iceman 9 hours ago
.(BOLD IS MINE)
Its
not easy to continue when you have doubts and also when those doubts
lead to fears concerning you life and those whom you love most; your
wife and kids. Glad you understand this.
Looking back on my life in the truth; I would say I
had hundreds of reasons for leaving and "breaking free" as others would
like to say. I was an MS at 22 and an Elder at 28. I continued as an
Elder for 21 years. Resigned as at an issue of conscience. Been through
rough times since then. Issues of conscience and hundreds of reasons to leave and yet you go back for more? You must really like the abuse!
With more reasons to give me for opting out of the whole thing.
I was disfellowshipped in a kangaroo court. And did not associate for about 5 years.
Disfellowshipped unfairly, ostracized for 5 years and you go back like an abused wife goes back to her abusive husband.
My family did not talk to me. But the main reason for going back was. I knew thats where I wanted and needed to be. And if an organizations keeps itself this pure. Why not
Of course WHERE YOUR FAMILY IS is where you want and feel the need to be, but using someone's family as emotional black mail to keep you in doesn't let the organization off the hook for its injustices.
Yes i have read apostate sites. I agree with some of the things they say.
However you need to just reflect for a time. On some of these facts that I have found rewarding.
1.
the organization is NOT inspired. Yes they say some dumb things
sometimes. And maybe when it comes to dates; maybe they should not say
anything. The organization claims to be inspired when it suits them and claims to be infallible, yet led by the holy spirit when they make huge, blundering mistakes. It's amazing the mental gymnastics that people go through to pretend that claiming to be led by holy spirit and being inspired are two different things, They are not.
2. Jehovah has always had an organization here on earth. If the brothers are not it. Then who is.
Where has this organization been the last 2,000 years? Oh, maybe you mean the Catholics who decided which books of the bible were inspired AND gave us the name "Jehovah". How kind of them, yet you won't get one witness to say something good about them.
3. Think about you life. How you grew up. How your wife grew up. Your love for her and your kids. The love
You have for the brothers. How did all that come about. From you and others apply god's principles; where did you find those.? A loved forced by emotional manipulation and blackmail to conform through coercion and undue influence. "Interpret the bible as we do or we will cut you off forever." Yeah, real love there.
4. Why is it that there is a huge number of people bagging the organization? Why are there not Catholics or others bagging their religion.
People "bag" (whatever that means) other religions on here as well. We challenge all extraordinary claims and demand extraordinary proofs from any organized religion. But you do know that this site is called jehovahs-witnesses.com right?
5. True Elders do some dumb things too. They are not
doctors or psychologist. I always thought when I was an Elder how lucky I
was to have some kind of instruction to help me. As if every Elder did
what they thought. The place would be in a mess!!! Yet, sadly the place is a mess, and sadly they pretend to be doctors and psychologists. Their mishandling of the flock have led to numerous suicides and broken families and abusers being allowed to keep on abusing.
I know I
disfellowshipped people when I should not have. But I know I
disfellowshipped some pretty rotten people. You know what everyone has
to stand on their own too feet. If you can admit this and yet still defend the organization then you sir are a real (insert colorful expletive here).
5. As far as child molestation is
concerned. Sure we get things wrong. But at least we investigate and try
to get it right. Then we get criticised on how we handled it. We have
much to learn. Compare to other religions who do nothing. This is a pathetic strawman. There is no religious organization in the civilized world that does nothing. Laws are laws and thankfully there are arms of the law that make sure each religious group is obeying the law in regards to the handling of pedophiles and abuse. How many other institutes rely on a primitive "two witness rule" to solve sexual abuse problems in their church?
think about things for a while.
I thought about your post all day. It sucks.
You
can still have doubts; but dont through the baby out with the bath
water. Dont get yourself disfellowshipped. Its not worth it. Its not a
badge of honor?Don't you mean that the baby is your relationship with god and the water is clinging to some religious organization claiming to be the mediator between you and God? I think you've got your priorities criss-crossed.
I have a great elder in my congregation. We talk about everything and anything. He has doubts about somethings. But we just sit there have a few drinks and talk our heads off for a few hours.
Yep, let's sit, talk about stuff, wash away the disgust with alcohol AND DO NOTHING. BRILLIANT.
Its great for the soul. I'm seriously questioning whether you have one or not.
But I am certainly not giving up anything that I love so much and put so much of my life into it.
Hard to humble yourself and admit all the years you've wasted slaving away for nothing.
I am not giving up. because of my wife, kids, family, my friends and most of all Jehovah.
You do understand that family and god are different from defending an organization right? Who said it's an all-or-nothing deal? You've got them all lumped up into one big, ugly unholy trinity.