by imallgrowedup 38 Replies latest jw friends
I brought into the WTS around 20 to 25 brothers and sisters through the years. Now I expose here and there just to say sorry to them, I made a mistake to bring them in. For I couldn't directly talk to them all (about my mistake), I just hope by internet and forums like this, I can help some get out of the Cult. Just to say "Sorry, my beloved brothers and Sisters" (if someone read these lines know me)
jwsons
Hi all,
Ah, yes... I am pretty new here but have been reading posts daily for well over a month now and greatly admire a lot of what I see here! I never was a JW, but I have friends who were and one that still is. One of my close friends was apparently DF'd in a way when a child just because of his family situation/divorce.
I remember once in the late '80's after I recommitted myself to God but still hung out with all my partying friends (of which he was one), several of us were at his apartment after going to a club, and he commented on my Christian shirt saying, "the holy and righteous God can kiss my ass." Then to the sudden silence, I replied, "He will kiss it with flames if you don't change." I didn't realize his true thoughts or views or what he'd been through previously or how those words would affect him.
Over a period of time (we all were/are musicians), we ended up going to Christian heavy metal/punk rock concerts in the early '90's, and he was into bashing Christians while I took up for them. I later learned some things about his previously learned JW views and how he thought he was doomed since he was not one then and had long hair. Over time, I showed him some things from the Bible that revealed a different side of things than he previously knew, and so over time he came to believe in the Bible instead of just what he'd previously heard that had left him feeling like just some doomed soul for the rest of his life. It was encouraging to hear him years later discussing his own thoughts of what he'd read in the Bible that didn't come from his wife, a church, or myself!
Also, a current JW friend (I hope still friend) had e-mailed back and forth with me for a while but started sending some JW mumbo-jumbo replies to what I thought were nice and fine messages. She stopped after I replied to her (rules on) views on Christmas with my own views that I actually felt I was really light on, just saying I thought it was fine for people to either celebrate it or not, that Jesus never commanded us not to celebrate His birth, and that things He did tell us to do, such as helping the needy and spreading the gospel, do occur heavily during the holiday. Then I just glossed it over a bit by just friendly banter about hoping her week goes well and upcoming school semester rocks (surprised she's even allowed to go!). Not a thing back. My e-mail was apparently blocked for a while, but after trying to send one like once a week for a few weeks, I finally got one through (or at least no message "undeliverable") just being friendly and nothing to do with religion at all and still hadn't heard anything in some time.
So that hacks me off somewhat because the JW-type replies seemed a little haughty (and to which I easily could have quashed with even a NWT Bible but not wanting to chance losing a friend), but mainly because it seems obvious she's never had another side/opinion to compare with and how I've learned via this forum and other sites that JW's are trapped into only being able to read/hear their own publications and are under attack of fear of losing their salvation (as it were), family, and JW freinds if they even read "apostate"/other views. I never knew what a trap they are in~! Though what I'd previously known was enough for me to want to see people leave that organization, I never dreamed how insidious a trap is devised for them and how they have no true freedom or "Truth" at all.
I grew up in a divorce situation that had me going first to Methodist, then Baptist, then Pentecostal churches. What I LOVE is that I was never forced into which view my mother or father preferred. I saw good things in each church and some things I wasn't really into. I've learned I can go to pretty much any congregation and get something useful out of it but, at the same time, do not feel compelled or trapped into having to believe exactly the way only they teach or everything they teach is 100% gospel truth.
I also worked at a church that strangely is a cross between Baptist and Pentecostal (the pastor having doctorates in each denomenation) for over 7 years. I'd seen things I was surprised by and almost made me wonder if any churches were real and had me greatly depressed for a long time, and then I'd seen many surprising things there that had me knowing there were great and real things to be found at churches and that people could be aweome and real brothers and sisters. I maybe kinda' understand to some degree how it must feel to be a JW who first sees things about their own belief/hall that make them wonder and have a really scary/negative outlook, yet at the same time being very scared to even take the chance of reading "apostate" literature or being spied on/caught doing so -- or even feeling like they'd be doomed even if not seen doing so since it's such a "bad" thing in the JW view and thus must be blasphemy to God.
This all has me wanting to reach out to them and not just mosh them with certain Bible verses, such as one who came around a few times but could never answer all I'd pointed out to him in his own Bible, thinking then, "wow... I've got him on the ropes," when in reality, he was probably just leaving that last time thinking I was a lost cause/soul. What I want to do is both for selfish reasons and not; I want to free a friend so that she can make her own discoveries and decisions for herself, but I also want all people to feel they have the right to know and understand why they believe the way they do (which would actually STRENGTHEN theif beliefs if the beliefs are based on a valid foundation!) or if there is something else out there they can feel free and absent from guilt to look into. Personally, I'm a Bible-believing Christian (and yes, there've been a couple times when I was awestruck by long-held views I had to confront that didn't line up with the Word but was just taught~ ouch!) and would like to see people free to feel they can know God without any organization ("Let God be true and every man a liar") or even just another person holding it over their heads; at the same time, I realize that many former JW's are not Christians at all anymore for various reasons. I feel all people should be free to understand ALL things and reasons for what and why they believe in what they do. Although I'd like to see everyone a Christian, I don't believe in hiding things from people, keeping them ignorant, in order to do so. Nothing is hidden from me, or at least I have freedom to research anything I want, and I feel all should have that freedom!
God bless, and I am very very glad to see you all feel the freedom you do now and make choices YOU want to make for yourselves! :D
Leo
(((((((((((((((((((((((((( Warm welcome Leological One)))))))))))))))))))))))
jwsons
I think it someone has doubts they will find websites such as this, or seek out the Franz books. For people who don't have doubts, its a waste of time to try and convince them that its not the truth. I think thats exactly what is so annoying about JW's...jamming propaganda down someone's throat. Even if their beliefs are misguided, its a waste of time to try and convince them otherwise....you are just proving to them how "evil apostates are"
Thanx for the warm welcome jwsons!!!
I'm really glad I found this site, too! It has really helped me to understand much better some JW's I know and have known in the past. Now I understand the different mindset many have, contrasting what I previously believed, and so will help me to be a lot more careful in how I talk to any from this piont on! It was kinda' strange that I had this weird feeling to be very careful in how I talked to the JW girl I know only to find that the way I normally am just a blunt person would've definitely had her stonewalling me a long time ago!
May a lot more JW's search for solid answers and come across this site! Peace to all,
Leo
Hi IAGU,
I rarely have opportunity to speak with active JWs ... but when I do, my motivation is to give them another perspective, another level of information to consider ... this way, they will have at least a better chance at an informed choice ... something I did not have ...
I try to do so in ways that does not threaten them or directly attack their faith ... but helps them see that the basis of their faith is flawed ... this way, they can think about it ... and maybe one day will realize the truth about the so-called Truth ... and decide to choose freedom.
Jim W.
I wish JWs -and unsuspecting victims- see the other side of the Watchtower coin :
My motivation is similar to Mouthy's. When I became disfellowshipped for disagreeing with one particular elder who liked to give opinions that weren't Bible based, I realized why people were "Really" disfellowshipped.
I wanted to die for almost five years following but I had small children and that would be horrible for them so that wasn't an option for me.
I'm not angry anymore; I'm not even hurt. My motivation now is simply "I Love Them" and want them to experience the Unconditional Love of our Heavenly Father. I would like for them to understand what it really means to "Make Sure of All Things and Hold Fast to What is Fine" - It's so liberating!
The WTBS is a Profit Making Printing Company that blatantly abuses the Word of God to control, for the most part, mild hearted individuals. It breaks my heart to see the "publishers" trying so hard to be approved and loved and it's never enough. They're very much like abused children who continually crave approval from the Parents Beating Them To Death!
For so many years, I avoided JWs when I would see them in public. Now I make a point of speaking with them. I'm a hugger by nature.....And that's what they all get.
Well enought of my rambling....Great Topic!
" I just want people to know that it is Jehovah God we serve and not men. I will not push my opinion on people who leave the organization, but to see people stop believing in Jehovah God saddens me. There has to be a supreme being, I believe the bible is his gift to us. I also want people to realize to not let the actions of men keep them from having a relationship with God. It is he in the end who will judge us and read out hearts. So I just want people to realize that if a principle can not be proven from the bible, then it is up to the individual before God if they want to follow it or not." I am sorry but the above quoat is bullshit. first of all the name hova is a misinterpitation of a midevil translation, so to even use it is a mistake. second you can not prove that god, hova, or alians exist no more than you can prove that they dont, and as for the crap that the bible is gods word, than if he does exist he needs an editor bad as it is literary crap. just like shakespear advocates praise the febelest words form his lips. so to the biblical advocates praise the most febelest crap passages form the bible, no one even knows who wrote the dam thing. it was a group of old self riteous farts that decided that this book was gods word and this was not some thousand years ago. and that this was writen by this person and this was writen by this person, just like suposedly moses wrote of his own death,. it always reminds me of monty python and the holy grail, when reading the the writing in the cave, I am at the castel arggggggggg,the bible if full of mistakes discrepancys and contradictions. this is fact. the elders used to try thair carp syco babble on me by saying that tree out thair is proof of a designer argo jehovah and all the socity says it true, my god evil conivel should have the ability to jump canyons like that, it is no more proof of god than it is of alians put life on this planet. all I can say is small minds are fine with small minded explinations. the whole reason that the debate is raging since man decided to make god, is it can not be proved eather way unless god apears before the world and says, "here I is"[insert buckwheats voice] the whole thing is it makes people feel secure, things cant go to far wrong god is watching out for me and loves me. well thay said that on the titanic, this ship cant sink, and the band played on, but what a shock when the 35 deg. water hits your ankles.
