The real dividing line isn’t between apostates and apologists it’s between...

by slimboyfat 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    @ slimboyfat...

    Very interesting and insightful OP subject, and I think you really might be onto something.

    I was a pretty deep thinker back in the day (nowadays too, a bit), and I can tell you...

    ...the logistical difficulties inherent in so many aspects of WT ideology built up more and more the older I got, particularly as I was having to try harder and harder to work out ways the WTS could still be right in spite of all logic, reason, and evidence to the contrary ...

    ...to the point where I realized I'd have to actually shut my brain off to fully accept it all...

    ...and you have no fucking idea just how depressing that prospect was to me.

  • smiddy3
    smiddy3

    Or to put it another way

    A ,Those who are truly bible students and delve into scriptures to support their beliefs

    or

    B.Those who have no interest in Bible doctrines and are just happy to have someone else tell them what to believe ,because what they have been told makes them feel good,

  • Earnest
    Earnest

    Magnum : First, as I understand, "classics" does not include Bible (Koine) Greek and Bible Hebrew (classical Greek is different from Bible Greek).

    Half banana : the Koine Greek of the NT is actually the same as the Greek written and spoken in the Late Classical period [400 - 300 BCE]

    Wikipedia has an interesting discussion on koine Greek phonology. Essentially, it says that the loss of vowel length and the spread of Greek under Alexander the Great led to a reorganization of the vowels in the phonology of Koine Greek. There were no longer distinctions of long and short vowels in popular speech.

  • LongHairGal
    LongHairGal

    SLIMBOYFAT:

    I could never relate to the type of JW you describe back then (they thought they’d never need another car, etc.)..I came in after ‘75..These are probably some of the people who didn’t think they needed to plan for retirement!..Of course, they considered somebody like me to not be ‘spiritual’ 🙄. But, I’m sure glad I didn’t follow their example!

    I wasn’t raised a JW and maybe that’s what saved me from casting all my common sense to the wind!

  • joey jojo
    joey jojo

    Someone else on another topic posted a comment that rings true about JW's, sorry I cant find the posters name.

    Basically, JW's claim to have deep-seated, personal convictions, but in reality it just isn't true.

    Their deep-seated, personal convictions are whatever the latest Watchtower tells them to have.

  • waton
    waton

    wt speakers actually lampoon bible scholars, calling them "walking Insight books"

    Book study conductors fought to keep knowledgeable old timers out of their flock. trouble makers.

    deep seated convictions? , where the kh seats meet the body.

  • Anna Marina
    Anna Marina

    I left because I could see the most elementary of mistakes in counting. Such as 19 followed by 2 not 20. I did all I could to raise such issues only to be consistently met with a refusal to even open the Bible.

    Plenty of others I know have left. and what a number of these ones say is that the environment is loveless and cruel. It was the lack of love thy neighbour (a basic Christian principle) that troubled them. Also, lack of integrity, seeing sin practiced but hidden (if you were in the favour with the right people). The current child abuse issues are a good example of this. But wife beating has gone on along with adultery and fraud. Sadly these and other unchristian practices haven't achieved the same level of publicity as child abuse.

    Other reasons for leaving is that ordinary people can clearly see that attempts are being made to dumb them down. I have heard it said, "do we really need our brains removing to remain part of this organization?"

    An ex-elder explained to me what he had seen happen. He said, say you have a body of Christian men but one turns against Christianity. But he hides it. When the body of elders come to appoint another elder, the anti-Christian one will seek to appoint another anti-Christian one because a Christian would see through him. So gradually over time, the body of elders becomes anti-Christian. And that pattern goes on all the way to the top, so in the end the top is anti-Christian.

    Possibly those at the top were always anti-Christian and were seeking to elevate those of a particular persuasion to make it difficult for those at the bottom (who might be believing Christians) and attempt to silence them.

  • Anna Marina
    Anna Marina

    The OP reminds me of a point made by Jonas in his video about life in the Russian Bethel. The particular bit I am thinking of is at 24:00-30:00. Jonas explains that an unwritten rule about Bethel is, do what you want but don't harm the brand. Ie keep unchristian behaviour out of sight.

    My ExJW Story: Working In The Russian Bethel

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot
    smiddy3 - "Or to put it another way... A...Those who are truly bible students and delve into scriptures to support their beliefs... or... B...Those who have no interest in Bible doctrines and are just happy to have someone else tell them what to believe, because what they have been told makes them feel good."

    C... Those who are still convinced the End is Nigh, and want to make sure they're on the winning side.

  • Spiral
    Spiral

    joey jojo: "Someone else on another topic posted a comment that rings true about JW's, sorry I cant find the posters name.

    Basically, JW's claim to have deep-seated, personal convictions, but in reality it just isn't true.

    Their deep-seated, personal convictions are whatever the latest Watchtower tells them to have."

    These days, I think this is exactly the problem. A lot of JWs just seem totally disengaged from any sort of serious discussion. It's all about belonging to the megachurch (although, they still think they are above all that, which is really funny).

    There is so little real "knowledge" left that's it's all about belonging and pretending to be special. All noise, no substance. No thinkers are left, just followers.

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