Posts by OnTheWayOut

35

Last Week's Watchtower had something that made people start questioning things?

by silentbuddha in

i just got a call from a friend who said that something in last weeks watchtower caused a number of people in various congregations to start questioning things, and several long time elders left.

i am totally out of the loop but i do read things here and i heard of no such thing.. something to the effect that jw's and governing boobies are not inspired or something along those lines?.

OnTheWayOut

jp1692
But there was something along those lines in the February 2017 WT:
"The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in doctrinal matters or in organizational direction." - Watchtower, February 2017, page 26, paragraph 12
But that was "studied" back in the week of April 24-30, 2017.

I cannot even fathom how they can be "Jehovah's spirit-directed organization" and also able to "err ...in organizational direction." I could see how they could tweak the teachings but I couldn't see how they could claim to take a wrong direction as an organization. Something like taking all the congregations' money to do a great building project and then saying they won't build.

I can only imagine they have been found out to have really blundered on some financial matters and are about to have to reveal it, so they limp back upon not being "inspired." Something about "Where's all the money you already took from congregations and selling off Brooklyn?" when they tell the rank and file they are broke and ask for more. I can't even imagine them asking for more, but can imagine them closing stuff down to spend less.

Maybe it was something in this week's study that set off elders because it contrasted what they were told confidentially.

5

Well this is bad

by Akid48 in

so like a week or 2 ago i got mad a my bible teacher and we started to debate a little.look i now that was a dumb move but im not a the best point in my life and my angry is not in the best control.

so little did i know i had a family member was listening.

so the family worship we had turned to convince me that the jw life is the best life.. after that my life is turning into shit as of now i have been having depression and now its 2x as bad..

OnTheWayOut

Hey, no matter what, things will be tough on you with immediate family blind that they are in a dangerous mind control cult. You will have to pick some battles here and there to stand up for yourself. Otherwise, you will shock your family later when you become inactive. Better to let them see you using your mind properly to question some of it.

I wouldn't recommend debating at the hall and I would not think you should always debate. But personal and family study time is proper now and again.

The worst they can do to you is assign you to a Bible study and take away your birthday and not help you go to college. But they do that anyway.

30

My return to the WT...a terrible mistake

by JustHuman14 in

i haven't posted for quite a bit, decided to share my thoughts on this one, so it is a reference topic for anyone who decides to return back to the org, knowing all about the tatt.

being way for quite long for almost 15 years and all wt's activities, i have missed quite a lot including the "new light" latest updates, i found it quite hard to follow up what was going on to the meetings.

new songs, wt broadcast, videos, internet (so wt now is in favor of the internet) cartoons, and everything seemed completely new and weird to me.. reason for going back it was the severe pressure from close family members to return back to the "truth".

OnTheWayOut

I am very sorry for you as I read your story. I do admire you for making an attempt for family relations and I do admire you for sharing your story to warn others.

One suggestion: If you cannot fade away slowly, then try fading away fast. Just walk away. You may lose connections with people, but you would lose them anyway in a slow fade. You may retain a good connection or two to family members if you were never disfellowshipped.

Good luck whatever path you take. Keep us posted and thanks for sharing.

36

White supremacy is an ideology of peace

by OneEyedJoe in

i'm tired of hearing these constant attacks on white supremacists after the events in charlottesville.

why are moderate white supremacists being lumped in together and sharing the blame for the actions of one reprehensible man that misinterpreted the ideals of white supremacy and became violent?

clearly the motivation of such attacks on white supremacists is nothing other than racism.

OnTheWayOut

We don't need to argue over who the Democrats are/were. They changed. They are different.
Meanwhile, white supremacy is the same old tired argument. Nothing changed, they are the same as before.

36

What is the watchtower going to do when

by pepperheart in

what is the watchtower going to do when the money runs out ??

?.

OnTheWayOut

If a handful of people in New York only make a few million a year and pay no taxes on it, they will close/sell/layoff until they are just fine. If they have to close the kitchens (not likely in our lifetime) they will dine at restaurants or have the rank & file bring them food.

26

Some Things Just Dont Add Up, How Did We Miss This???

by pale.emperor in

some things i just didnt notice at the time which now seem so obvious:.

the bible tells us that the end will come like a thief in the night, when we least expect it.

(matthew 24:44).

OnTheWayOut

One of my favorites.

46

Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Typically Ignorant People?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think most witnesses are simple minded.many are ignorant.

there are a lot of basically "good people "in the religion but i believe many are kind of dumb, including many elders.

do you agree with my thoughts??

OnTheWayOut

I was naive. I was exposed to the JW's as a youth, but did not join then. I went from being a high school drop-out stoned, drunken teen to the military and then became a JW when I reached my bottom. The point is that I knew nothing- I knew little about Christianity and non-Christianity, I knew less about science and education and certainly never heard of faulty logic, cognitive dissonance, and cults. I could have been approached by Scientologists or Mormons or Seventh Day Adventists and been on a completely different "Ex" forum right now.

Most "born-in" JW's remain deliberately ignorant of science, education, philosophy, psychology, and even what's happening politically. Most converts have a better grip on some of that, but not much better.

They just learn to scoff at everything and think they "know" something of far more value than learning "worldly" things.

29

Relaxed rules toward oral sex?

by Socrateswannabe in

these people won't state anything definitively, but here's an excerpt from the study article entitled "making christian marriage a success", in the august, 2016 watchtower.

it does make me wonder.. although the bible does not provide specific rules about the kinds and limits of love play that might be associated with natural, sexual intimacy, it mentions displays of affection.

(song of solomon 1:2; 2:6) christian marriage partners should treat each other with tenderness.

OnTheWayOut

It might have something to do with being referenced at a later time just in case they want to lighten the rules.

But the last part is more telling.

Christian marriage partners should treat each other with tenderness.

Seems to me, they want to suggest husbands stop beating their wives.

13

So you've successfully faded

by ctrwtf in

jw
friends

so i'm pretty sure my fade is complete.

haven't stepped foot inside a kh in 9 years.

but the concept of fading still makes me wonder.

OnTheWayOut

Sins are an invention of religion to make people feel guilty and feel a need to seek forgiveness, which comes with a donation of some kind to the religion.

But you ask if we have broken JW rules that would bring us a judicial committee and if we are more likely down the road to be in that room with 3 elders because of time passing.

We have all done plenty to summon that committee. Time away from the Kingdom Hall increases the odds that they will not bother with us, regardless of how many of their rules we break.

It is much more likely that someone in the Kingdom Hall is noticed for breaking the rules or feels a need to confess and seek forgiveness.

Sure if one walks away, they are likely to start breaking the rules. But a fader is not in-their-faces about it. Besides, one can always end the fade anytime they like and face the committee.

10

Feel like I've failed

by Mr Negative in

i need to get this off my chest, as i don't have many people to talk to about it who would understand.. i feel like i've failed my family, as not only have i been unable to get my parents and brother to see sense regarding the cult, but now my sister, who never got baptised but managed to escape twenty years ago, is now seriously considering going back for various "emotional" reasons, and i know that she won't listen to me.. i know they have all made their own decisions (at least, to the extent that brainwashed people can make their own decisions), and i can't really blame myself (even though i was the one who, when only ten years old, convinced my mum to listen to the poor lady on the doorstep out of politeness rather than just shut the door on her - so it is all indirectly my fault), but it still feels like i've failed them..

OnTheWayOut

Mr Negative

I know that what you're saying makes sense, but I still can't help thinking that I should have done more.

I feel that I tried everything with my wife. Many of us get the idea that the more you push, the more someone resists. The ultimate thing we can do sometimes is fall on our sword. That won't work for most of our loved ones, but perhaps for a child coming of age and able to question things when we do it. What I mean is, we can be open about our opposition to the cult, stating why it's a dangerous mind-control cult. We can accept that we will be disfellowshipped and lose contact with many family members. That way, the person we are trying to help will see how important these issues are, what we are willing to suffer.

Do ya see how that won't work for most adult loved ones? They shut down their ability to think against the cult rules.

Many of us have been where you are- wondering what we should have/could have done. We do what we can and that is it.