1973 is correct. I smoked right up till May of 1973.
Who was the biggest Jehovah's Witness rebel?
by slimboyfat 58 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Scarred for life
Fairmind:
1973 is when I left. So I'm sure you're right. I didn't ask any questions about what was going on at the KH. I didn't want to know and everyone knew it. Actually, that's when our family friend, Kate, left too. The ban on smoking was probably the last straw for her.
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Junction-Guy
Trying not to split hairs here, but Eisenhower was raised under the bible students and his childhood would have included Christmas,Birthdays, College, and so many other things that are now either taboo or forbidden. Other than their wacky Armageddon beliefs and no politics, he pretty much had a normal childhood.
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WTWizard
I think Booze Rutherford was the worst. He did more than become the President of the United States. He actually tampered with the religion itself, adding numerous stupid rules and doctrines that were not originally there.
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eyeslice
Come on guys you got it all wrong here. Where is your 'Bible-based'® knowledge?
It is Satan of course. -
quietlyleaving
hi slim
I think this is very interesting from your link
All of the Eisenhower boys left the Jehovah's Witness religion when adults and openly opposed major aspects of Watchtower teaching, although some of the values they learned from their Bible studies probably influenced them throughout their lives. Some Watchtower values may even have been reflected in Dwight's statements against war made in his latter life.
"some of the values they learned...influenced them throughout their lives" (I'm remembering some of the positive things you said about JWism in another thread)
JWism is a very duty based religion. Eisenhower is an excellent example to explore because he seems to have retained a sense of duty but moderated it with broader intellectual, political, social, emotional etc pursuits. My own journey involves grappling with not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and retaining a sense of acting from duty but also moderating that with acting from emotion, thinking ability etc.
(Plus I'm working on an essay about Wilberforce's duty based religious ideas to get the middle and higher classes to set a good example for "the lower orders" because of their inclination towards irrationality) Eisenhower and Wilberforce could have been twins imo.
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Satanus
Laurier saumure wasn't actually rebelling against wt. His drinking problem was a weakness, which he fought against. I came in contact w him a few times cuz my room mate was friends w him. It was pitiful to hear him tell what a nightmare alchoholism was to him, how he valiantly went door to door and conducted bible studies in his old age to try to prove his worthiness to stay jw. He had been dffed and reinstated a few times:(
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quietlyleaving
Laurier saumure wasn't actually rebelling against wt. His drinking problem was a weakness, which he fought against. I came in contact w him a few times cuz my room mate was friends w him. It was pitiful to hear him tell what a nightmare alchoholism was to him, how he valiantly went door to door and conducted bible studies in his old age to try to prove his worthiness to stay jw. He had been dffed and reinstated a few times:(
Swhat a sad vicious cycle
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slimboyfat
Satanus that story sounds similar to Covington in the US.
quietlyleaving that is interesting stuff you are studying. I wish I was still researching and writing essays.
It's possible that his JW background affected Eisenhower's dislike of warfare in later years, but I think it is fair to say that his experiences during the liberation of Europe likely loomed large in his thinking. It has often been claimed that soldiers make good political leaders because no one wants to avoid war more than an ex-soldier who has seen its devastating effects first hand. Wes Clark might be another example in recent times of a soldier with anti-war views once in retirement.
Anti-militarism is one of the things I still find appealing in the JW outlook.
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quietlyleaving
after ww2 heaps of money and scientific resources were being channelled into weaponery. Eisenhower strongly objected. Here is a quote from a reply to a journalist
"When you see almost every one your magazines no matter what they are advertising, has a picture of the Titan missile or the Atlas missile...there is...almost an insidious penetration of our own minds that the only thing this country is engaged in is weaponry and missiles. And, I'll tell you we just can't afford to do that. The reason we have them is to protect the great values in which we believe, and they (those values) are far deeper even than our lives and our own property, as I see it."