World View

by Martini 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  Martini

  Hello Friends,

  Has the 'world view' you once held as a JW ,benefiting you as live your life today in this 'system of things'?

  I'm not certain if the question is clear but this is my response.

  Before studing with JW, my world view was that this life may very well have been all there is. NO justice, NO fairness, ONLY survival of the fittest. Government was almighty while the rich and famous had it all.

  With the 'kingdom vision' given to me by the WT/Bible all of a sudden the Governments were powerless pawns of a greater power and the rich and famous were at most having a temporary enjoyment of life's better things. Eventually, soon now, ALL was going to be perfect, according to my new found faith. Well with all that pretty well all gone up in smoke, I've returned to reality. I have however retained the view that this life is NOT all there is. This is benefiting me in that I'm not envious of those who 'have it all' so to speak. I am once again pursuing material things but ONLY for what I can reasonably get without sacrificing more important things, such as living life in the spirit of love for neighbor, etc.

  I'm just wondering if the Witnesses can take credit for leaving me with this world view?

  Martini.
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  Frenchy

  Unless I am mis-understanding your post I believe that your stated belief now has been influenced by the JW experience but is a far cry from what you were conditioned to believe as a JW.

  I grew up in this faith so I have nothing to say about what I believed 'before'. I can only comment on what I believe now that I have unplugged from the Matrix. The experience left me with a good knowledge of the Bible. I'm not talking about doctrine but the actual contents of the Bible. It left me with strong sense of right and wrong (the ethics you mentioned on another thread). I was terribly afraid as I stepped out into the fearfully complex world of reality but now I have a sense of freedom that I know now I did not have before. I am like the wolf in Aesop's (Is that spelled correctly?) fable of the wolf and the dog.
  I do not hold to the concept of 'the world' that I was taught by the JW.

  -Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-
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  RedhorseWoman

  I, too, was brought up as a JW, so I cannot say that they "changed" my view of anything.

  In the prior thread concerning the ethics of JW's, at one time I would have said that they are the most ethical people on earth. However, from experiences that I had and things that I saw as time went on, that view was badly shaken.

  "Ethics" were for those who could not figure out how to manipulate the rules. In the congregation I attended most of my life, ethical principles were tightly tied in to one's position in the congregation or one's associates.

  There was the pioneer sister who had multiple DWI arrests on her record, and several citations for hit-and-run accidents while she was intoxicated. She was also well known for her lewd conduct towards unbelieving mates of sisters in the congregation. She was liked by several of the elders, however, and because of that, there were never any repercussions for her.

  There were also several sisters who were encouraged to go on welfare so that they could spend more time in service doing "God's work". They were perfectly capable of supporting themselves and their children....and, in fact, were doing just that....before they came into the "truth". They were advised by others in the congregation that they should accept government money in order to spend more time in service. These sisters promptly quit their jobs and went on the dole. After doing so, they spent most of their time gossipping about others and spent very little time in service.

  Then there were the sisters....one a chiropractor and others who were her patients......who were caught in numerous acts of welfare fraud.

  I could list many other examples from this one congregation alone showing that JW's are no more nor less ethical than any other group of people.

  I DID find, however, after becoming inactive that the "world" was NOT an evil cesspool with greedy, hateful people running rampant. Most of the people with whom I have been associated are at LEAST as ethical as JW's, if not more so. Additionally, they act in an ethical manner because it is what they feel is right, not because some elder might find out and they would be counseled about their conduct.
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  waiting

  Hey y'all,

  I was raised in midwest as Irish Catholic. Parochical schools. Started studying when 18 - baptized at 21.

  The jw doctrine filled a need for me. New parents, new friends, security, freedom of hellfire, all the answers neatly in the Truth Book. What more could an 18 year old girl from a terrible background want?

  I took the bait. It gave me structure, walls. Then it became my box, my prison. But if this is what God wanted - who was I to argue? A mere woman.

  Not all of the WTBTS is bad. Not all good. But something about it should be really good - if it is indeed God's Only Channel to Mankind, don't you think?

  What is it that's really, really good? The prophecies? No - none came true. The history? Changes with the books. The doctrine? Changes with the magazines and/or books and/or conventions. The people? Average, like most people. Ethical goals? As good as any other relgious group's ethical goals.

  So, the experience of being a jw wasn't all bad. Neither was being raised a Catholic. Neither is being a Democrat or Republican. Very few things are all bad. But that doesn't make the experience the Truth or the Way or even plain right.

  Martini I hope you find what you're looking for. And you survive a teenage daughter.....

  waiting
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  Pathofthorns

  Hi martini.

  I found the religion's philosophy of money and material things not being the source of one's happiness something i still find valuable today.

  The same with many of the ideas and principles they put forth. The downside of these things, was that much of it was only in theory and words and the actions of the people betrayed what they were extolling.

  As far as my perception of the world, with governments under Satan's control and everyone else walking around being an "agent of Satan", i found that in everyday life this wasn't the case.

  In many cases, the governments are simply doing what they can with the politics and people and situations that are put into place. And many of the people in the world are actually nice people with good hearts.

  What has been hidden from us, is that the WTS is having just the same problems as many of these governments they condemn as they have grown in size. And just as their are good and bad people in the "world", there are also good and bad people in the "truth".

  I used to admire the days when they told the governments where to go, and proclaimed that religion is a "snare and a racket". But those days are gone as they chummy up to the governments for tax benefits by trying to BE recognized as a religion. They have become the thing they denounced everyone else for being.

  I feel they don't even believe the "world view" that they once promoted because they have become so much of the "world" themselves. They have found out just how stupid and counterproductive it was to condemn the thing that keeps them afloat -- "the world".

  Path
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  Angharad

  I DID find, however, after becoming inactive that the "world" was NOT an evil cesspool with greedy, hateful people running rampant. Most of the people with whom I have been associated are at LEAST as ethical as JW's, if not more so. Additionally, they act in an ethical manner because it is what they feel is right, not because some elder might find out and they would be counseled about their conduct.

  That is so true.

  When we were starting to drift away, the favourite line we got was what sort of life are your kids going to have in 'the world', its as if every person on the plant is a terrible parent if they are not in the truth.

  The truth is I'm sure my kids are going to have a much better childhood than I ever had, they won't be bullied at school because they sit outside during an assembly or religious lessons, and they won't have everyone asking what did you get for your birthday and laughing because they know the answer in nothing.

  Edited by - angharad on 27 November 2000 11:26:15