I appreciate your perspective, GodIsRight. Let's discuss "what the Bible really says."
If you were a JW for any length of time, you know that--as compared with the great majority of those who claim to be Christian--these people both read and can quote from the Bible pretty well. When you are JW, you are saying the same thing...
If only people would just read the Bible! Then they'd find out what it really says! Tsk tsk tsk...
When you see demonstrations during the Service Meeting or are with JWs at the door, and a question arises, often you hear something like this...
Well, yes, many people have said that before. There are certainly many viewpoints on this subject. But have you ever stopped to consider what God's Word the Bible says on this matter?
The tone of voice is usually friendly--if not a bit condescending--but ultimately it is a rather arrogant belief that we as JWs had, namely:
Those poor people out there, under the influence of their blind guide pastors and priests, believing all sorts of God-dishonoring doctrines. If they would only study the Bible. My, my, my...
The basic appeal made by JWs is a bit less "emotional" and actually rather "rational," if you think about it. They don't engage in the "gifts of the spirit," they don't make emotionally-charged testimonies after which people run up before the congregation and declare their having been "saved." Usually they start reasoning from the scriptures with people about things like the Trinity, Immortality of the Soul, Eternal Torment in Hellfire, etc.
Don't get me wrong. You and I both know JWs teach a "different doctrine," and there are lots of messed up teachings. I'm just explaining that JWs really believe they're studying the Bible.
Now we know that the idea of reading Watchtower paragraphs, asking printed questions provided by the WTS itself, and practically reading back the answers from the magazine cannot fairly be called Bible study. But when you're doing it, it sure seems like Bible study. Furthermore there are lots and lots of JWs who engage in personal Bible reading and study. Often, after doing so, what they read seems to conform to what they're being told at JW meetings.
Just as we recognize that JW Bible teachings are flawed, we must also recognize that other sincere Bible readers have been wrong in their understanding of the Bible too. I don't believe that JWs "just need to really study the Bible" and the logic will be enough to overcome their mental captivity to the WTS. There are reasons why they continue to believe what they do, and why they fear considering outside information.
And those reasons, I submit, come from the WTS itself. They warn, threaten and inspire fear that opening their mind to anything else will be a foolish and destructive path to Armageddon. And if that doesn't work, they attack you with the draconian practice of enforced shunning.
Congratulations on being a more rational person than most. For many of us it was a long, hard road to mental freedom.
