The Number One Reason Why I Am Not a "Watchtower Apologist"

by logansrun 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  rebel8

  The moans of exasperation have reached high into the empty skies to overflow the gates

  Very true Terry. I'm imagining people with battle wounds, after their wounds start healing a bit, complaining about an imaginary hangnail. It seems senseless to criticize them for making up the hangnail. Sometimes people focus in on smaller, or -gasp- imaginary/exaggerated problems, as a coping mechanism....displacing their complaints onto something smaller so as to feel as though they have control over something...when control over so much was taken away from them. Doesn't make the battle wounds any less severe.
• 

  Cygnus

  I'm apostate as they come, but I'll defend the Witnesses when I think they have a good point or demonstrate acts of good will out of sincerity. It's important to be fair.
• 

  nilfun

  AlmostAtheist -- hilarious!
• 

  Finally-Free

  Stifled voices strain to cry out here after decades of cover up, repression and mind control.

  Yes, and still we find those who would try to stifle these cries of pain and minimize the damage caused, much of which is emotional in nature. Such an attitude in itself reminds me of the way many elders handle problems in their "flock", telling people to simply "get over it".

  Logical, emotionally detached arguments are excellent for presenting facts, but the emotional component cannot be ignored. It's a human attribute that differentiates us from a microchip or a cow grazing in the field. It is also the emotional component that is most severely damaged in many of us who are victims of abuse.

  If it were not for that there would be no reason to be here in the first place. We'd have no need to seek out people with similar backgrounds.

  W
• 

  minimus

  Logan, why not stay out of things that you will change your mind on later, anyway? If you're on this new crusade, and you think your words will make a difference, don't backpedal.
• 

  trevor

  Finally free said:

  Logical, emotionally detached arguments are excellent for presenting facts, but the emotional component cannot be ignored.

  I agree because it is emotional forces that cause us to be here. We have every right to express our anger and talk of the hurt we have felt. At the same Jehovah’s Witnesses who visit this site have not found genuine love in the Watchtower Society.

  Terry said of the Watchtower Society :

  What they leave behind is the dried out husks of used up people left disillusioned, spent and devoid of a shred of self-worth.

  Some of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who come here are already dried out and disillusioned. They need encouragement and help if they are to leave the discredited Watchtower Society. They know from our posts how much they risk by leaving. Our message to them is an emotional one but it must also be fairly presented. Love is bigger than the Watchtower Society and it can conquer all.
• 

  zen nudist

  for JWs and ex-JWs this board is much like music on the radio... we gravitate to what our current mood desires...

  if we are angry we tune in on the angry posters or become one ourselfs and if we are happy we find those who are also

  happy or share what we are happy about.... there is a lot of anger, frustration and sadness on this board, but also joy and happiness and encouragement and lust for freedom etc.... our emotions tend to cause a tunnel vision effect which often prevents us from seeing the overal as we lock on to what our emotions are pointing to.

  telling people to be happy when they are angry and sad usually has the opposite effect.... complaining about people being too angry or sad generally does not make them any happier either.... however giving them something to be happy about and rejoice in, often gets them to put their anger and sadness aside for a bit and on rare occasions even gets them to see things differently and end their anger and sadness.
• 

  Sunspot

  Logansrun,

  Seeing as this forum is predominantly dotted with former JWs, I do not understand why you would even see the need to extol whatever virtues that you feel might be offered by the WTS or by the hateful and hurtful actions of its members.

  The exJWs and those who are in the process of leaving, are filled with pain and have come here to vent and to tell us about their experiences. I see no need to interject by posting what you may "think" is what may be "fair" in support of the very organization that has CAUSED the pain they have!

  I would think that you could put aside your "crusade for fairplay" by realizing when to leave well enough alone for those who are in the various stages of healing. I should think that your caring and concern for those who have seen their beliefs and their lives pulled out from under them, would be more important than consistently providing posts that can only add to their pain.

  You are very intelligent and well spoken, and I would think that you would also see the need to be more sympathetic to those who are devastated and trying to find their "way".

  TERRY!!!!!!

  Your post was one of the best I have seen in a very long time!!!! It was beautifully said and I am so glad you said everything that you did---the way you did! BRAVO!!!!

  Annie

  edited to try to make this font larger...grrrr
  
• 

  Dogpatch

  Excellent post, Terry!

  That's why I continue doing what I do, and have no kind words for the Watchtower machine. Lots of good people stuck in it, but the machinery is old, rusty and very dangerous.

  Randy

  http://www.randytv.com
• 

  melmac

  Terry, I love your style!