I've just decided to write this, whether I got the inspiration from God or not, I don't know, but it might help some JWs or those either interested in joining/leaving the WTS. Anyway, first of all I have only been saved for 4 months, so excuse me should I have any incorrect views on things, and grew up as a JW kid so my views on that side might be slightly incorrect, but what is, and was in my mind certainly is correct.
Okay. I grew up from birth as a JW. It was hard, to say the least. Especially in a country torn apart by religion, being on neither side made it hard.. it made it pretty scary at times actually.. but I believed that the true religion would encounter problems, and sort of.. an exclusion from the rest of mankind.
So, life was pretty hard, but the JWs were so close-knit that I didn't really mind. Life pretty much revolved around the Kingdom Hall.. meetings every Thursday and Sunday, and the Bible Study/"group" every Tuesday. What annoyed me most about this though, was that questions were asked if you didn't attend - you'd be "brought into the library" for doing something wrong.
So i guess where me as a person comes in here. I like to see different sides of things.. different views, and get a justified opinion. I felt kind of trapped as a JW. One of the things I never understood was why God/Jehovah would punish all the people in the world at Armageddon except JWs? I knew there was alot of good people, and especially good Christians out there... I found this hard to accept. I often wondered what other churches lived for - what kept them there. I didn't have that same 'bonding' if you know what I mean.
One thing, I especially didn't know about JWs was a few 'rules' that changed. I didn't really get how a church could change rules - it used to be you couldn't speak to people who left the church (baptized or not).. now it is baptized only. I never really got this, and found it pretty unfair too. I felt that I was living under the power of Man.. God's rules don't change, I'm sorry.. they just don't change.
I started, at about the age of 13/14 to develop a mind of my own I guess. I asked myself questions, and what exactly the beliefs were. One thing though, I came to know quite recently is how much the New World Translation (NWT) has been changed, but to change a meaning, not just a word. I've no problem what-so-ever with changing a few words, to make something easier to understand.. but they had actually changed meanings. Revelation states, at the end that it is forbidden to alter the Word of God.. how exactly can this be justified? How come the original transcripts have a different meaning, and ie: don't teach Jesus is really Michael? Isn't that a damn big change?
So, I changed as a person.. I began cussing, and became pretty normal. To be honest, it felt good. However, I had something missing in my life.. I had no beliefs. I met someone, a dear friend, probably when I was 11, but never spoke to them about Christianity until I was about 15. It wasn't until I was 16, that I really got deep into the conversations, and they actually meant something. I began to change as a person, and I don't even cuss anymore for example.. I've actually changed back into the person that I once was, but my beliefs are different. I now believe in what the Hebrew and Greek Bible manuscripts tell me, and I live my life for Jesus, and have accepted him as my Savior. I became to realise, that Christianity wasn't an exclusion to the extent it was made as a JW. You get mistreated because of being Christian in the 'world' too.. but I can stand up proud of it now. What I have experienced in the past 4 months, is something I can't even describe. God has come into my life, and I am beginning to feel different, and am getting a deep understanding of Christianity, and what is truly about.
Anyway, I have nothing against JWs what-so-ever. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met, but I still can't accept their judgements on mankind, and especially not on other people, over things like "the hours you work" or whether you missed this Sunday's Watchtower meeting. I still talk to JWs a lot though, because I never got baptized. My father broke free from the religion a year or so before me... He can't associate with them, and one of my sisters is still in the organization.
However, how they taught there is no fire in Hell etc, when it is clearly translated in the manuscripts, I have yet to understand. It's a hard thing to leave it.. especially when your family is in the organization too, and you feel like you will be shunned because of it.. but family can still talk, and i know in my church now, there are a lot of close-knit relationships that went on in the JW church.. I used to think it was the only one like that.
Anyway, I hope what I've said may help some of you. If you wish to email me, PM me, IM me.. go ahead, my details are in my profile.. or I think in the top-right of this post. If you wish to respond, go ahead.. or have questions on what I have said. Just remember, that God always loves you..
God Bless,
Matt
Okay. I grew up from birth as a JW. It was hard, to say the least. Especially in a country torn apart by religion, being on neither side made it hard.. it made it pretty scary at times actually.. but I believed that the true religion would encounter problems, and sort of.. an exclusion from the rest of mankind.
So, life was pretty hard, but the JWs were so close-knit that I didn't really mind. Life pretty much revolved around the Kingdom Hall.. meetings every Thursday and Sunday, and the Bible Study/"group" every Tuesday. What annoyed me most about this though, was that questions were asked if you didn't attend - you'd be "brought into the library" for doing something wrong.
So i guess where me as a person comes in here. I like to see different sides of things.. different views, and get a justified opinion. I felt kind of trapped as a JW. One of the things I never understood was why God/Jehovah would punish all the people in the world at Armageddon except JWs? I knew there was alot of good people, and especially good Christians out there... I found this hard to accept. I often wondered what other churches lived for - what kept them there. I didn't have that same 'bonding' if you know what I mean.
One thing, I especially didn't know about JWs was a few 'rules' that changed. I didn't really get how a church could change rules - it used to be you couldn't speak to people who left the church (baptized or not).. now it is baptized only. I never really got this, and found it pretty unfair too. I felt that I was living under the power of Man.. God's rules don't change, I'm sorry.. they just don't change.
I started, at about the age of 13/14 to develop a mind of my own I guess. I asked myself questions, and what exactly the beliefs were. One thing though, I came to know quite recently is how much the New World Translation (NWT) has been changed, but to change a meaning, not just a word. I've no problem what-so-ever with changing a few words, to make something easier to understand.. but they had actually changed meanings. Revelation states, at the end that it is forbidden to alter the Word of God.. how exactly can this be justified? How come the original transcripts have a different meaning, and ie: don't teach Jesus is really Michael? Isn't that a damn big change?
So, I changed as a person.. I began cussing, and became pretty normal. To be honest, it felt good. However, I had something missing in my life.. I had no beliefs. I met someone, a dear friend, probably when I was 11, but never spoke to them about Christianity until I was about 15. It wasn't until I was 16, that I really got deep into the conversations, and they actually meant something. I began to change as a person, and I don't even cuss anymore for example.. I've actually changed back into the person that I once was, but my beliefs are different. I now believe in what the Hebrew and Greek Bible manuscripts tell me, and I live my life for Jesus, and have accepted him as my Savior. I became to realise, that Christianity wasn't an exclusion to the extent it was made as a JW. You get mistreated because of being Christian in the 'world' too.. but I can stand up proud of it now. What I have experienced in the past 4 months, is something I can't even describe. God has come into my life, and I am beginning to feel different, and am getting a deep understanding of Christianity, and what is truly about.
Anyway, I have nothing against JWs what-so-ever. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met, but I still can't accept their judgements on mankind, and especially not on other people, over things like "the hours you work" or whether you missed this Sunday's Watchtower meeting. I still talk to JWs a lot though, because I never got baptized. My father broke free from the religion a year or so before me... He can't associate with them, and one of my sisters is still in the organization.
However, how they taught there is no fire in Hell etc, when it is clearly translated in the manuscripts, I have yet to understand. It's a hard thing to leave it.. especially when your family is in the organization too, and you feel like you will be shunned because of it.. but family can still talk, and i know in my church now, there are a lot of close-knit relationships that went on in the JW church.. I used to think it was the only one like that.
Anyway, I hope what I've said may help some of you. If you wish to email me, PM me, IM me.. go ahead, my details are in my profile.. or I think in the top-right of this post. If you wish to respond, go ahead.. or have questions on what I have said. Just remember, that God always loves you..
God Bless,
Matt
