Consider: A married couple became disillusioned with religion because of the hypocrisy they had observed.
How ironic. That's exactly why I left this religion: because of the hypocrisy that I observed!
Let's review: It's a cult!
[note: copy/pasted this with permission from reddit.].
once each year, the governing body writes a direct letter to the congregation members included in the yearbook.
in his annual message to the catholic faithful (urbi et orbi) delivered on christmas day, the pope spoke about world peace, terrorism, and the refugee crisis.
Consider: A married couple became disillusioned with religion because of the hypocrisy they had observed.
How ironic. That's exactly why I left this religion: because of the hypocrisy that I observed!
Let's review: It's a cult!
it seems that once we became sensible adult humans, we lost our way.
we stopped asking questions.
we submitted to the bidding of the world.
i have recently started studying and im really enjoying learning all about the truth!
i am a huge animal lover and have my dog trixie for 11 years now, i got her when i was 12 years old and she has been the best friend and companion, i am so lucky and grateful to have her at my side every single day!
i get worried a lot about what will happen when the time comes that she has to leave me, anytime i even think about it i start to cry because it would break my heart not to have her with me anymore!
SWB: You'd be better off putting your question to people who actually believe the Watchtower doctrine instead of us.
No. What they tell her will neither be true nor comforting.
i have recently started studying and im really enjoying learning all about the truth!
i am a huge animal lover and have my dog trixie for 11 years now, i got her when i was 12 years old and she has been the best friend and companion, i am so lucky and grateful to have her at my side every single day!
i get worried a lot about what will happen when the time comes that she has to leave me, anytime i even think about it i start to cry because it would break my heart not to have her with me anymore!
Nichole: My partners dad teaches me the truth
Welcome to the forum.
Your first problem is believing that any one person or group has "the truth." They don't.
Truth is not something that can be the exclusive property of any one individual or group.
You are obviously very attached to your pet; often they show love more unconditionally than our fellow humans!
The Bible is an ancient book filled with a wide variety of stories and accounts, many of them quite horrible. Remember, the god of the Old Testament routinely required animal sacrifices to feed his narcissistic ego.
Although the Bible has particular historical value for its wide and pernicious influence on humans--individually and collectively--over the last two thousand years, particularly in Western civilization, it is nothing more or less than the religious writings of any other ancient peoples. They are the stories, myths and collected "folk wisdom" of bronze- and iron-age peoples living in a pre-scientific world.
So instead of studying the Bible, particularly if you are doing so with Jehovah's Witnesses, you will be far better served by educating yourself to develop your critical thinking skills and learn to evaluate competing belief systems accordingly. Many that do this find that we are better off without any religion at all in our life.
Oubliette
i know many jws that state that the watchtower corporation is the 'closest to the truth'.
thus they quiet their cognitive dissonance.. i don't have access to a corporation library any more.
is this a stance that the watchtower corporation has actually claimed?.
"Almost" true is still false, and "close" to correct is incorrect.
Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Imagine Jesus saying this:
my study conductor lectured me about my attitude this morning!!!!
apparently some sister complained to her that my attitude was irritating.
the sister in question is just bothered by the fact that i ignore her along with her four daughters.
so, spent a fair bit of time on the stats.. the 2010-2015 numbers are available here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0bwv5uvzb3-67axpzavk0m0nttfe&usp=sharing.
also there are spreadsheets of: ratios, peak-pubs, and the best is a combo of ratios, peak pubs & average pubs.. you can play with these by "select all" and "sort" according to your preference.. if you would like any other combination, i would try to create it and post it for you.. of interest:.
as has been noted, the biggest standout of 2015 is the increase of only 18k in peak pubs while having 260k baptized.
the biggest standout of 2015 is the increase of only 18k in Peak Pubs while having 260k baptized.
So that means that (not counting for deaths) 242k JWs have left the religion!
That's fantastic news!!!
i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..
Atheists can't possibly offer the same closeness and trust which Christianity offers.
So true:
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Nothing brings people together like religiously motivated torture.
i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..
d4g: You may not end up with as many "friends" in the end, but the quality of those new relationships will doubtless be better overall, since your friendship will not compete with loyalty to an organization.
Well said.
I would rather have a few people that really love me for WHO I am rather than many superficial and conditional relationships based on WHAT I (pretend to) believe.
my name is eric hendrickson.
i have been on a journey led by the holy spirit which has brought to this point that has allowed for me to open the seventh seal and understand god's master plan.
i am the lion from the lost tribe of judah who has come to the world and be the messiah king.
Eric, did you mean to post this in "Jokes & Humour"?
if not, then seek the help of a qualified mental health professional, and do it soon!