Would you continue to be a JW if?

XQsThaiPoes

You knew what things the JWs are wrong about, and did not praticipate in them, or propagate them (there would be no reprisal from the BOE or other JWs if you did this). Your family and friends would treat you the same if you were a JW or not.

I am wondering who would be compelled by some inner flame to leave JWs even if you could stay and believe or behave how you wanted. Basically living life as Johnny out of step while ocasionally being vindicated by policy change. Such as those that did not believe in 1975 back in the day, and actually bought houses or cars they could afford, or got jobs that could actually provide for their retirement 30 years later.

garybuss

XQ, I think the Witness people make it hard to want to stay. The elders make it hard to want to stay, the snobs and the cliques make it hard to want to stay, the long boring frequent meetings make it hard to want to stay, and the hard business purpose of it all makes it hard for people to want to stay.

Once when I was riding my motorcycle across Virginia, I found shelter from a June thunderstorm under the canopy of a closed service station. I really didn't want to be there but it felt good at that time to be there. I don't really want to go back but it had a purpose at that time in my life. Sometimes I am where I don't want to be because due to circumstances it is a good place to be at that time. I think that's where a lot of Witnesses are . . .at a place of convenience.

The neurotics will always like religion. The weak will always like religion. Healthy willed, intelligent people will never be satisfied to belong to the Witness group.

If members could believe and speak and behave as they wish, it would not be the Witness group anymore. Without the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation, what would the Witnesses have? What would they do on Saturdays? What would the meetings be about? They are just puppets for the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation and they will remain so.

The Witness people fail to see that the publishing corporation came first, then the following came. Literature sales people started as compensated literature distributors and later as the target market for the products produced.

It would be impossible to belive all that the Witnesses teach and remain a Witness. I know you know this:-)

Deputy Dog

Like any work based religion, the only people that would stay, are the people that think they are righteous enough to please God with thier works.

D Dog

freedom96

There is nothing appealing to me about being a witness.

iiz2cool

The JWs have nothing that I want or need. They could change all of their doctrines and policies tomorrow and I would not go back.

I don't like the corporation, I don't like the teachings, and I don't like the people.

Walter

lisaBObeesa

How could I sit there and watch people shun and be shunned?

How could I sit and watch people die from not taking blood?

How could I watch the huge burden of guilt that the True Believers labor under?

How could I watch evil things swept under the rug (like child abuse)?

How could I sit there and watch new people get ticked into believing the LIE?

If a person just goes along with the party line, but doesn't believe it in their heart, it makes no difference. Who cares what a person believes in their heart?? What matters in this life is what you DO!

If I don't agree with the Republicans in my heart, but still give them my time and my money, what the heck does it matter that in my heart I am a Democrat??

The only thing that is REAL is what happens. Everything else is just a thought.

You can think different all you want. But it doesn't change one single thing in reality. In your senerio, despite my private thoughts, I would still be a JW and everything that goes along with it.

My answer is NO.

AK - Jeff

As GaryBuss stated it would take a complete overhaul to accomplish what you suggest. Some of what you state might come to pass - as the organization attempts to stop the hemoragging. But if all of that happened wouldn't it just become another church?

the whole backbone of the org is the effort to control all that one does - it is very little about doctrine -and mostly about obedience to the organization -

Most witnesses -dyed in wool - would not leave the organization if they did a 180 on all the major doctrines - hellfire, trinity, condition of the dead, great crowd.

Even though they are unaware of it - they are not there because they are sure they have the one 'truth' - they are there because they think the 'organization' has that elusive 'truth' -and they are willing to follow. Don't believe that? Go back and see what the org believed in 1900, or even in 1930? Not a single doctrine is intact - but the organization is still leading and some millions are willing to follow whereever it goes.

Just My Opinion Jeff

Doubtfully Yours

I would love it if the WTBTS reformed the disfellowshipping issue.

DY

eyeslice

It took me long enough to leave anyway - but the good thing about this board is that you realise that you are not the only mug.

Being very left-wing and socialist in my views, I think I would have found it impossible to leave if the Society had been a little more charitable in terms of feeding the poor, health care and educating the under privileged. I could that if I had found myself running a charitable hospital in Africa I would have continued in it. But no encouragement to get educated or charity with the WTB&TS.

Eyeslice

Deputy Dog

Eyeslice

Being very left-wing and socialist in my views, I think I would have found it impossible to leave if the Society had been a little more charitable in terms of feeding the poor, health care and educating the under privileged. I could that if I had found myself running a charitable hospital in Africa I would have continued in it. But no encouragement to get educated or charity with the WTB&TS.

You say you are left-wing. This is an area that left and right can agree. It's just that the bible says that believers should be charitable, not their governments. I don't think it is the governments job to be charitable with my money, I like to determine where my money goes. The really strange thing is that the WTB&TS thinks that it is the governments Job, not the churches, they think that Gods government will be charitable to them. By not being charitable themselves they can blame the governments of the world for all the world's problems, not themselves.

D Dog

Would you continue to be a JW if?

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