Posts by Daniel1555

32

should I tell the CO my doubts?

by Captain Blithering in

jw
friends

its possible i might be asked by the co to work with him today.

hes gonna want to know why i'm holding myself back.

i'm itching to tell him about my doubts (only about the new light, how i cant get my head around how the hs would direct us to believe falsehoods for decades, not about everything, that'd be suicide!

Daniel1555

Hi captain blithering

I expressed to the elders and to my wife most of my doubts.

That lifted a weight from my chest. So I was able to step down as elder and for me it was important to be honest especially towards my wife. The elders might want to continue to help you spiritually. The only thing they are able to tell you is to wait on Jehovah and that everyone has certain doubts.

If you tell your wife and also the elders, they will understand "why" you are fading.

If you have a loving wife she will respect your feelings and thoughts. My wife doesn't respect my feelings (or at least she is learning it over time). One suggestion I can give you. Do not try to reason too much with your wife or don't give her the impression that you want to change her belief.

Anyway I wish you all the best and I feel for you.

Daniel

33

What is the best for the child if father knows TTATT and mother is a devout JW?

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

hi friends.

i would like to know your opinion on the following:.

situation:.

Daniel1555

Wow, I love Datadogs advice how to be a good father and I will apply it.

Some of you don't seem to understand why I am talking to the elders about doubts. I just shortly explain. 3 years ago I wrote them a letter that I have to step down as an elder because of my feelings /doubts. Now during the last year they wanted to help me and my wife, so they met several times with me alone and also with us as a couple. They are kind and want to help, but they don't help actually, because the only thing what they tell me the whole time is that I am wrong and that I should be humble and accept that. They know about most of my doubts (actually they are not doubts anymore but certainties) except the blood issue. The blood issue is in my eyes the most important of the wrong teachings (next to df and shunning) as it can be a life or death matter. So in this matter I do not compromise and am ready to defend this stand (actually my parents who are 50 years in "the truth" agree with me on this) also before the elders.

33

What is the best for the child if father knows TTATT and mother is a devout JW?

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

hi friends.

i would like to know your opinion on the following:.

situation:.

Daniel1555

Of course I agree with you, Cofty.

33

What is the best for the child if father knows TTATT and mother is a devout JW?

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

hi friends.

i would like to know your opinion on the following:.

situation:.

Daniel1555

Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

I am aware that there might be more options like for example fading or staying in and gently over the years try to influence wife and child.

I will read Steven Hassans books and I try to look at the non cult personality of my wife.

But probably I am already heading for option 2, as next week the elders want to talk to me again about my doubts. My wife wants me to tell them also about my decision to accept blood and blood products in a life threatening situation for me and my child, as I don't want to be bloodguilty. So probably they will view me sooner or later as da by action which is fine for me, as the situation would be clear.

I will give my best to be mild and loving as I don't want to end up in divorce.

33

What is the best for the child if father knows TTATT and mother is a devout JW?

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

hi friends.

i would like to know your opinion on the following:.

situation:.

Daniel1555

Hi friends

I would like to know your opinion on the following:

Situation:

Father is a JW who is awakened and who fully knows TTATT; mother is a devout JW; child is 1 years old.

Father and mother stay together no matter if father leaves JW or not.

What do you think is best for the welfare of the child as he grows up?

1. Father knows TTATT and stays in (attending meetings etc), pretending everything is fine. Mother expects father to study with child and to conduct faith strengthening family worship. Mother indoctrinates child and expects father to do the same. Child has to live a JW life.

2. Father knows TTATT and is out for good (da or df). Mother indoctrinates child. Father is able to speak freely with child as everybody knows he is out. Child hears both sides (JW and TTATT side) and will be able to make own decisions.

30

My decision to openly greet df persons in the hall

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

at the moment i am still going to all the meetings (for family reasons).. we have at the moment 1 df person who regularly comes (already df for 1.5 years).. when i opened him the door i always greeted him but in the hall i didn't as others could see it.. now i decided that my conscience can not bear this any longer.

i will greet him also in the hall or when others are around.. if any elders notice it and talk to me, i tell them my conscience does not allow to not greet that person.. did any of you do that too and have some experiences?.

Daniel1555

Thanks for your experiences. Of course I will not make a big show of it. I know that the df one appreciates a greeting. I don't care anymore of those crazy and unloving rules. I am ready to stand for my conscience. At the moment I think it is the best not to just walk away and not attend meetings anymore. I know though that this moment will come sooner or later. My wife wants me to tell the elders about my conscience decision to accept blood in a life and death situation. So maybe sooner or later I 'll be able to be free from all those crazy rules. Even if I am mentally free already, it is so difficult to hear all this nonsense especially in wt studies and to see how others in the congregation (especially my wife and her family) enjoy all these false reasonings.

30

My decision to openly greet df persons in the hall

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

at the moment i am still going to all the meetings (for family reasons).. we have at the moment 1 df person who regularly comes (already df for 1.5 years).. when i opened him the door i always greeted him but in the hall i didn't as others could see it.. now i decided that my conscience can not bear this any longer.

i will greet him also in the hall or when others are around.. if any elders notice it and talk to me, i tell them my conscience does not allow to not greet that person.. did any of you do that too and have some experiences?.

Daniel1555

At the moment I am still going to all the meetings (for family reasons).

We have at the moment 1 df person who regularly comes (already df for 1.5 years).

When I opened him the door I always greeted him but in the hall I didn't as others could see it.

Now I decided that my conscience can not bear this any longer. I WILL GREET HIM ALSO IN THE HALL OR WHEN OTHERS ARE AROUND.

If any elders notice it and talk to me, I tell them my conscience does not allow to not greet that person.

Did any of you do that too and have some experiences?

154

Why Eve sinned (WT 8/2013)

by EdenOne in

adamah brought up in another thread an issue i wasn't aware of, and i thought it merged well with something i've been pondering about.

it revolves around the deeper reasons why satan was successful in persuading eve to eat from the forbidden fruit.

why was eve persuaded to disobey god?.

Daniel1555

Hi Eden One

Thanks for your very interesting theory to harmonize a literal belief in Adam and Eve with "theistic evolution."

To me it is clear that there were humans living way before bible chronology. There are just so many proofs for that (for example cave paintings Cosquer and Chauvet Caves). I kind of believe in "theistic evolution" and I once also tried to harmonize it with a literal interpretation of the Adam and Eve account.

You can look at it from different views.

1. Adam and Eve account is symbolic and not literal (tree of knowledge ... and tree of life seem quite symbolic) and Adam and Eve a symbol for mankind and its fall. 2. Adam and Eve literal but account just from a viewpoint of an observer in Eden (like Gen. 1 from an observer on earth). 3. Adam and Eve result of God creating humans through evolution (imparting soul), maybe a description of not just one couple. There are many ways to look at it, a lot of mysteries.

One thing is sure for me. WT viewpoint completely wrong as it dismisses all scientific facts, facts not just theories.

Edenone, maybe we can speculate another time more.

14

My wife and thanksgiving

by DS211 in

so my wife and i chatted about thanksgiving last night and decided were going to celebrate it.

she was reluctant at first but i then brought out that according to the bible that we shouldnt judge nor be judged on celebrating a festival because we are also still giving thanks to god for the life we have.

i know many witnesses are on the fence on whether thanksgiving is politicak or pagan or whatever, but its no e of those.

Daniel1555

Hi

Which scripture did you use?

39

I wonder...

by braincleaned in

i wonder about why so many of us stick to the "truth" within the frame of the jehovah's witness religion.. of course, the wts has authority over our minds thru the control of information, demonizing any "worldly" knowledge that might jeopardize our faith in this entity.. thru my own experience, i understand how we can stick to this organization; because of a life's investment in serving, and the close ties of family and peers we do not wish to abandon or upset.

so we are here on sites like these, to understand the mechanisms of the cult... to try to make sense of why we should stay, or why we should leave.. the consequences are too important to take this lightly, or too swiftly.. if i may share a bit of my journey, i did not have to worry too much about the cult at first, because my main battle was based deeper than that.

after all, the root of any christian religion is in the bible itself; faith in jehovah and christ; trust in the idea that the bible is inspired by god himself.. so yes, my quest went to the base, the root of the jw faith... the bible.. since childhood, the character of jehovah was a problem for me.

Daniel1555

Hi Vince

Thank you very much for your comments. They are very worthwhile to think about.

Since childhood I ask myself this question why a god of love would create an ecosystem where his creatures are killibg each other in a cruel way with a lot of pain involved.

Well, even now I didn't find the answer. I tell myself that death is maybe not an enemy, just the means that other beings can live. I thought a lot about it but don't have time now to elaborate on that subject.

Maybe it is just wishful thinking that the creator is a personal god with love. Maybe he/she/or it is just an impersonal force who created the universe in a way that innumberable ways of life could develop. Maybe at the core I am agnostic too, because I don't know. I just hope.

Looking forward to speak with xou another time about the mysteries of life and creation.

Daniel