Did you understand doctrine when you were "in"?

halcyon

Did you ever actually understand most of the doctrine when you were a JW? Or did you think that you didn't understand it because you didn't study enough? That there were people who were somehow smarter than you or not as lazy, so you believed "paradise earth" or "1914 calculations" COULD actually be understood by someone, and if you just took the time to figure it out it would be clear to you?

That's what I thought about Paradise Earth. I really believed it was very clear in the bible, and I had just never actually sat down to look it over. I spent YEARS thinking "I should really do that someday."

Then, one day, I realized that it WASN'T so clearly there after all, and I WASN'T just lazy or dumb.

The beginning of the end.

White Dove

I had that problem but with "why don't you celebrate the holidays?" I couldn't defend my faith or give any concise or clear answer because I didn't know the exact answer.

My answers were always, "Because it's against my religion." or "My parents won't let me."

Forget calculations of dates or prophesies. They never interested me enough to bother to try to understand them.

halcyon

That's what I mean. I wasn't interested enough, so I took it all at face value. "This is The Truth, so it must be defendable. I'm just not motivated to prove it to myself."

Probably what kept me from rebelling as a teenager, darnit.

StAnn

As soon as I'd get a clear view of what they were teaching, they'd get new light and change it!

I think that's the point of new ligh, to keep throwing you off your game.

My husband says JW theology is an inch deep and a mile wide, very, very shallow.

StAnn

BabaYaga

Great question, Halcyon.

I would hear 1914 or 607 B.C.E. and pretty much shut down until we got to the next paragraph... or next week... or next book... or... (B.C.E... what the heck is B.C.E.? Who else uses the term B.C.E.!? They even have to use their own terminology for TIME periods!)

iceguy

I learned more about jw doctrine after I was df'ed than when I was in. I was actually trying to get reinstated when I started to learn about the history of WTS from sites like this. The thing that really got me was how Russell used astrology and pyramidology to come up with 1914.

DoomVoyager

I was born in, so I understood it perfectly in the sense that I had all the doctrine memorized inside out, and had no reason to disbelieve it... but as soon as I read an "apostate website" of course that all fell apart.

civicsi00

I guess you could say I knew about most of the doctrines, but I never understood the why. As in, Why is this scripture literal and the next one figurative? And, Why in the hell do you jump from one side of the bible to another to explain a doctrine?

It always boggled my mind. Then I figured it out: To be a JW, you don't have to understand it, you just have to repeat it. Like a parrot.

yknot

Yes, totally.

However I was taught to discern those which came from the Bible and those that were more 'interpretation' of men.

Things that I was not taught to be true in the organization........ exclusive mediation, and Jesus/Michael.

Admittedly until this site and the Sept 07 KM, I hadn't scratched too hard at the surface of the whole 1918-1919 stuff..... Thank you JWD!

The WT was suppose to be considered a 'study guide' with helpful suggestion, not Jehovah speaking to you in print.

leavingwt

It would seem that I did NOT understand the most important UNWRITTEN doctrine.

The following question should be added to the baptism questions: "Do you agree to remain a JW, even if you PROVE to yourself from the Bible that we have misled you and we are not truly God's organization?"

This refreshing dose of honesty would have likely prevented me from getting baptized.

But, to answer your question, "yes" I understood the doctrines and felt very comfortable discussing them with non-JWs.

Did you understand doctrine when you were "in"?

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