End of days indoctrination

m0nk3y

Ok this is like the first new topic I have added in .. forever .. It would seem that despite all of the research I have done in the past that I have this unshakable fear of this economic crisis fulfilling bible prophecy. I thought that I had worked through all of these demons, I thought that this was a past nightmare that would no longer effect me. And yet here I am again, obsessed with news articles, refreshing pages on the news and JW forums trying get some glimmer of hope that these feelings I have are all wrong. I hate myself for feeling this way, I hate myself for not being able to reasonable about anything at the moment. I AM TOTALLY OBSESSED, the only time I feel ok is when I am asleep! I am sure there are a few of you out there that are feeling similar, but for those that are not concerned, please share your reasons, please help me, I don't feel myself and so want to be wrong about what I am feeling. This is the power of 21 years of JW indoctrination and yet my feelings are no longer limited to JW indoctrination, as many of you are already aware JW's share many if slightly differing opinions with other christians of the time before Armageddon and I am totally obsessed with it. Please help me :( PS sorry for the lack of formatting, this forum seems to pull it all together in one clump

quietlyleaving

Hi M0nk3y

The way I make sense of end time prophecies and ideas is to understand that humans have always been aware of their own fragility and this seems to give rise to end times concepts. But along with that fragility we have the ability to transcend such thinking too. This too shall pass is the way I prevent myself from becomming too worried. Focusing on cycles of life and death, decay and renewal helps me frame humanity in a bigger context.

Another thing I focus on is our intelligence and ability to survive and adapt. I'm busying myself with being inventive about the different ways people may have to change. Who knows? We may become more community minded, as in growing our own and sharing and bartering.

But one thing I'm certain of is that the banking system will be sorted by people who understand how. It is just a question of time. Some of the media magnify panic and anxiety. I'm tending to read articles that seem to know what they are talking about and discard the rest.

Keep you chin up. Feeling scared is a normal very useful reaction and pushes us to make sense in order to survive and transcend, accept and maintain perspective.

ql

penny2

Hi m0nk3y,

Many people are feeling stressed at the moment, particularly those who have retired and were counting on their superannuation for income or people who have gone into massive debt which they can't pay off. Are you in one of those categories? If not, then stop worrying (even then, worrying won't do any good).

There have always been ups and downs in the economy. Think the Great Depression. Did this mean "the end" was coming? Imagine then WWII on top of it. Still the end didn't come. If you go back in history, bad times have occurred again and again. Come to think of it, people have been predicting for hundreds of years, that the end would come any minute now. All that unnecessary worry as all those generations of people just ended up dying of natural or unnatural causes but not due to armageddon.

JW's share many if slightly differing opinions with other christians of the time before Armageddon

You are totally right about this. I had a mormon on my door the other day telling me they were the only truth and the end was coming soon. My fundamentalist Baptist neighbour thinks the same thing about his religion. When you listen to them they sound just like JWs. So who is right? Well I say none of them. They can't all be right because they all think they are the only ones who will be saved.

Sure, we are going to have some hard times. We might not be able to go out for dinner as often. If the TV breaks down, we might not be able to afford the latest plasma.

But at the end of the day, what really counts? That you've had something to eat, you've got a roof over your head and someone loves you. Not everyone's got that, even now. I hope you have and I hope you feel better soon.

penny

free2think

I think a sense of humour helps too

A uk investor who has lost much of his investment with the collapse of the Icelandic banks has this to say

"The Icelandics had better get their fishing rods out. They've got a lot of cod to catch to make up for what we've lost"

ql from f2t's computer

no more kool aid

Monk3y, I have similar thoughts sometimes and I do think it is from a life time of indoctrination. Remember things in our life time AIDS, 911 and desert storm all heralded the end of the world. Even a topic in the local paper is conversation starter about the end of the world. I agree with Penny about the great depression, that wasn't the end of the world. I do think we may all have to live differently, but that might not be such a bad thing either.

BluesBrother

I googled the words financial+bible+prophecy and came up with loads of "end time prophets " all saying the same thing about the current crisis..It does not take much insight to to apply scripture to these things if you want to.

As other posters have said, the recession of the 90's and even the depression of the 30's did not lead to Armageddon. It is worth recognizing also that all the attention and interest and political attention is to try and ensure that a serious problem does not happen. If our leaders have taken the right steps , that is to ensure that it never happens - So that is a positive thing....

cameo-d

Trust your instincts.

Reason with scriptural alignment. The time frame is right.

I think one way Holy Spirit confirms to us is through conscience, intellect, and intuition.

You "know" when something is right.

m0nk3y

cameo-d despite my nerves being a complete wreck at the moment one thing I know for sure, my thoughts are NOT rational, they are NOT confirming that this is armageddon on the way, we have these feelings because we had been cut off from the rest of the world and forced to work in fear of death. This feeling is no more confirming this is the end no more than any other end of days prediction out there, too many to even bother typing. Despite this though, I guess this is a part of me that I might have to deal with on and off for the rest of my life, not pleasant thought though.

cameo-d

Monk3y...I do know what you mean about your nerves being a wreck. I have to keep reminding myself that Jesus said we were not to fear. But still, the fear is there, for me. (Not a JW, but I have read a lot of "conspiracy stuff" and have seen some of it come to fruition. Just like this "financial armageddon"....this was predicted last spring...and there was conspiracy info about secret meeting of congress behind closed doors and that economy would implode by sept.)

So yeah, my nerves are shot, too, sometimes. I do not think this is Armageddon. But I really do believe it is the start of the Great Tribulation. Granted, I know this is an unpopular view here because it dredges up those years of memories of WT mental abuse. For that I am sorry. When you "live it" mentally and emotionally I suppose it can put you into a tailspin or a paralyzing depression. I suppose that's why the scriptures say that "men's hearts will fail them for fear." We all need to get past the fear.

There are more lies coming our way before Armageddon gets here. There is a great deception that is still to come.....hell you have already been through a great deception, so it should be easy to recognize it if another one is perpetrated. I do believe that there is still a war going on in the heavens and that we will eventually be rescued from this hell hole being run by the demon watcher angels. Jesus said he would return for us...that is the salvation message.

Robdar

AM TOTALLY OBSESSED, the only time I feel ok is when I am asleep! I am sure there are a few of you out there that are feeling similar, but for those that are not concerned, please share your reasons, please help me, I don't feel myself and so want to be wrong about what I am feeling. This is the power of 21 years of JW indoctrination and yet my feelings are no longer limited to JW indoctrination, as many of you are already aware JW's share many if slightly differing opinions with other christians of the time before Armageddon and I am totally obsessed with it. Please help me :( PS sorry for the lack of formatting, this forum seems to pull it all together in one clump

I've wondered if my JW indoctrination has gotten me upset too. I don't know. Maybe. However, I have a strong inclination (intuition?) that there is something going on and we need to pay attention to it. Is it the great tribulation? Is it being brought about by God? Even if it is the fulfilment of prophecy, it doesn't mean that God is behind it, it just means somebody long ago had a vision...

What I am trying to say is, it doesn't matter if it is the GT or not, it doesn't matter if the Messiah is returning, something is happening now and it is best not to stick your head in the sand. Stock up on food and supplies. Learn about local wild herbs and plants. Learn how to fish, how to gut a deer....you get what I am trying to say.

End of days indoctrination

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