I've been busy for a couple of days, so had no chance to check what was up with I've been busy for a few days, and unable to read several of the responses to this post. Thanks for the comments. JNS - I seem to have inspired you to get involved on this board. Good! Welcome! You can use the input. And no, AlanF, JNS is not me writing under another name! The really sad part, is that I think JNS is totally authentic. Like you said, what she wrote is exactly what I'm talking about when I started this. There is the JW mindset (often set in concrete, unfortunately) that is so sad and lacking. A few of your points, JNS, I'd like to respond to, though it's probably, eh, pointless to do so! Making the observation that I'm imperfect is about as insightful as saying that all living people breath oxygen. Your comment that questioning the Bible, or what the Bible tells us about God, is a no-no, and that we can't examine what science has proven to question the Bible - well that 's exactly the kind of stupidity that drives so many of us away from the JWs. AlanF called it mindless. Exactly. And that silly comment, "Have you ever thought of that?" at the end. Trust me, there are a lot of us who have put more years of thought into this than I think you can EVER imagine. Yours was not a particularly insightful or even intelligent post. It may be hard for you to understand, but we've actually thought about this a lot, and at a deeper level than you might be able to comprehend. Why did I remain a Witness 35 years? Now that was actually a good point, and worth my responding to. I think I remained a JW for a handful of reasons that a lot of people here can identify with: First, it was the way I was raised from about 10 years old. I was baptized at 11. It was, as it were, my culture. Second, I really wanted it to be true. I would love to live forever, and I would love to never have to lose a close friend or child or parent forever to death. What a wonderful hope. Third, I bought the WTS's argument that a lot of the questions I had, the things that I saw that were not making sense to me, would be cleared up in time. Wait on Jehovah - I'm sure you've heard that a few times. So I did. Fourth, I really enjoyed being with many of the friends, and I had lots of good personal friends, as well as family, in the organization. I didn't want to lose those. I also had lots of responsibility, and felt good about what I was doing in helping people. There are a lot of people who need a hearing ear, someone to give them a helping hand, and the JWs have more than their share. I was a help to a lot of those folks, and for a long time I really enjoyed that. I also found that there were enough people with enough serious problems, that you could be eaten alive by their needs if you weren't careful. Fifth, when I seriously could not accept what the Society was teaching about something, I didn't teach it. If someone asked, I'd tell them the Society's view on it, but make it clear that there was no solid scriptural basis for the WTS's position. From oral sex in marriage to some of the Society's postions on divorce to the blood issue - there were a number of areas where this applied. This allowed me to function without going insane over the contradictions. When the questions became too great, I stepped down, and then, within a few years, just quietly left the Witnesses all together. One other point. I never said I hated or despised the Witnesses, or that all elders are awful ogres. YOU said that I said it, but it's untrue. I think it's in the Witness mentality to misrepresent those who disagree with you like that. It's VERY dishonest, yet many among the Witnesses are quite capable of that, as is the Society in the literature and assembly programs. I know some great elders, two of whom I recommended that this Brother that came to see me go talk with. I also know some pathetic elders, some downright bads ones, and a very large number of simply ineffective ones. Elders are often asked to handle situations for which they are very ill equipped. I still have great respect and somewhat of a friendship with many JWs, though of course, you lose those relationships if you ever question the WTS or Bible. I don't hate the Witnesses, never have. Yes, there are a lot of good people among the JWs - but that doesn't make them especially insightful or correct in their views. The same could be said of the Mormons or members of the Church of Christ or Zen Buddhists or Shiite Muslims (and those last groups might take exception to your comment about how all religions look to the Bible!). There are lots of good people are that - most people are good people, in fact. Just a little food for thought, JNS. S4
