by jwdecendant 19 Replies latest jw friends
Welcome jwdecendant!
They do not officially sanction anyone who has not been baptized. Individually, some people will still choose to have limited association with such a person (just like a "worldly" person) others will treat you like you're disfellowshipped. I do not know if this policy used to be different, or what they have in writing about it.
This thread contains the body of my questions and research on JWs if you're interested.
You, my friend, are "marked".
That's what 'dubs do to people associating that don't get baptized.
And don't worry about any public announcements, the gossip chain in a KH is a powerful force.
If you are posting here, I doubt you are drinking their Kool-aid.
All the best,
Tread
Wow!!! I can't beleive how many people are on here and how many stories I've read that are eeriely like mine. What really shocks me is the changes that have been made in the organization. Some of the posts I've read by younger people and others with much more recent contact than me are really suprising.
It seems this has been happening for several decades. From the prediction of the end in 1914, the "shoving under the rug" of the original interlinear translation, to the "stay alive 'til '75 campaign just to name a few.
I'm glad I finally decided to actually study instead of just assuming the JW organization is wrong becaused I felt mistreated. Turning your back on God isn't a very healthy way to deal with your confusion.
Turning your back on God isn't a very healthy way to deal with your confusion.
Saying that someone has turned their back on God is like saying someone turned their back on Santa Claus. If you believe in God, fine, worship accordingly. But if someone else doesn't see reasonable proof of God's existence, that in no way constitutes turning their back on him.
EDIT: You have to have a relationship with someone before you can turn your back on them. Even if I assume God exists, we did not know him as witnesses therefore we cannot have turned our backs on him. If someone proceeds to find God upon leaving the JWs, that's another matter.
There are not answers, but you can find one thing for sure. That is that the dubbers cover up their history and lie about it, and have been wrong on every thing they have said was going to happen. What ever the real truth is ,god, no god, The witnesses are dead ass wrong. I am an atheist and see no reason to change from my way of thinking but one fact I have learned is that the witness cult is all about the organization and could give a shit about people. They do not care about anyone except their own ass and the cult organization that keeps them living like the pope.
Welcome to the forum. It is good that you are looking into the forum as a Jw upbringing is something that stays with you for life.
"I have recently became curious as to why her and other members of my family are so firm in their beliefs and started researching the history."
It is not so much the history of the religion that makes members so firm in their belief, it is the way in which members are indoctrinated. This is no different than any high control religion or even high control political groups. This is discussed at http://www.jwfacts.com//watchtower/fear-cult-mind-control.php
I did not intend to offend anyone who is agnostic or atheist. Unlike some organizations, especially JW's, I respect other people's beliefs. If you do not beleive in God, or a supreme being of any kind, that is your right and I don't think I (or anyone else) has any right to think they are somehow better or smarter than you.
I've just seen so many of my friends that were raised in "the truth" as I was who decided there is no god, or at least questioned his existence, because of their upbringing. I just think it is sad that any organization can instill so much anomosity that it can cause someone to adopt this belief without really considering why.
The reason I said that I turned my back on God is because I never questioned his existence even though I knew there was something not right with what I was taught. I simply chose to ignore what I believed out of spite.
There's a line in the movie "Rudy" that pretty much sums up my beliefs. "....there are only two undeniable truths. There is a god and I ain't him."
Welcome!
A lot of good suggestions already. I wanted to second the "Crisis of Conscience" suggestion as well as "Combatting Cult Mind Controll" by Steven Hassan.
CS
G’day and welcome! Look forward to hearing more from you.
Cheers, Mattieu.
You might find this informative, I know I did. I think it is a very unbiased essay.
