thedog1

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Posts by thedog1

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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  thedog1

  Final post for today as I have reached the 10 posts limit for today. Haven't I been busy? The ovelapping generation teaching goes against all reason, unfortunately, so I find this impossible to defend. To me, generation means what it always has, as in 'my father's generation,' a group of people or roughly the same age, so that this has a certain life- span, and cannot in reality 'overlap.'
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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  There is an overwhelming sense of sadness when something you have believed in for so long may not be correct. I say 'may not be correct' as I cannot just throw the baby out with the bathwater. I understand why some who post here stay in, and I think some have been doing this for many years, but I know that if I continue to question that at some point I will reach a 'tipping point' where I cannot continue. The effort required to cover over the doubts would be, I fear, too much psychologically. But I haven't reached that point yet. Nowhere near it, I think, as the core beliefs I hold as a Witness have not yet been shaken.
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  32

  Im not sure how much longer i can take this

  by DS211 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i kind of snapped at my wife today...for no reason really.

  and in my frustration ive been contemplating just spilling the beans...i know its not the best idea but i do t know how much longer i can lead a double life and hide the truth.

  as i still believe in god i feel like a hypocrite.

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  thedog1

  I've just started to question things, and I've found that in life generally it is best to be patient and think before you act. Take it easy if you can, work it through for both of you.
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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  thanks open mind, got your message
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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  thank you all for your posts and taking the time and having the concern to do so.
• 
  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  Just curious, Kate Wilde, are you still attending meetings? It seems like you are from your comments.
• 
  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  None of my family are in. My sister was but faded many years ago. She always told me she was a 'crap' Jehovahs Witness and what did not make it easy for her was that her hubby never had an interest. He was 'gone fishin'. All my siblings never listened. My better half's family are a mixed bunch. Her sister is in the truth but had a very bad experence ten years ago when her husband was df unjustly for something he never did. He was reinstated a year later and told he 'should never have been df' but the scars remain. They have somehow managed to stay in their cong. My wife's bro was df also and never came back. Her other bro never took to the truth. See, I am calling it 'the truth.' Why wouldn't I, I've been in there very deep for a long time. When I doubt, I get very anxious, when I push the doubts to the back of my mind, I calm down again. I suppose this is the cognitive dissonance going on.
• 
  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  I must say that it is mainly doctrinal issues that are pushing me to question my dedication to the truth. I love the brothers and sisters and in the part of the world I live in they are genuinely warm and loving. Of course, I have also met and continue to meet individuals in my line of work that are not Witnesses who are good people, loving , friendly and full of life. Mostly, my wife and I associate with the local bros and sis but we sometimes have opportunities to meet others, and we have many relatives who are non Witnesses who we enjoy spending time with. So we recognise that people outside the cong are not 'evil.'
• 
  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  thanks for your prompt replies. Interesting you say, 'dismissing servant', that some others are possibly confused. In my part of the world,( don't want to reveal where I am just in case), the brothers are very conservative and I don't think anybody would even admit to being confused, though one sister told me it took her ages to 'get' some of the recent changes. And my wife is a very faithful person who doesn't doubt the 'truth' at all. When I voiced some concerns to her she got frightened and asked me to please stop talking in that way.

  I don't think it is an option for me to act confused in the study. The bros expect me to be one step ahead of them and explain anything they cannot understand so maybe I will just use the line I have used sometimes in the past, ' our understanding now is...'
• 
  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  thedog1

  Ok everyone

  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. However, the content of recent Watchtower study articles has caused me to think long and hard about what I am doing. I have been reading many of the posts here for a number of weeks and this has caused me to think even more. You know, as others have acknowledged here, they see their spiritual brothers and sisters in the congregation as generally very nice people. The morals are good, the individuals are trying to shape their personalities according to the scriptures, and generally people are very genuine. The recent Watchtower study on the faithful and discreet slave, and the continuing problem with the 'this generation' teaching' has been a source of great concern to me. I remember having a discussion with a sister many years ago, when there were some rumours that the 'this generation' teaching was going to shift from those alive in 1914 being the ones who would see the end, and she was dismayed as she told me that she accepted the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses because she thought Armageddon was coming very soon. I've lost contact with her now but I wonder what she makes of all the changes. I'm confused. I don't know how I could explain it to others, and when I have to conduct he upcoming study clarifying the 'this generation' teaching, again, what will I do? I really do not want any glib answers. Some of those posting on here seem to have an understanding of how difficult this can be for somebody to do, just to post here. I live in a very conservative area. If the other elders in the congregation knew I was doing this I would be instantly removed as an elder and then probably be in front of a judicial committee very soon.