Destroying One's Faith

by Sunspot 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Sunspot

  The JWs are always grumbling that former JWs are trying to "destroy their faith" and that they have nothing nice to say about the men who write for the Watchtower OR their peculiar teachings.

  But then---JWs go to people's homes and try to convince them that they should stop:

  praising Jesus,

  celebrating or honoring their Lord and Savior on His resurrection or on His birth,

  and should not be born again as the scriptures indicate,

  and should not have a personal relationship with Him,

  do not believe the Holy Spirit dwells within them,

  or that Christians should volunteer their time to care for the needs of the poor in their communities.

  Thinking on this, I have to wonder just exactly WHO is trying to destroy WHOSE faith?
• 

  patientbrother

  I know how strongly you feel, I felt it out in service last week, talking to a man in our area named Andrew, he was from back east and missed his baptist church, the elder I was with instead of complimenting him on wanting to worship God instead attacked the trinity doctrine, some where in the discussion i interupted and we got on the subject of doubting Thomas, it turned out to be really interesting but again proves the point there is a huge gap that is forming between the young and informed and the old and set in their ways... so at lunch with all the brothers i casually brought up the bible account of when the Isrealites were about to go into the promised land, and i pointed out how the older ones 30yrs of age and over weren't allowed to cross, i asked why that was, although i knew the answer, the very same brother i was out in the field with answered thats becuase they weren't thinking like Jehovah and got set in their ways, AHA.... change will come and Jehovah will see to it, think of all the bible examples when wicked men lead worship in the temple they weren't dispatched right away but rather in Jehovah's due time when he saw fit he did just so. The same thing is true of our time, our father will not stand by forever and let men prophesy falsely in his name. Just remember that the young person you see at the door with the ignorant older man understands you and hears your voice and your biblical arguments. dont lose faith and definitely don't let someone discourage the love you have for your father...
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  Sunspot

  Interesting post, PatientBrother!

  Once I began to see ALL that was wrong with WTS doctrine, and right after the "generation thing" was changed shortly before I began to wise up, I could not bring myself to go door to door and teach the WTS beliefs OR have any more "home bible studies".

  I think about it NOW, and I am ashamed of myself for trying to bring people INTO the WTS and pull them AWAY from their faith in Jesus Christ. This is precisely what JWs are doing though, while accusing OTHERS of trying to destroy THEIR faith.

  Everything in the WTS is so convoluted and backward.
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  fresia

  Well to be honest with you Sunspot, I have looked at a few other JW forums and the abuse and taunting that non JW give the JW's is enough to shake the foundations of anyones faith. This forum is far more gracious, and dare I say it, it is the born agains that are the most vicious.

  I know that you will probably come back with but they are vicious, I tell you that the majority of JW are no where near as tormenting as the non witnesses, the same question can be answered over and over again and they just keep debating, or moving and creating another thread when convenient.

  I have not seen a nice word said to them on one paticular forum, they accuse them of some of the most outrageous things well knowing that it isn't true just to upset them. They can't see that they do some good at all.

  Can't have a decent debate unless they are harrassed and the whole of the b/s are personally abused at people.

  The hatred they have is real. And no matter what the JW says they attack and have nothing nice to say to them, they judge them and then call them judgmental, some especially are just horrible.
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  PinTail

  That is a massively Good Point, carry on in Like Manor!
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  Apostate Kate2

  Sunspot you are spot on with that observation!

  I tell you that the majority of JW are no where near as tormenting as the non witnesses,

  I beg to differ with you. I had been helping keep a disfellowshipped JWs chat room open on AOL for years and we were called names, spied on, and harrassed by active JWs. Last week a JW SIGHNED HERSELF UP to my yahoo group JWApologetics. Right on the front page it says "this group is open to everyone. Active JWs, non active, and former JWs all our welcome.

  The first time she gets email that is not pro Watchtower she writes this and sends it 9 times filling everyones email before I knew about it, "UNSUBSCRIBE ME FROM THIS GROUP IMMEDIATELY! Apostates have NOTHING in common with me, nor I with them.
  
  "DO NOT BECOME UNEVENLY YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS...WHAT SHARING DOES LIGHT HAVE WITH DARKNESS..." 2 Corinthians 6:14-16"

  She calls us apostates, unbelievers, and living in the dark. All the time all she needed to do was click on the "unsubscribe" link on the email. She had to make sure we all knew how righteous she was before she left the group. When my health was failing badly I was told to die now so I can maybe be resurrected, if I die at Armageddon it's too late for me. That's just a tiny piece of this hate filled Watchtower pie.
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  Sarah Smiles

  Good point! and I am glad we all can come here and share our experiences with respect for each other! That does make this forum different.

  I would like to add something to your topic, Do you all remember the brochure about Trinity? I thought they really had something there.

  It took me two years and then some about the Trinity. I am not wanting to debate Trinity! that is not my point!

  My point is that other churches were really worshipping Jehovah, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and they pray to the Almighty and Jesus, so comparing any of them with a India, or Chinese man made gods was way off and really wrong!

  So going door to door with that Trinity brochure is hurtful and way off.

  You can not compare Jehovah, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit with a three headed man made godhead! because they come from the bible!
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  Sarah Smiles

  Hello Akate!

  I had been helping keep a disfellowshipped JWs chat room open on AOL for years and we were called names, spied on, and harrassed by active JWs.

  I did the samething on AOL chat! a couple of years back?

  Anyhow, I started on the Jehovah Witness chat becuase I thought they would have good bibical subjects. I also wanted to bring out some points that I learned. When I did! Someone documented it and although I was using WT CD they shared with ALL of their members.

  I decided to join the AOL chat and a JW who was not suppose to be on there documented what I was sharing with others to help them. And, he/her sent it to all the other J.W.

  The J.W. was very hurtful and never wanted to talk about the bible just the meetings but the EXJW AOL chat talked about everything and it was fun! A really good time. That is why I gave my Friday nights for a long time. If I had AOL I would be right back there with them. It a really good group of people! Tell everyone I said Hello!
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  sweet pea

  fresia - unless you've been disfellowshipped/shunned/lost your family to the JW's you have NO IDEA how much pain some people are carrying around with them. When you put an animal in a cage and you stab him with a knife, he is going to lash out - give others a break, leave them be, they may not always be that way, just be grateful you don't share their pain.
  
  Jesus said "if they are not against me, they are for me". If some are vicious, they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions and "what goes around, come around" - it doesn't make any JW's more or less worthy if they don't act as bad.
  
  We all have the responsibility to show we are decent people and love and respect others, that's all our heavenly father asks of us.
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  AK - Jeff

  There is no doubt that there is great deal of hatred between the two groups. But one must ask, where did the hatred begin?

  Xjws do not disfellowship people who have been secretly raped in the bed room to shut them up.

  Xjws do not bring members into the back room of the Non-Kingdom Hall and ask them the 'loyalty' questions.

  Xjws do not rip apart the families of those who dare to leave the group, by insisting they are apostates, forcing the family that wishes to stay to shun them.

  Well - you get the idea. If the Jw's would/could act like any responsible religious groups acts, and just allow people to leave who don't agree with them, allow a measured amount of thoughtful dissidence within by those who wish to intellectually challenge the doctrines, and would permit true 'Christian Freedom' that would include thought and action outside of their control, there would be far less bitterness among those who have left. One does not find such vitiolic anger on forums of former Anglicans or former Episcopalians. The inverse is the 3 fingers pointing back to the jw who is accusatory to the xjw.

  Jeff