by R.F. 64 Replies latest watchtower bible
So your still an active JW? Are you on a fade?
I have called to question some of the doctrinal points such as the "other sheep", "great crowd", and the earthly paradise. It's really been eating away at me since the paradise earth has always supposed to been my hope, yet I find the explanation by the organization just hasn't been quite supported enough by scripture for me. I plan on doing thorough investigations on these points and many others that have caused me concern.
Hi RF sure are glad you decided to post. Many of us were where you are right now, except for many of leaving was many, many years down the line. I
left due to my three girls. I wanted them to experience life, have an education, not be treated as unequals to men. I can now say they are all college educated, kind, compassionate young adults like you. Keep coming back RF, it takes alot of courage to post, and be willing to look into your questions.
Leslie
Welcome to JWD.
I am so happy to see another JW THINKING!!! I was D/F for not believing Jesus came invisably in 1914... After making 10 people JW's ,after serving them for 25 years
Continue to pray! search,dont tell to much of the lies your finding-before you are sure your family will not give you the left foot of fellowship.
Because the WT WILL tell all >>>your evil,if you THINK!!!
God Bless
Thanks Leslie, and thanks to the rest of you as well.
I'd have to say another thing that has deeply disturbed me was the fact that Jesus said that love was to be the identifying factor of his disciples, yet I have seen some hateful things done. For instance my mother who is an unbaptized publisher has very strong health problems and works and she really tries her best to get to the meetings and service, yet you have the gossipers that says that she can do more and that she's lazy instead of them showing genuine care or really trying to help her. Also, it seems like as soon as I was appointed an MS that alot of negative talk has been geared toward me, also rumors that my fiancee and I are at her home alone sometimes which isn't true by a long shot. Then they say i'm "slowing down spiritually" just because my circumstances have changed a bit and I can't work with the field service groups as much during the week, I have to do alot of my time alone, which leads to another problem of others implying that i'm not getting all of the pioneer hours! Yet at the same time no one has been offering to work in the ministry with me or help me get my time. The fellow pioneers don't even offer any help. It's just been one big headache lately. How dare sometime question my spirituality!
I'm definitely going to keep closed-mouthed. I truly know if I leave that my mother wouldn't shun me. She kept being friends with a sister that was DF'd some years back. My father has been baptized for 20 years and i'm not too sure about how he would react. I really don't have but 2 in the congregation that i'm pretty close to not including my fiancee. But as mentioned earlier I don't plan on leaving at this time. I'm going to investigate things very thoroughly.
I'm 22 years old and a ministerial servant and pioneer in my congregation. I'm not really here to knock the organization, but I must admit that there are some things(ex. doctrinal points, congregational problems) that have concerned me as of late that I just can't bring myself to overlook.
Welcome to JWD R.F. Yep, many of us started out the same way: We weren't trying to be 'rebellious', but were simply using the brain God gave us and we realized "hey, that doesn't make any sense." There's nothing wrong with that, especially as we were always told "make sure of all things."
I'm defintely not trying to leave the organization or anything but as you all know the immediate consequences of me voicing my feelings to ones in the congregation, I feel I need to voice this and that can do so here. My fiancee has revealed to me some of her concerns as well, but their not to the extent as mine, and I haven't revealed some of my heavy concerns to her.
Actually, the fact that you both are having doubts could save you alot of misery down the line. Just take it slow. It's very difficult when you come to the realization that much of "the Truth" might not be the truth after all. I hope you continue to post here. And whatever you do: get an education now while you're young. I'm getting mine, but I should have done it 20 years ago. For obvious reasons, I didn't. All the best to you and your fiancee and hope to see you around.
Whatever you do, do it slowly....think out all the consequences. Do you have family who are "strong" in the truth? They can come down on you harder than you can believe just for expressing a few doubts especially if they see you are not as active as you once were. I wish you well.....
My dad is the only one baptized but he's not known as being "strong in the truth." But he's one of those grey areas that i'm not sure of, and as in a previous post was stated, my mom definitely wouldn't look down on me. She was still close to a sister that was DF'd some time ago so I know she wouldn't shun. They're my only family that has ties to JWs. But i'm definitely taking things slow and carefully.
RF for me I began to question the life of Jesus. Why in the JW religion is his life and example very seldom mentioned, and yet we are to be examples of him. His life was motivated by the love of others, yet at the KH all you ever heard is about the God of the old testment, God that is jealous, God of justice etc. Fear is the number one means of control.
All the things that you hear that you should not do Jesus did. He ate with tax collector's, prostitutes, Samaritians - Not Jews....In JW lingo Samaritians would equal those not JW's. And yet you are told to only associate with JW's. When he was questioned why he ate with the likes of these folks, Jesus said I go to the sick not those that are healthy. He showed love and compassion to those ill, in the JW world like your mom, if you don't live up to their way of thinking you are shunned, talked about, questions are always raised about your spirituality etc. Many times certain people can never do enough, and are made to feel like failures.
I also was married for many years to a JW elder. My children's father is still a local pioneer elder in a KH near me. I also pioneered, special pioneered for over 10 years. I know your dilemna. Take it slow, do some research on your own. No one here is going to push you to leave. Leaving is a process, do it smart if that is your desire, and if not we are still here for you.
Leslie
Welcome and great to have your post.
I have come to realize that I won't loose God's favor because of wanting to be absolutely sure that i'm worshipping Him in the way that He wants me to.
This is very true. The Watchtower May 1 1958 p.261 Is Your Religion the Right One? states “It is important, then, that you "keep testing whether you are in the faith," as Paul declared. Keep checking to see whether the things you believe are in keeping with God's Word. But the question is, Are you willing to put your religion through such a test? There is nothing to fear, because if you have the right religion you can only be reassured by the examination. And if what you believe is not in keeping with the Bible, then you should welcome the truth, because it leads to light and life.”
Doctrine is not always the place to start on the road to truth as doctrine can be argued endlessly without results. Have you ever noticed that you can have a long and indepth discussion on the Trinty with a Pentecostal and they never change what they believe, just as you never become convinced of the trinity. People with convictions are hard to change.
The important place to start is whether the WTS is directed by Jehovah.
If there was no Slave before Russell and the GB do not provide correct doctrine as guided by Holy Spirit you may find you are then able to reason on doctrine more openmindedly. At that stage you will not be researching to justify that the Witness doctrine is correct, but to see what really is truth. It is quite a mind shift, though it certainly sounds you are already well along that path. I just entered Bethel when I was 22 and quickly saw it as nothing by a company run by quite average men. Unfortunately fear kept me from leaving for anothe 15 years. How I miss those years now.
