MIND IN OVERLOAD

by Broken Hearted 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Broken Hearted

  For a week now I have been on this sight, The Watch Tower sight, Reading 3 diffrent Translations of the bible ( KJ, NWT, and New American Standard,) Would have a 4th translation If I could read Greek because I also have a Greek New Testament. I have also been in long conversations with the Guy that is a JW and find myself Overwhelmed. I am getting addicted to all this and the research. I feel like I am going in all kinds of directions and needing structure. I feel at a dissavantage because I don't have access to the books and publications from the WTS, I am not looking to tear down this religion, just trying to understand. I was accused of looking for the negative, by being on this sight, I don't really think that is what I am doing just trying to get understanding of something I have never been exposed to and was raise to fear.

  I know I have gotten a lot of help here, and can't express the thanks. I know this journey in my life right now is going to be like climbing a huge mountain and not having the proper equipment I might fall and get hurt.

  I will say a postive thing I have found out about the JW religion, though people are complaining about it, They do make you study and learn more about what they tell you that you believe, They know their scriputre and thier history. While I was raised in the church I will confess that I am relying on memory of what I was taught in Sunday School or what the service was about. I have never gotten in and studied it for myself. I was considered a trouble maker as a teen in the church, I would always think out side the box and question things, and when I would ask what about this, I was told that the Bible was ordained by God and that I should just accept what was written. That we would have all the answers after the Rapture. I instead of doing more research on my own shyed away from it.

  I feel I am vunerable becasue I have not been in a church in 10 years regularly, ( many reasons and you can read some of why on this post I did here http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/111074/2.ashx) . And I am not where I need to be spiritually and have blamed God for some of the devasting things tha has happened in my life over the last 4 years. (Daughter that is needing a double lung transplant) I also have a mother that would sit and preach at me about faith and trusting God yet I did not see the fruits of it in her life, or judging me when clearly the bible says that we are not to sit in judgment that is for God to do, oh and by the way speaking of that is that not what the elders are doing, when they DF someone? My jw guy has tried explaining this DF thing and he is getting frustrated because I don't see it has a healthy thing. ( By the way he has been DF once himself ) He has suggested I call my local kingdom hall to get the answers maybe they could explain it better. Told him was not doing that, then I asked him if his elder father would be able to explain it a better way.

  Guess I am looking for suggestions on how to not be negative on this research . I realize that there is a lot of hurt here, and rightfully so from what I am reading . How do I answer those type of questions about where I am getting my information and that the people feeding me the lies are people who refuse to listen.

  Another Question why does a JW when answering a question always have to use and anology to get their point across and not just answer the question at hand?

  Okay guess I have vented enough this morning. See what I mean about being all over the place and my mind in overload?
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  carla

  They know their scriputre and thier history.---The more you learn about jw's the more you will find this statement false.

  Sounds to me like you should be careful if what they are saying makes any sense at al to you. Be careful not to get sucked in. It is a problem if you don't fully understand why you believe what you do. Study the bible to be able to defend your faith. As someone once told me, 'banks do not have cashiers study counterfeit money, they study the real thing so they know the difference when they see it'.

  For example if you are discussing shunning, (if you can keep them on topic) you may want to study what the bible actually says on the issue. Then look to outside sources and see why it is unbiblical or not. The research can be overwhelming. Good luck to you.
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  Sunnygal41

  Welcome, hon. You are certainly in a state of transition, that is for sure, and sometimes the inrush of energy can be overwhelming, when we reach a point in our lives where we want to live our own life, authentically, from our heart. My own moment came almost 8 years ago, when everything I had been taught was brought into question. You are in a good place by coming here, as there are many people who are in various states of spiritual transition here. Some were Jehovah's Witnesses. Some never were. Some left and some are still in. To me, this is a very fertile environment for your search. Feel free to ask questions freely.

  Hugs,

  Terri
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  looking_glass

  Another Question why does a JW when answering a question always have to use and anology to get their point across and not just answer the question at hand?

  Answer - One - because they think most people are not smart enough to get a straight answer. Or alternatively, a second reason maybe, an anology is not a straight answer, so if they give you something you have to pounder, then most likely they will not have to answer your question at all. Some times the stock answer they are suppose to give, they don't understand and cannot defend it or they may not agree with it. If they give an anology, they can hand it over to you and walk away as you are thinking about their response.
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  bikerchic

  Keep researching the JW's and you'll come to your own conclusions about them and what the religion cult is all about.

  a postive thing I have found out about the JW religion, though people are complaining about it, They do make you study and learn more about what they tell you that you believe, They know their scriputre and thier history.

  They only know what the GB wants them to know! They are only allowed to study WT™ approved material and any research beyond this is considered to be Apostate! High control group aka; cult! Don't let them fool you they are told they have all the answers within their own translation of the Bible and so they have the attitude that they are right and you are wrong, it's all bogus like a shell game.

  Another Question why does a JW when answering a question always have to use and anology to get their point across and not just answer the question at hand?

  Diversion, if you really pay attention you'll realize they never answered the question at hand they just skirted it much like a politician does. Circular reasoning! You'll do better to not ask them questions and find your own answers, just MHO.

  or judging me when clearly the bible says that we are not to sit in judgment that is for God to do, ; ; oh and by the way speaking of that is that not what the elders are doing, when they DF someone? ; My jw guy has tried explaining this DF thing and he is getting frustrated because I ; don't see it has a healthy thing. ;( By the way he has been DF once himself ;) He has suggested I call my local ;kingdom hall to get the answers maybe they could explain it better. ; Told him was not doing that, then I asked him if his elder father would be able to explain it a better way. ;

  As long as he's been a JW he should be able to explain a simple policy like the DFing one. It's not scriptural and they have a hard time making it sound so to outsiders, you kinda have to live it to believe it it's all a part of the cult environment. I would run from him, you've already wasted a lot of time trying to understand and frankly Hun when you get all done the result will be the same, you'll not believe the JW way, you'll not stay with your guy.......cut to the chase you are way smarter than this!

  If I were you I would be spending my time hugging and playing with your precious daughter instead of trying to make sense of a crazy cult!

  I wish you well and much luck!
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  lovelylil

  Broken hearted,

  JWs do not know the bible and history at all. All they know is the WTs version of the bible and history. You have to read the bible in its context to really understand it. And one thing I have learned that I did wrong in the beginning with the Witnesses is that I did not check any facts from sources OUTSIDE the organization. They will only give you their books which are biased to prove their version of events. Something else my husband found out after we left is that whenever they re-issue a new CD ROMM for the computer (WT library on CD), they delete many of the past WT and Awake articles because they have changed doctrines many times. For some years, whole months of articles are missing. They then revise their history in the Proclaimers Book to show something different.

  Please remember that as far as teaching others, their material is biased and they practice all the time so it does seem like they know what they are talking about. But, if you take any scripture they give and read the whole chapter, you will see that it was written for a specific reason and audience and that the JWs are twisting it to mean something else. Also they have changed over 200 verses in their bible in the NT. The NWT is totally biased and was only written because no other bible backs up the JW teachings.

  I cannot stress enough that you have to check everything. Do not study any books with them. Read the New Testament on its own and you will get a good basic understanding of early Christianity. While they may teach some things that are true, you will find the same in all religions. But in the WT you will be totally enslaved to it. You have to report time cards to elders telling them what you are doing in the Ministry right down to how many hours, magazines given out, and bible studies you have. You will also have more laws prohibiting what you can do, than the Jews had in the Mosaic Law. Ask them to tell you what you will not be able to celebrate anymore and see if they are honest. Please be careful. I will be praying for you.
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  Broken Hearted

  If I were you I would be spending my time hugging and playing with your precious daughter instead of trying to make sense of a crazy culI a

  Well see there was this nasty divorce, and well I get my children every other week( which I fought for he wanted full custody i asked for shared and won) so I have extra time ( not really but get depressed being alone). My 18 year old has chosen to not live with me anymore, because I won't let her tell me how to raise my other children like her father and his girlfriend does.
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  peacefulpete

  
  
  Your'e description of your circumstances would have made my mouth water as a JW. You are ripe for ''love bombing", that is the soft sweet words and feigned friendship that are likely coming your way and "hungry" for promises of better times ahead. The real reason people join the JWs is because they feel they have found a community that cares about them and they like the sound of a miraculous transformation of the world into a paradise. The so-caled study they do is in reality both a programmed indoctrination and a superficial mental rationalization. It makes the leap to acceptance of superstition and utopian pipe dreams easier if we can convince ourselves that we "did the research". In modern society there is at least some need to believe that what we are doing is scientific or logical. All religions/cults are forced to argue for the reasonablness of their beliefs no matter how bizarre. The WTS has 100 years experience building what appears to newly converted to be a cohesive thread of logic for its teachings. In reality the loose ends and inconsistancies are dismissed or spun. The use of "proof texts" to build a construct never dreamt of by the authors of the often contradicting works of the Bible is hardly unique to the JWs, but they have it down to an art.
  

  Step away for a second and ask yourself if you really want to be part of an organization that divides families, disparages efforts to help the poor or save the environment, and wishes for the deaths of 99.9% of the world's people. Now to be sure most every Jw is deep down divided about these issues but are yet under the spell of the whole psychological package to agree with it when pressed.
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  Honesty

  You can download the WATCHTOWER cd-rom here and see for yourself how whacked out their beliefs are:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/108735/1.ashx

  Of special interest is the article that shows where JW's put their faith:

  ***

  w79 3/1 p. 12 Faith in Jehovah’s Victorious Organization ***

  Make sure you are firm inyour faith before agreeing to discussing anything with the JW's because they have drawn thousands of people away from Christianity who were not well grounded in their faith in Jesus.
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  jw

  Click here: Online Greek Translator: Translate Greek words, sentences into English. Greek translation software.