What is you 'red line'?

by no-zombie in

today we hear a lot about red lines in political commentaries these days.

but for those of us who are pimos, what be your red line?

what would be the doctrinal change or event that would tip you over the edge into leaving for good, regardless of the repercussions?

OnTheWayOut

no-zombie
1. Changing the blood position into a conscience matter
2. Introducing personal Tithing
3. A Nuclear War

I like number one and number two. I hope it doesn't ever come down to number 3 for anyone.

While I am already out, I can tell you that there never was a red-line even though there should have been. Instead, time kept adding more straws to my back and no single straw was my reason, but carrying them all for a while, I finally said "What is wrong here."

I primarily left over doctrine- the changing of "generation" being the main one.

Here's my thoughts on if I had stayed- When they changed to the "overlapping generation," I would have been there at that Watchtower lesson, I would have laughed loudly at the paragraph that introduced it, and I would have stood up and said "They went too far, I am outta here."

33

Have you ever thought what the primary teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is?

by Half banana in

it is not “preach the good news” nor is it “believe in jesus and get saved” neither is it “believe in the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses and get saved” although in practice they do teach this.

no, everything they claim depends on a belief in another doctrine which logic decrees cannot be found in the bible.

the leadership of jehovah’s witnesses put absolute faith in a protestant doctrine which is given a latin name, sola scriptura, meaning “by scripture alone”.. good evidence of the governing body believing in the primacy of this doctrine was when being questioned by the australian royal commission, they resorted to the ‘authority’ of scripture to defend their stance on having “two witnesses” when they are investigating child abuse cases.throughout the hearing they paraded their naive trust in the bible as the highest possible authority proudly ignoring the fact that most people regard it as having been superseded by modern scientific evaluations of what is true.. .

OnTheWayOut

Have you ever thought what the primary teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is?

Their primary teaching is that First Century Christianity was "the truth" and it has been corrupted, but just as Jesus came to cause people to abandon Judaism and convert people to "the way," Watchtower was created to help people abandon Christendom and convert to Witnesses.

They claim the Bible is inspired and all we need, but then only "THEY" can understand the Bible so all that other literature was created. Even when they changed the Bible, it was right before the change, but now it's more right.

The short version of that is "We are always right. If we were ever mistaken, once we change something, it is now never wrong."

32

What’s The Strangest Belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

there’s a lot.

i think one strange view is how only 144000 go to heaven.

since the number is mentioned in the symbolic book of revelation, you would expect that the number would be viewed as figurative, but jws say otherwise.

OnTheWayOut

That their leaders are not leaders (because only Jesus is the leader) but their leaders are merely "taking the lead."
That those leaders are directed by holy spirit, which allows for errors because they are not inspired. Yet, what does being directed by holy spirit mean?

We could also look at their teachings on blood. They follow what they claim is a literal application of the improper usage of blood when it comes to transfusion, yet those same scriptures don't prevent them from allowing modern medicine from using blood for tests instead of what they say is the only proper use of blood- sacrifice and disposal.
Then there is the whole blood/fractions thing they created.

33

Whole families leaving the Org has increased

by pomo6780 in

i have noticed in the uk a few families i used to know while in the borg have exited together.

some include former elders and ministerial servants.

i observed on social media pages that the kids have 'worldly' boyfriends and girlfriends and they look so much happier than they did in the org.

OnTheWayOut

It wasn't happening that whole families left when I stopped attending. But I remember meeting at Flipper's Tahoe-fest, a whole family that left together when the husband stayed in just long enough to make sure his family woke up. It was a wonderful thing.

I think it would often be true that one spouse is more ready than the other, and the kids are just ready anytime to drop that crazy cult.

15

Hello Again

by everbrighterhal in

i'm sorry if this is in the wrong category!

i am formerly adimmedlight, or something close to that.

i have been lurking here a few years now and while i did make an account before, i used a fake email (i no longer remember it, since it was made only to log in the one time i posted.. )because i was so paranoid people in my home town would discover me and "out" me.

OnTheWayOut

I also never disassociated and was never disfellowshipped. I was a bit paranoid years ago about getting caught going to apostate websites. I could go on with the similarities. Anyway, the point would be that you are among people who will get it with no judgement attached. So welcome.

Try meetupdotcom to find other ex-JW's, there are many groups out there.

I have seen door-to-door preachers who were not JW. But I can usually spot the difference with the bookbags. That is changing these days.

6

Dueling Guitars: Steve Vai and Ralph Macchio

by compound complex in

greetings, lovers of both the sacred and the profane!.

i posted on the gilead song thread, where a tune of unimpeachable wholesomeness was wafting through the fetid air of my chamber.

if you can get through the annoying vehicle ad, the famous scene from the film crossroads will turn you off forever to saccharine, gagacious music.. happy listening .

OnTheWayOut

Wait, Ralph learned Karate so quickly.

Why couldn't he have learned to play guitar like that?

45

November Is The Cruelest Month

by JRK in

jw
friends

i have been going through old papers and photographs since my mother passed away.

it has reminded me of some of the reasons that i really hate november.

this year has added to it obviously.. thirty-four years ago, my father passed away in early november.

OnTheWayOut

I hear you adding good thoughts of Dad as time went on. Hopefully, November will allow some good memories along with the sad ones.

93

Higher Education

by Brian J in

just spent 8 hours in a 1 day elders school last weekend.

clarification given: "moving forward any elder, ms, or pioneer who themselves or someone under their roof enrolls in higher education, may no longer qualify for privileges in the congregation.

their qualifications will have to be reviewed by their boe.".

OnTheWayOut

Just spent 8 hours in a 1 day Elders school last weekend
Clarification given: "Moving forward any elder, ms, or pioneer who themselves or someone under their roof enrolls in higher education, may no longer qualify for privileges in the congregation. Their qualifications will have to be reviewed by their BOE."
So if my daughter goes to a 4 year college, my qualifications will be reviewed. Pathetic.
This is a frekin joke right? The grape juice keeps getting more purple.

I haven't read your story beyond this OP, I haven't read the responses. Forgive me if the 5 pages have taken a turn and I am late to commenting about this.
Anyway, if you are staying as an elder for some "helping loved ones" reason, then use this as a further reason should such thing happen in your family. "I was removed because I supported my daughter's further education."

81

Secret sex in the Org

by pomo6780 in

2 pioneers of the opposite sex.

the brother is in his mid-20s, sister is in her late 20s.

both are alone in car as the only 2 out in field service.

OnTheWayOut

People are people.

The 2 pioneers in the OP removed themselves from the organization. They could easily have kept it quiet and married right away.

The brother who flies to meet a sister and is DF'ed- again, they could have kept it quiet.

The bananas and apples, who really cares that young people are silly?

People are people.

69

284000 baptized in 2017

by jw-verite in

seen in the 03/2018 watchtower study :.

"during the 2017 service year, more than 284,000 “rightly disposed” individuals symbolized their dedication to jehovah by water baptism.".

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-march-2018/baptism-requirement-for-christians/.

OnTheWayOut

I doubt the numbers are made up. But I doubt this is true: "So still no slowing down yet :frowning: "

The simple truth is that minors across the spectrum have been encouraged to get baptized. I, nor Watchtower, has exact data on how many youths they have, how many can be coerced to be baptized, and how many that will leave for next year as they get slightly older and feel slightly more pressure to follow suit.

I would also be interested in the number of those that leave the religion and those that die. If Watchtower is still growing, it is very near it's peak. Don't worry, the slow decline has either started or soon will.

As mentioned though, it is possible that these numbers have gone to fiction. Then they are already on the decline.

OnTheWayOut

Posts by OnTheWayOut

Have you ever thought what the primary teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is?