by foolsparadise 106 Replies latest jw friends
never taken the time to deconstruct their cult experience. . . . leavingwt
That's a great turn of phrase . . .
Anything so carefully and comprehensively constructed . . . needs time and effort to dismantle, no question. I guess it shouldn't suprise us that some are too lazy to take the time and make the effort. It's still hard to fathom why though.
I knew one guy who became "apostate" and then came back. But he was fruit loops. He got pissed about something, DAd himself and then joined the Mormons. The funny thing about it was that he got Mormon missionaries to come with him as he called on all his former JW contacts. (even then I thought it was funny... JWs getting the same treatment they dish out...)
But then he got disgruntled with the LDS and came running back to the JWs. He was never free of the influence of the WT. He never saw the man behing the curtain. He was not enlightened as to the falsehoods of the WTS.
I guess, thinking about LWT's comment, there are 'enlightened' apostates and 'unenlightened' apostates. A friend of mine was DFd years ago and never went back. But yet to this day, he thinks the WTS is the 'true' religion and that he's just not good enough to be part of it. So he lives in a state of limbo, knowing that when(if) Armageddon comes, he'll die.
But the 'apostates' I've met through this forum are enlightened. We thoroughly dissect our past...our experiences, our thought processes and how we got where we are. We know what a load of crap it is and not only will we not reindoctrinated to JWism, we won't get indoctrinated into any other belief system.
I don't think it's possible to go back to actually believing what you've learned isn't true...the Santa Claus illustration is a good one. However, some people might go through the motions of returning for other reasons, like getting family ,friends, and a sense of being in a community back. There are many Witnesses who are doing that anyway, but they were never out of the organization in the first place.
Yes.
William Schnell (Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave) had a change of heart and wanted back shortly before he died.
No, I must disagree. My husband believes in Santa Claus.
The ones are remaining for purpose. (OK, some). A PURPOSE can surely be resurrected.
Believing is something different from purpose.
They believe in their purpose, not in the knowledge.
Because, as most know, the knowledge is just about impossible to believe.
They are practicing long-suffering, and some can go back to that.
They don't have to believe it.
They can believe they are doing good.
Because God forgives a liar? I don't know.
I hope so!
TD said, "William Schnell (Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave) had a change of heart and wanted back shortly before he died."
I was unaware that he returned. Does anyone know of articles or threads where I can read more about that?
ScenicViewer:
He wanted to return, but couldn't. Apparently some sins are unforgivable.
If someone is a true apostate, meaning that they have actually left their former set of beliefs in exchange for new ones, then it would be hard for someone to go back IMO. I always liken it to humankind learning that the earth isn't flat - once people learned that the earth is round they couldn't really go back.
People that leave the JW's or get DF'd and never bother to take the time to find a new set of beliefs aren't really apostates though IMO. Yes, they may have left the official rank and file of the JW's, but if they never fill it with anything else. These are the people that I could easily see returning at some point, or at the very least praying to Yahweh from their deathbeds.
Not really, because "apostates" technically never get "unindoctrinated" -- they just switch from one form of indoctrination to another.
Fascinating.
For someone who takes such great pride in his "debating skills", you sure stumble a lot.
So, the JW religion is just another form of indoctrination?
Philisophically, as it turns out to be, the world IS FLAT.
