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Nicea325
Guest
Aahhhh…prime example of so many man-made sects and with their false prophetic lines.
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Kc906
Guest
Their 1914 prophecy stated that (i’m paraphrasing) that the end of the world will come before the last person in that 1914 Heavenly class group has died. As we are now 99 years since this false prophecy, their prophecy would have had to include children that were born in 1914 to even have a chance to be logical. This 1914 date has infiltrated much of their literature over the years, it basically was considered fact and used as such in their books and magazines.
Now they state, “we have made mistakes in our expectations.” They have falsely predicted Armageddon time and time again, and God has made clear that we have nothing to fear from these false prophets. We should, however, do our best to free as many of our brothers and sisters from the controlling grip of the Watchtower.
Now they state, “we have made mistakes in our expectations.” They have falsely predicted Armageddon time and time again, and God has made clear that we have nothing to fear from these false prophets. We should, however, do our best to free as many of our brothers and sisters from the controlling grip of the Watchtower.
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Boulder257
Guest
Winston, you and your family are in my prayers. May God grant you strength, wisdom, and courage.
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minkymurph
Guest
I can fully understand what you mean Winston. I was raised JW and became Catholic. I was exactly were you are now and know how hard it is to leave. Things won’t always be this way.
Once you leave you’ve done the hard bit. It gets easier after that. Disfellowshipping will come to mean nothing to you. You may also find the people who no longer speak to you never really spoke to you anyway - other than to say ‘hello’ at the Kingdom Hall, and were never true friends. If you have to act for someone, they can never be a true friend. You can leave the JW’s. It’s only when you leave you realize you can, that they have no control over you at all. Right now they still have you mentally, as they did me. There will come a time when they will not and you will realize they only had you mentally. But all this takes time and it was easier for me in that my parents were dead when I left. I don’t envy you in terms of how things will be between you and your parents.
I have no animosity to the JW’s now, other than the one’s I don’t like simply because of the kind of people they are, not because they are JW’s. I would like to be stay on good terms with some of them, but you know how it is. If they want to live by those rules that is up to them, but I don’t have to. They are simply their rules and nothing more. I have never been disfellowshipped and so some JW’s still say ‘hello.’ If they ask you to one of their judicial committees, believe it or not you can just say no. You are perfectly justified in saying no. You don’t have to comply with their rules. What are they going to do? They can’t force you.
I don’t know if the JW’s ever found out I became Catholic. The priest who catechized me told me it was none of their business. That does not mean hide it, it means they have no right to know unless you want to tell them. I went to Mass worrying about whether they would see me; looking over my shoulder. They may know now, but now I honestly couldn’t care less whether they know or not. You don’t have to tell them anything. You don’t have to ask their permission to leave. They have no authority over you and the only power they have over you is the power you let them have. That is not a criticism. I thought they had authority and power over me. I now know they don’t. The relief you will feel will be immense.
Good Luck. :shamrock2:
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jesuspsr
Guest
COOL:thumbsup:I can fully understand what you mean Winston. I was raised JW and became Catholic. I was exactly were you are now and know how hard it is to leave. Things won’t always be this way.
Once you leave you’ve done the hard bit. It gets easier after that. Disfellowshipping will come to mean nothing to you. You may also find the people who no longer speak to you never really spoke to you anyway - other than to say ‘hello’ at the Kingdom Hall, and were never true friends. If you have to act for someone, they can never be a true friend. You can leave the JW’s. It’s only when you leave you realize you can, that they have no control over you at all. Right now they still have you mentally, as they did me. There will come a time when they will not and you will realize they only had you mentally. But all this takes time and it was easier for me in that my parents were dead when I left. I don’t envy you in terms of how things will be between you and your parents.
I have no animosity to the JW’s now, other than the one’s I don’t like simply because of the kind of people they are, not because they are JW’s. I would like to be stay on good terms with some of them, but you know how it is. If they want to live by those rules that is up to them, but I don’t have to. They are simply their rules and nothing more. I have never been disfellowshipped and so some JW’s still say ‘hello.’ If they ask you to one of their judicial committees, believe it or not you can just say no. You are perfectly justified in saying no. You don’t have to comply with their rules. What are they going to do? They can’t force you.
I don’t know if the JW’s ever found out I became Catholic. The priest who catechized me told me it was none of their business. That does not mean hide it, it means they have no right to know unless you want to tell them. I went to Mass worrying about whether they would see me; looking over my shoulder. They may know now, but now I honestly couldn’t care less whether they know or not. You don’t have to tell them anything. You don’t have to ask their permission to leave. They have no authority over you and the only power they have over you is the power you let them have. That is not a criticism. I thought they had authority and power over me. I now know they don’t. The relief you will feel will be immense.
Good Luck. :shamrock2:
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atheistgirl
Guest
I guess it depends on the kind of person you are.
But I would find the practice, or threat, of dis-fellowship a very strong motive to never get involved or if I was involved, to leave.
Sarah x
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minkymurph
Guest
To someone on the outside, yes. The business of disfellowshipping alone would enough for many people to say, ‘I’m not getting involved with that.’ If you are brought up with it it is a different matter. You come to think of it as not only ‘normal,’ but right, and others who think it isn’t are wrong. I know that sounds really bizarre to someone on the outside and can understand why.I guess it depends on the kind of person you are.
But I would find the practice, or threat, of dis-fellowship a very strong motive to never get involved or if I was involved, to leave.
Sarah x
It’s not just a matter of walking away. I left twelve years ago. My kids go to a Catholic school and I have a big Christmas tree in my window every year. I still get notes through the door, asking me to go to their meetings. Someone once said to me, 'When you are inside the circle you can’t see what is going on. In the JW’s you’re programmed from day one, and it is an established fact people brought up in sects or cults need to be ‘deprogrammed’ when they leave - even when they see it for what it is and leave of their own free will. You don’t need to be because you weren’t ‘programmed’ in the first place, and from what you say I would guess you have always been outside the circle, so you see it for what it is. Someone who is brainwashed doesn’t know they are brainwashed. If they did, the would not be brainwashed. Don’t underestimate the power of emotional blackmail which is what they use. The best way to explain it is it’s like child abuse. Kids who are abused come to think of it as ‘normal’ and something that happens in every home.
Among many other things you go through a period were you feel angry, then hate yourself because you feel so stupid that you bought it all and you don’t even want anyone to know you were a JW. I wanted to leave. There where so many things that to me were just so terribly wrong. When I did leave I went through a period were I was lost and terrified. For the first time in my life I had to make my own decisions and think for myself and I didn’t know how to. It took two years of cognitive behavioral therapy. I used to feel sick every time I passed the Kingdom Hall and when I saw JW’s in the street.
Fortunately I had a life and connections and friends outside the JW’s - most people don’t, and my other half isn’t a JW. You find yourself lost and very alone, and I can understand why it’s easier for some people to stay, go through the motions and keep their mouth shut about what they really think, or lead double lives. Having said all that, when you go through all that you never look back. No regrets, it was worth it, and I wouldn’t be where I am now or who I am if I had not left.
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Winston_Smith
Guest
To everyone who’s responded with comments on my situation, THANK YOU. You have no idea how much it helps and how much it means to me. As I was reading this, two men in suits rang my doorbell, on a Saturday morning. I watched them through the peephole and my intuition and past experience tells me it was probably two elders. For years I’ve simply ignored them and not answered the door. They annoy the entire family when they do this. Some time ago it dawned on me that it’s rude to ring someone’s door bell multiple times on a weekend morning for an unannounced visit. They have my phone number, if they want to talk they can call and leave a message like normal people. But the point of my post here is to let you know you are all a great help to me, more than you know.
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Bonnie
Guest
Years ago we knew a Mormon family - the wife had the same complaint. Except their doorbell was often rung during cocktail parties they had for clients. She would step out on the porch with them & chew them out for not calling first. They never did. The family suspected that someone was calling to report their parties.
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minkymurph
Guest
It’s incredibly rude - and an invasion of privacy. If this activity was carried out under any other guise than in the name of religion, it would more than likely be unlawful. In fact, if these ‘judicial committees’ were clarified out under any other guise than in the name of religion they would more than likely be considered unlawful and you would be able to sue for emotional distress.
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harry_harpo
Guest
Reply,
What about the many Catholic predictions (forecasts) that have not come to fruition, why not advertise these?
Examples on request!
If someone predicts the weather, a forecast and gets it wrong, does that mean that they are a false prophet!
If someone predicts this or that and the prediction does not happen, though just a prediction; note a prophesy, is that person constituted a false prophet!
the apostles predicted… the return of the kingdom of David, it didn’t happen, what would that make them and then they had to be corrected by Christ…!
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PRmerger
Guest
I am requesting some Catholic predictions that have not come to fruition, please.
And please note that what I am asking is not for something that a particular Catholic said, but rather something that the Catholic Church, as proclaimed by the Magisterium, has predicted.
Only if they say that God told them this, as the JW Watchtower organization has declared.
They predicted this? Where?
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