Welcome :-)
new member- my story
by AndDontCallMeShirley 80 Replies latest jw experiences
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AndDontCallMeShirley
Thanks for all your nice comments!
To answer some of your questions:
I was never an Elder. I grew up as a JW, and I had observed too often the real workings of an Elder Body. Its driving force was not scripture- it was politics! I didn't have the stomach for it. Plus, I always felt that I had so much personally to improve on that I'd feel uncomfortable being in a position to judge someone else. I felt I could do just as much, maybe more, as a MS, and then "just a publisher", to help and encourage others- a title is not necessary to help people. Personally, I think this is why many Elders are stepping down-and many men in the Org. are not "reaching out"- they, too, realize they'd have to compromise too much of themselves in order to qualify to serve in the new, legalistic version of WT. I've seen too many truly good men get ground down to nothing for trying to do what's right, opposed by a self-serving Elder Body, and they end up stepping down. It is no place for anyone with a conscience!
As a fourth generation JW, we knew people, so I got many privileges. My convention talks were on the Ministry School. My interviews were because I was a Pioneer. Because of our family history we were always in good with CO's. DO's etc. and at the top of the list for getting used in a prominent way. When Bethel "heavy hitters" came to town, for instance if we were the host convention for networked DC's- I was usually invited to hang with the "in crowd". I look back at it now and I feel rather embarrassed by it all. It really does create class distinctions and a pious, holier-than-thou mindset toward your fellow brothers and sisters, an attitude I now detest.
I have not had difficulty fading. Miss a few meetings and, if anyone even notices, they don't check up to see if you're alright. Stay away for a month or two and you're forgotten completely. Such is the conditional "brotherly" love of the "most loving organization on earth"! Even when I quit reporting field service time almost two years ago, I didn't receive one call from the Elders to see why. Amazing. JWs are essentially "widgets", a dime-a-dozen, fodder for a huge religious corporation. If one falls away, we'll just go out and get a cheap replacement. Such is the state of the WT Org. today.
As far as a tally for how many times "organization", "governing body", etc. is mentioned in DC talks, I'm sorry, I no longer have that info. For anyone on this board who's attending the 2013 DC, that would be a great project. I'm sure this year, the GB will be ramping-up it's hijacking of Christs' Mediatorship in order to solidify their stranglehold on JWs even further to receive more worship, so I'm sure the Org. and the GB will receive even greater mention. Perhaps someone will post that afte they've attended.
While I do focus a lot on what Elders have done, my reasons for leaving are primarily doctrinal. People are people and I cut humanity a lot of slack, because I think it's nice to get thesame consideration. Whether religious or not, people make mistakes, that I can handle. I draw the line at absurdity and "brazen" disregard for truth, aka WT history and doctrine. WT has established itself as being less interested in truth than it is in it's own self-preservation. When any group has to resort to lies, deception and cherry-picking to prop up hopelessly flawed doctrines, it's time to throw in the towel. The rank-and-file have no say. Eight men in Brooklyn wield enormous power, and in my opinion, are reckless.
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AndDontCallMeShirley
"It is interesting with the overlapping generations. I cannot see how a thinking person could accept a teaching like that; "
Unfortunately, most JWs I talked to at that convention didn't notice; the ones who did, didn't care! They failed to see the significance.
Ironically, the speaker from Bethel made it a point to say, "we are in the 'last day' of the last days...the Governing Body truly believes this". Really? Then why did you just redefine the "generation" doctrine so that it "overlaps", thereby giving yourselves ostensibly a 40-50 year extension on this system of things, before you need to come up with another explanation as to why the End still hasn't arrived?
Even after I explained the significance of this change to JWs I talked to, they still were not bothered. And this is the way the current generation stays, eventually dying of old age, and a new generation gets suckered in: cognitive dissonance and a brain that has been in suspended animation due to an official ban on critical thinking.
For me, it was one too many layers of absurdity!
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problemaddict
Yo Shirley,
Welcome and thanks for sharing. Its GREAT the elders are leaving you alone. I mean it really is. Maybe a phonecall, but honestly, the intrusive level of interest in why you aren't around anymore is starting to get to me. I am on month 5 or 6 (can't remember) of a fade. Similar to you, I have some "pedegree" in the organization and have had most of the titles and responsabilties (privlidges of service), available.
I too give men alot of slack. Especially elders. They really are trained to be how they are. Some buck the training and are really good people, but are still hampered in because fo their belief that the slave is essentially holding the keys to their and everyone elses salvation.
I remember VERY CLEARLY at a special day assembly a brother giving a talk that had some research in it he related that was very interesting to me. He names off some stats and info that I was enthralled by. I like to read, and at the time was a die hard loyalist. This was a bethel speaker and he did a great job. After his part I went up to him and thanked him for his visit. I asked him the source of the information he quoted so I could learn more. He immediately turned on me. He was visibly uncomfortable, rude, and told me he "didn't need to tell me". I was floored! I just wanted to know the source of information he quoted. Nothing more. Yet I was treated like I was challenging him, and he just blew me off and treated me bad.
It helped me wake up to our paranoia. Behind abject paranoia there are usually secrets. I had had doctrinal doubts, but they took on ew meaning as I saw moe evidence that what I had believed and explained was just a parroting of teachigns that I could no longer stand by.
It took me YEARS of this process, and much like you it is doctrinal, not social issues that have sealed the deal. I still consider the GB a group of real believers. i don't think they mean the harm they foster. But you nailed it. They became wreckless, and their out of touch reasoning based on our own history and culture over the scriptures themselves, is just terrible.
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problemaddict
BTW, the generation nonsense was interpreted by me the same way you did. When I spoke about it to friends, I saw the ignorance. A friendly and still non-confrontational conversation with some, to make a long story short, led to my eventual blow up with local elders and my removal as an MS.
What a mess.
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Dismissing servant
Yes, you are right Shirley. Most JW think something like: "I have to accept this new light about the overlapping generations, otherwise I lose my hope of eternal life, and I will be shunned by my friends and family." The cognitive dissonance is a mental prison.
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Dismissing servant
I find this fascinating, PA. The dissonance is really powerful. People who have read about the overlapping generations, that have heared speeches at assambleys on it, and have studied about it in WT-study articles are completley ignorant of it! This is why psychology can be very interesting.
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Londo111
marked
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mouthy
Welcome & thank you for your post.I was a devoted JW for over 25 years. Would have died for the ORG
But now I have lost my family because they are taught I am evil because I never accepted Jesus invisabilty
return in 1914. You gave me hope that MAYBE some of mine might see the "lie" for what it isMouthy Grace Gough
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Pterist
Great storey, thanks for sharing, Shirley, oops sorry