How many here have never been one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Spade 60 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  GLTirebiter

  How many here have never been one of Jehovah's Witnesss?

  Me!

  I have never been a Witness, neither first class (annointed), second class (dunked), nor third class (uncommited publisher). My ex-wife was baptised into the Watchtower organization and raised our kids that way, a matter in which I had essentially no voice. It was stressful. Religion is supposed to strengthen families, not undermine one partner bdecause he(she) doesn't share the same beliefs.

  have these so called “enlightened” individuals found something better?

  I don't speak for everyone, but I think I did. After years of trying, my Ex finally made a convert. She convinced me to go back where I started--which is where she started from too, long before I met her. This is not what she had in mind, but it works for me!
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  OUTLAW

  

  How many here have never been one of Jehovah's Witnesses?.....Spade/AliceInGlueLand

  Do you mean besides you?..

  You sure Yap alot...

  For someone who can`t be bothered to do the real Work a JW has to do..

  Get off Your Ass and go be a Real Jehovahs Witness..

  Then come back and tell us what it was like..

  .................. ...OUTLAW
• 

  Spade

  JuanMiguel wrote: “Being a part of the "one true religion" and being "enlightened" by it, and having "The Truth" are axioms for the Jehovah's Witness religion. Not all people or all religions see the world according to such a paradigm.”
  
  I'm not sure what you mean by this. Something is either real or unreal, true or not true. For example, one of the main sources for atheistic enlightenment is evolution. The uncertainty clause is not enlightenment or truth.
  
  “I'm not an atheist, I don't agree with any of the things you apparently look down upon (how did you gather this data of percentages, anyway--I think you're off on a lot), but I don't necessarily share your view on these various subjects either. I don't see myself reflected in anything you've written here.”
  
  You don't think people here consist of multiple beliefs? This is just a couple of many threads.
  
  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/204982/1/I-need-a-show-of-hands-who-believes-the-Bible-and-to-what-extent
  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/205373/1/Why-I-believe-the-Bible-is-true
  
  People are diametrically opposed to each other belief-wise while universally allied against Jehovah's Witnesses. There may be a good reason for this in a person's mind but the lack of agreement obscures claims that are made against Jehovah’s Witnesses as being a false religion. You can also find multiple stances on http://www.freeminds.org/. It's not just a forum thing.
  
  “Not all people who leave the Watchtower are these "evil, corrupt, devil-zombies" that the Watchtower promises you'll turn into if you leave their Kingdom Halls.”
  
  I don't think this metaphor quite sums up the Watchtower society's opinion of those that leave.
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  bohm

  I'm not sure what you mean by this. Something is either real or unreal, true or not true. For example, one of the main sources for atheistic enlightenment is evolution. The uncertainty clause is not enlightenment or truth.

  Black/white thinking is in opposition to healthy thinking and one of the primary signs of indoctrination and mind-control. Here is what one of the greatest minds of the 20th century thought about the subject:

  I have approximate answers and possible beliefs in different degrees of certainty about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything, and of many things I don't know anything about, but I don't have to know an answer I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose which is the way it really is as far as I can tell possibly. It doesn't frighten me.

  (Feynman)

  The scientist has a lot of experience with ignorance and doubt and uncertainty, and this experience is of very great importance, I think. When a scientist doesn’t know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is, he is uncertain. And when he is pretty damn sure of what the result is going to be, he is still in some doubt. We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress, we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty — some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain. Now, we scientists are used to this, and we take it for granted that it is perfectly consistent to be unsure, that it is possible to live and not know. But I don’t know whether everyone realizes this is true. Our freedom to doubt was born out of a struggle against authority in the early days of science. It was a very deep and strong struggle: permit us to question — to doubt — to not be sure. I think that it is important that we do not forget this struggle and thus perhaps lose what we have gained.

  (Feynman)
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  shamus100

  You can certainly tell those who have not been because they just don't 'get' some topics and understand how they think. They allow idiots like koolaidman to manipulate them. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it. :(

  Your experience may vary.
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  bohm

  Black/white thinking combined with a them/us worldview:

  People are diametrically opposed to each other belief-wise while universally allied against Jehovah's Witnesses. There may be a good reason for this in a person's mind but the lack of agreement obscures claims that are made against Jehovah’s Witnesses as being a false religion.
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  cantleave

  When I was a witness I thought I was doing good and serving god. Despite that I was continually stressed, bad tempered and miserable, I felt I was constantly being judged by my "Brothers" and my family were taking the brunt of it.

  I am now happy.

  Spade the Watchtower is false religion, it is run by stupid people who worship a construct who personifies evil. Love does not wish the destruction of billions of people including children, does because they don't knock on doors and wear suits on Sunday.

  You write complete shite and if you were once AIW as some think, just go back to your dirty little hole and stop spreading your poison.
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  wobble

  Welcome to the forum JuanMiguel !!!

  It is a pity you have had to (almost) waste your obvious abilities in answering one of our regular, yet identity changing , trolls.

  Your contributions, here and on another thread, are much appreciated, it would be good if you could give us an idea of where you are now, I know you may wish to wait politely for "Spade" to answer your challenge, for him/her/it to put you in acatogary that fits,but it won't happen, the garbled "reply" you got is all that will happen,so perhaps when you have time you could tell us your story, and your position as to belief now ?

  Whatever, please keep contributing, it is good to have another clear thinker on here who will call even those who he may agree with generally, when they overstep the mark, as you did with our much-treasured Terry.

  WELCOME again !
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  JeffT

  I don't really feel a need to respond to a question from somebody who seems intent on defending a religion she herself does not follow, but for the record I was baptized when I was 22 and left when I was 37. I was never disfellowshipped or reproved.
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  bohm

  Juan -- WELCOME!

  in addition to what wobble said, Spade is getting a lot of flack, but its not because of her views (which are pretty harmless for the most part, she has only really said one nasty thing this time around by my count), its because spade was previously incarnated as another poster who made a hobby out of calling certain verified abuse victims liars. bad delusional troll. bad!