If there's some good in the Watchtower, why leave it?

AlmostAtheist

The post about Crisis of Conscience in which the poster said he knows there's some bad in the Watchtower (as brought out in CoC), but there's some good in it too got me to wondering about people that stay for the good in it.

The United States makes some decisions as a country that I don't agree with, perhaps even object strongly to. But I don't disavow my citizenship. It's mostly a good place to live, so I stay.

If you want to live in a way that utterly conflicts with the Watchtower -- homosexual, multiple sex partners, smoking, whatever -- then you have reason to leave. But if you basically agree with the morality of the Watchtower, why would you leave? You have a base of friends that are obligated to at least act like they like you, you get out of the house and associate with them regularly, you get the mental stimulation of trying to understand some Bible topics, you get public speaking training. And if you buy their theology, you even have a shot at everlasting life.

I know why I would leave, but I'll hold off until some others chime in with why they stay or why they left.

Dave

Dansk

But if you basically agree with the morality of the Watchtower, why would you leave?

How can an organisation be moral if it lies again and again to its members? It was the lies that made me exit!

Ian

kls

This reminds of a drug addict,the drugs keep telling them that they need it and will feel so much better if they take it ,even thou the person knows it is wrong and could one day kill them.

upside/down

a base of friends that are obligated to at least act like they like you

Where? Surely you jest!

So it's a form of living extortion... in exchange for subservience you get the semblance of "a life", that can be yanked on a moments notice?

It's like buying a high risk investment.... when it's paying it's great, but it can and most likely will become worthless overnight. I prefer more stable, solid investments.

Again, why the need for "organized religion"? All of Jesus teachings can be followed without the interference of high-control men.

u/d (of the just my 2 cents class)

mjarka911

In your analagy of living in the US, if you disagree with decisions - you can voice your disapproval and work to change things without being stripped of your citizenship and shunned by your fellow countryman!

ozziepost

Why???

An old Jewish saying: "A half truth is a full lie."

LongHairGal

AlmostAthiest:

I know there is some good in the WT. Before I found out the truth about them (and I might add most of what I found out I already suspected) I realized that it just did not "work" - even if the doctrines were all correct! This was a decade or so ago when I was really down and doing some soul searching and I came to some drastic conclusions about them. If I were to stay I would have to stay on the very fringes because I want nothing to do with the people. Any service I do would have to be alone because I would only use the bible. Also, I could not in good conscience tell people that it is a loving brotherhood because I do not believe that to be fact. So, you see the dilemma. It is almost impossible to stay there with what I know and feel.

LHG

Satanus

Yes, there is some good within it. I was always treated decently by my fellow dubs. There are a lot of decent people in there. I guess you gotta weigh the pros and cons. Put all the positives in one column, and the cons in another. For example, in the pros you have:

commraderie

you know what to expect from fellow dubs

social life

learning stuff

etc

Cons are:

most everything you learn is bs

all social life dissappears if you go against the current

their whole theology is bs

the gb are liars

you never can do enough

etc

Decide what your values are. Do you like to have integrity? Can you function while standing on your own two feet? Can you think for yourself? Do you like truth of bs? It reminds me of a pink floyd line, something like, 'did you turn down a small part in the war for a lead role in a cave?'

S

love11

If you can find that much good in it, than stay in it. It's a free country. Maybe you need someone controling your moves at all times!

Scully

If you had an old moldy apple with one good spot somewhere in it, would you bother eating it?

If there's some good in the Watchtower, why leave it?

Share this