by jst2laws 44 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Figureheaduk,
You are in a position of neutrality which allows you to see both sides without the cloud of personal pain and loss that most here have suffered. I appreciate your contribution.
Try to understand those here who may not see things the way you do arrived where they are for good reasons. As you see above, most who have commented agree with you. I hope it works out with your girlfriend.
Jst2laws
"No one is good but God alone"
And what is a 'fine' brother - are they dead?
The language of jwism comes in near the root, even below the ground.
I figure there are people in the WTS that know they are teaching lies and keep doing it because they get something out of it and they don't care who they harm.
Then there are those that are thoroughly deceived like I was until things happened that forced me to open my eyes. Then I had to decide whether I would become like the people described above, knowingly teach and supporting lies, or leaving.
I figure it is like it was in Jesus time, the Pharisees (most of them) were knowingly teaching lies. There were some that were struggling like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. But eventually, they had to choose to leave the lies.
The common people were thoroughly deceived. Jesus helped them open their eyes through his illustrations and sermons. Some left the lies, others did not.
It takes courage and a willingness to be true to yourself, not to knowingly support lies even if that means causes pain to yourself, losing something you thought valuable.
It is a road that many people have to follow to leave a life where there is abuse, whether it be sexual, emotional or spiritual. It is amazing how similar the steps are to deal with being sexual abused by a parent, growing up in an alcoholic family, being part of a high-control religious group.
Blondie
Well My daughter is still there -I know she is a good girl. Just confused
Certainly there are still plenty of `good' people still left in the JW organization. But a large fraction of them are not nearly so good as they would like to think. It's like the situation in Nazi Germany. A lot of decent Germans disliked some of what the Nazis were doing, but they went along anyway because they would have lost a lot by not going along. In this way, a lot of basically `good' people were shown to be more interested in their own personal welfare than in being truly good people. But most people in the world are no different. Neither are JWs.
Unfortunately, in the JWs there are plenty of self-proclaimed `good' people who, when pushed, will admit that they will overlook any and all wicked behavior by their leaders. This is because they actively deceive themselves into believing that these men speak for God, and therefore cannot properly be criticized. They will retain this attitude even when they admit that they condemn the "my religion right or wrong" attitude in others, but not in themselves. Such people know they're hypocrites, but go along anyway because they get a good deal of selfish satisfaction.
AlanF
AlanF,
But a large fraction of them are not nearly so good as they would like to think. It's like the situation in Nazi Germany. A lot of decent Germans disliked some of what the Nazis were doing, but they went along anyway because they would have lost a lot by not going along.
In my opinion, this is an invalid comparison. We are talking religion here not politics.
One cannot be compared with the other.
Ray Franz, Dunlap and others stayed even though they saw error and wrongs in their religion.
Many of us did. Are you saying we are all culpable? We are all like the Germans in Nazi Germany?
IW
I just got a call this evening to tell me the lady who led us all into the org has died. She was of the anointed and I feel gutted even though I havent spoken to her in years because of WT doctrine. The world has lost a good person, deceived but good to the core.
I missed her when I left the WT but wil miss her more now.
There are many good (by my standards) witnesses still in there.
Brummie
I'm editing again to interject a little extra for free.
This "anointed Sister" did some real cold things that caused me to rant, however it only takes us a second to slip our JW heads back on and see things how they see them to understand that our interpretation of cold is their interpretation of trying to help out.
Yes, there are many good people still in. There are also many, whom I knew personally that have doubts but did as I did and push those doubts aside.
I hope they will one day find their way out.
