Your "Things That Make You Go Hmmm?" List (page 4)

XstuckX

For me when I first heard a speaker stumble through the 'overlapping generation' explanation. What a cluster F.

Apognophos

especially because the first Word he said were "le collège central vous aime beaucoup beaucoup", in English "the Gb loves you very very much"

That's very interesting. In fact I am going to make a new topic about this because I have more to say and I don't want to distract from the thread's subject.

Fernando

Wow that was very revealing and cathartic - I didn't realise just how long the list was before the tipping point was reached - ouch - and thank you for a great thread FHN.

I had also managed to forget that their was so much darkness and error I was aware of even prior to the lights coming on fully.

Very interesting and potentially useful concept for helping loved ones. I believe you are right about 100% (of JWs having such a hidden or secret list).

OneEyedJoe

Fernando, your list makes me feel better about my list. Its really amazing how much you can be willing to overlook while under the undue influence of a cult.

Mum

These are questions I should have asked before I plunged into Watchtowerdom, but I thought that I was just a kid and would understand when I became "mature."

Why were the meetings so sterile and lacking in passion?

Why did I have to give up my childhood friends? I was a teenage convet and did not evern realize this until I got thick with the dubs.

Why were my grandparents, wonderful people, going to die at Armageddon when they did so much good for everybody?

Why were we always kept so busy that we hardly had any time for Bible reading or reflection?

Why wren't JW's upset about the Kennedy assassination? One "sister" said to me "They're so upset about this Kennedy thing. What are they going to do when Armageddon comes?"

Why was I chided for sitting during the prayer when we criticized the Catholic Church for being ritualistic?

If Armageddon was coming in 1975 or before, why was the WT buying new buildings and expanding their real estate holdings?

I could go on and on . . . . .

FlyingHighNow

Thank you, everyone. I have read, off and on, tonight, your comments and lists. I made some notes to come and to comment on. Then I am comprising my own list to share.

Please, keep the comments and lists coming. This is definitely cathartic. Some things are painful for me to think about, which is why I've never done a "This is my story" thread.

XBEHERE

Many things over the years. Most recently:

1. 2 Witness Rule doesn't work for certain CRIMES. Pedophiles seldom have witnesses, its a crime report it.

2. Elders appointed by holy spirit...Really?

3. Bashing Higher Education yet they send a letter out to all elders asking if there any with special skills that can work for free on their Warwick project.

4. Blood fractions... lol What does abstain mean? I like the ham sandwich illustration in Ray Franz's book.

5. "This generation.." wtf?? Please make up your mind and please have it make sense.

leaving_quietly

My list grows by the day:

1. "Overlapping generations"

2. 1914 as a fabricated prophecy (607 isn't an issue for me because Daniel 4 does NOT have a second fulfillment)

3. 2300 years prophecy - From WT article in 1938 to Annual Meeting in 1944??? Days don't add up. Neither does the prophecy fit as the prophecy is about the "constant feature" being "taken away", but publish counts show a marked increase over this time period based on counts in each Yearbook. Big FAIL.

4. Other prophecies like #3 above where the number of days don't match, and prophecies are tied to WT articles or conventions.

5. Very little mention of Christ most of the time. Lip service, to be sure, but when there's ample opportunity to bring Christ into the conversation, usually a big FAIL.

6. Big on preaching work, non-existent on charity work.

7. Us vs. them. The world is all bad. Other religions don't preach, etc.

8. Promoting a web site is considered preaching????

9. Distributing a magazine about how bad pornography is is considered preaching the GOOD NEWS???

10. Actively prohibiting partaking of the bread and the wine.

11. Adding to or removing words from scriptures (e.g. "me" at John 14:14 where most translations and even the Interlinear says: "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.")

12. Saying worship of Jesus is wrong when Daniel 7:14 shows people would, in fact, be serving him.

13. Only figuring out who the FDS really is over 90 years after their supposed appointment.

14. Demanding obedience to an organization.

15. Saying there actually IS an organization when that word cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.

16. Saying God is directing the organization when God gave Christ that assignment. (Eph 1:22)

17. Judging people as spiritually weak or spiritually strong based on meeting attendance and time spend distributing literature.

18. Counting time spent distributing literature. (I can see counting actual placements since that is useful to know how many to print.)

19. Defining knowing the appearance of the flock to mean knowing how many hours each person put on their monthly report. (Prov 27:23)

20. Disfellowshipping people for doing things not even talked about in the Bible.

21. Shunning disfellowshipped people (the Bible says not to eat with such a man, but doesn't say not to say a greeting.)

22. Viewing disfellowshipped people as antichrists (these are the only ones the Bible says not to say a greeting to.)

23. Questions for baptism.

24. Viewing most JWs as not sons of God.

25. Viewing most JWs as not belonging to Christ.

26. Viewing most JWs as not part of the new covenant.

27. Making every JW a teacher when James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment."

28. No beards for men. Only Christ can wear one.

29. Secretive letters / book for elders.

30. Class system among preachers based on the number of hours they spend preaching.

Phaedra

A few:

Counting time for endless pointless, wasted hours knocking on doors with nothing to show but expended energy and resources "volunteered".
Loving works such as attending to the needs of fellow JWs, shut-ins, visiting elderly, etc. didn't "count" for anything.
Categorization of and behaviors around judging other's spirituality. "Weak", "Approved Associate", "Marked", "DF" (Shunned).
Outward display (commenting, highlighting WT) more important than secret spirit of heart (loving, humble).
"I have to get my time in." Why? For whom? God? Really? Or is it a group of men?
The fostering of creativity and development of talents and personal interests frowned upon.
The realization of the legalistic nature of the org over the secret person of the heart earnestly trying to love her neighbor, do unto to others, seek peace, and connect with "God".
The phrase "frowned upon". Because the JWs do so much of that to guilt, shame, and show their disapproval at every attempt you have at experiencing normalcy in life. It's the social equivalent of "that's wrong, that's bad, and if you do it, you don't get our approval, you rebelous outcast."

Phae

keyser soze

The flood story

The violence of the Old Testament

The notion that people's salvation at Armageddon depended on how they responded when JWs came uninvited to their home

That so many bad elders were somehow appointed by holy spirit

That dying by refusing a blood transfusion is showing respect for life

Your "Things That Make You Go Hmmm?" List

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