Which was scarier... the torture scenario or the Armageddon scenario?

by Gopher 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  czarofmischief

  The torture scenario was something I never really worried about. I guess I was just naive enough to assume that would never happen in my country. Sometimes I imagined magnificent escapes, or revolts, or something. I guess my three-cornered hat heritage never really left my blood.

  The Armageddon worried me. I knew that I was a.. um... private guy... and that I would be in trouble if Armageddon ever really DID roll around.

  Plus they would pull out that scripture about "probably you may be concealed" which made me feel sick when they would say that God might let you run all the way up to the end and then judge you as an unworthy goat. I mean, what's the point of even really trying?

  CZAR
• 

  got my forty homey?

  One of biggest fears was a draft/war scenario. First of all wars scare me and dying in a foriegn country is not exactly what I describe as fun. Then telling the government that I will not participate because I was a witness. I remember a Bethel Elder who use to love scaring us young guys telling us the day was coming that we would have to be drafted for a war. It was as if he was looking forward to the younger guys getting tortured because it would fulfill a biblical prophecy.

  20 years later no major wars or draft. I guess Bro Peeples must be sad!
• 

  Gopher

  Czar said:

  The torture scenario was something I never really worried about. I guess I was just naive enough to assume that would never happen in my country.

  You might think so, since here in the USA there's a lot of religious toleration, which is why this nation is the perfect birthplace for cult-like religions.

  However there were times when in the 1930s-40s that the JW's were driven out of towns here in America by the entire town, and at times the police department refused to protect them. At times the Bible Students/JW's were even "tarred and feathered" here.

  But as for WTS prophecy, they pointed to Rev. 13:11-15 where it talks about a wild beast with two horns like a lamb but which spoke like a dragon. According to WTS interpretation, this beast is the dual "Anglo-American" world power. Verse 12 says this beast makes all earth-dwellers worship the first beast (the United Nations), since Great Britain and America were instrumental in establishing the League of Nations and the UN....

  And... skip to verse 15 where it says that the lamb-like beast (the one that looks peaceful) takes the lead in "causing to be killed" anyone who wouldn't worship the first beast (the UN).

  Conclusion... The WTS taught that Britain and America would take the lead in persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses at some future point.
• 

  FirstInLine

  I never believed much of what the WTS said on the subject other than you had to be a JW to not get killed at armageddon.
• 

  Charms

  Armageddon had to be more frightening for me. The way it was described in talks was that worldly people would be tortured and trying to kill themselves in order not to suffer from Jehovah's wrath, but unable to die by their own hands (that one confused me, btw). They wouldn't be able to hide from Jehovah's legions of angels coming to kill them.
• 

  Charms

  Those nightmares you describe were almost exactly as mine were. Black and red clouds in the sky and me frozen in fear and waiting to die for being such a disobedient teen. How does a religion that supposedly preaches love instill fear in people, especially children?
• 

  new light

  The trib was definitely scarier to me, as a born and raised JW. Armageddon actually seemed exciting. I clearly remember the day I asked Mom about the trib, at 8 years old. What a horrible thing to put into people's minds.. One can only guess at the damage such a belief does to a young, impressionable child. How could any child entertain such a belief without severe mental scarring? Sickening!
• 

  gumby

  Which was more scarier to the young mind -- the pre-Armageddon persecution / torture scenarios, or the Armageddon pictures?

  The Armageddon pictures.

  My two older sisters and me, studied in the "Paradise Lost Paradise Regained book". I'll never forget the way those pictures scared us. Little children being swallowed up by the earth, lightning bolts from the sky, building crashing down, people killing each other.

  It was taught that some of us might die in Armaggedon as he would allow some to die( not by his hand however....but by others)

  The Great Tribulation didn't scare me because we were taught that when they turned on Jehovahs people.....it would be like touching his eyeball and Jehovah would step in quickly.

  Gumby
• 

  marie67

  I was raised a JW. I really don't remember being overly frightened. I guess how could I be anymore afraid I had such a abusive stepdad. I was more afraid of him. I always felt Jehovah would help me and protect me. Hopefully from him someday! Marie
• 

  gumby

  Ialways felt Jehovah would help me and protect me. Hopefully from him someday! Marie

  And I'll bet he never did either.......did he?

  Gumby