Jehovah's Witnesses: Would you believe ex-JWs do love you and are not attacking YOU with these posts?

Question

They love YOU, without asking what have you done for me lately? They fear for YOU. Fear that you'll lose opportunities to live this life in the here and now and one day will have huge regrets. They fear that your future is unstable, that you'll not be able to care for yourself because of giving your youth and energy to a religion that won't allow you time to develop your personal best in your career and interests outside of religion. They have sorrow for you that you're under the spell of men who don't love you, who would ask and fully expect that you give up the very foundation of happiness, your family, if so asked. Sorrow that you're so afraid of the good around you, because you've been too poisoned to see it.

I'm sure others on here can give you reasons why they fear for you, but these are mine, and I feel them deeply. I pray that one of these posts will put a chink in the armor they've wrapped around you, and allow you to see your real truth, and have the courage to live.

sklemetti, so you're saying if I don't love your organization, then I can't love you?
we shall have to agree to disagree on this.

Lysdexia - I'm not surprised but am disheartened by the venomous responses to my declaration of love for their person and fear for their futures.

Will - I totally understand. I'm to the point where instead of anger, I'm more disheartened and moreso because I still have family in their clenches.

Danny, I have this imagery in my head of my husband and his JW brother sitting together as old men, nearing death, and still railing about not having the truth and this system coming to an end (and surely their system is coming to an end any day with their mortality). In the interim, they've missed out on brotherly love and shared pleasure of being in one anothers' life because of a difference in ideology. Who wins? Not my husband or his brother, but the men who've kept them apart all these years, who've robbed them of loving one another. it makes me sick..

lillie - I haven't turned my back on God, but I have turned my back on WBTS. There's a distinct difference.
That's the difference between us, you believe in your way being only through the grace of an organization, and I believe in grace through God.

Heiss - I'm sorry it hurts you to know people outside your faith worry about you and feel you're being misled. If that feels condescending and patronizing, that is not the intent here. I never knew love could be such. Is that your version of it?

JOYfilled - thank you for your thoughts. I'm happy for your cousin and for you. I pray for the rest of your family, please keep mine in yours, if you please

Answer 1

Back in the old days we Jehovah's Witnesses seemed to stick together but when I left my last Kingdom Hall Rockland Massachusetts it was dog eat dog backstabbing.
What prevailed back then was HOPE because everyone was deluded with prophecy's that had not yet expired also there was a lot of cold war fear and no counter information (internet) just the obscure 'evil slave'.

It was still the blind following the blind and all the old timers are now sadly ALL DEAD.

The WT seemed more humble then much poorer too.Now they have bloated into an arrogant egotistical tyranny.They are like a wounded animal backed into a corner,it's dog eat dog now.
Because I was born in 1957 and limited all my school and worldly associations I didn't know and experience altruistic humanitarianism until my WT exit 1992 and was SHOCKED at how normal and caring worldly people are.

Every single JW back in 1992 would have turned my a** in for apostasy if I had proclaimed to them back then that we would still be in this system 2007 and the WT would be booking reservations for summer DC's in 2012.Many had NO retirement savings or caring for their long term health care,I don't get it why there ain't 6 million crying foul screaming JW's.

I was born 1957 a 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness into the oppressive watchtower cult and barely survived it.

Sincerely,
Danny Haszard
Learn more http://www.freeminds.org

Answer 2

Tough situation, Chuck. I can tell from the comments that most of us are pulling for you and wishing you the best. You probably already know that JW's don't take it well when their faith is rejected. They argue fiercely. They argue because they are proud and stubborn, and they argue because they are afraid of losing a spiritual battle, and they argue because they think they are right and everyone else needs to see that. But you probably also know that their tactics are not always on the up and up. I think that is what happened here. So when your ex- is blabbing to the the congregation, including these elders, and spewing her one-sided lies about how you are "ruining" the future salvation of the son, their pride and anger kicks in and they are not going to allow it. If they had the decency to talk to you, which they don't because they are not decent people at their core, they know you would have said "leave the kid alone." Therefore, they avoided the conflict with you and went after the kid without your knowledge. Your son was essentially cornered and mugged by these religion thugs. The motives were pride (the bad kind of pride), spiritual greed, anger, plus a perverse sense of empathy toward your ex- and her babbling gossip. For all we know, maybe she's flirting with the elders and one of them has affection for her. Unfortunately, their tactics and motives aren't going to change. Your best response is to teach your son to say "no" and get away, just like when we try to teach our kids what to do if someone tries to lure them into a van or touch them inappropriately. Tell him the kingdom hall is not safe for him right now and he should never feel pressured or guilted into attending or meeting with them.

Answer 3

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love god', yet hates his brother, he is a liar." (1 Jn 4:17-21) This passage helps answer your question.

JWs think that as they are (virtually) the only true Christians in the world,only they have true love. Only fellow JWs are their brothers. If anyone leaves, or is put out, they cease to be their brother so it's fine to hate them. Indeed, it's almost obligatory because their leaders have told them that such ones must be as tax-collectors were to the Jews (totally misapplying scripture here). If they shun such ones, they are actually showing love because this is the best way to get them back into the JW fold. All this is based on the theology that only within their ranks can 'the faithful and discreet slave' class be found - their leaders. To criticize their leaders is nigh well blasphemous.

But, from the Bible point of view, the JWs live in fear because they have not been made perfect in love. The JWs still await judgment. The first one will be at Armageddon. If they pass that test, then there's another judgment 1,000 years down the line. Only after passing that test can they breathe a sigh of relief and assume they have 'made it'. (Though Jehovah will still annihilate rebels even then!) JWs do not know if their sins are forgiven yet. Even the 'anointed' class could lose their anointing. They are assured they will be fine just as long as they stay obedient to the F&DS class.

So the answer to your Q is, No. They don't believe it because they've been told by the F&DS class that posts that expose (i.e. 'attack' in JW-speak) the F&DS class are inspired by Satan, and they must hate them and the people who dared post them. Only when JWs see the F&DS class for what they really are (men who are abusing their self-acquired spiritual authority) will they see the love of God, in Christ, through Christians who are not JWs.

Answer 4

In answer to your "question" I didn't all of the supporting statements, was a bit long:D.

Do I believe that some people post what they do with good intentions?? Sure. However ALL humans are imperfect. Sometimes what someone posts can be rather rude and nasty, whether intended to be so or not. It boils down to intentions v. results. Also, lets face it, ALLOT of the posters on here post mean things simply to be mean.

You might very well be of some good intentions in this sermon, however, I read 3? sentences at random, and they were inaccurate at best. So whether you are trying to be nice or not, you are spreading inaccuracies, which rarely, if ever is helpful.

Answer 5

GENERAL POSTING:
--ONE MAIN THING that is of greatest importance , & that is love for Jehovah God & Christ and our neighbor!
--THE ORGANIZATION THAT Jehovah God is using, in its imperfect state has made mistakes & continues to OTHER THAN DOCTRINE--which is of great importance!
--ELDERS & JUDICIAL COMMITTEES have made some serious mistakes & unfortunately will continue to do so!
--IF God, Jehovah & Christ Jesus is not using our organization , which one are they using? (this is not expressing any doubts, for I have been at the receiving end of serious injustices ), but still see no other organ that Jah is using other than the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses!
--OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE is the sticking to the doctrines of the Bible about:
1. Jehovah & Christ, AND JEHOVAH BEING the true God(John 17)
2. The reality of the kingdom & Christ being installed as earths king--since 1914 proceeded by ousting of Satan out of heaven(Rev. 12)
3. The reality of the last days since 1914(Matth. 24)
4. The reality of Christ being in charge of Armaggedon (Rev. 16 & 19
5. The truth of Christian neutrality!(John 17)
6. The true wisdom of respecting the sanctity of blood (Acts 15)
7. OTHER TEACHINGS!

--WHEN EVER JEHOVAH used a earthly organ, or group-- IT ALWAYS WAS IMPERFECT!
-- Noah was imperfect, Abraham was imperfect, Moses was imperfect,The judges & the king arrangements were imperfect etc. etc. ---SO WHAT'S NEW?

Answer 6

The Watchtower organization tells a lot of lies about the people who have left. It is really sad that JW's literally let a group of men completely control what they think and believe.
I love and pray for people at the Kingdom Hall all the time. And I have a closer relationship with Jehovah and Jesus than I had before. I would want that for everybody.

Answer 7

A word of encouragement to the asker - never give up loving Jehovah's Witnesses and praying for them, even though they may despise you for it and question your motives. God knows your heart (and theirs). If the Holy Spirit is leading you to reach out to them in Christian love and compassion, then you (and they) will be blessed.

Anyone (like me) who was brought up from birth in a JW family and then left the organisation knows full well that it takes COURAGE to stand up for your convictions and face the consequences of being shunned by your family for daring to disagree. One of the reasons so many JW's leave is because the organisation FAILS TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS. For anyone to imply that ex-JW's are cowards and incapable of love demonstrates a lack of Christian love in the person making the implication. Ex-JW's who become born-again Christians love God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and God's church PASSIONATELY. It is this passion for the gospel message that moves them to reach out to those who have been mislead and who are not in a covenant relationship with Christ.

The only arrogance and condescention I detect from the answers given here have (shamefully) come from those persons who reject any notion that they could possibly be wrong. But don't ever underestimate the power of prayer. Persevere. My sister prayed for me for 10 years before God broke through my barriers and revealed his love and compassion to me. Keep up the good work!

Answer 8

My, my look at all this JW anger and you JW's think we non JW's hate you and this is your response to an ex-fellow JW? Some of you are not putting on your Borg smiles. I am very disappointed in you. Now get outside and polish your shiney 4 door family cars and go door to door to make amends for this display of anger or you'll lose your hard earned points that the watch tower is keeping close tabs of.

Answer 9

I never was a JW, but I know many JWs.... and I feel for all of them AND for all of you. If you guys only knew how hard I pray for the Lord's grace to be with you... you would take back every nasty word you say to me.... There is not a nasty thing that I would say to people... but I do not think very highly of the devious corporation known as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

Answer 10

Dear Pedi C,

In the midst of all of the name calling, charges of slander and antagonism, thank you very much for your eloquent compassionate message.

I never became a Watchtower Witness but my mom became a jw before I was born and eventually several of her siblings, their mother and my favorite cousin all followed her lead. I was blessed because my dad remained a Christian rather than follow Mom.

When I was growing up times were extremely turbulent in our family because Mom single handedly waged World War III every Sunday and holiday. When I grew up I was only able to forgive her after I read the Bible from cover-to-cover. I was able to see that Mom was vulnerable to their deceptive tactics because while she was thirsting to understand the Bible, she was also very lonely raising young children away from family and friends during World War II because my dad was stationed stateside.

For the past several years I've been praying for Mom and my other relatives because I've seen that God will hold them responsible for the unforgiven sin of ALL the people that they have led away from the TRUTH of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen.

I now include those people I've encountered here in the R&S section who remain in their religious unreality. But I do not despair over them because I keep my focus on the awesome uncreated Creator who does not want anyone to be eternally separated from Him. On Christmas Eve 2003 I got the BEST Christmas present I ever received from a human being - that favorite cousin I mentioned told me that day that she had left the jws. It has been very exciting to hear more stories of ex-jws here on Y!A.

Edit for Moises: Yes, Moises we do love you because God first loved us.

For His glory,
JOYfilled