Posts by Lightgrowsbrighter

26

Beroean Pickets- please offer encouragement

by Lightgrowsbrighter in

jw
friends

for many who have left jw.org, there is still a spiritual need and faith in the bible.

beroean pickets is one group/website where serious bible research and commentary, weekly critical reviews of wt studies, as well expose's of flawed wt opinion/doctrine- all backed by the bible- can be considered.

this vast amount of work and research is all done by just a small group of our volunteer brothers and sisters.

Lightgrowsbrighter

I know those who leave the org (myself included) go in many directions- including nihilism. I agree that there are seemingly contradictory things in esp. the Old Testament. My point with this post tho is that some continue to be Christians and that does require faith as 1 Cor. 2:14 says...which can look like fiction to those who have lost their faith. The Beroean Pickets site is a comfort for those who've gone this direction after leaving the org.

As far as who said the Org is after him- he said so himself on his youtube channel- here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3AM5L9s5vQ

Those who have met Eric in person know for a fact he's not seeking followers after himself like Russell/Rutherford did. 'It's not about who's carrying the torch, it's about the light.'

26

Beroean Pickets- please offer encouragement

by Lightgrowsbrighter in

jw
friends

for many who have left jw.org, there is still a spiritual need and faith in the bible.

beroean pickets is one group/website where serious bible research and commentary, weekly critical reviews of wt studies, as well expose's of flawed wt opinion/doctrine- all backed by the bible- can be considered.

this vast amount of work and research is all done by just a small group of our volunteer brothers and sisters.

Lightgrowsbrighter

For many who have left JW.org, there is still a spiritual need and faith in the Bible. Beroean Pickets is one group/website where serious Bible research and commentary, weekly critical reviews of WT studies, as well expose's of flawed WT opinion/doctrine- all backed by the Bible- can be considered. This vast amount of work and research is all done by just a small group of our volunteer Brothers and Sisters. Within the past month, the org- led by local elders- has launched a Judicial Committee with the charge of apostasy against Brother Eric Wilson, one of the founders of this amazing website. More details will follow, but it is shocking to see how the WT organization is sinking to the level of a paranoid cult. Indeed, IMHO, the WT led by the Governing Body is guilty of apostasy themselves and fit perfectly the description of the 'evil slave' in Matt. 24:48-51. I encourage all of you who wish to prove the WT wrong from the Scriptures to go to the Beroean Pickets website and show your support for Eric Wilson as well as many of the others who still choose to remain anonymous.

34

Do most ex JW's go politically left?

by Lightgrowsbrighter in

i've found it interesting that- imho- most of the politically vocal ex-jw's at this website seem to lean left.

i'm personally pretty centered- right on some issues, left on others, but overall have a pretty cynical view of all political/religious leaders.

i find it somewhat ironic that people who leave such a dogmatic group like the witnesses become so politically dogmatic.

Lightgrowsbrighter

Overall, thanks for the nice response's! Some impassioned and even vitriolic responses- dogmatic?- but I guess that's to be expected. There is no denying that as active JW's, we were told to be politically neutral, but politically JW's would be right with sexuality, and left with some social issues. Perhaps it's a knee jerk reaction when people leave the Borg to become impassioned and even dogmatic about some other issue. Still, it seems really hypocritical to me to see dogmatic and insulting comments about people we disagree with after being involved with a controlling group like the JW's that thrive on that kind of behavior.

34

Do most ex JW's go politically left?

by Lightgrowsbrighter in

i've found it interesting that- imho- most of the politically vocal ex-jw's at this website seem to lean left.

i'm personally pretty centered- right on some issues, left on others, but overall have a pretty cynical view of all political/religious leaders.

i find it somewhat ironic that people who leave such a dogmatic group like the witnesses become so politically dogmatic.

Lightgrowsbrighter

I've found it interesting that- IMHO- most of the politically vocal ex-JW's at this website seem to lean left. I'm personally pretty centered- right on some issues, left on others, but overall have a pretty cynical view of all political/religious leaders. I find it somewhat ironic that people who leave such a dogmatic group like the Witnesses become so politically dogmatic. The angry trash talk about 'the liberal media' from the right, and 'stupid Fox News etc.' from the left only makes matters worse. I think the only way this place will every improve (barring Divine intervention....) is mutual respect- even if you feel others opinions are ignorant.

155

Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

hi people,.

i want as much data as possible on the effect of the internet on the time captured by the cult.. please answer the three following questions about yourself or about someone you know (for example, if your parents or grandparents were jw's and left).

1) were you raised as a jw, or did you convert?.

Lightgrowsbrighter

1) Raised in (3rd gen)

2) Baptized in 1982

3) Faded in 2011

Associated 46 years, baptized/in 29 years. I questioned many of the controlling policies from my teen years on. I really began to doubt the 'spirit directed' WT leadership in the mid 1990's with the whole 1914 generation re-definition. I was an elder and the WT conductor at the time and felt guilty teaching/preaching this reaching numerology. Stepped aside as an elder a couple of years later (the peer pressure was terrible), and finally completely left (no peer pressure now- I'm just an ignored 'apostate') as the control from the top became more pronounced. The internet helped, but Ray Franz's book "In Search of Christian Freedom", and Stephen Hassan's book "Freedom of Mind" confirmed to me that I had made the right choice to leave.

I still miss the basic Christian association, as I still believe and am a Christian. But the controlling, works oriented, and Pharisaical mindset of most active JW's drives me away anytime I reconsider my decision. One more help for me as a 'lost sheep' has been the Beroean Pickets website. Good spiritual commentary and discussion without the dogmatic, controlling leadership.

128

Looking Back In Retrospect To 1975...

by titch in

greetings, folks: so, it's been 40 years since 1975. and, if you were actively involved with the witnesses back then, the mindset of many was, that by early autumn of 1975, it would mark the anniversary of 6000 years of human existence.

and, the hope was then, that it would mark the start of the 1000-year of christ, from the heavenly realm.

but, looking back now, 40 years ago, in june of 1975, only 3 more months remained until early autumn.

Lightgrowsbrighter

I was young kid in '75, but remember it clearly. My parents dropped everything in '74 and pioneered. We had also moved 'where the need was great' in the early 1970's. Of course, my dad had to go back to work when 'the end' didn't come because he ran out of money. To this day, my parents claim they didn't pioneer because they thought it was going to wrap up in '75, only because their hearts motivated them. They did pioneer again in the 1990's, and now in their early 70's take advantage of the 'wonderful arrangement' to pioneer with only something like 20 or 30 hours a month (not sure about the details on that one...). The cognitive dissonance that I see blows my mind.

On another note, many younger JW's that weren't around in 1975 don't believe what a big deal it really was in the org. If this was any other religion with a similar false prediction, JW's would be all over it, telling everyone that this proves that God could not behind that organization. But with JW's, just more 'new light'. Wow.

23

Governing Body Mandating That Parents Shun DF'd Preteens Baptized Children Will Hurt Them Big Time In The Courts

by Brokeback Watchtower in

as the bad conduct of the governing body becomes widely known to both judge and jury i expect that will make lawsuits more profitable against them and easier wins against them and more plentiful.. i think probably one of the most damming videos out there on the net is the one where the parents show their loyalty to the wt corporation and shun their own flesh and blood in obedience to it cruel directives.

this video truely shows that the governing body don't give a shit about the children who symbolize their dedication to the corporation or their parents.. such a self serving corporation that uses it members for profits only and offer nothing in return no matter how much how much they claim otherwise.

they can't hide this it is plain as day so no matter how much they claim they are concerned about the youth in the organization their action thunder loudly and can not be hiden under a basket.

Lightgrowsbrighter

http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/shunning/

Paragraph 3 in the above FAQ link; quote: "What of a man who is disfellowshipped but whose wife and children are still Jehovah’s Witnesses? The religious ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. The marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings continue."

I guess this 'reasonable' looking comment on JW.org about 'normal family affections and dealings continue(ing)' only applies to a man. If you are not the man of the house, but another family member, you are gonna get cut off. Unfortunately, I personally know of men who have been disfellowshipped and their super JW family totally shun them, despite the above mentioned policy. What a hypocritical, convoluted, Pharisee like mess the WT leaders have created. So sad that so many young ones are permanently damaged by this unchristian policy.

17

When did the WTS begin to require baptismal candidates to answer 2 questions. What were they?

by AndersonsInfo in

i need some research done so if anybody has the time, please see what you can find on the subject as stated in the title.. i clearly remember attending my first circuit assembly.

on october 30, 1956, i definitely answered two questions, along with about ten other people including my mother, not at the assembly, but we were standing at the side of a small baptismal pool that was in the basement of a kingdom hall in ronkonkoma, then a small hamlet on long island in the town of islip, suffolk county, new york, united states.. i know for a certainty that in 1945 candidates for baptism were not asked any questions but they were informed through their congregation that there would be a baptism and told where and when it was to be held.

usually the baptism was done at a beach and when candidates showed up in bathing attire, they were dunked, no questions asked.. so sometime between 1945 and 1956 two specific questions began to be asked of candidates.

Lightgrowsbrighter

With the recent WT video of young children being encouraged to get baptized, I thought it would be appropriate bump this thread. The changes to the 2 baptism questions in 1985 were mainly a legal issue. Anyone being baptized now recognized the total authority of the WT organization. Keep in mind this took place only a few short years after the purging of true balanced Christians like Ray Franz from the organization as 'apostates'. The 1985 change to question 2 now made it legally binding to DF someone for disagreeing with any opinion of the WT organization as they had taken a vow that it was 'God's spirit directed organization'. There is no doubt in my mind that the recent 'encouragement' from the WT leadership to baptize young children is a calculated control move. If these poor kids do anything outside of the WT parameters, they can be threatened with or actually DF'd. Hard to scripturally justify as Jesus Christ himself was 30 years old- a legal Jewish adult- before he presented himself for baptism.

31

Beroean Pickets

by joe134cd in

hi i've been reading a web sight called borean pickets.

http://meletivivlon.com/2015/05/09/may-tv-broadcast-on-tv-jw-org/.

although the guy writes some real thought provoking stuff, i sort of don't know what to make of it.

Lightgrowsbrighter

BP is a great forum and has been very encouraging to me. I agree with leaving_quietly- their goal is an open, respectful, Bible based discussion forum for those of us attempting to address the cognitive dissonance required to be a thinking JW. One especially interesting thought they've shared is that those of us who are sincere JW Bible students and find ourselves disagreeing with the WT leadership are suffering a form of persecution, and have to meet 'underground'. How ironic is that??

23

Is there anything about the JW's you still like?

by donny in

some jw's on various postingshave asked me was there anything about the jw's i still agree with.

of course there are some things i agree with and some i partially do.

1. political involvement - while i do not agree with totally avoiding anything associated with politics, i agree that many of todays churches are way too involved in trying to sway their constituents beliefs.

Lightgrowsbrighter

Good post Donny. Yes, there are some good things I miss about being a JW, including the points you made. I believe the bottleneck is at the top, and JW's are no exception. Many JW's are good, sincere people. They follow the leadership, and that means that all of the negative factors are there as well as the positive. I think if a few dozen arrogant leaders at the top adopted a truly Christlike humble attitude, the trickle down could be amazing. Unfortunately as Ray Franz pointed out, it doesn't seem possible with WT leadership.