Did born-in's have the capacity to "test their faith"?

by sabastious 45 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  sabastious

  2 Corinthians 13: 5a - 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.

  This verse just comes at me like a locomotive.

  To examine something is to truly use my mental capacities and to look at something objectively.

  How do I accomplish this, even now?

  I was raised in an organization that controlled my information and used fear of rejection as well as my need for approval to "inculcate" the "truth" into me.

  By that right, I (and all born-ins) DO NOT have the ability to examine our faith (as a JW).

  There will always be an artificial pull either for or against the Society (whether we are aware of it or not).

  Free will has been comprimised; therefore our "faith to our creator" has been tainted and CANNOT be judged as worthy OR unworthy.

  Of course many of us have regained our ability to discern and look at things objectively.

  But I believe that we WILL NEVER be able to truly look at the Watchtower Organization without a slant.

  Not to say the conclusions we come to regards to the Organization are not valid (because they are and have been validated). My point is that the Organization has no right to judge and ostracize any born-in for leaving and even for speaking out.

  They broke us, and now they are demonizing us for the things we did in that broken state. They continue to demonize us for the things we did to fix ourselves.

  They are a sad, ignorant people. I pity them

  -Sab
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  Soldier77

  I was a born-in. No, I did not 'test my faith', I mean how could I coming into it as a 4th gen JW... Pounded into your head from an early age the dogma and bullshit.

  What a wasted youth.
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  OUTLAW

  The WBT$ tested my ability to "Dumb Down"..

  I wasn`t good at it..

  So many others were Good at Stupid..

  I could never get it right..

  JW Elders Getting Ready for a JC Meeting

  

  ....................... ...OUTLAW
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  Mad Sweeney

  You can't test your faith without being "counseled" to STOP DOING THAT! And if you continue testing until you find the truth, you leave.
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  mrsjones5

  Maybe if they can put off baptism.
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  In

  Born-ins are also subject to pressure from parents, a feeling that not following step is disobedient to mom and dad, and too most of their friends are witnesses under the same pressure. So, everyone is doing it, and if you don't, what's wrong with you?

  We're only asked to examine "established" doctrine. Look at the questions and answers for baptismal candidates. They usually only cover age appropriate ones. I was never asked about things like prophecy beyond "why can we be certain that this is the end? and why can we be certain that God will soon fulfill his word?" and the answer was, "because he did it in the past and what he says will happen, happens, Isa. 55:11"

  For young kids, you can imagine how simplified these questions can get. So, even in preparing for the questions there is no real push to examine your faith, only to learn the anwers to specified questions using specific scriptures.
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  Robert7

  This reminds me when a born-in friend approached me about my questioning the faith. He told me he also had issues, and also did research of the faith using Watchtower literature. He proved his faith again, and ever since has been strong.

  Do they have the capacity, yes, but do they have the chance to test their faith before baptism, NO!
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  cantleave

  If a Youth tests his or her faith, they are threatened with expulsion from the congregation or the family home. They are told "you don't need to taste the world - we have already done that". You are told that the world is evil and Jehovah's organisation provides protection.

  There is NO capacity to "test you faith" as a born in.
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  zoiks

  Too true. By the time I was 12, it was too late. 12 years old, damn it.
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  miseryloveselders

  Absolutely not. I'm a 3rd generation JW, and I did everything that I was raised to do. Just like a dog, I obeyed what I was trained so i could get my attaboys. Our whole lives we've been taught Babylon owned Jerusalem in 607 BC. We were never presented with the other arguments. We were warned against considering outside sources for research, to be suspicious of anyone and anything not with the WT stamp of approval. Which means if the WT didn't print it, its suspicious. Since coming into my own, I've been researching Revelation, and I've found that the interpretations made by secular historists, and in some cases other religious commentators, have made much more sense than the WT's interpretations. 607 and REvelation are just drops in the bucket. There's so much more. To admit that your imitating the Boreans, means to risk being viewed with suspicion, potentially losing your family and friends. It takes a really strong individual to question what you're taught as a young born-in.