Something interesting!

by John Aquila 137 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  jwfacts

  And they are not Apostates.

  There are something new.

  Actually, they are apostates, they just don't like that label. An apostate is someone that turns away from watchtower teachings, which is what they have done, and in a fairly significant way. Like all of us, we realise that the way the Watchtower describes apostates is not a fair representation.

  It is great to hear that these people are getting together. The big fear of leaving the religion, particularly in older age, is having no social circle and this sounds like it fills the gap.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  How 'bout "the internet is mightier than the sword"? Smirk

  My elderly mother is doing her best to learn to use the internet since it is now WTS approved/supported. She has a new computer and an iPad.

  She calls me this week to ask if I have seen the new video on JW*Org about all the child abuse incidents in Oz. (I'm wondering WTF? is she talking about?) She says she think some scammer got into the Borg website and posted all this stuff about them. (She listened a long time before she shut it down.)

  I think she typed the Borg address into Google or Bing and the ARC info on youtube is what popped up, instead of the Official WT Website. Now she has looked at quite a few youtube videos about the Borg.

  You gotta love it! If an elderly, computer illiterate JW woman is doing this, then what about everyone that is online every day for work, school, and everyday info?
  

  "The internet is mightier than the sword"?

  Doc
  
• 

  Doubting Bro

  This is really hard to believe but encouraging if true. Sorry, but practically speaking it would only take one person who has a change of heart to blow the whole thing up. That's why doubting JWs tend to keep it to themselves because they 1) don't know who to trust and 2) even if you trust someone today, they could rat you out tomorrow because of the cult mind control. In short, you can't trust any active JW with information that you don't want shared when it comes to disagreeing with the WTS. Those that do ultimately get discovered.
• 

  WingCommander

  I gotta say, I was skeptical of John's experience at first too. Then I read his last post above, about where he is located. This is Mexico people, not Vermont. The Mexican culture absolutely loves and insists on these types of gatherings, and I don't find it strange or out of line at all for this amount of people in the Mexican culture do have a gathering like this. That is Mexican culture. If this were taking place in the New England states, or Georgia, I'd be more reserved. However, if you recall, there was a yearly meet-up somewhere here in Pennsylvania, around Blue Mountain Retreat or something, that was for ex-JW, ex-JW groups, apostates, etc. The place burnt down, and I haven't heard anything about it in 3 or 4 years. They held it like every October. I'm fairly certain at least 100-200 ex-JWs would show up for that. It ran for probably 20 years? So this is not unheard of even here so close to WT HQ.
  
• 

  jonza

  WingCommander, yeah they still do: http://wnfj-v2.com/
  
• 

  LisaRose

  It makes sense to me that older people would have more problems with changes in the organization than younger people. I am only slightly younger than this group, I find making changes is harder than it used to be, when you like something you dont want to give it up, you want things to stay the same.

  They have had more time with the organization as it used to be, now they are expected to junk all that and accept this shiny new organization, It must be very distressing. The religion they believed in doesn't really exist anymore. It's kind of sad though because the fact that the religion has morphed into this slick new marketing engine proves it was never the truth in the first place. But that is probably not something they could get their head around.

  I feel bad for them.
• 

  Pistoff

  So no doubts about 1914, 607, paradise earth a reality, etc; what do they object to, the modernization and move to the internet?

  No doctrinal beefs?

  Sounds like their motto should be "Get off my lawn, GB!"
  
• 

  Pistoff

  Anyone who criticizes anything from the governing body is apostate, apparently; this goes along with what others have said in this thread about the only real belief/doctrine of the WT, the only one we can consider permanent, is that the governing body is the source of truth and beliefs.
  

  My brother made the claim that a child molester could never be used in a position of responsibility again, when I presented him with the 10/2012 BOE saying it could not be ruled out, he told me to never send him apostate information again.

  I assume it was my pointing out the conflict that made it apostate, as the BOE is from the society.
• 

  Acluetofindtheuser

  I can see this being a possibility. My step father was an elder for a long time and once served at bethel in his youth. He stepped down from being an elder not long after my mother married him. When I lived under his roof my mom would tell me that he always argue with the elders about certain matters pertaining to the congregation. If he were alive today I could see him meeting up with that rebel group of witnesses.

  I’m in the 30-40 range and about half of my age group has left the WT. The few that have stayed in the Org these last 10 years or so are starting to doubt and leave. There’s a small group of us that get together for social gatherings to eat, watch movies and do whatever. At times we discuss the WT Org that should be. We keep all discussions confidential within our inner circle. We also consider iron, sharpening iron when we have deep conversations about what the future really holds.
• 

  jwleaks

  Back in August during the Australian Child Abuse Royal Commission Geoffrey Jackson was questioned under oath by Angus Stewart QC in relation to the role of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses and the "faithful and discreet slave".

  STEWART QC: “Do you see yourselves as Jehovah’s spokespeople on earth?”
  

  JACKSON: “That, I think, would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the ‘only spokesperson’ that God is using.”

  Evidently there seems to be room for more people, or groups, to be spokespersons for Jehovah or guardians of doctrine, and the governing body know it.

  There is also a group in Australia, same age (generation), partakers of the emblems, that feel the same way and operate similarly. Earlier this year they sent a representative to Brooklyn to resolve certain doctrinal issues with the governing body.