To where can a witness go?

by hooberus 14 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  hooberus

  The following is from a previous post. I post it here again for new persons who may be wondering where else is there to go besides the WT organization.

  To where shall I go?

  This is a question that many JWs seem to have when they are contemplating leaving the WT Society. The Society's answer is that there is nowhere else to go. What is a doubting JW to do?

  Though I have never been a JW, I do have some thoughts.

  I believe that it is possible for a person to have faith and a personal relationship with God apart from the WT organization. Many people had a relationship with God long before Charles Russell quit his clothing business and started printing his religious journal. The lamb's book of life is what counts, not being on a certain 19th century magazine subscription list.

  The phrase "To where shall I go" is not in the Bible: The phrase "to whom shall we go" is. It is not talking leaving a "religious organization" but a person, Jesus Christ.

  
  "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. John 6:68-69

  Jesus is the way the truth and the life, not an "organization" even one calling itself "Jehovah's Organization"

  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

  Just because an organization uses the name Jehovah and claims to represent him does not make it so (many organizations besides the WT also use the name Jehovah and many others claim to be "God's Organization").

  Many because the Watchtower has hurt them reject God the same time they reject the Society. The Watchtower has for many made faith in the Society the same as faith in God and the Bible. Thus, many give up faith in God and the Bible when they loose their faith in the Watchtower Organization.

  I hope that many who leave will seek a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Then perhaps someday they may be ready for a healthy Christian fellowship -one that exalts Jesus and not a particular "organization."

  The Jesus of the scriptures is a far different being than the Jesus of the watchower, he is personally interested in people (I say this because of my experience with him). Those who wish to seek a relationship with God need to re-evaluate who they have been taught Jesus Christ is. The Christ of the scriptures is a far more poweful being than the Christ of the watchtower. seek him.

  "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

  "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." Revelation 22:12-13
  
  "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20
• 

  Carmel

  Personally I think most dubs who are dissillusioned with the society are at a loss to go to mainline christianity as it does not satisfy their need to have a "cause" to live and if necessary die for. Christianity with its typical "saved by grace" interpretation of scripture is not at all rewarding for someone who has had to prove their faith by actions, albiet the actions are recruiting by book and magazine sales. I know I found Christianity not all that challenging and certainly a strange admixture of untenable doctrins, traditions and rituals that were pretty distasteful, something I bet many dubs would agree with. The "to where, or to whom" is really pretty academic when the apparent options are milktoast versions of a religion that has loss all its unity and is wallowing in literalism for biblical exigets. The emphasis on Jehovah is hard to replace as the relationship that most witlesses have is so emotionally bound. Most xtians have the same emotional tie to Jesus. Both suffer from an imaginary ideal that has become highly developed myths of a sort that is hard to replace with something less mystical. Hence, Marx referred to the "crutch" that religion had become for the masses.

  When you can give the dubby something worth working for, shaping their lives around, a cause, then you may see them gravitate to it and abandon the abusive parenting they are recieving from the FDS and its minions.

  carmel
• 

  frankiespeakin

  Hoob,

  Though I have never been a JW, I do have some thoughts.

  no kidding well that explains your nutty post.
• 

  candidlynuts

  my problem is, after almost 40 yrs of being TOLD what to do, what not to do, what to believe etc., i dont know HOW to even freakin think for myself. if i was confronted by the elders or family about visiting this site i would probably crumble like a cookie. it sucks being this unfocused.
• 

  Steve Lowry

  I was raised a JW from the age of about seven or so, and left officially at about twenty-three. I am now forty-eight. In all the time hence, I have ventured into a number of religious ideologies (including Christianity). I see my spiritual connection with God as an evolutionary one. I pick up, and I discard ideals concerning Him as my life continues to unfold, and this learning process will probably never end (at least I hope not). I will never again allow anyone or any group to "tell" me who God is, and that includes those fellows who wrote the bible. That doesn?t mean that God can?t be found in the old manuscript, but I keep in mind that it still was written by flesh and bone. It seems to me that people tend to worship the scriptures as much or maybe even more in some cases than they do God Himself.

  I hold this belief, and it is cardinal to me: I know, in every fiber of my being that God is real and exists. I know that He knows who I am. And I know that He loves me.

  Everything else to me is just religiosity
• 

  SwampThing

  While reading this post and others here, two thoughts have come to mind, both dealing with the nature of the individual:

  1) For those raised by parents who were/are JW?s, and this religion is all you have ever known, the fact that you visit this site and are unhappy with the JW religion begs the question: why do you not just walk away from it?

  2) For those who came to the JW religion as adults, is it possible that your personalities were such that you were the type of person who needed to be told what to do?

  I mean no harm by my questions, and apologize up front if I sound as though I am putting anyone down. That is not my intention. I failed at management when I worked in the corporate world because I could not delegate my responsibility to others. I had to do it myself to be sure that it was done correctly. However, I have been successful in my own business because I work for myself and my hands are on everything. My wife, on the other hand, is great at assigned tasks, but does not do well at self motivation. She needs to have a clock to punch and a list of things to complete by the end of the day. It takes all types for this world to spin around and around.

  Regards,

  Swamp Thing
• 

  Celtic

  My apologies.

  I just wrote a massively long reply to this topic, going very deep inside myself and my experience which in itself is painful enough, only for the page somehow to self delete due to a error message on hitting Send Topic Now. I will try to post again later.
• 

  Steve Lowry

  Hey swamp,

  I visit the site because of the common bond found between former JW?s. I am not in any way (mentally, emotionally, spiritually, etc) attached to the Watchtower Society. I also enjoy being able to give assistance to those who may be struggling with the mind control of the organization.

  As to your other comment, I am in agreement with you. I have long believed that there exits the type of personality that needs to be told what to do, think, say, wear, behave, etc. This is the prime reason why I left when I became of age. I didn?t know who I was as a kid, but looking back in retrospect, I could have never been a JW by my own choice. My mother heavily influenced me, as well as the JW engine that drives the whole thing. I am not the type of person that can be told what to do with my life. I make my way in this world and nobody can tell me what to with my life, anymore. However, I do think that there does exist the type of personality that needs this kind of structure in their life. It?s these poor folks that have the hardest time with leaving the cultic groups like the Watchtower Society.
• 

  CeriseRose

  SwampThing you asked...

  1) For those raised by parents who were/are JW?s, and this religion is all you have ever known, the fact that you visit this site and are unhappy with the JW religion begs the question: why do you not just walk away from it?

  2) For those who came to the JW religion as adults, is it possible that your personalities were such that you were the type of person who needed to be told what to do?

  While I fall into category #2, I can address both. For those in circumstance #1, the shunning rule where a person will be separated from family, lifelong friends, spouse, kids, etc. is sometimes the greatest motivation to stay. Who wants to lose their family over a religion that isn't correct anyway?

  For myself, I was vulnerable and the time when I was initially contacted, was going through a time in my life where I couldn't make decisions myself. Prior to that I was able to think for myself, and was actually quite stubbornly opinionated. I did question some of the doctrines I learned, but was lonely and needed the friendship, and was willing to take some of it on faith. Also remember that JWs are trained to seek out the vulnerable, and to sell them with strong persuasion and cult-like tactics.

  It took both of my parents dying and for everyone to treat me like crap over it for me to realize just how controlling and rigid it was. And when I started thinking for myself, that was when I could break free. So while it may be true for some that they need to be told what to do, for myself, I was constantly in conflict because I didn't LIKE being told what to do.

  As for 'where I go now,' precisely nowhere. I don't need to deal with religion until I'm sure of my own ability to think and discern and cut through the bs. I would only want to worship a God that is kind, loving and forgiving, so if I'm screwing up by not doing so now, I trust that I'll be treated lovingly if and when I get there. If not, I've lost nothing, by being true to myself at last.

  My 2 cents.
• 

  stillajwexelder

  As for 'where I go now,' precisely nowhere. I don't need to deal with religion until I'm sure of my own ability to think and discern and cut through the bs. I would only want to worship a God that is kind, loving and forgiving, so if I'm screwing up by not doing so now, I trust that I'll be treated lovingly if and when I get there. If not, I've lost nothing, by being true to myself at last.

  How true Cerise Rose - it is where I am at right now.

  HOOBERUS When I started questioning I questioned EVERYTHING - that includes the bible itself (Who Wrote The Bible by Friedman) , whether God even exists - Dawkins et al, -- so like Cerise Rose says -- where can a witness go --- precisely nowhere if they want - they do not have to have a realtionship with God at all or become a born-again Christian