by Greyeyes 64 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hello greyeyes,
You are about to be surprised, as I was, when you learn a bit more about the "truth". The United Nations thing really made me stand up and take notice about a year and a half ago.
Take care and get to reading...
EDITED: Well, I see you have read a few things, but you don't care either way it seems. Okay.
Bryan
Have You Seen My Mother
Welcome Greyeyes, yours is a different situation than most! I read on, expecting that your GF was asking you about JW's and ready to show you the untruths herself. I was shocked in your story to see that she has been "hypnotized"...(a'la David Letterman's old joke). At any rate, I hope you are able to lead her out of this, but if not, I hope that you are able to continue the healing that you have found. Stick around, I think you'll like this place.
Auntiejane
Hi greyeyes,
Research 607BCE and ask your girlfriend to do the same. JWs are the ONLY organisation to say Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians on that date. They have to, because if it fell at any other time 1914 is baloney. If 1914 is baloney then the governing body is not whom they say they are!
I've researched that date. There are even cunieform tablets from Babylon in the British museum testifying that the real date of Jerusalem's fall is 586/587 BCE. Research the date yourself. Here's a good link: http://www.607v587.com/
Go into any museum and ask for the date of Jerusalem's fall. Read history and archaeology books on the subject. Finding the answer is what made me leave Watchtower.
All the best,
Ian
Has anyone seen Bryan's mother?
Greetings, Greyeyes~
I'm glad you are here but I'm afraid I missed the point of why you are here. Can you clarify?
Looking forward to further dialogue...
~Merry
Welcome to the forum GreyEyes.
I've been on this board for a couple of months and have learned an amazing amount of info. about my old organization. I faded in my early twenties when I decided I'd had enough of the organizational dysfunctionalism that I observed all around me. Like you, I was raised a JW and was a young "star" until I started my education (15 plus years ago)
Curiousity is what drew me to this forum but the surprisingly high percentage of intelligent and caring posters has stretched my "visit". You sound much like me (originally I didn't have any doctrinal "issues" with the org. as I'm now an agnostic/humanist) and I'm curious as to how much of your old "programming" do you feel you still have affecting your current behaviours? I still have "holdovers" myself after all this time!
There is a lot of varying views (and wild debate and comedy) on this board and I highly recommend that you recommend it to your GF for her perusal.
W.
Well, I never got as far into the truth as you did, my parents stopped going to meetings when I was 9, they were too inconvenient for them. They were never DFed for it though. I myself was never baptised, and waivered as far from the KH as I could. Now as a parent I am finding my way back to some degree. I want my children to have faith, but I find that most of the people that go to the local KH are terribly hypocritical. I have a friend that is a sister and she comes to my house for study, but doesn't pressure me to go back. I do know people that were DF'ed and then reinstated. I find myself in your shoes though. I have known this faith my whole life, I have even looked into other religions as an adult, but I find myself coming back to this one. However, I don't know that I want to pull my children into the JW's completely. I disagree with some of what they say, I feel to some degree that while they spread the truth they have put a twist of control on it. I don't know that the WTS is fully in the right, and I question some of what they say also. I am not shy with my questions, I come with them fully and openly. I smoke, and have considered quitting but have not been able to thus far. I was surprised to see so many in my same state of "faith" when it came to the JW religion. It just raises more questions for me. Especially the treatment that you received from the elders. I thought that those that were DF'd were to be shunned and treated with reproach. Anyhow, I guess I am just trying to find my niche. But know that you are not alone. I hope that you find your niche.
Of course thats killed my parents, old friends etc
Dude, your 31. That's on them, not you. If they want to be like that for you, a GROWN MAN living his own life, it's on them.
she's studied into 4 major religions before this one
How in the hell does having 6 million members worldwide make you a major religion??? The Babtist and Catholics have more than that in florida alone!!
Greyeyes,
Good luck with your girlfriend. You know if she completely accepts the 'truth' that you will not have the same relationship as you do now. It's move our or get married - period. You made a statement about it being an imperfect organization run by imperfect men - exactly. That's what caught me by surprise a few years ago. I never thought of it like that. I knew it was imperfect but figured that in the end it was really run by Jehovah. All I can say is that now I feel foolish for believing the claims of an imperfect organization and following them no matter what they said - as if they were in fact perfect. I knew they weren't perfect or inspired but I still treated them that way.
4thought,
Wow. You should already know that you can't be a 'sometimes' witness. Either you believe that they WTBTS is being used by God to do his will before the end and you follow what they say in order to gain eternal life or you realize that they are not different than other religions. It's ok that they feel comfortable because you know what to expect and how they feel on things. That doesn't make it right. Why put so much energy into something if you're always going to be viewed as 'weak' unless you commit 100%? There are some great independent bible study groups that have excellent child rearing classes and bible schools for children that don't try to force their interpretation on every issue. Also, as an elder (for 2 more days) I can tell you that when a df'd person comes back to the hall after an absence we will most certainly welcome them. It doesn't mean that his offenses will be forgiven any quicker, just that we realize how difficult it is to return. Also, notice it wasn't the congregation in general who were welcoming - only the elders. Always following the organizations rules. Read the prodigal son account. The father didn't test his returning son for repentance, or go to the elders to get their okay to welcome him home - no, he immediately welcomed his son home and showed the love that he wanted to show.
Welcome to the board
I was not raised a JW but I ended up reading my boyfriend's literature (mainly the Paradise book) when I was 16 or so. I kept asking him questions and he was not interested in it at all even though he had been raised in it. I started studying because I thought I had finally found "the truth"! I had attended many different churches, spoken with people of varying religions and even my "worldly" parents had a minister come and talk to me about JWs. I was convinced I had found the cure to cancer and nothing was going to convince me otherwise. It was exciting and I fastracked baptism, pioneering, assembly parts, etc. My boyfriend ended up getting baptized with me at the same assembly.
Long story short, I wish I had read the book "CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE" prior to taking the plunge.
I skipped college, I dropped all my "worldly" friends, I alienated my family, I ended up marrying the first JW who came along because we were pressured to date only with a view to marriage and we wanted to have sex, ended up married at 21, pregnant at 22 and divorced/disfellowshipped by 24. No college degree, no friends, a low paying job and a single mom. It was drama. I ended up going back to that religion and getting reinstated a few years later only to realize after being reinstated that I was sick of being judged, sick of not fitting in, sick of constantly worrying about doing something wrong or displeasing God, sick of having no time for family, no time to read books or to have fun. I started seeing a therapist, I started going to debt management classes, I started concentrating on my career and I also started spending more time with my then 2 children. It was great! I got myself out of debt, I ended up with a better job, I was happier with myself and my little family became so much closer and so much less stressed/pressed for time. It was a journey and I am so glad I faded away from that religion some 6 years ago.
I, like you, believed the JWs spoke truth and I did not know where to go spiritually. I avoided God, the Bible, etc. for a long time because I felt unworthy and uninterested. I did not celebrate holidays, did not get involved in politics or the community and I kept trying to live my life the best I could. Slowly but surely though I started to see the flaws in the JW thinking, the flaws in their reasonings, etc. I have been reading the Bible recently and I am seeing more and more how the JWs just didn't have it right. They are so judgemental, so unloving, so unmerciful and so intolerant in my opinion! I know they try to do what is right because I was one and all I wanted was to do what was right. But wanting to do what's right and actually being right can be two completely different things.
In reading the Bible I am seeing more and moresoe that God is loving, that Jesus was approachable to all, that plenty of people in the Bible worshipped God and had a relationship with him without having to be part of a particular religion, without a manmade organization and without even the Bible. Why can't that be so today? Why do they say only 144,000 benefit from Christs' sacrifice when each and every person present at the Lord's Evening Meal partook. Jesus even said if we do not partake we have no life in us. I am happy to believe that I am worthy of having Jesus as my mediator, I benefit from his sacrifice and there are plenty of people who seek God and find him in plenty of different religions (or not). I no longer believe that God or "one truth" can be found in a religion made up of man's opinions.
I have been reading "CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE" and I have purchased "IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM" and it is not only sad but also liberating to see that the JWs are just another religion, just a manmade organization accountable for all they have taught and for the ways they have messed up so many faithful followers lives. You don't sound like you really care one way or the other whether or not they have "the truth" but IMHO you might feel a bit less like you're a bad person, less like you can't live up to their perfect standards, less like you will be destroyed along with all the other wicked people in the world at armageddon if you read Ray Franz's book "CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE". He is very sincere in that book and I imagine allot of what he says will ring true for you having been at Bethel and having held privileges of service in the congregation. He has lots of inside information and he really just brings out the fact that the WTBTS, the GB and the JWs are just a group of imperfect men proclaiming to represent God. I for one have come to the conclusion their claims do not ring true.
Best wishes in your journey. You are among friends. I hope your girlfriend finds what she is looking for and at the same time I'm afraid they will ruin her life in the long run if she does not find out the truth about "the truth".
