How Accurate Is JWN In Your Opinion? (page 4)

Apognophos

Yes, it's true, the sum of people's experiences can be informative in its own way. I've definitely learned a lot about what it was like for other people in the religion which was new and different from my own experience, which has reaffirmed my decision to leave.

Magnum

I have a learned a lot here; most info seems to be accurate.

Apognophos:

Unfortunately I see a strong bias towards finding fault with the Society, to the extent that information or standards will get bent a little in the rush to find something new to condemn the WT over. Typical examples would be taking hearsay as fact as long as it puts the Watchtower in a bad light, and holding the Society to a double standard. Even the attempts at humor often come across as manifestations of obsessive bitterness. I know some have said that they're rightfully bitter since the Society has taken so much from them, but seriously, sometimes I want to say, "Get a life, guys."

The constant negativity ("Hey, look at this extremely minor thing the Society did, let's find ways that it's awful") tends to drive me away for periods of time, especially since I am still in the process of exiting and have to put with the meetings and assemblies for the time being. (Plus, not having the time to keep up with the threads gets frustrating, so then I stop reading them at all).

I often see dubious arguments against the religion and debate whether I should act the apologist in order to get things a little closer to the truth. These days I usually don't bother, but I know that if the "me" of a few years ago were reading threads here, I would be mentally debunking one thing after another and would not come away convinced.

Once in a while the forum makes me proud by exercising skepticism about a negative report on the WT, or by rejecting the more outlandish apostate stunts. If I hadn't seen any posters here who cared about the facts, I wouldn't have joined in the first place. But I suppose the board largely serves as a soapbox for ex-members. The best place for solid facts is a carefully-prepared web site, like jwfacts.com.

Apognophos, I agree with you mostly. However, this part...

I know some have said that they're rightfully bitter since the Society has taken so much from them, but seriously, sometimes I want to say, "Get a life, guys."

... I don't agree with. People have been hurt to different degrees. Some of us had lives which the org robbed and/or ruined. And after many decades of being in - esp to the degree I was - it's difficult to just go out and "get a life". The financial situations of a lot us don't allow for that. I love to travel, explore, learn, but I'm stifled by the situation I'm in due to my 'listening and obeying'. I want to say a lot more about this, but it's off topic, so I'm stopping.

Terry

This place is a PROCESS.

There are steps:

1. I suspect the TRUTH isn't what I thought it was.

2. OMG--I realize I've been lied to and duped.

3. What should I do?--I don't want to lose my wife, kids, family, friends, dog, pet hamster . . .

4. What if the Watch Tower is really the true religion and it's just human error screwing it up?

5. I don't know if I believe the Bible is the word of God any longer.

6. I don't know if I believe in God any more.

7. I'm going to mess with JW's and other Christians and wake them up!

There ya go--your map of travel as you pass through the land of Jehovah's Witness Discussion.

Finkelstein

How Accurate Is JWN In Your Opinion?

Certainly a lot more than the Watchtower Corporation.

The JWS are deep into its own inherent corruption and ignorance and is intensionally kept there by self supporting dictatorial dogma.

.

You can seek information and knowledge with earnest integrity and honesty or you can be uncritical to the lies and ignorance offered by religious institutions.

The choice is inevitably yours.

.

JWN is a study of open discerning evaluation.

Fernando

To me that sounds a little like asking:

"how accurate is a community?"

or, "how accurate is the process of making sense of disturbing experiences?"

Of course I'm sure most posters try to be as accurate as possible within the confines of their ability when sharing and comparing their necessarily subjective experiences, in an effort to arrive at objective conclusions.

smiddy

Jwn. Is a discussion forum with many diverse points of view , you need to do your own research as to how accurate some views are expressed ., the onus is on you . Smiddy