Back from the Memorial (page 8)

blacksheep

"They looked a pretty good bunch to me, and I'm not easily fooled by crap."

Sounds like a very, very superficial observation. They were polite and said it was lovely to see you. And that's what you base your opinion of them on?

FTR, I also occasionally run into a few JWs I knew in the past due to some of my relatives still being in. I can honestly say that for most of them, I genuine like them, and they seem "okay." However, I'm very well able to separate the superficial "good christian/nice person" persona they put forth from the teachings they espouse: shunning, hatred of the world, promoting deaths due to primitive beliefs on blood, their rigid control, scandals, etc. I don't care how "nice" these folks appear, they are part of a cult.

Glad you enjoyed the superficial pleasantry. A few of us have deeper feelings/observations.

wednesday

When I started reading posts about being pro-war, joining the military, taking up smoking and all other forms of debauchery that's when I realised that any faith in jehovah that these people may have had all but disappeared long, long ago. I suggest you stay on this forum, scooby

. so u think that being pro war indicates a person has no any faith in jehovah. So u see jehovah waving a magical wand and solving world problems? no, we are going to have to help ourself. So instead of peddling mags and telling people to "wait on jehovah"(tm) people are actually out there trying to do something to help world conditions. have u forgot how many wars the jews fought? I'm pro whatever it takes to solve this terrible problem we have now. If that means war, so be it. Or should i go offer mags to starving people , brutilized by a hitler type ruler?

SloBoy

Scooby,

It sounds like you don't agree with some of the comments at this site about JW's. I'm glad you realize that not everybody here has something negative to say about all Witnesses and you made it perfectly clear that there are some "decent" people on this board. Just as an exercise in perspective though, next time you're at the Hall, why not mention to some elder that you are involved at this site and know that there are some pretty "decent" apostates that you post with. Perhaps then, you might be able to better relate to some of what you describe as over-reactive comments from some that have been treated so poorly by the WBTS.

hillary_step

Scooby,

I understand where you are coming from in your post, and I agree with you to a degree and that is that there is often a tendency for XJW's to attack anything JW shaped, often without much thought attached to the process.

The majority of JW's are decent people who believe indecent things and these components mix a powerful chemistry that results in a strange sort of cognitive dissonance. For example, the same people who showed you so much love last night also believe that soon God will soon kill all XJW's and their families in a world scene reminiscent of 9/11, merely because many of them had the audacity to question some of the dangerous decisions taken by their leaders. These same leaders have proclaimed themselves the sole mouth-piece of God on earth and dictate to their adherents who will live and who will die. At the very pinnacle of their death list are the persons who post to this Board. Now imagine Scooby, you were living in a dictatorship and you knew that the leaders within that system had marked you for torture and death for questioning some aspects of their governing, how gracious would your thoughts be toward them

Bear in mind that the same decent people that showed you so much concern last night themselves will attack anything XJW shaped, almost the antithesis of what you are complaining about on this thread, without much thought attached to the process.

Can you then wonder why reconciliation and rationality tends to take a second place to ‘JW bashing’ on this Board. I am not condoning these attacks on JW’s, nor the JW attacks on XJW’s. They are a long-term reality that we have to learn deal with in a competent manner. The true culprits in this scenario howvever are not neccessarily the individual JW's or XJW's, but the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the few dozen of its henchmen that keep the WTS tightly wrapped in their anti-social and often dangerous theology and who damaged the lives and aspirations of many members of this Board.

Just another point, WasaSister is one of this Boards most rational thinkers, I think that you have been guilty of a rush to judgment in insinuiating that she is motivated by pride. I suggest that you spend some time reading her past posts if you wish to see her for what she really is. You would not want to mimic the behavior that you accuse XJW’s of now, would you…

Best regards - HS

Death by Questions

I also went last night, with my wife. Although she is inactive like me, she still feels it’s the “truth”, like scoobs here, although she doesn‘t seem to share his highly judgmental attitude. I went with her because she wanted me to, and for no other reason. That is where I draw the line, however. That is the only meeting I plan on attending this year. She, impressed with the overwhelmingly loving atmosphere, plans on attending regularly again. I, will support her whatever she decides to do ,but like I said ,I will not return.

This said, I’m not really sure how to take comments like that of Scoobs. I mean, going into the KH, last night I didn’t expect to be treated badly or to be ignored.( After all, only known Dfed or Dad ones would be treated like that.) I knew it was going to be the exact opposite. I knew the people we knew would be greeting us, hugging us, smiling ear to ear. I knew that even some that didn’t know us would find their way through the 100 some other irregular ones, to introduce themselves. This is exactly what happened. Was I surprised like Scoobs seems to be, absolutely not. Am I going to try and determine whether they were genuinely loving or not by the way they acted? No, its not my place to do so. Do I believe that some or maybe even most of the people there are loving people? Yes, to an extent. That isn’t and never has been the issue. JWs don’t convert or reactivate thousands of people every year by acting cruel an unloving. However they do lose thousands Dfing them, acting cruel and unloving. Therefore, as its been said before they show love , but its conditional love.

Don’t expect to much, only expect that they will expect to much from you as an imperfect person, and will not in many cases, live up to their own high and ever changing standards. If you can accept that, good for you. Whatever makes you happy.

If we all are to be judged in the end, I can’t help but think of that scripture that says something like you will be judged by how you judge others. I choose not to judge or be judged by others, so away from the Kingdom Hall I’ll stay. Peace.

wednesday

This said, I’m not really sure how to take comments like that of Scoobs. I mean, going into the KH, last night I didn’t expect to be treated badly or to be ignored.( After all, only known Dfed or Dad ones would be treated like that.) I knew it was going to be the

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but jws do unoffically shun. u do not have to be DF/DA or publicically reproved to be shunned. I have been around a long time- and i know this is a fact. however, i am glad u got a nice reception.

somebody

My response to this is a question to Scooby,

Are you disfellowsipped or disassociatedfrom the sect /group?

You may think that question is irrelevant for the love you were openly shown, but it isn''t.

It will determine wether you are treated with love and caring, as Jesus showed and acted upon, or you being treated as a deciever and an antichrist by the Society's definition.

So tell us all? I gather you are not df'd or dissaccociated.

Your LOVING treatment ONLY depends on those two things. You KNOW that!

If you were a df'd person, wopul you have recieved the LOVING GREETING you got?

No need to answer here on the board, becase we ALL know the answer to that. Just something for you to think about.

Organizational policy override Jesus' policy for organization followers.

peace,

somebody/gwen

Victorian sky

Very interesting, Tell me Scoob, did you feel like a hypocrite for going to the Memorial when you read and post on this site? 'Cause I bet if you told those same 'friends' about our forum and your part on it you'd feel the 'love' turn into an artic blast. Just before you start accusing me of being a hater, there are many people I love who are still JWs, including family. I haven't lost them like many here on this forum so when you reply on the forum, please have a little compassion because you don't want to go through the pain and neither do I. Also, for the first time in my life, I didn't attend the memorial, it was a strange feeling a mix of good and bad. I don't believe this is the truth. But whether you think so or not, you are right, there are good JW's - just as there are good people in all religions but that doesn't make it right! Most on this forum are good people too who have had their hearts broken by the loving JWs, where is your empathy? - Victorian Sky

Death by Questions

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but jws do unoffically shun. u do not have to be DF/DA or publicically reproved to be shunned. I have been around a long time- and i know this is a fact.

Believe me,I agree with you100% and you didn't burst my bubble at all. Now that I rread my post,I see I didn't word exactly what I was trying to say correctly. I don't deny your claims whatsoever,as I read your experiences as well. Although I was treated okay,it doesn't surprise me to hear that you and others were treated bad and I sympathise with you and am sorry you had to go through that. I think there are some halls that come off more loving then others at first glance or visit. I guess what I was trying to say was that it doesn't matter how loving they come off, its just as well if they never came off loving at all. Conditional love is worthless,and not really love at all.

truthseeker1

I'm sure if I go back to the hall, (if I wasn't DA'd) they would all be nice to me and I'd feel loved. But the moment I express my own opinions about what I believe, I will be pulled into the room. The main problem isn't with the people, its with the fact that you can't have your own opinion! Imagine that, They have talks discouraging independant thought. You know that not all the teachings of the JWs are right, but if you express your disagreement, you get in to trouble...Is that something you want? If so, by all means go back.

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