In reflecting on my time as a JW, one thing that elders and Circuit Overseers would frequently say is: "We aren't like other religions. You can walk into Catholic or Baptist Church and become a member pretty quickly. But for us (JW's) you have to study first and get the accurate knowledge of John 17:3"
This is another attempt to put on a great front to a dubious method of Jehovah's Witness recruitment. Indoctrination.
Since I resigned my membership as a JW, I find it funny how so not true it is that you can walk into any church and become a member. JW's would like for you to believe that most churches are the Dollar General store equivalent of religion, cheap and easy. That simply isn't true. I will allow that there are many religions that simply ask if one has accepted Christ and are born again, but there are just as many churches, if not more, that would like for you to know a little something about them before you join.
JW's have a more cynical goal though. Because they have such amazing beliefs regarding the prophetic value of the bible, (i.e. most prophetic characters from Noah to Abraham to David to Solomon and Hezekiah all point to the modern day structure and hierarchy of Jehovah's Witnesses), it is necessary to prep the prospective JW with the soft stuff first.
JW's have books designated for study with new prospects. Here is a list
1969: The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life
1982: You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth
1995: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life
2005: What Does the Bible Really Teach?
These books contain nothing of the very controversial prophetic view of JW's. It skims over and gives the greatest, one sided impression of such controversial teachings as blood based medicine and disfellowshipping/excommunication. It starts almost immediately with the thought that friends and family will be against you for studying the bible. (even though you aren't studying the bible, you are studying JW theology with cherry picked scriptures to back up the theology.)
During this "study" (i.e. Indoctrination!) the prospect is encouraged to attend all the meetings of JW's, where they are trained to basically "love bomb" new ones. New ones are impressed with how much attention they get, and just as equally miffed when, after baptism, interest in them and their problems fade. But it feels good in the mean time.
Of course, the goal for this indoctrination is for you to be able to parrot the basics of JW theology, agree that you want to be a JW, and get baptized. This takes several months or more. It changes after that, because now that you are baptized, you have them as the authority. You can no longer research their bible exegesis, you can no longer even have the private thought that you disagree with JW's on any subject, under pain of disfellowshipping and shunning.
For many, the more you learn, the less you like, but if you get baptized, its a little late to call them out on it and avoid the heartache that frequently occurs for associating with and promoting this group.
So if you want to be a Jehovah's Witness, be sure to study thoroughly, and on your own terms. If they have the truth as they claim, then the truth will stand on its own merits, and not on the merits of propaganda designed to bait and switch you into a lifelong, mafia like commitment.
8 comments:
Wow. You seriously live a sad and miserable life. Too bad you can't move on, you might want to see a therapist as you obviously need some serious help along with lots of medication. Seriously, 260+ blog posts in one year??!!?? Good grief, don't you see something wrong with that?
Lol, Lame, that was a lame post. It's pretty lame to post a lame post about how you think someones blog is lame. Why did you bother reading it? Or go to the trouble to find out how many blogs someone had posted in a year?
At least your name is appropriate!
It was rather simple to see how many blog posts he has made, it's right on the main pager...lol... And I stand corrected, he's posted WAY, WAY more than 260+ posts, I did a google search of his username and all kinds of garbage comes up. Wow, what a complete waste of time.
Seriously, move on with your life and LIVE it instead of feeling so much anger and depression over something you obviously don't like. I mean really, if you don't like JWs, so what? If you think they are so bad, then what do you propose? Another religion!?!?! lol!!!
In every other religion on the planet, the people in charge drive nice cars, own lots of nice things, own big nice houses... If the JWs are so bad, then why, WHY, are they bad? What is their PURPOSE in being so bad? It's obviously not for the money, as no one in the organization nor any of the elders, or overseers, make any money! What? A little stipend? Please. If it's all so bad, then what are they after?
Do you think being honest is bad? That's what they teach. Do you think honoring Jehovah, your wife, your husband, eachother is bad? That's what they teach. Do you think following the governments laws is bad? That's what they teach. Do you think staying off drugs and not getting drunk is bad? That's what they teach. Do you think staying in marriage, not having relations outside the marriage, and not abusing your spouse is bad? That's what they teach. Tell me oh grand and marvelously intelligent one, what is actually wrong with any of their teachings???
It's really sad, really quite so, how miserable you are. Let me ask you, has it ever once occured to you that you are not acting in your own free will? Has it occured that you are being led by your ear directly by satan? Tell me, if you really, I mean REALLY are doing all this because you're a happy person with free will, could you actually STOP posting things against the society for one year? Or how about six months? Or even one month? I doubt it. If you can't stop, and you really feel SO overwhelmed that you just MUST post bad things about JWs, then I would say that's proof enough that satan has complete control of you, which would make you a slave of satan. 1Jo 2:18,19... 2Th 2:3-5...2Pe 2:1...
Satan doesn't exist. Neither do fridge people, garden fairies or pink unicorns.
I'm afraid this blogger's motivations are more down to Earth. The blogger is still a christian and therefore views the Watchtower's twisted teachings as an insult, which is quite understandable.
LameLameLame
I dunno who is enslaved by satan or what. But isn't it too much to say that much? Do you remember that "No one can Judge a person except God?"
That is my biggest question if ever I'm faced with a Witness. Why would your founders and elders predict the end of the world? Didn't Jesus said that not even him knows when the time of his second coming will come. Only God knows it. How could someone be so arrogant to predict the end of the world, and use God's name?
I agree with this concept, Ryon, that if God existed, he would be the judge of who is under Satan's control or not. It is unfair to suggest that anyone is pulling a persons strings as though they were some sort of puppet. We all control our own actions, and our motivations are many.
However, a lot of people simply assume these spirit entities exist, and build it right into their dialogue. I'm kinda tired of this assumption that we all believe in these fairy tales. Those of us who have really thought about it do not (and yes, I am indeed suggesting that God-believers have not given it much thought).
I have some general advice to anyone interested in really thinking about it:
1/ Read the bible, in detail, slowly and carefully, cover to cover if possible. Read it honestly. If you get past Leviticus and still believe in this God, congratulations, you are a fundamentalist, and probably have the ability to hurt someone in the name of your religion (again, read the book to see why)
2/ Study nature. Study the animal kingdom. Study creation, study evolution. I promise, you'll never spout off the embarassing argument that living things are too improbable to have some about by chance ever again. Bottom line 'A': Evolution is not a chance process (learn about it). Bottom line 'B': Predators, prey, and parasites are fundamentally at odds with the concept of a loving, interested creator.
Learning about evolution has an added, final advantage: it means you spot the massive flaw in the "fall from Eden" argument right away - it's just superpowerful evolution. Just be honest with yourself first - the universe is exactly as you would expect if there were no God. It contains horrors and beauties, good and bad, and the cosmos is fine tuned to favour black holes far more often than it favours nice little planetary systems.
Of course, my entire commentary will most likely go in one ear and out the other for most people, since I'm an "evil atheist" and not to be trusted.
Bravo Mr/Ms. Lockhart.
To: Lame (Ronde/VoR)
You state "If the JWs are so bad, then why, WHY, are they bad?"
They are a cult. They were started by Joseph Franklin Rutherford he was pretty much your stereo-typical cult leader.
He drove expensive cars during the depression, had two homes, one with Bomb shelters/hidden rooms in San Diego, drank lots of booze during Prohibition, was involved in rum running from his Canadian branch office. The list goes on. Like I said pretty much your typical cult leader.
Today the org just follows the pattern he established. No one is getting rich anymore but the cult he put in place is still damaging peoples lives.
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