move to agnosticism or complete disbelief in God.

Just some thoughts,

SOP

30

ARE THEY RAMPING UP THE FEAR MONGERING AGAIN?

by im stuck in in

hi as many of you know i am a born in baptized and in good standing, but mentally out.

when i was a kid it was always you will die soon and terrible pictures of horrid destruction.

then for a number of years not so much.

Separation of Powers

I love the idea of the "birds" being raised again. Back in the late 60's this was all the rage, a real "sign" of how close the end was. As for the "go" bag, well, let's just say that if the Bible's version of Armaggedon is correct, no go bag, no matter how large or well stocked will amount to anything.

Fear is a great tool. It stands apart from reason and moves shallow people to do cowardly things. -

SOP

113

Elders receive a report that I am openly displaying false religious symbol

by confusedandalone in

when you look at the image above what do you see?

a sneaker or an outward display that i am now following after another religious group?.

well yesterday i had a 10 minute conversation with an elder who finally got the balls to call me.

Separation of Powers

Possible replies:

"Well, I am sorry, but I am color blind. I had no idea what colors they were. They all looked muted pink."

" I am studying to be an electrician and the three colors represent a grounded 240v circuit."

"They were on sale and all I could afford after I donated last week's check to the Warwick project."

"They are the colors of a stoplight. So are you telling me I shouldn't respect stoplights because of their blatant religious overtones?"

"They are a metaphor of my spiritual progress. GREEN- I was in and moving along with the spiritual chariot. YELLOW- I started to wake up and slow down in my pace with the chariot and RED- I just simply decided to STOP."

" What? Is there something wrong with the color black? You know, it really ISN'T a color...more of a tone or hue. "

"You should see my socks!"