in a recent meeting with elders, an argument was used to the effect that jehovah has always [= throughout history] used, or operated through, an organization; therefore, the wts must be that organization today, since god must be using one.
naturally, i know what arguments i've used to counter that argument.
but i'm interested in hearing yours.
What organization was that during:
The middle ages? Surely it wasn't the Catholic church!
After Noah and before Abraham? A random guy here and there is not an "organization."
This is an absurd notion that just doesn't stand up to even a few moments of intelligent scrutiny.
has anyone had success in using this article to convince their family member or spouse that critical research of what the society presents is important to build faith?.
this article has this passage that jumped out at me:.
of course, not all doubt is bad.
Blondie,
I'm sure most of us get that point, but that is exactly why it is so ironic. The arrogance that JWs have to hypocritically condemn all other religions when they are scrupulously unwilling to examine their own beliefs or to apply their own advice to themselves is simply stunning!
has anyone had success in using this article to convince their family member or spouse that critical research of what the society presents is important to build faith?.
this article has this passage that jumped out at me:.
of course, not all doubt is bad.
Years ago, I put this advice into practice and quickly realized that I was in a cult.
It's great to be free, but I really miss my children that are still stuck in the cult.
out of the blue my wife started to ask me about my feeling about the borg.
i told her i didn't want to talk about it...she persisted.
she already knows how i feel, i told her that my biggest beef is that they use mind control, and yep she went in to how i was an apostate and how she doesn't want to be married to an apostate.
GTTM,
Next time she calls you an "apostate" tell her that you resent that term and that name-calling is juvenile and hurtful.
Tell her as you do not want her to talk to the elders about your private marital relationship and that no matter what, YOU will not talk to them. (As you correctly said, they have no legitimate authority over you.)
Finally, reassure her of your love for her and love of truth (the real truth).
looks like the canadian bethel is following in the footsteps of big brother from new york.
i heard through the grapevine that a number of couples have been given their notice.
some of these folks have been in bethel for over 30 years.
I wonder what their pension will look like?
Zero, zilch, nada, nothing, empty, void, null.
Imagine an sealed empty void that is black--an occult prohibition preventing any and all light from entering--and from which all matter has been removed by an intense vacuum. Then delete that thought from your mind. What remains would be exponentially larger than the pension of the most devoted long-term Bethelite.
Now then, does "Tight Pants" Tony or Stephen "Ol' Rubberface" Lett have to worry about their retirement? No.
Why not? Because they are the ones running this scam. At the very least, they are--as the visible spokesmen--the recipients of fantastic wealth by continuing to spout the vitriolic lies of this destructive, hypocritical cult that manipulates and exploits their members for their own selfish gain.
with hopefully a good deal of interest here in the conti appeal tomorrow (or later today, depending on where you are), i thought that on my ride home from work tonight i'd preview what to expect and what i think the key issues are for any who are interested.
i have had a busy few weeks and haven't had time to read everything, but i had some time to look at the appeal briefs during my work commute the past couple days.
it'll be interesting to see what develops out of the network news coverage of this case.
The thing is it is not up to elders (or at least it isn't the law everywhere) to report a crime such as child molestation to the authorities unless they have personally been a witness to it, or have been specifically asked to do so by the victim and/or parents who will then have to accompany them. It is up to the victim or victim and/or parents. They are the ones who have to do the reporting.
What is legal/illegal and what is right and/or moral are often very different things.
The WTBTS/JWs assert that they are the most righteous people on Earth because they worship Jehovah. If that is true, then their practices should always--AND I MEAN ALWAYS--be superior to human laws.
And yet clearly they are not.
This is conclusive evidence that the policies and practices of JWs are NOT informed by the creator of the Universe.
End of story.
It's really not that difficult a problem if one isn't married to the idea that JWs "have the Truth" to the exclusion of all other people.
Let's review: It's a cult!
family worship night is a boring, depressing, stifling, watchtarded indoctrination/brainwashing session.
it never ends.
like all things wt, there is no end in sight.
Um, I don't think you really understand how this works: To be a good and faithful JW you just need to OBEY whatever it is that the WTBTS Leadership (aka "The Governing Body") is saying now.
Whatever they said in the past is irrelevant. Arguments based on reason and/or logic are irrelevant. Pointing out inconsistencies in doctrine will only get YOU in trouble.
A much simpler and much cleaner approach is this: Just stop going.
If, and when, anyone asks why, reply, "I don't want to."
If they say, "Why not?"
Say, "It's none of your business."
Done and done.
i've been reading many of the postings on this forum for a couplefew years, finally joined today.
i think reading cappytan, and others like that, compelled me to share, it seems i might have a bit of a different outcome than many i have read, perhaps it will be hopeful/helpful to someone.. i was a born-in, 3rd gen jw, my entire family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and most all of my childhood friends) were in.
some dropped by the wayside as the years went on, but many stayed in, and if they didn't, they still acted/talked as if they believed it was "the truth" and it was their weaknesses/failings that made them stop attending.
It's pretty interesting who the first three people are that greeted you!
i've been reading many of the postings on this forum for a couplefew years, finally joined today.
i think reading cappytan, and others like that, compelled me to share, it seems i might have a bit of a different outcome than many i have read, perhaps it will be hopeful/helpful to someone.. i was a born-in, 3rd gen jw, my entire family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and most all of my childhood friends) were in.
some dropped by the wayside as the years went on, but many stayed in, and if they didn't, they still acted/talked as if they believed it was "the truth" and it was their weaknesses/failings that made them stop attending.
you have to watch the movie "the giver"!
it is simply an awesome movie for every thinking witness, or those trying to break free from the org's hold on us.. i wont give away too much, but the concept of the film is mind blowing!
utopia vs reality etc... conformity vs individuality and humanity... etc.
The book is better. Also read:
Anthem, Any Rand (Lois Lowry was clearly influenced by this book in writing The Giver)
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
Animal Farm, George Orwell
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
