by losthobbit 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hi
I'm curious about what made you realize that your ex-religion was not "true"?
I've had discussions with many religious people, and they're always trying to protect their beliefs, rather than allowing anything I say challenge what they believe. Was there ever something someone said to you, or something you read that maybe made you doubt your beliefs for the first time, or had a similar effect?
Thanks,
LostHobbit
I was 'born in' the cult so for years I didn't really question it as such. I followed my parents and considered them right as kids do.
As I got older things didn't always seem right but I buried these feelings and 'put up and shut up'.
A friend had read 'Crisis of Conscience' and shared some gems with me that still didn't phase me much.
It was the 'overlapping generations' thing that finally woke me up. This doctrine was so stupid and such an obvious attempt to dodge the big 'A' coming. Now, if the big 'A' came they'd say: 'We were right!' if it didn't come they could say 'They're still overlapping, see, we're right!'
That coupled with the unChristian way Elders and many ohers behaved whilst getting greater privileges and esteem stopped me in my tracks. It was only when I ws an Elder did I really see the evil side of the WTBT$.
I couldn't understand how an infallible God could tell us Elders at a JC to 'publicly reproove' an individual then give 7 days to appeal said 'infallible' desicion! I've seen God's original infallible desicion overturned more than once. Made no sense!!!!!
Then I read 'Combatting Cult Mind Control' and it all fitted together!
I'm still in technically, but my mind & heart are far, far away.
But to answer your question, what made me realize that it's a joke is when I started to see that when you get a glimpse at what goes on at a administrative level (elders, MS's, departments, etc.) you see that in reality it is no different than any other man-made institution. Maybe Russell had good intentions, maybe not. But either way, like any human organization, once it gets to big, it turns into the very thing that it was against when it started. I realized that this is why Jesus told his disciples to be "no part of the world". He was pointing out the danger of human institutions, especially those who profess to channel God's will. I'm not saying that other religions are any better or worse than JW (although Christmas sure looks fun) I'm just saying that when you really look at it logically and unbiasedly, it's the same ol' formula:
1st Man tells 2nd Man that God speaks through him only, 2nd man believes it and gives first man all his money and allegiance.
ditto on what punkofnice said.
Hej,
Welcome to the board, good question. I wish I could say yes, that it was listening to outsiders raising my awareness of something being not right in my religion. Sadly I was like most Jws, trained not to listen to anything remotely critical of the religion I belonged to.
Most witnesses develop a feeling of great discomfort when facing questions that rock their faith or belief in the organization. Its termed cognitive dissonance, I think.
I think that leaving the religion is very much a personal matter and cannot really be speeded up by outside intervention no matter how well intended. I know that if my friend who left some ten years before me, had tried to get me to see things her way, I would have pulled away from her and become very defensive. She never tried to sway me and when finally I woke up and started to listen to the gnagging doubts I could take the steps that led me out.
I now have a friend that is still in, I would dearly like to share what I know, but again she becomes defensive and retreats, so I just keep being a good friend. I do borrow dozens of novels from the libary and life stories, I read somewhere that you cannot be a fanatic if you read novels! So by getting her to read, which she loves to do, then I hope it will help open her mind and allow her true personality to come through.
Others on here may have had other results but the best advice I can give is be happy, talk about your positive life experiences, avoid scriptural discussions and do fun things with the person if they will allow that.
Best wishes
Chicken little (In from infancy, left at 46!)
Thank you, punkofnice & mr Falcon. Interesting stuff :)
And thank you Chicken... also very interesting :)
"New Light' only seems to shine when the old light is proved wrong, or when leagally needed to protect the borg from lawsuits.
I'm sure this is true of many, but for me it was a gradual accumulation of reasons over the years, most of which I had never stopped to think through but simply put to one side rather than let them affect my faith and my life at the time. When my circumstances changed and I had more time to start thinking, and less pressure to conform and keep up the routine of life as a witness, then I found the problematic stuff began to bother me more.
Things like the way the organisation runs itself at both the local and branch level and the qualities manifested by the men in charge at those levels. The illogical nature of many teachings. Doubts about the very existence of God, certainly not something one could ever consider as a fully fledged JW. Evidence in the natural world around us that I had and still have a very hard time reconciling with the JW portrayal of a loving creator. Factual and historical discrepancies in doctrine (although I have never been particularly interested in documenting that aspect, I have done quite enough studying of WT literature tyvm!). Character traits of many many witnesses compared with people in the real world. The business strategy and activities of the WT corporation as contrasted with their doctrine. The treatment of ex-members and even of ex-Bethelites/missionaries by the organisation. The underlying motivation for a large proportion of members, which I believe is greed, greed coated in piety. I'm sure I could come up with more but I have to go out shortly :P
Basically it was no one thing, it was an overall creeping feeling of unease that grew once I stopped the propaganda going in, ie by not attending meetings any longer. Truth stands by itself, it doesn't need constant reaffirmation. Anything that collapses by itself once you stop feeding it, is not worth having in the first place. Truth is something you feel inside, that is personal to each one of us, and that grows day by day as you live life. It is not something you learn from a question-and-answer discussion of badly written books with pictures of lions and beachballs.
Welcome Lost Hobbit....when I found out that people werent disfellowshipped for unrepentance at all....but rather it is sometimes political, sometimes personal, very often corrupt situations involved...nothing do with people 'having love amongst themselves'...then I lost heart and proceeded to do some research...
Ray Franz's book Crisis of Conscience opened my eyes fully. I still have a personal faith in God though.
Loz x
