They really believe they are not following men.
In reality, the whole JW religion is about following a small group of men without question.
i'm just thinking of examples of jw doublethink.. here's one - jws will tell a bible study or unbaptised publisher that there is no hierarchy within the org.
they typically remark on christendom's hierarchy but then say 'we are all brothers'.
but as a person gets further into the cult, jws will constantly stress the need to obey the governing body.. jw hierarchy .
They really believe they are not following men.
In reality, the whole JW religion is about following a small group of men without question.
i woke up early in life.
it’s not because i was smarter than my brothers and sisters.
in fact, reflecting back, i actually don’t know why i didn’t embrace the watchtower teachings?
The thought of a paradise earth can be comforting, but how many JWs are secretly fearful (or even convinced) that they won't be deemed worthy enough to be there?
How many JWs are terrified whenever they hear distant thunder for fear that it's the beginning of Armageddon and that they will be among those who are destroyed?
No matter how much a JW tries to be as loyal to Jehovah as Jesus was, they know they don't measure up.
awake!
"if you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things.
because all the evidence in fulfillment of bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years... therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers.
I bumped this thread to the top because few JWs today remember that the WT taught this as truth. A person who was 16 when it was published would be 68 today.
Yet JWs today are still relying on the prophetic pronouncements of the self-proclaimed "faithful and discreet slave" for their "spiritual food at the proper time."
They won't talk to me.
based on wt history of repeated false prophecies, here is the way these things seem to develop:.
1. someone connects unrelated bible verses and comes up with a date for the end.. 2. this date is "confirmed" by outside information, such as pyramid measurements.. 3. they share this "hidden knowledge" with others.. 4. they develop a following of people who are excited to be the only ones on earth who understand "the deep things of god.".
5. they promote the date.. 6. people laugh them to scorn.. 7. the faithful cry "persecution" and wait expectantly.. 8. as the date approaches, they get more and more excited.. 9. when the date is imminent, leaders get worried and start to hedge their bets through cautionary language.. 10. when the date comes and goes, they come up with some explanation (adam-eve creation gap, no year 0, etc.
Based on WT history of repeated false prophecies, here is the way these things seem to develop:
1. Someone connects unrelated Bible verses and comes up with a date for the end.
2. This date is "confirmed" by outside information, such as pyramid measurements.
3. They share this "hidden knowledge" with others.
4. They develop a following of people who are excited to be the only ones on earth who understand "the deep things of God."
5. They promote the date.
6. People laugh them to scorn.
7. The faithful cry "persecution" and wait expectantly.
8. As the date approaches, they get more and more excited.
9. When the date is imminent, leaders get worried and start to hedge their bets through cautionary language.
10. When the date comes and goes, they come up with some explanation (Adam-Eve creation gap, no year 0, etc.) and set a new date in the near future.
11. When the later date goes by, they announce that they are done with setting dates.
12. After several years go by, they lose followers are forced to decide whether to disband or start over.
13. They set a new date and attract new followers who aren't aware of their previous failures.
14. The cycle repeats.
here are some questions to ask witnesses.
how would you alter or improve or add to them?.
transparency questions.
Marking
i was just watching an old episode of criminal minds and there was this description of cults:.
"cults commonly have their own language.
they invent or redefine certain words only the cult members understand.
The late Walter Martin, author of Kingdom of the Cults once said that the "sheep's clothing" of the cults is vocabulary.
The cults use Bible words but they totally redefine them.
You think they are agreeing with the Bible when, in many cases, they mean the opposite.
i can't believe william shatner is 90 years old but doesn't look like other 90 year olds that i've met.
is it genetic?
is it lifestyle.
Because Spock told him to live long and prosper...
so, in the uk, during the early stages of covid there was a groundswell of appreciation for the nhs for their front-line sacrifice.
this was crystallised into a regular clapping/whistling/noise making session every thursday at 8pm.. "harmless" you would have thought, "a gesture of appreciation", "what could possibly be wrong with joining in on that innocent activity?".
well, the co during his recent rounds had a different view.
Think of all the carers who are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Oh, wait.
They are strongly encouraged to forego the necessary "worldly" education so they can spend all their waking hours doing something really important -- pioneering for the borg.
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.
I would expect elders to read only the first sentence, the writer's name, and the first hint of or direct reference to potential legal action. They'll forward it immediately to WT lawyers and await instructions.