I know alot has been said, but...

by Lot 10 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Lot

  I know that much has been said about the 3-15-06 WT study article on false religion, but I wanted to add my two cents because of the way that it affects my situation.

  I realized a long time ago that this wasn't the "truth", but I only allowed myself to acknowledge this fact two years ago. Since then I have been trying to figure out what that realization meant for my faith in God and religion. I have more answers now than I did two years ago, but my search for meaning and understanding continues and probably will for the rest of my life. I'm not trying to find something to replace the "truth" with; I'm just looking for some calmness within. This has not been an easy process since my wife still feels that Jehovah's Witnesses are the only true religion, but she is coming to grips with my situation and we are moving forward.

  I recently joined a Presbyterian church, not because of the denomination itself, but because of the pastor. He takes a practical and rational approach to the Bible and to faith that speaks to my condition. I go every Sunday to the church and attend the meetings at the hall with my wife on the week nights. I know this will sound crazy to some, but I do this for my wife; it helps her as she tries to adjust. I also have many close friends at the hall that I still enjoy seeing. Of course, no one at the hall knows of my association with "Babylon the Great" and I hope they don't find out until my wife has had more time to adjust, but I take things as they come. That brings me to this study article.

  I won't go into details about all of the misrepresentations as they have been covered by others. One that I will mention that really stinks is found in paragraph 11. It says in part that true Christians i.e. Jehovah's Witnesses avoid exposure to religious literature that promotes lies about God and his word. Where does that leave the Watchtower itself that has always, and still does, quote from Christendom's scholars when it wants to try and give some validity to some point being made? The hypocrisy is incredible.

  What is so troubling to me is that when this article is considered at the end of April, my wife will be sitting there and will be crying her eyes out at the fact that her husband is like " the dog that has returned to its own vomit". She can't help but feel that I have turned my back on God and am destined for destruction. A very hard thing to feel when you love someone and think that they are going to be destroyed by God. Needless to say, I am already planning a trip for that weekend to spare her that. I know that she will, of course, have already read the article and that it doesn't say anything new, but for her the point is driven home when an article is studied at the meeting. She is a very emotional person and I love her very much.

  I'm sorry for the rant and the venting, but I really needed to this time and I appreciate having a place to do so. This board has been a real encouragement to me for the last year and more.

  Thanks again,

  Lot
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  james_woods

  My father left the witnesses at the sime time I did. (1980) He pretty much became a non-attending Presbyterian, where I just became a secular non-religious type. He was comfortable with the Presbyterians because that is where they went before the watchtower.

  When he was getting pretty close to passing away in 2003, he asked me to go down to the Presbyterian church and talk to the minister to arrange the ceremony. I not only did this but also slipped into their Sunday services a couple of times just to see what they were all about. Their pastor saw me privately and was really a nice guy. Listened to our exJW story and did not try to force me in any way. He just wanted to help out our family. Nothing about it gave me the creeps at all. I just don't feel the need for more religion now after the time at the khalls.

  If I don't miss my guess, your wife probably already knows where you are going on Sunday. If your minister is anything like my dad's, this may be an important source for help as your family situation develops. I would discuss it with him yourself ASAP - probably you will know when the time comes to go further. As you say, she has a high emotional content, so she may be able to see the difference between a congregation of people being forced to do things versus one which has an free sense of themselves.

  PM if you wish, James
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  Lot

  Hi James,

  I appreciate your thoughts. My pastor (I feel so strange saying that) has been a big help to me in my transition and I have discussed my family situation with him on several occasions. To clarify a point, my wife knows that I go to a church. That is why I feel so strongly about the study article in the 3-15 issue of the WT. To say I don't believe that the Witnesses have the "truth" anymore is one thing to her, but to then go and attend another church is another thing altogether. That has been the hardest thing for her to cope with.

  Thanks,

  Lot
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  greendawn

  "religious literature that lies about God and His word" that's the pot calling the kettle black, if there is someone that lied and twisted the Bible and God's real character that is the WTS. They may even say "Oh but we make mistakes being human" why don't they allow the same for others?
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  SallySue

  All my life as a JW I was taught that other religions never used the name Jehovah. The very first time I went to a Baptist Church, the Pastor used the name Jehovah all through the sermon. What an eye opening experience for me. Made me realize the organization lied about so many other things.
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  LDH

  my wife will be sitting there and will be crying her eyes out at the fact that her husband is like " the dog that has returned to its own vomit". She can't help but feel that I have turned my back on God and am destined for destruction.

  I'm sorry Lot, this sucks. For a few years after I moved to CA my husband and I decided to let (my) daughter spend summers with my JW parents. Until she called and wrote letters asking me to 'please not die at Armageddon.' We had to make it clear that if we heard ANYTHING like that again she would not be visiting again.

  You're married so you can't exactly do that. The one thing that might wake her up is if you are truly happy in your worship at church. No one leaves the hall feeling truly happy.
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  peacefulpete

  Even though it has been a few years gone by now whenever i read stories like yours from newly exiting folks I instantly transport back to those dark days when my wife and I were similarly divided over these issues. I was drawn to a humanist perspective from the beginning so didn' treally feel any pull to attend other churches. I did and occassionally do, however go for sociological perspective. I was floored the first time when I heard the priest openly recognizing the OT stories as legends and allegory. Noone in the audience of 500+ raised an eyebrow or walked out. He was also a kind man and gave me better than an hour to chew the fat about the Bible and belief. We parted with a handshake dispite our coming to different opinions about the value of religion. I went to an Assembly of God church where the pastor announced that one of the assistant pastors had left to form his own nondenominational church, to my shock he prayed for his blessing rather than railing him an apostate doomed for Hell. People and their differences are interesting, from a distance. When the pain of ideological difference comes home nothing can make it go away. For what its worth, our marriage was save in the 10th inning by my wife (we had separated) disclosing her having secretly harbored doubts for years and wanting to hear my reasons. I tell you that to remind you that as long as you keep talking in a kind way and make yourself emotionally accessible there is hope.
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  Honesty

  All my life as a JW I was taught that other religions never used the name Jehovah. The very first time I went to a Baptist Church, the Pastor used the name Jehovah all through the sermon. What an eye opening experience for me. Made me realize the organization lied about so many other things.

  Same thing happened to me the first time I went to a real church since the age of 4. They sang a song that had 'Jehovah' in the title, too. Within 20 minutes I knew how much the Jehovah's Witnessses have been lied to by past Watchtower presidents and the Governing Body.
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  Sheepish

  Lot, I tried to tell my mom that I was not leaving Jehovah. I was not turning my back on God. Just didn't believe the Witnesses had the exclusive truth, & she had always taught me to stand up for what I belived in didn't she?!

  My husband remarked that JWs are so adamant about saying they are "in the truth" when the Bible teaches having "the truth in us"! Big difference.

  My heart goes out to you. Rough times. Hang in there, it will be better for both of you in the long run.It is a very heart wrenching thing to consider you have been deceived & poured your life into it.But there is a future ahead for you guys.
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  Hawkeye

  Hi Lot,

  I can kind of relate to your story, only my story is opposite. I went into the WTS alone, without my husband. He HATED me being a JW. We had horrible fights and my poor girls were stuck in the middle. It took me ten years of major opposition and finally seeing JW's for what they really are. Now, I feel so unified with my family for the first time in over 10 years.

  Be patient with your wife, and if you can show her a little at a time some of the things that the watchtower itself has bungled, (false prophesies, etc.) maybe she too will see the real light!