my first post and some questions

wallievase

This is my first post after deciding to finally open an account here after months of 'lurking'.

A couple of issues I want to address-

I have issues with people who go from being a witness to losing all faith in god or the bible which seems to be the case with some members of this site. I just don't think you can let any religion change how you view god or the bible.

Second-I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided by something that has been drilled into their heads since they were little and are actually sincere people.

Please reply, let me know what you think and what my next course of action should be as I think I'm too afraid to leave because of the effects on my wife, family friends, etc.

Londo111

As Ray Franz says, the GB are captives to the concept. Sometimes, they could be personable, but at times, the Concept led them to actions that were neither humane or Christ-like. Other religious leaders like David Koresh were captives of thier concept as well, but in the end, it led from bad to worse.

I agree that the GB is indoctrinated as much as the rank and file JW, even more so after decades rising through the ranks up to the inner circle. Because of this indoctrination, they can be very delusional in thier thinking. This has led to actions and decisions for millions that have been bad and ruined many lives.

DesirousOfChange

I have issues with people who go from being a witness to losing all faith in god or the bible which seems to be the case with some members of this site. I just don't think you can let any religion change how you view god or the bible.

I think this is because being a JW has convinced you (all of us) that all other religious ideas are totally false so there is no "going back" to anything in "Christendom".

Second-I don't feel the GB are bad people, I think most witnesses including them are misguided by something that has been drilled into their heads since they were little and are actually sincere people.

Frankly, I'd prefer to think that too -- that they are all Captives of a Concept (to plagiarize) all the way to the top. And I think that might be true of even the GB as I think perhaps they are screened or isolated from TTATT. But surely the Writing Dept or Service Dept or Legal Dept staffs see all the counter evidence in letters, etc and just ignore it because it risks their position. Sadly, perhaps that is also the case with the GB as well. (I don't think anyone one the outside really knows WHO is pulling the strings.)

Please reply, let me know what you think and what my next course of action should be as I think I'm too afraid to leave because of the effects on my wife, family friends, etc.

Lots of us here are just inactive or faders because we don't want to lose our family & friends. Some who know the TTATT even remain active and just fake it. Only you can decide what is best for YOU.

Since you've apparently already taken the Red Pill, you should be warned that it's almost impossible to go back. You cannot UN-learn TTATT.

Good luck,

Doc

Ding

Wallievase,

Welcome to the forum!

I just sent you a PM. You access PMs by clicking on the little envelope in the upper right hand corner. If you get an error message, go back and click in it again.

Hortensia

I have issues with people who go from being a witness to losing all faith in god or the bible which seems to be the case with some members of this site. I just don't think you can let any religion change how you view god or the bible.

On the other hand, I don't have any issues with you if you go on believing there is a god. It's up to you.

What should you do next? Take it slowly, read a lot, ask lots of questions, learn a lot. There's no hurry, and the more you know the better decisions you can make.

straightshooter

The nice thing about this forum, is there is a well rounded group of participants. Some may believe in God and religion, others may not. Some may be outright opposed to the WTS and others just question various beliefs.

As for the GB, I agree with Londo111. A jw is taught to believe only in the WTS teachings. Therefore the GB is central to this teaching.

wallievase

On the contrary doc I really believe most Christian relgion is false in some way whether in tradition or doctrine but I believe as long as they are sincere god appreciates the effort

OnTheWayOut

Welcome. I did not let a religion change how I view God or the Bible. Watchtower taught me how to research for talks and spiritual assignments. Once I learned how their methods were flawed with circular logic and twisting of quotes from outside sources and the Bible, my skill in learning how to examine things for myself was much better than it was when I was learning their "truth."

So after learning that the Watchtower truth was not the truth, I continued to examine things. I examined the Bible as it was the tool used to get people to be Christians and especially JW's. I found the Bible to be very flawed. I compared science of evolution and the age of the earth and the age of the universe and much more, along with doctrines of Christianity. I included learning how people think they have been contacted by God or spirits and what psychology has to say about those things, along with mythology and the development of beliefs.

The conclusions were inescapable.

The GB, I have gone back and forth with. I thought they were maybe just victims of the doctrine, same as me. But they go beyond that. They manipulate and use deceit and make the corporation more important than any individual's welfare. If they are just duped, they are still going along with things they know are wrong. But I would welcome any JW that wakes up to a gathering of ex-JW's.

Only you can know when to leave and how to leave. I can tell you that once you know the truth about The Truth, it gets harder and harder to stay. I faded away because my wife is still a JW (along with my mother and my in-law family). I just went less and less, dumped my elder responsibilities, stopped going one day, avoid the elders and am not known for any vocal opposition to Watchtower.

Watchtower-Free

What happens to JWs that learn "The truth about the truth" TTATT is they learn to use

critical thinking skills. Looking for actual proof backing up claims.

Then they use these thinking skills and apply them to religion in general .

This leads many to agnostisism or atheism . Because proof is pretty slim .

Iown Mylife

Hello Wallievase! Now you got that first post out of the way, you will begin to enjoy this forum more and more, at least that's the way it worked for me.

Have you had a chance to read Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz? I'm still reading and re-reading it. There's a place in there where he says that one of the GB said if something hurt an individual Witness but was better for the entire body of Witnesses, then the one individual's pain or trouble didn't matter.

In other words, an individual is expendable, it's the main mass that counts. The numbers are important, not the people.

Okay, when I got to the realization that the WT is simply another cult, it was very easy to leave. It became important to leave.

I don't believe people who use mind control are innocent or sincere. I think the GB and the whole arrangement they have with the money rolling in and the attitude they have towards people is far away from what the Creator would intend.

Everybody's outlook is different because we all have had different circumstances and experiences. I've come to my current beliefs after going through a great deal of painful problems caused by being a member of the WT cult.

I respect however you feel towards the whole subject.

my first post and some questions

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