My failed attempts to help my brainwashed family

by Addison0998 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Finkelstein

  The WTS's doctrines were devised inherently to proliferate literature, they were not devised or created by academic theological backing.

  For over 100 years the WTS bullshitted its doctrines of faith and even used the bible as a means of viable support through its corrupt activity.
  

  It exploited and manipulated people to its own means and sustenance, destroying lives in its path.
  

  How many other Christian based faiths out the other hundreds created a set time of Jesus's kingdom to come (1914) ?
  

  Answer = 0
  
• 

  Sail Away

  Addison, sad to say it can take an awful lot to wake up a true believer. I was one of them. I struggled with various doctrinal issues for decades.

  Additionally, I needed to go toe-to-toe with the local elders twice. The first time I demanded and received an apology for the way they mishandled a personal matter. The second time they consulted with Brooklyn Bethel and were instructed to handle a matter in the way I had requested. They were none too happy with my pulling rank.

  In the end the cognitive dissonance nearly killed me. The bottom line was I wasn't going to shun my disfellowshipped son. I would like to say there is always hope, but sadly, I took me 42 years to wake up.

  My husband had faded 30 years earlier, and both of my children were already out. Perhaps you will be the one to lead your family out. Unfortunately, one of the things that kept me in for so long was the belief that I had to stay loyal so that I would be there to welcome back any family members who might have a change of heart. Sometimes the last one standing holds on the longest.
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  Wasanelder Once

  Keep thinking clearly and acting sensibly and they will either listen or shun you. Its the way of the cult. Sorry. Keep it on the down-low till you're out of there so you can retain their company now and then if you desire.
  
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  DesirousOfChange

  Well, it sounds like you've done a good job on "planting some seeds" that could start their awakening. Remember, you must be extremely careful not to cross the line from "planting seeds" to "outting yourself" as an apostate rebel.

  Though it's not impossible, most have discovered that disputing JW doctrine is not effective in awakening a JW. That's because the majority of JWs DO NOT KNOW the JW doctrines. The vast majority cannot explain them -- esp things like 607 + 2520 days/years = 1914; or how Jesus decided to choose the F&DS in 1919; and especially this bullshit about Overlapping Generations.

  RE: The Catholic Church is Worse -- A response might have been, "But how much (corruption or child abuse cover ups) is OK? Would you drink a glass of water that is HALF poison? How about if the glass has only a LITTLE poison? How much poison is OK? (A little leaven ferments the whole loaf!)

  Or the approach: But why would Joe Hoover and the Holy Spirit allow these abusive elders to remain as shepherds of the Congregation. Were these men able to lie and fool Joe Hoover? Were they able to "pull a quick one" on the Holy Spirit? How can we explain these travesties? Didn't Jesus say: "No good tree produces rotten fruit?" How is it to be explained?

  Always better to ask questions than try to present controversial facts on issues. Better yet if your doubts are the result of questions from someone at work or school. "So-and-so said [this] and I don't know how to disprove them."

  Be careful about revealing your true thinking. That will amount to no good for you.

  Start now to build a network of "worldly" friends!!!
  

  Good luck!
  
• 

  GrreatTeacher

  "The Catholic Church is worse!"

  "But officer, that car was going much faster than me. Why didn't you pull him over instead?"
• 

  smiddy3

  He had no response, but still defended the way we did things and said the Catholics are much worse.

  I`m not so sure that the Catholics are worse when you consider their are well over 1 Billion Catholics in the world and only 8 Million Jehovah`s Witnesses .

  It would interesting to compare the ratio of Child sexual abuse cases within the two religions .

  My gut feeling is that the Jehovah`s Witnesses would not fare well .

  However I`m not qualified to do such a comparison.
  
  
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  moreconfusedthanever

  It is interesting that knowing your scriptures well raises the "apostate" red flag.
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  carla

  "It would interesting to compare the ratio of Child sexual abuse cases within the two religions "- I thought someone did this years ago on this board (?) I can't recall but it was an ex jw board and because we don't know the exact numbers of either it was still speculation. At the time 23,000 jw abusers was being tossed around and that was the numbers they used in the comparison.
• 

  Finkelstein

  The JWS religion at its core is an apostate false prophet religion devised and structured around an operating publishing house, the Watchtower Corporation.

  Gee what could go wrong with that ?
  

  Was it corrupt ?, did it exploit people's ignorance both from secular knowledge and biblical theological interpretation ?
  

  yes quite clearly.
  

  It also entrapped people by insinuating that only those who remain within it and actively in good standing will have the chance of being saving by Jehovah during the great tribulation and Armageddon.

  The WTS imposes fear into people's minds so the organization can control people to its own self serving means, turning people into its own subservient loyal slaves.