Helping my husband wake up, need advice.

by Whynot 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Still Totally ADD

  Whynot does your husband hold alot of guilt for being DF especially since he was a elder. The indoctrination men go through when becoming a elder deals with alot of guilt. Always being told you need to do it this or that way. Are you secretly sining some way such as looking at porn. They constantly tell you are nothing but a good for nothing slave. All this makes a person self worth non-existent. I knew on person who was a elder commit suicide for looking at porn another who had a nervous breakdown for not being a good enough elder.

  I say this because it will make a person to prove to themselve they are good and spiritually approved before god. Cults do very strange things to people and especially to those who had responsible in the cult and guilt plays a major problem. Take from a person who was a elder for 25 years. I hope everything will work out for both of you. Still Totally ADD
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  humbled

  Whynot — Revelation 14:1-5 Is the scripture that helped me out of the the Organization. That bible passage convinced me that the GB was wrong to arrogate the ultimate authority they claimed. That passage says plainly that the defining characteristic of these people would be that they “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” yet the GB teaches that these ones must defer to the ( fallible) teachings of the GB. This teaching overthrows the “brothers of Christ”—the 144,000.

  Ceding authority to these men destroyed and outlawed genuine faith even among the so-called Anointed.

  The GB are not God’s mouthpiece on earth.
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  Wasanelder Once

  Did Moses lie or misrepresent Jehovah to the people? Don't think so. Oh yeah, its all a fairy tale anyway.
  
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  AFreeBeliever

  You might try reminding him of the following scriptures/passages: Jesus said in the gospel of John that 'you have no need that anyone teach you' for that was the place of the Holy Spirit to guide us into all understanding. Jesus also said not to call anyone on earth your teacher for He is our teacher. Jesus also reprimanded the Pharisees and instructed his disciples NOT to lord it over each other or exercise authority over each other. In my experience, any other books besides the Bible may have very helpful information to guide us in how to talk to someone who was so entrenched as your husband (being an elder), but those books can sometimes scare them off from even being looked at. May be best for you to read these then use the approaches they recommend while reasoning from the Bible which I think he will probably be more receptive to. If he ever gets to the point that he can objectively look at the organization, Crisis of Conscience is a real eye-opener, and although I haven't read it yet, Barbara Anderson's new book is probably also.
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  Acluetofindtheuser

  "And they kept doing bad in the eye's of Jehovah...they would also not tear down the high places...I kept sending prophets to correct them but they would not listen.,,I shall use the surrounding nations to punish them." - a gamut of scriptures from who knows where.

  The high places could be likened to the image of the Organization. They worship it more than God. The image of the organization is more important than protecting children. God does not need anyone to protect his image. You do the right thing and then he will be with you. When Israelite leaders rebelled against God he would no longer give them guiding counsel. The word of Jah would no longer be in the land. That sounds exactly like today. No new insights of what is to come.This board of past members are like the prophets and countries like Russia are the surrounding nations.
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  Vanderhoven7

  I would focus on one issue...with you seeking clarity on WTS policies. The issue I'd choose would be blood.

  Cofty provided some excellent research on the subject as well as Paul from JWfacts.com

  Some of the questions I would ask include:

  There are some things I don't understand about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  Could you explain why JWs believe blood transfusions are unscriptural? (Acts15)

  a. Which components of blood are acceptable and which ones are not and what is the scriptural basis for this distinction?

  b. Why is plasma (55& of blood volume) unacceptable when all of its elements and fractions are on the WTS acceptable list? Plasma is made up of 92 % water, albumin and fibrinogen proteins. What's the problem?

  c. Why are white blood cells banned when 97 percent of the white cells are not found in the blood stream but in organ tissues that are permitted (since 1980) by the WTS to transplant? Of course millions are transferred with every transplant. By the way, 12 times more white blood cells are found in a mother's milk than in the blood. Millions are passed from mother to child at every feeding. Seems that Jehovah doesn't abide by the same rules JWs do.

  d. Why is it sinful to store whole blood? Where is the biblical exception that allows JWs to have their blood stored in tubes for lab technicians to test? By the way, only blood of animals that were slain by Jews under the law was to be poured out. No one was slain to acquire the blood stored in blood banks.

  e. Why is it alright for JWs to use the life-saving fractions (eg. Factors VIII and IX) derived from the donated and stored blood of others when these products are allegedly stored immorally. And aren't hemophiliac Witnesses leeches when they take these blood products without contributing to the blood bank themselves?

  f. Where is the rule found that it is OK to remove blood from the body to be cleaned..as long as there is no interruption in it's flow back to the body?

  g. Why did it take JWs over 70 years to find these rules out when they are so obvious to JWs now. And didn't Jesus appoint the F&DS in 1919 when JWs were still being encouraged to work for the Red Cross as alternative service and give and receive transfusions when necessary?

  Now regarding the actual eating of blood:

  h. Can anything that goes into the mouth of a Christian defile him? Ro.14:14

  i. Assuming that there is no one around with a weak conscience, should Christians ask questions of conscience about meat served in the home of a pagan idol worshiper who is known to eat things strangled? I Cor.10:27

  j. Why do you think Jews could eat animals found dead in their fields (unbled) with relative impunity. They would merely have to wash their clothes and be unclean until evening.

  Levitcus 11:38,39 - "If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening."

  k. Could it be that the dietary laws in Acts 15 were temporary, designed to help unify Jews and Gentiles. If so the WTS has had blood on its hands since 1945 and even before with it's outlawing of vaccinations (30s, 40s & 50s) and later organ transplants (1967 -1980).

  
  

  Good luck.
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  Crazyguy

  May just want to show him the scripture where Jesus says where there is one or two there I will be also. Then going down that line show him john chapter 3 where he says all those who believe are saved and have eternal life. Show him this from many bibles or the Greek interlinear because it doesn’t say you have to do works like the WT says to be saved. John chapter 6 confirms this because they ask jesus what they have todo and he tells them, not works,. When he brings up James “faith without works is dead” show him Ephesians 2:8-9

  Then you can run down the list of people god used. Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and others but except the nation of Israel no organization. Jesus teachings again were against an organization or a temple etc.
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  zeb

  The rules they followed in ancient times were those of the code that was around them and which had been there since time immemorial. and, why does he see the need for ..rules? this is classic cult wt thinking that we all need rules. A pure gold example is the recent publication of some 60+ pages (please correct me) in some booklet on what convention attendants should be doing.

  Rules? "rules were made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise".
  
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  Whynot

  Still Totally ADD my husband feels VERY guilty. A former elder, regular pioneer and we were extremely active. He just completely lost it, abandoned me and my children so there's plenty of guilt. I took him back but I know he still feels bad. He stopped going to the meetings because of the guilt. Then I stopped going. He has always told me that he doesn't feel good enough to pray or be anything in the cong. He was a HUGE rule follower, always nit picking. He felt that being an elder made him feel important and fed his self-esteem. So he was an elder for selfish reasons.
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  zeb

  A 'representative on earth'.. hm I thought the Christ, Jesus or Yeshuah was the go between for man to God.

  The term representative' is another wt legalistic term they like to use like 'arrangement' (Oh i hate that word) there is the field service a, the marriage a, the elder a, there is probably a toilet a. but as the last poster said its part of making some people feel important.