by Martini 105 Replies latest jw friends
Martini,
I know you know what you are going to have to do for your sanity. What you are waiting for is the strength to do it.
You know!
Ask yourself : Who holds your family's love hostage unless you do their bidding?
Dealing with spiritual Terrorism accomplishes nothing.
Are you free?
Who made you free?
Are you a slave?
Who made you a slave?
You owe NO MAN any loyalty but yourself.
It is the Truth that sets us FREE; not that binds us and bonds us.
You can do it.
I my self am not very old or very experienced. I am till in High School. I have just out of curiosity started to read this and probably will nevr post again...
It all started with my Friend, that assists (sorry for my horible spalling) another kingdom hall, was called to attentio by the alders at his KH for using fireworks on his last vacation, and decided to look it up, and ended up in this forum reading this article. I understand what some of you mean and feel. I my self am son of an alder, and find my self bord at the meeting. But have realized that it is my fault. We are tested daily at school, work(for those of us who work), at social gathering, and almost any place you go. Satan uses our weeknesses against us. He is very smart, andhas been suceessfull with many of our brothers. One thing will keep us the the truth... I have come to realize that most of us dont have it. Mainly young people (specialy those of us who have grown up in the truth). Its Fear, respect, and faith for Jehova God.
I know that none of the people (humans) are perfect. MOST of us "JWs" at one point or another have faith in what we do, and that the organization is "THE TRUTH". Some of us fell bored and or overwalmed by our Responsabilities in the congragation, others just dont want to live under the supposably "strict rules". And if they are "strict", then so be it. But remember that they are for our own protection. What some of us forget is why they are there and their perposes. Other juat want to know how it is to be in the "world". See, i dont consider myslef to be a spiritual brother, but am trying to work on it. I know that usualy if you are born in the truth, you are forces by family members and our spiritual family into getting bouptised. I myself was to young and prefer to have done it later.
Some of my Friend, most of whome where born in the truth, decieded to "explore" and have got into truble. The bible tell us what to do, and most of us try at some point or another. But what i have seen through my own experience and my friends, is that we usualy get bord, or as mentioned here "neutral", mainly of the "routine". Going to the meeting 3 times a week and to service along with work and or school is hard for most of us. We begin to think that we are machines, which do the same thing over an over again. Let me enlighten you a little bit, if you think that sounds like a constand anoying routine, think of this:
Get it yet? There are thing that we have to do. Yet some of us(including me at some point) belive or have believed that our assitance to the meetngs is irevalent. Some of us which have been born or brought up in the truth have been seen what it is realy like outhere, and like little kinds feel like exploring. The WT advaises us not to, for example, chatting on the internet(including furums like this). Why? we may ask ourselves... The reason is because it is very easy (specialy for those week spiritualy week) to get influenced. It is a way people and those wanting JW to get out of the truth to get to us. to make us dought(i am a horrible speller) of our faith. As seen in this forum, even ealders leave the truth, for a some reason or another.
Since none of us are perfect, nothing we make or do is eather. My father, which is an ealder at the KH i go to, is very knowledgable yet i am not. Most of what i know is becouse i wanted to know. and i think most of us are like that, we learn only what we like and want to learn. A lot of us apply what we want to, and disregard what the bible says. Which should not exsist in the organisation, but it douse. If we follow what the bible says we will like a better life. We dont find everything the that the society shows us in the bible. That only shows us our capasity to understand the bible. What we have to try to comprehend is that it was writen in different languages, such as hebrew which is more complicated that spanish and hard to translate appropietly. That is why our bible is "edited". Many of the early translator did not translate the bible correctly, mainly due to the difference in cultures. For example, the spanish language in mexico is different that in spain, cuba, colombia, argentina and most other spanish speeking or Latin American countries, which is due to different cultures. Another reason is because is because the time it was writen in. Imagine, if the bible was writen with excatly what would have happend in the future(now and futher in the future), can you imagine de disaster? For example, i was not around in the 70s, but what happend with many brothers and those who are disapointed and left the organization is an example of why it douse not say everything directly. See many brothers thought, well the world as we know it will end in 1975, we still have a few years so we can... and did many things such as:
Basicly a disaster. What Jehova God wants is his subjects to be loyal. He douse not demand it. Its either you are loyal or not, distruction or eternal life. For example when Jesus(son of God), before his death proficied that when the Roman Army would surround the city(Jerusalem) but would leave but would later come back, which would give the inhabitants a chance to flee. The one who fleed the city(the faithfull ones) did not see the Roman Army come back(they waited a while) and some that where faithfull lost their faith or got tired of waiting, went back to the city(Jerusalem), and when the Roman Army came back, they where destroyed along with they others. Of corse the one who servived were enslaved. That is one of the many inderect warnings from that the bible has. To stay alert, to have faith. Remember Jehova wants what is good for us but lets us choose what we will do. The WT helps us to understand the bible. Those who have studied with or been part of the organization usualy dont go to other religions. The knowledge they have adquired threw the organization, lead by the WT, douse not allow many of who have left to attand other religions.
That is all i am writing for now... i may come back to see what you have to say about this and comment some more, but think about it... He created us(Jehova God), told us what to do and gave us the ability to chose. Throgh the bible instruct us what to do to live a better life and win eternal life. Oh, i almost forgot, to whomever felt that in the millenium we would have to farm and garden. think beyond that. You, along with everyone alse on earth is inperfect, and most of us dont see the bigger picture. Of Perfection under a Perfect rule. You will not care of what you have to do(farm). And those of us in dought have to remember what when we got baptized we died and where reborn(to those who dont understand, its a metaphore) and accepted to serve our creator and God, Jehova, and he will help us (if we want to be helped, but remember not in sports and things like that, but spiritualy. And to those who are not baptised and want to his help spiritualy, he will help you). Anyways, i have to go now. I hope this helps all those in need. And if i offended anyone, i am sorry. Have a good day (whenever you read this becouse so far its 4 years almost 5)
I just wanted to bump this because it is now January 2005 and I figure it is about time!!
And welcome Anderson! Perhaps you are still here? Nice first post! I am sorry people didn't see it...but better late than never!
Destruction or eternal life? I'm not holding my breath for either.
Mr Martini,
One question, How can a person, with easy accsess to valid documented, verifiable information (you are obviously "online")
Remain a Jehovahs Witness?
Regards.
I don't know if you noticed this or not, but Martini started this thread 5 yrs ago.
Welcome to the forum though, Celticboy. Are you an ex-jw?
Hello rebel8,
no sir, i am not ex JW or ever have been, i have had, in my life , good reason to take an intrest though be assured.
Feel a little bit stupid, stumbling into such a long running thread, with maybe not within context a valid post.
I am just a baby here, im afraid !
Moral Neutrality is an abdication of moral responsibility.
In a group each person is secretly watching the other person. To remain silent is to represent your agreement to others who cannot read your thoughts. The signal is that they are the only ones with doubts and questions.
This "live and let live" policy of yours is, please excuse me, nothing short of cowardice.
How did the Nazi's come to power except through the silence of "good" people who kept silent hoping it would all pass over and get better?
Indiscriminate tolerance and indiscriminate condemnation are not two opposites: the are two variants of the same evasion.
To judge the Jehovah's Witness doctrine you have to have a way of measuring it. By its very own standard, the Bible, it stands condemned as a False Prophet. What more is needed? How about its social harms? The members cannot have healthy lives of free choice in regards to anything personal. That is slavery. The ability to provide for oneself and one's family is hampered and constricted. The means of getting an honest education is strangled and discouraged. The very hours of the day are filled with worthless memorizing of slogans and attitudes that cause one to view the rest of the human race with fear and opposition.
These are not harmless principles to stand against~!
Remember, you do not stand blameless when you hang your head and go along with the group. There are sides to an issue and you are on one side or the other. There is NO DEFAULT position of NEUTRALITY. It is an illusion. What you do not stand against you nod in assent to and the madness continues unabated.
A man's moral character, like a group's moral character are judeged by ACTIONS and not attitudes.
The religious member of Jehovah's Witnesses, like the group, ACTIVELY tries to change the lives of every man, woman and child on Earth. Those changes are destructive but, presented as benevolent.
The true purpose of a JW is to put people under the mind control of the Governing Body in Brooklyn NY so that feckless propaganda can be sold from door to door. Period. It is like an Avon product or a Shaklee franchise.
It takes courage to speak the actual truth. The phoney TRUTH of JW's is a stain on humanity because it is founded on lies and bold statements of authority which have no basis in fact. The Jehovah's Witnesses are peddling MEN'S OPINIONS and passing them off as directions from God Almighty to the exclusion of any other opinion. When these opinions are constantly proved WRONG they shrug it off as though God were wrong and they were merely being good sports by going along with His nonsense.
Break the illusion of conformity by standing up for what is rational, true, fair, moral and just.
Stand up and be counted.
Ask your questions with an honest character and watch how fairly (or not!) you are treated. You will set an example that may lead others to personal freedom.
Your mind is your property. Your life is yours to construct. You are only an individual IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO BECOME ONE. Else, you are one ant laboring in a hill for crumbs.
I wish you well.
Terry
Feel a little bit stupid, stumbling into such a long running thread, with maybe not within context a valid post.
Sorry Celtie, I wasn't intending to embarass you. Often people read old threads and don't realize they're old. Just wanted to point out that Martini is probably long gone, probably out in field service right about now, LOL!
It is curious how people can ignore obvious evidence. That's true brainwashing!
Unhappy either way, it seems. Difficult one.
I spent two years leading a double life before I left the witnesses and it tore me apart. My mental condition has not been the same since. I wish I could advise, but either way will be heart-wrenching. My thoughts and feelings go out to you, but you have to make a decision - IN or OUT, there is no in-between.
