Do You Think Many Jehovah’s Witnesses Truly Believe?

by minimus 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Introvert 2

  Thing is I first got in to learn the Bible, then got loved bombed and pressured into baptism thanks to being vulnerable and somewhat naive. I never quite believed 100%, especially the GB FDS doctrine of being God's channel, the 'truth' as they say. But social pressure and wanting to please you go along with it until you can't.. I knew the org was BS when the Revelation book study came around with the inserts back in 06 or 07. By then was so worn down that it had become habit, so yes they really do that. to you. Gets to a point you don't really know what to believe other than the company line because you can no longer think critically and shut down like a zombie drone.

  Funny somewhat relevant story : happened to me today I FB messaged a JW friend's wife for an update on a possible summer bike ride with her hubby only to be told that he no longer had time for that as he was busy with many responsibilities in their ever expanding fast paced congregation in South America.. I could smell the indoctrination and his life's dreams short circuited 7500 km's away. Their life it the 'Truth' and her being quite the adept social climber and suck up has managed to shoehorn her husband into the family corporation, that being the JW.borg and all the grand social benefits that go along with it. Poor guy is totally pussy whipped.. a shell of what he once was.
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  flipper

  If the way my still in JW family behaves totally hardcore is any indication, I'd say about 70 to 75 % still believe in the WT illusion. Any conversations I've had on the street with JW's at carts or random places when they try to preach at me- they always still seem totally deluded and under mind control. They have no critical thinking ability whatsoever. Like their brain neurotransmitters have been singed only to view things one way- the JW way. Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  zeb

  Long Haired Gal you said it for me.

  "these people did not have my circumstances and could never relate to what I went through. I also think many JWs give the religion the “imperfect” man excuse and are in major denial and are there for association."
  
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  Phizzy

  I think the majority of JW's have at least one thing that worries them about the Org.

  That means that very, very few are believers in it 100%, although many profess to be 100 percenters, and would like us to believe they are, when you dig deep they are not.

  The problem is as dear Flipper said above, they are so Mind Controlled, as we all were, that the doubt etc is shoved to the deep recesses of their mind.

  They cannot see that the "Imperfect Men" and " This is God's Org" claims contradict each other.
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  OnTheWayOut

  It's the cognitive dissonance thing- They mostly DO BELIEVE the Watchtower crap, but it creates a mental discomfort when they think about it in a way that tries to be specific, such as planning for getting old and dying "in this system" or just counting on the end arriving before old age arrives.

  My mother accepted that the end did not arrive in 1975 because "we don't know how many years passed from Adam's creation to Eve's creation, therefore YADDA YADDA YADDA." But since it has been so long since then, she has just become a JW with her self-thinking ability on the matter changed in a way that Flipper describes in this thread- her brain neurotransmitters have been singed. "Well, the end is still soon and no matter what explanations Watchtower gives for delay, it's coming."
• 

  days of future passed

  My sister said, while I was packing up and leaving her and the crap WT behind, that the GB was a bunch of men with dementia. She knew that 1914 was wrong. Yet, she gets to go to a foreign language group, hangs out with the gossipers and takes little trips with some at the hall and believes she has the "truth". I asker her "if the bible says one thing, and the WT says something else, which one am I supposed to believe?" She said "it doesn't matter what the bible says" An hour later, she called up to say "don't tell anyone I said that"

  She has the most convoluted thinking possible. I don't even think she's honest with herself. So there are those like that. Whatever makes it possible to stay in it, she'll think it up.

  Then there are those that are more like "worldly JW's" They do many things that I would never have done while I was in JW land. So I don't think they are affected as much by "new light" that contradicts previous "light".

  The true believers plod along with the blinders on. They lift there heads up every once in a while and wonder how they ended up in the opposite direction. But it is a habit and a duty to go back to plodding. After all, God is directing the GB and they would never lie.

  Young ones may grow up believing it but are increasingly tempted by all of the easy ways to be "worldly" Phones, computers and fun everyday things school mates do. They get messed up more if they leave the "truth" by having fun but still believe.
  
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  StephaneLaliberte

  When I was in, I had a conversation with an elder about the "waiting on Jehovah" concept where, basically, this means that there are things that we do not agree or believe in and yet, we are expected to simply pull along. I ask him how he felt when he had to preach talks about such things while he was "waiting on Jehovah".

  "Well Stephane," he said, "Do you think that people come for the public talk to hear ME preach, or to hear teachings from the Organization?"

  "The organization." I replied.

  "Then regardless of what I personally believe, I will tell them what they came here to hear. That's where humility comes in hand."

  For many years, while I considered the idea of becoming a ministerial servant, I struggled with that idea, trying to make it my own. I kept blaming myself, thinking i was too proud/ not humble enough. Ultimately though, I came to understand the problem: I was expected to represent and push the Organisation teachings, not only on stage, but in my everyday life as well. For instance, I could not hold a conversation with my friends and tell them which part of my own talks I did not personally agree with. This meant I had to live a phony life even for small meaningless teachings. Considering that the GB is pushing this type of mental abuse, how could they claim to be humble?
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  OrphanCrow

  They ALL believe in The Promise.

  They believe they will be resurrected and get a chance to live forever.

  That is the fundamental core belief that they all share. Nothing else matters. They will sell their family, their friends and their own soul for a chance at that Promise.
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  flipper

  This > What Orphan Crow said , " They will sell their family, their friends and their soul for a chance at that Promise . "

  So instead of selling their souls to an imaginary " Satan " or " Devil " - Jehovah's Witnesses sell their soul to the WT Society and the REAL Devils that are running that organization. Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  Vidiot

  @ minimus...

  Whenever I hear the question "where else would we go?"...

  ...I want to reply with, "why would we have to 'go' anywhere?"