by urstruly 99 Replies latest jw experiences
Hi willow it's nice to hear from you. I'll take your suggestion into consideration and start another thread.
About being open to change, why change the way I feel about God being able to change what he wishes and when he wishes? Just because I don't belong to any religion doesn't mean I don't fear God. That's all. All I'm saying in a figurative way of speaking it's like taking the law into your own hands. Again, I don't mean to minimize or offend anyone.
Isn't fearing of God a general jwism
It's a beginning - even for they who ' can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth'
You can think and comment as you wish.
Sticks and stones.
My view on things has changed quite a bit since I joined this discussion board. That will happen when I exchange ideas with people with a radically different worldview. I've had to learn how to I really listen to what they have to say. I have had to give up some of my cherished misconceptions. That's one of the beauties of a board like this, where ideas are freely exchanged back and forth.
It seems that one of your basic philosophies is, "Live and let live." And, people who are wrong will get their own back someday. That would work fine except that with the Jehovah's Witnesses and other abusive groups, people can't walk away without consequences. In my experience, few are allowed a dignified exit. Why is that?
urstruly, If I were you, I wouldn't assume that everyone here is entrenched in their thinking. Stick around. You might enjoy taking another look at your own philosophy. I, personally, do not fear that kind of change. I think it makes me wiser.
I was never a JW either, by the way.
jgnat I've mentioned before I'm sticking around and I will. I'm not deffending the JW's or minimizing what harm they've done to some people here in this forum I can only imagine the emotional turmoil they have to go through, all I'm saying is there WIll be consequences for the JW's. The purpose of me initiating this thread was to understand some comments on behalf of some people here. I'm not excusing the JW's, but again, there are some people who are sincere (I've read some of your own posting here about that) and abide by what they've learned regardless of it being the truth or not. I symphatize with those going through emotional distress due to it, but there are some happy people. I do coincide with an earlier posting, if it is the truth then it will hold to scrutiny so your free to do as you please and express yourselves as you wish, all I was trying to do is understand. I have faith in the Lord and in due time everything will fall in place. So is there one true religion? Which one is it? How do you know it is THE ONE?
urstruly -
Welcome to the forum.
Your comments make it seem as though you are unaware of the mind control tactics that make many people stay witnesses all thier lives.
Much of the anger that is being revealed here is toward the manipuation of the organization, the visciousness with which it denegrates those who do choose to leave at some point, the fact that many of us have lost our entire family, all our friendships and social structure, over having made a conscience choice to leave the religion. Some have anger issues due to the loss of loved ones who chose to be 'martyrs for the watchtower' by refusing blood, or organ transplants. Some of us are pissed that we were manipulated into telling others lies and misrepresenting the Bible at thousands of doors in our ministry. Some have rejected education, homes, jobs, marriage, children, grandchildren, travel, sports, etc, over the supposed 'theocratic lifestyle'. Yet others were excommunicated due to having been the victims of child rapist being protected by the bylaws of this religion. Victimizing the victims yet further. Some of us have known loved ones and friends who committed suicide over the guilt and shame that is heaped on those who dare to be human within this ungodly lot.
None of these tremendous pains and agony come out of normal religions. In those religions people are allowed, yes even expected, to think, and decide for themselves. Good witnesses gave that up to serve God and his Faithful slave. Many, perhaps most, did not break off from the religion earlier due to the intense pain that comes to those who do so.
If you are unable to grasp the human toll taken by such high control religious cults, perhaps you are in the wrong place.
Go away to a forum that you can grasp, and leave those trying to heal from the destructive sectarian cult of Jehovah's witnesses alone here. Wlak in someone else's moccasins before you speak.
Jeff [of the class of those unable today to put up with those who mock the bloodied and broken]
Edited to add: By the time I posted this I see in the post directly before this one, that you seem to have softened the tone of your rhetoric. I had only read your initial post when replying. To the extent that you begin to grasp the depth and length and breadth of destruction wrought by this book publishing house pretending to be a religion, to that extent I mollify my anger expressed above. Sincerly. Jeff
Jeff, what part of I symphatize did you not understand?
I must repeat this again, your all entitled to your opinion as well as I am. It's a free world and so is this forum so I can stay as long as I want to.
I do appreciate you sticking it out here, urstruly. You do understand that if you start a thread with "Many Questions", you are going to get many responses.
Is your main thrust is that you want to understand why people would actively express their opposition, why they don't wait for divine justice?
As for THE ONE, I prefer to look at the world as ALL IN ONE. The bible does say that the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills. More and more I view it ALL as belonging to Him. I've debated this subject many times with my JW husband. Just this past Sunday we were taking a drive, and I asked him, "Which tree is the right tree? Is it the spruce there, the pine, maple, birch, aspen? Why would God create so much variety if there was only ONE RIGHT TREE?"
jgnat, so what then? where do you turn or to whom? why?
urstruly, why does it have to be ONE to turn to or just ONE religion to guide us to...... to what?
Couldn't we take a lesson from jgnat's trees -- they're not fighting each other for space or water, they're not trying to outgrow or outlive each other, or inflicting harm on the other trees. All those varieties' needs are unique to themselves, yet they're living and growing together in harmony for the good of the entire earth.
willow
