Undercover apostates...

by Maze 93 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Terry

  The fellow who was (past tense) my best friend has been a JW since he was about twelve years old. He is the same age as I am, 64.

  We've had many conversations since I left in 1979. Over the years he has pretty much described his state of mind. While never admitting

  the Organization isn't the TRUTH, he has made it clear his disillusionment.

  1.Doctinral changes trouble him, disgust him and embarass him.

  2.He has come to see the "problem" with the blood doctrine.

  3.He threatens to leave if they ever set a date again.

  4.He thinks the meetings are boring and the elders are under educated dolts for the most part.

  5.He thinks the elders often get things wrong (judicial pronouncements.)

  However, he also still believes that no matter how wrong the earthly servants get things JEHOVAH WILL STRAIGHTEN IT ALL OUT EVENTUALLY.

  He has stated there is no place else to go.

  He feels the doctrines on Hell, the soul, the Trinity are true inside the Organization.

  But, top of his list, it is the PREACHING WORK that convinces him he needs to stay because ONLY JW's do this.

  His contempt for Apostates is palpable.

  He still loves me and our friendship will never leave his heart---but, he is deeply conflicted and cannot risk losing his life by continuing to have anything

  to do with me.

  He has always lived a double life. He goes to movies he shouldn't, reads books that are forbidden and thinks for himself. But, he is deeply and profoundly

  driven by FAITH in the Watchtower society.

  Now this is the reverse side of the question asked in the Opening Paragraph, but, I think it demonstrates the answer from another angle.

  CONFLICTED BELIEF holds many people. That and fear of dying at Armageddon. Core family bonds are threatened by any thought of leaving.

  It can be summed up by saying IT IS A HOSTAGE SITUATION.
• 

  NomadSoul

  If a JW says something against the "society", and no other JWs are around to hear it. Does it make him an apostate?
• 

  beenthere26yr

  I see a lot of you stay in for family. The WT preaches the importance of family. It's one of their tools to keep you enslaved.

  In the end the org could care less if they need to destroy it!!!!!!!!!!!
• 

  Nickolas

  As Cervantes said "I can live with questions I can't answer, but not with those I can't ask (or, put another way, "answers I can't question").

  The gem of the day, Room215, thank you. It's basically what I said, much less eloquently, when I pulled the plug on my WT bible study many long years ago.

  Touché, Donny.
• 

  wasblind

  Oh yes Terry,

  They are hostages indeed, one would have to asked

  will Jehovah except hostages along with true believers
• 

  snowbird

  If a JW says something against the "society", and no other JWs are around to hear it. Does it make him an apostate?

  I believe so.

  Iirc, according to the WT, harboring private thoughts contrary to the teachings of the FDS can lead to apostasy.

  *searching for reference*

  Syl

  August 1, 2001 Watchtower
• 

  Honesty

  I've observed some forum users here that claim to be active Witnesses (even claims to be ministerial servants or elders) while duplicitously supporting apostates online. My contention is this; Why attend meetings and/or participate in the preaching activity when the second you divulge your apostate thinking into the congregation, you'll be disfellowshipped? While this action taken may seem to be harsh, the outworking of events wouldn't be much different in one of Christendom's Churches. If I used a Catholic Church as a platform to proselytize I'd quickly be shown the door and asked to leave. That's why cathedrals, synagogues and mosques are not a part of Jehovah's Witnesses service territory.
  
  With a few exceptions, it's been my experience in 30 years being associated with the Christian congregation, that if a person is not in the Truth for the right reasons, they're not there at all.
  
  He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters. Matthew 12:30
  
  The only conclusion to be reached is “undercover apostate” stories are cooked up on the internet for what reason, I don't know. Maybe someone could explain...

  You make a lot of assumptions:

  "With a few exceptions, it's been my experience in 30 years being associated with the Christian congregation, that if a person is not in the Truth for the right reasons, they're not there at all."

  Since when did the JW cult become a Christian congregation?

  How can an organization be "the truth" when Jesus says that He is the truth?
• 

  Glander

  These kind of threads are at the heart of the XJW internet community. I believe all the following statements are true:

  There are...

  - 'real' JW's here trying to subvert xjw discussions, 'trolls'.

  -JW's in good standing, even elders and Bethelites, who no longer believe WT teachings but are not ready to upset their personal lives by coming out of the closet.

  -JW's who are begining to doubt and are seeking information - some will come out openly, some will only come out in their minds and hearts.

  - Faders, trying withdraw with the least amount of trauma to their lives.

  - Hardcore XJW's who spend a lot of time and energy providing research and information to help others see the real truth.

  I don't feel comfortable with the term "apostate". It implies that the WTB&TS is a ligit religion instead of a contrived, calculating cult. It is the perjorative label that has been bestowed by the Borg. I would like to see us start refering to ourselves as "XJW Truth seekers" or something of that kind.
• 

  Nickolas

  One more for your list, Glander

  - non-JWs who are seeking ways to help extricate those they love from the whitewashed grave of the Watchtower.
• 

  TD

  LOL Maze.

  First remove the rafter of contradiction from thine own eye:

  Spade/Maze on 9/30/2010:

  "For starters, I don't believe in a higher power, so whatever adverse consequences a person experiences as a result of blind faith in intangible, invisible beings isn't resolved by exchanging one religious ideology for another or being born again into another religion and engaging in illterate religious psyche warfare. All I could find in the book being studied with my spouse is some doctrinal differences from the way they interpret religious text."

  Spade/Maze on 5/4/2011:

  "With a few exceptions, it's been my experience in 30 years being associated with the Christian congregation, that if a person is not in the Truth for the right reasons, they're not there at all."