i realize that jehovah’s witnesses have been dumbed down for long time now.
.
still, i think there must be something that would make them really question their beliefs, even their life.. i think that if witnesses were told they could take blood or that disfellowshipping was unloving, they might stop and take a hard look at everything they have sacrificed their lives for.. i know the organization has muddled these subjects before but the i think even die hard witnesses might start to second guess the governing body..
The only thing I can think of to answer the OP's question "Is there anything that would make a JW seriously question their religion" is god actually revealing himself in the heavens and saying "The Catholics were right all along."
I really can't think of anything other than a universal divine revelation.
let the reader use discernment:.
i was disfellowshipped in june of last year.
while i've been awake for nearly a year, i still often feel groggy.
Hi Heather Collins,
Do you know one of the key signs of an internet ranter? Multiple posts without waiting for replies. Posting three times in a row says (to me) that you're here to preach, not to listen. This is a forum, a place for discussion.
The other thing I'd like to address is your false dichotomy of protesting with placards being the only viable form of activism when you say “What did you do? How did you help? What did your signs look like?”. It has been said that the best way to defeat the organization is to live a happy life. There are many, maybe even a majority, EX-JW’s who disagree with active protest and do their bit to help in other ways, living happy lives, having lively discussions on forums… lots of different ways.
Personally I can’t make up my mind as to whether active protests are a good thing or not, even after reading thebrokenkite’s well written and reasoned post, but I do know that It’s not the only positive course of action.
so i was reading the book of daniel, starting with chapter 4 (nebuchadnezzar's famous tree chopping/banding dream where the 7 times is introduced) but i noticed that when you don't cherry pick verses and just read straight thru - it really seems like some children's book that was poorly written.
even though the borg says that this book as written by daniel, chapter 4 is clearly written by "king nebuchad·nezzar to all the peoples, nations, and language groups dwelling in all the earth" after the tree chopping business.
) of the rest of the chapters seem to be written in 3rd person (odd, if you are writing about your experiences).
Ok.... So Jahveh and Josua Yahshua are the two most powerful beings in the universe? And they both truly love us? And the true scripture(tm) in the bible is their message to us?
Can you point me to the verse in the bible that commands us to boil water before drinking it?
Do you know how many people, mainly children, have died, horribly, because of water born diseases?
Whatever you call them your gods have no power, no agency in this world and certainly no love for us.
new to the forum.
hope today finds everyone well.
i’m not super familiar with jw theology concerning jesus.
Hi Venus, I think we're saying the same thing? That the gospels are stories made up by men? The point I was making is that the story is probably based around a real human being who would have been a wandering prophet (of which there were many) and who probably ran foul of the Roman law (also not uncommon) and may even said some memorable stuff but who was definitely not the son of god or possessed of magical powers.
new to the forum.
hope today finds everyone well.
i’m not super familiar with jw theology concerning jesus.
I like Christopher Hitchin's reasoning that there probably was a real person that the Jesus story is based on because if it was being made up wholesale then the writer wouldn't have invented a census that can be proved not to have happened just to make a man who was known as Jesus of Nazareth somehow be born in Bethlehem.
If it was completely made up then you'd just have your man be from Bethlehem.
Also, the resurrection account is only attested to by women. If the story was completely made up then you wouldn't have the key event that proves that your man is more than a man verified by the least regarded members of society at the time.
This coupled with the fact that the rest of the story does fit into the mythological format that was widely used points (conclusively to me) to an actual historical person being fitted into a mythological story narrative.
i'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.
i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.
i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".
I've got a horrible sinking feeling that Brian has been overwhelmed by guilt at posting on an "apostate" forum and has no idea of the caring and supportive posts that are here for him. :(
i'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.
i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.
i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".
Hi Brian, I just want to add my "take things slow" to the chorus!
I'd also add that you have all the tools to understand how your wife will respond and to plan accordingly. You were (are) a JW and... she is your wife! :)
My advice would be to focus your precious time and energy on your family and stop throwing it away into the black hole that is the organisation as far as possible. Continue to prove the truth of the matter to yourself. It's a safe bet for me to say that you have never actually studied "the Truth". How can you prove or disprove something if you only ever consider how right it is and never consider how it may be wrong?
Lastly please remember that you have exactly as much right to happiness as your wife or anyone else on this planet and nobody, NOBODY has the right to take it away, not even the GB. Unless you let them.
ok, i apologise in advance if this seems irreverent to those who believe in god.. but, the bible says that god (jehovah) impregnated mary.
without her consent.
so that would seem to be rape...right?.
The only problem I have with "Is it more likely a virgin gave birth or a Jewish girl lied?", which I think is a slightly adapted quote from David Hume, is that why isn't that excuse used by thousands of young women? Especially after it worked for Mary. Surely every girl for miles around would start having "immaculate" conceptions?
In fact, why don't we all use the immaculate excuse in all sorts of awkward situations.
"Have you come home drunk?"
"God appeared to me and gave me a sign... A Dog and a Duck. So I had to go to the pub."
Not that I think Mary was impregnated by a deity, it's just odd that she's the only one who get's the free pass. Why??
this thread is quite morbid so i apologize in advance.. a few days ago i was having a conversation with my girlfriend in which she mentioned in passing that she's signed up to donate her organs after her death.
i was quite surprised because she mentioned it like it was no big deal.
i asked her which organs.
I wouldn't wish my organs on my worst enemy. They're all crappy! Well, maybe my spleen is ok, I've never had any complaints from my spleen.
so i was reading the book of daniel, starting with chapter 4 (nebuchadnezzar's famous tree chopping/banding dream where the 7 times is introduced) but i noticed that when you don't cherry pick verses and just read straight thru - it really seems like some children's book that was poorly written.
even though the borg says that this book as written by daniel, chapter 4 is clearly written by "king nebuchad·nezzar to all the peoples, nations, and language groups dwelling in all the earth" after the tree chopping business.
) of the rest of the chapters seem to be written in 3rd person (odd, if you are writing about your experiences).
I don't think the bible is inspired by god. If it was then why would it have two stories, Jael and Sisera and Judith and Holofernes, which are so similar but which both can't be true?
Of course the story of Judith and Holofernes is found in the Apocrypha, but the only reason it's there and not in the bible is because some Roman dudes decided to cut it out, probably for the reasons I mentioned above.
My point is that they could have decided to ditch Jael and keep Judith (Was it the council of Nicea that decided? I can't remember, too tired) and the Inspired Word of God (tm) would have been different because of a human decision.
