Disillusioned JW

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Posts by Disillusioned JW

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  20

  Sample Disassociation Letters

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you think of the following sample disassociation letter from 4jehovah.org ?.

  if you are looking to disassociate from jehovah’s witnesses, here is a sample letter you can modify for your use:.

  i have decided to disassociate myself from the ____________ congregation of jehovah’s witness.

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  Disillusioned JW

  Correction: In my prior post where I wrote "Furthermore, stating in my book that I officiate quit the religion (despite the huge repercussions it brings), and stating the reasons why, would make me more credible as an author in the minds of many readers who are wondering if they should stop believing in religion and in a god (or gods). A letter of disassociation is a way to repudiate the WT/JW religion." I meant to write: "Furthermore, stating in my book that I officially quit the religion (despite the huge repercussions it brings), and stating the reasons why, would make me more credible as an author in the minds of many readers who are wondering if they also should stop believing in religion and in a god (or gods). A letter of disassociation is a way to repudiate the WT/JW religion, and depending upon the wording, to even repudiate Christianity, the Bible, and all supernaturalistically minded religions. It can also be a way to boldly say 'I am an apostate and an anti-Christ and a blasphemer (of the idea of god, but from an atheistic perspective not of god himself because to a positive atheist their is no god) and I'm proud of it.' "
  
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  20

  Sample Disassociation Letters

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you think of the following sample disassociation letter from 4jehovah.org ?.

  if you are looking to disassociate from jehovah’s witnesses, here is a sample letter you can modify for your use:.

  i have decided to disassociate myself from the ____________ congregation of jehovah’s witness.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Disillusioned JW

  I notice that people, in trying to convince others not to write a letter of disassociation, keep saying 'you don't have to give anyone an explanation' and 'you don't owe them anything'. But most of those who are considering writing a disassociation letter are not doing so for the benefit of the elders; they are not feeling they owe the elders anything. They are doing so, I think, because they want to be officially on record as having voluntarily officially quit the religion instead being expelled from the religion. For such ones, fading without later officially disassociating is inadequate, since (I think) they may have in mind of officially and openly joining another religion (or an anti-religious organization), or in writing a book (openly mentioning them as the author) that extensively criticizes religion and in which states they have resigned from religion.

  For me, if I were to complete the writing of a pro-atheism book and get it published, my self esteem would be much higher if I could honestly state in the book that I officially quit the religion, instead of being expelled form it, and that I could document to people that I quit it instead of being expelled from it. After the atheist book is published people might falsely accuse me (including in writing) that I committed immorality and was kicked out of the religion instead of me having quit the religion. Without a disassociation letter I wouldn't be able to publicly prove I voluntary quit the religion, but with a notarized disassociation letter sent via registered mail to the congregation and to the headquarters of the WT/JW religion I could prove to people what really happened. Furthermore, stating in my book that I officiate quit the religion (despite the huge repercussions it brings), and stating the reasons why, would make me more credible as an author in the minds of many readers who are wondering if they should stop believing in religion and in a god (or gods). A letter of disassociation is a way to repudiate the WT/JW religion.

  A number of people who left various organizations did so officially, partly so they could repudiate them and make such known publicly.
  
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  20

  Sample Disassociation Letters

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you think of the following sample disassociation letter from 4jehovah.org ?.

  if you are looking to disassociate from jehovah’s witnesses, here is a sample letter you can modify for your use:.

  i have decided to disassociate myself from the ____________ congregation of jehovah’s witness.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Disillusioned JW

  Corrections: Where in my prior post I said "The other elders of that congregation said they had been aware I had disassociated ..." I meant to say "The other elders of that congregation said they had not been aware I had disassociated ..." Where I said "... that their is no god ..." I meant to say "... that there is no god ...". Where I said "... though now they more reserved ..." I meant to say "... though now they are more reserved ...".
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  20

  Sample Disassociation Letters

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you think of the following sample disassociation letter from 4jehovah.org ?.

  if you are looking to disassociate from jehovah’s witnesses, here is a sample letter you can modify for your use:.

  i have decided to disassociate myself from the ____________ congregation of jehovah’s witness.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Disillusioned JW

  Not all types of letters to the elders and to the WT will get a person labeled as disassociated, even if they express difficulties with what is written in WT literature and ask for explanations of such.
  

  Years ago (after I faded) I wrote a letter to the WT in which I quoted things in the WT's KIT and the 2006 printing edition of the NWT Bible, and WT literature pertaining to evolution, which puzzled me because they looked very problematic (and I stated detailed reasons why they were problematic to me). In the letter I asked the WT to please provide me with explanations/answers in their defense. In that letter I also asked for the sources used for quotes of scientists mentioned in the Creator book. The WT never wrote back to me. I later phone called their headquarters regarding my request and a man told me (on the phone) he has the answers to the questions but that he won't tell me the answers. After asking if I was baptized (something which I thought the WT would already know the answer to) I told him I was, then the man on the phone told me to go the elders and ask them the answers, saying they might have them. I told them I do not see how they could possibly have these specific answers since only the WT would know what sources they used and why they worded things a certain way in their literature (unless of course, the WT later sent a letter to the congregation providing such information). The man said he questioned my motivates and he asked me if I was trying to change the views of the WT society. I said I was not trying to change the WT views; I only wanted answers to my questions. But, he said he didn't believe me. The man at WT/JW headquarters later told me that unless the congregation's elders (who thus personally know me, unlike the man at headquarters) asks the WT/JW headquarters to provide the information to me, the WT will not provide the information to me. I then reluctantly contacted the elders to obtain the answers and the elders gave various ideas as answers to me but they were inadequate.I talked to the elders in person and I corresponded with one of them via email about the matter. After a week or so I stopped receiving replies from the elder I was emailing.
  

  The WT never provided the answers to me. Eventually I wrote a letter to the elders saying I resign from the Theocratic Ministry School and from voluntary servitude to the WT organization and from being a publisher (this was years after I stopped participating in the school, from attending the Memorial, and as a publisher, but I wanted to make the status official). I asked that either my publisher record card be destroyed or that it have notes added to it saying I have resigned from the school and from being a publisher. I received no reply to that letter.
  

  Not long ago an elder, in the congregation of my JW immediate family members, told other elders in that congregation that I have disassociated myself (a JW family member of mine told me such). The other elders of that congregation said they had been aware I had disassociated, thus they later inquired about the matter with those of my former congregation. The elders of my former congregation then informed the elders of the other congregation that I am classified as inactive - not disassociated (a JW family member of mine told me such).

  Years ago I told my JW immediate family members that I am now an atheist who is convinced that nothing (and no one) supernatural exists at all. I also told them that I am convinced of evolution, and that I am writing a book that tries to convince all types of god-believers that their is no god, nor anything else supernatural (but that my book is far from being finished). It was a huge shock for them to learn those things, but they still associate with me. They sometimes try to convince me that I am wrong (despite me asking them not to, though now they more reserved in their efforts and now I am far less offended by their efforts) and that they want me to survive through the great tribulation and Armageddon. They don't want me to disassociate from the religion because they say that if I did so they would have to do what the WT (and in their minds, also Jehovah) says in regards of how to treat disassociated ones. They also don't want me to disassociate because it would make it harder for me to become active in the religion again (and, in their minds, to become saved through Armageddon). I also think they would feel very sad and embarrassed if JWs heard I had become disassociated (or an officially ex-JW whether or not they knew it is from disassociation).
  
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  38

  The absolute insanity that religion breeds

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. current

  however good certain religious principles may or may not be, there seems to be complete insanity that only religion breeds.. a buddhist monk in thailand has apparently chopped off his own head to give himself 'good luck' in the afterlife.. .

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9488127/buddhist-monk-chops-head-guillotine-buddha.html.

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  Disillusioned JW

  Badfish, have the gods Zeus, Baal, Hathor, and Isis (the latter one being a savior goddess) ever spoken to you? Have they ever called you? If not, what do you think that indicates about them and of their relationship in regards to you?

  Badfish, why do you call yourself Badfish? Doesn't the Bible state that those who have become born again have been transformed and have the indwelling of Christ and the holy spirit and do not continue to sin (1 John 3:9)? Do you think of yourself of being one of the fish of Christ who has turned bad, maybe even apostate? If you do continue to sin shouldn't that cause you to think that maybe you were not called by the god or that some verses of the Bible are false?
  

  Earlier I said 'BluesBrother, what do you mean by "o/p"?' I am now guessing that "o/p" means "other people".
  
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  11

  Watchtower caught lying about the real reason Beth Sarim was built

  by Diogenesister in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  another incredible catch from a you tuber, this time jane doh, who caught watchtower fooling us again, this time over the reasons beth sarim was really built.. of course we knew rutherford lived in beth sarim during the winter (ostensibly because of his poorly chest🙄).

  however even we didn't guess he blatantly got the poor jws, or bible students as they were, to cough up from the proceeds of their book sales enough to buy him a "cali-fornication" mansion (for he & the girlfriend😜) with absolutely no pretence (at the time) it was for the "ancient worthies".that came later.... how did she know?

  because at the time it was built, in the 1920s, watchtower had no belief that anyone was to live on a "paradise earth" - they had not even formulated the concept of a paradise earth yet for the ancient worthies to live on and believed all jws were to live in heaven.

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  Disillusioned JW

  Br. Russell's Studies in the Scriptures books taught that Christ began reigning as king in the 1870s (in 1874?) and that his presence had begun, and that human society in some ways was already getting better due to Christ's reign. Russell taught the 1,000 year portion of Christ's reign would start in 1914 (or maybe shortly afterwards). Russell taught that most people on Earth would survive through Armageddon (those survivors were said to be separate from the great cloud and 144,000 classes); that Armageddon was the destruction of the institutions of false religion (not the vast majority of the people of those religions), and of human governments, and of corrupt greedy commerce. Russell taught the Jews would gain a home and a nation within the land which was once ancient Israel. Those ideas were also taught by Rutherford for a number of years in the early 1920s.
  

  Note what the book called Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Edition of 1920 and authored by Rutherford) (at http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/millions/millions6.html#page94 ) in the transcript from page 97 of the book says: "Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world, is ending and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die.
  Of course, it does not mean that every one will live; for some will refuse to obey the divine law; but those who have been evil and turn again to righteousness and obey righteousness shall live and not die."
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  9

  How long did people worship Zeus? Was it longer than Christianity's 2000 years?

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  how long did people worship zeus?

  was it longer than christianity's 2000 years?.

  most answers say this but they do vary..

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  Disillusioned JW

  Consider also the Zoroastrian religion - it is still being practiced today. Worship of Ahura Mazda began well before the 1 century B.C.E and continues today. It is said that ancient Jews living in Persia got some ideas from that religion and that the Jewish Pharisees and 1 century C.E. Christians adopted those ideas. The ideas are said to include the following: that the one supreme God has a supernatural opposer who will eventually be defeated (in a battle between good and evil), the idea of light versus darkness, that there will be a day of judgement, that the people on the side of the supreme god will attain everlasting life and that there will be a resurrection of the dead, heaven and hell, angels and demons, and Paradise. See for example https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shaped-the-west .
  
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  38

  The absolute insanity that religion breeds

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. current

  however good certain religious principles may or may not be, there seems to be complete insanity that only religion breeds.. a buddhist monk in thailand has apparently chopped off his own head to give himself 'good luck' in the afterlife.. .

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9488127/buddhist-monk-chops-head-guillotine-buddha.html.

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  2. 
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  Disillusioned JW

  Badfish and other evangelizing Christians, I notice you speak of God's standards and or them being perfect. But, God, the biblical God, never told me his standards. No god ever told me his/her/its/their standards. Instead of the God telling me his standards it is only humans speaking or writing in the name of a god (or gods) telling me the alleged standards of an alleged god (or gods). The Bible is not the word of the God. If there is a god who has standards for humans, that god should communicate it directly to all humans, so that there is no confusion as to what his/her/its/their standards are. Instead we have may humans and many religions promoting conflicting competing standards in the name of one or more alleged gods/spirits. Some religions, such as the JW religion, even have changed some of their standards (standards which they say are the standards of God) over time.
• 
  38

  The absolute insanity that religion breeds

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. current

  however good certain religious principles may or may not be, there seems to be complete insanity that only religion breeds.. a buddhist monk in thailand has apparently chopped off his own head to give himself 'good luck' in the afterlife.. .

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9488127/buddhist-monk-chops-head-guillotine-buddha.html.

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  Disillusioned JW

  BluesBrother, what do you mean by "o/p"?
  
  Badfish, I did not say I was "... never able ..." to believe. There was a time when I believed. Notice in my first post in this topic that I said "... when I believed ...". I was raised from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15) by my JW parents and my JW grandparents. When I was very young (such as younger than 8 years old) I probably even didn't doubt the existence of God, Christ, Satan, etc. At age 8 I enrolled in the JW's Theocratic Ministry School and gave my first talk (a #2 talk), a Bible reading (with comments written by my mother), to the congregation from the podium on the stage. [My mom told me how to pronounce the hard biblical names and other words.] I did that because I thought it was the right thing to do (due to the indoctrination I received from attending the Kingdom Hall and reading the WT doctrinal literature, including the NWT Bible).
  
  When I was very young I believed that the Bible was true and Jehovah God's word. At that age I probably wasn't skeptical minded about what the Bible says about the supernatural. But at some point, probably around age 10 or so, I started having some doubts as I learned more about science and other things and as my critical thinking skills became more developed. When in high school (and/or maybe in 7th - 8th grade) I read stories about the ancient gods of the Greeks and of other pagans. I didn't believe in them (though I believed that according to the Bible and according to secular history that many ancient people believed they were real gods). My carnal (fleshly) mind did not feel condemned by them instead it told me they are just as unreal as Santa Claus and goblins and the tooth fairy. Studying stories about such gods in school (and seeing TV shows and movies on TV illustrating the myths about them) got me to thinking that the world I live in does not have supernatural activity (including gods appearing in person to humans and talking them) of such alleged gods, unlike the world of the ancient pagan stories. Starting around the age of 12 I noticed that my prayers to God, even for things I definitely thought he wanted me to improve on (according to the Bible and Wt doctrines) don't seem to work, but I kept praying anyway until about the time I became an atheist. The ineffectiveness of prayer led me to seriously doubt about Jehovah being real, since the Bible says in some verses that Jesus said anything people ask the father the father will do, even to the point of performing amazing miracles. The Bible also says that the father wants good things for his people, including granting requests for good things. [A verse says that just as a human father won't give his child a stone (or snake?) when the child asks for bread, likewise the heavenly father would act lovingly through his gifts to those who make requests to him.]
  
  Does your carnal mind prevent you from believing in the ancient pagan gods (I'm not talking about graven images) as real supernatural gods (not merely idols or demons)? I guess you believed they were real demons. I disbelieve in the biblical god for the same reason I disbelieve in the ancient pagan gods, namely there is no evidence for their existence and no evidence for the actions attributed to them. Due to the types of descriptions about them, the evidence should exist if those gods exist. If the pagan gods were real the evidence should exist since the accounts about them describe them doing things which humans could see and hear and touch, and that even some of the gods (both male and female) had sex with some humans.
  
  At about age 13 or 14 I began contemplating whether or not I should become baptized as a JW Christian. At that point I wasn't sure if the supernatural claims of the Bible were all true, including the accounts of Jesus having lived on Earth and having performed miracles. I also wondered if biological evolution was true instead of biblical old earth creationism (I thought young Earth literal 6 (or 7) solar day creation was disproved by science). I also wasn't entirely sure if the JW religion was the one true religion and specially chosen by God. I did research using WT literature (the NWT Bible and books which included quotes of scientists and historians, but I didn't know many of the quotes were misrepresented/mishandled and I didn't many arguments from opposing points of view) and as a result I concluded the Bible was true. I got baptized at age 15 and very soon began being assigned #4 talks which explained the Bible according to WT doctrines. Later while in college I was appointed a JW ministerial servant (the JWs equivalent of a deacon), without being told I would be made such and without being asked if I wanted to be such, and years later I gave some public sermon talks (of about 45 minutes in length) to the congregation. But from time to time as a baptized JW I had doubts about the JW religion being the true Christian religion and about God even being in existence. I especially had doubts about the demons being real, since I observed no demonic activity ever.
  
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  20

  Sample Disassociation Letters

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you think of the following sample disassociation letter from 4jehovah.org ?.

  if you are looking to disassociate from jehovah’s witnesses, here is a sample letter you can modify for your use:.

  i have decided to disassociate myself from the ____________ congregation of jehovah’s witness.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Disillusioned JW

  But something might stop ones JW family from avoiding people (living outside of JW households) who choose to distance them selves from certain teachings and practices of the WT religion. It would be interesting to find out what has happened with those associated with the 4jehovah.org site who have used some version of their letter.