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Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses/Do you belive any of the Bible
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Question
QUESTION: I was wondering if you as an ex JW still belive any of the Bible. I understand that you do not want to talk theology and I am not asking what your theology is, just do you put any credence on the Bible.
ANSWER: Dear Peppy,
I have learned a lot of things about spirituality through my journey as a Witness and recovery from Witness mind. Since you didn't give me any background about where you're coming from, I'm not sure which part of that experience might be of interest to you. Forgive me if I ramble or my response is not what you were looking for.
That's important because I respect Saint Paul's words when he said he was as a Jew to Jews and as a Christian to Christians. In other words, how we talk about spirituality has everything to do with who we are talking to, because finding the common ground is important. Not surprising since ultimately God is love, and without common ground, it is easy to forget love.
As a Witness I was taught that the bible is God's inspired word, that God oversaw the writing of the protestant version of the bible as it is today canonized (the set of books found in the KJV). They taught me that God protected the bible and saw to it that it was transmitted down through the centuries basically intact because it is his unique message to mankind.
Belief was paramount as a Witness, which meant accepting the ideas that the organization wanted me to accept, and rejecting the ideas it wanted me to reject.
However, when I learned during my recovery how much I had been lied to, I began to question everything, including the bible. I didn't know what to believe anymore. If part of it was a lie, maybe all of it was. I did not know. Now my ideas have stabilized quite a bit since then.
What I did know and always remembered is that God had shown himself to me to be very different from the Witnesses. On more than one occassion, when my spirit cried out in grief, God was there to comfort me and remind me that no matter how much misguided people might betray me, he never would. So I know that the bible is correct where it says "God is Love", and I know that since God contrasted himself for me, that the Witnesses are not love.
One of the things I learned during my recovery is that the specific books that are now considered part of the protestant bible were selected by a roman emperor, and scholars basically had to accept his decree about which books were to be included, leaving behind some books which the ancient spiritual scholars believed were most worthy, and including some that the scholars believed were less worthy. The emperor made his decisions based on political power; and we are to believe that the result is God's direct will? So I wonder what other writings might have been of similar status before that decision was made. Based on my understanding of history, I believe that it was relayed very carefully because the scribes whose responsibility it was took their jobs very seriously. However, the early origins are quite suspect. There was a delay of decades of time between the ministry of Jesus and the writing of certain gospels. Can people really remember for decades exactly what was said?
And I learned that faith is not really a matter of belief, that is, not a matter of how we arrange the furniture of our mind, not a matter of what ideas we accept and reject; but rather faith and real belief are about what we set our hearts upon. Ultimately it is not the ideas we accept and reject, but whether we love God and our fellowman that matters.
I see that the bible is a book many people have used to find grace and love, and ANYTHING that helps people do that must have some value. I also see that the bible has been used as an excuse to start wars, torture people, and--in the case of the Witnesses--destroy families and control people "for their own good"; so there are definite drawbacks to fundamentalist perspectives about the bible or anything else for that matter. I am against fundamentalism in all it's forms. I believe there are many holy books that contain ancient wisdom, some of which is very likely from God, because God has been with us throughout our history. I trust the bible where it says "God is Love". I think that is the most powerful statement in the bible, and other parts of the bible that seem to contradict that fundamental truth must be either intended differently than it appears or outdated in some way or from people's smaller visions of God rather than from God himself.
Yet most importantly, I believe that what we receive from God firsthand is more trustworthy than someone else's interpretation of something attributed to a holy man who is supposed to have had a spiritual experience (inspiration) thousands of years ago.
We are all divine, and we all have access to God. So it is more important to me what God is telling each of us now than what he is said to have told someone long ago. We can all have spiritual experiences. So it is more important to me what happens when I open my heart to God than what happened to someone else thousands of years ago when they opened their hearts. No matter how legitimate an ancient account might be, it cannot match the experience of God touching my heart in this moment when I open myself to love.
If you are in recovery from spiritual abuse as a former Witness, it is most important for you that you don't let anyone tell you what to think about God. You must discover that for yourself, or else what you discover will always be suspect in your heart. So trust your heart and take your time. That is the best I can offer.
Best wishes,
AndrewXJW
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for you quick answer. i appreciate your thoughts.
In what ways have you experienced Gods Love? How did he manifest that to you/
You say you received things "from God firsthand". How was this nade known to you? You seem to have some modern spiritual awareness / insight from what you say "So it is more important to me what God is telling each of us now than what he is said to have told someone long ago."
Just how does one know that God is "communicating" with one?
Dear Peppy,
I am interested in this conversation; and would be happy to respond to your follow-up question; however, since it is outside my area of expertise, please re-enter your question and mark it "private" so the discussion is only between you and I.
Messages within my area of expertise that may help my readers are really great to show as public. In this case, it seems like a private conversation. Thank you for understanding.
Best wishes,
AndrewXJW
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Andrew
Expertise
I don't object to Witness theology, but rather their use of social pressure & deceptive manipulations to undermine family ties and control minds. (This may seem contradictory to Witnesses, who draw no distinction between spiritual belief and organizational policy.) I do not engage in theological debate. I support persons impacted by an experience with the Witnesses and advocate early education for everyone so that they can protect themselves from cults by understanding what to watch out for. (It's not what most people think.)
(Ex-)Witnesses: I know how upsetting it is to experience doubts (or anger) about your experience. Time does not heal this wound until you first remove the splinter, which takes more time and effort than you may realize. So, unless you have already put in that time and effort, don't be surprised if you are deeply affected long after the experience. But there is good news! You're NOT an enemy of God for doubting or for failing to meet the requirements of a human organization. An organization that lies cannot be the exclusive spokesman for the God of Truth. Tell me where you're at. I'll understand. I can show you how to begin or continue your recovery and make a life for yourself worth living.
Non-Witnesses: Describe your experience with your friend/relative who is (becoming) a Witness. I can help you understand the Witness indoctrination and social dynamics that are affecting him or her. I can help you put your options into perspective. Keep in mind that people do make their own choices (even though they may sometimes do so under outside influence) and you may not be able to affect this person's choices, even though they impact on you. After all, you do not have the arsenal of tactics that a cult does (and wouldn't want to). A few people manage to save their friend/relative, but don't count on it. What you can count on is navigating the maze more successfully by becoming more informed about your own options.
Experience
I was a Witness for 30 years, and a volunteer at their headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, for a year. I have attended meetings with many Witness congregations across the United States, a thorough cross-section, carefully observing patterns of behavior. Although being a Witness was difficult, and I gradually had more and more doubts about Witness teachings--I was a true believer, so I kept trying to make it work somehow. I stopped attending meetings in 1997 only after receiving an answer to a prayer about doing so, and have since been actively involved in recovery. This includes both my own and supporting others in theirs. Recovery can include reading books, communicating with others in recovery, and participating in support groups and/or therapy. It always involves reclaiming one's own mind and discovering the other sides of the issues that you have been blinded to in the past.
My gradual awakening was socially, psychologically, and spiritually tumultuous. I lost everything from my former life. My suffering was substantial.
But I have gained everything, so it was worth it. Only after beginning my recovery did I gain social, psychological, and spiritual healing and growth, peace of mind, and self-respect. Only then did I discover who I am; and--for the first time--the meaning of real brotherly love.
For more resources on this topic, try these web sites:
http://freeminds.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freedomofmind/
Education/Credentials
Like most Cult Recovery Counselors, I am a cult survivor. I have life experience, not professional training. Also I feel no need to apologize for that. People with professional training cannot understand what it is like to survive a cult unless they have been through it themselves, which few professional therapists have. Understanding what really happened and what works in this unusual social context is as important as psychological training. Most professional therapists are not specifically trained to support cult survivors. Those who are represent a rare and precious resource.
I sometimes refer people to professional therapists regarding deep personal issues. But surviving a cult is a broad experience with other dimensions. Professional therapy can be very helpful as part of your recovery process, assuming that you choose the right therapist. When choosing a therapist, remember that you are the client and they are a service provider. You are the one who holds authority about the relationship. You get to interview the therapist and decide which one to employ.
Be sure to ask what specific training and experience they have around recovery from cult mind control. Most therapists do not have relevant training. Some carry serious misunderstandings about what cult mind control is; and therefore will misunderstand your struggle. So it pays to be selective as a consumer of professional therapy services.
Past/Present Clients
The Witness organization is not like other churches. Most non-Witnesses really cannot imagine what it is like to be a Witness. The organization has unimaginably extensive rules and monitoring that affect every aspect of life, so there is no privacy and no sense of personal independence. "Independent thought" is considered their greatest "sin".
The organization insists on absolute conformity, and claims to directly represent God; so dissent is not tolerated, and authority is totalitarian. Being a Witness is more like living in China or the former Soviet Union than being a member of a religion as you know it. It was the research of Robert J. Lifton, who was studying--not religions--but totalitarian governments, who first began to illuminate the problem of religious cults around the world, which employ exactly the same tactics as totalitarian governments. His work remains a cornerstone for Cult Recovery Counselors still today. (This may be why many governments are tolerant of cults, to avoid exposing their own control tactics.)
Witnesses often experience unusually dysfunctional lives and an extensive array of personal problems stemming from broken family ties, stunted social development, inner unrest resulting from repressed doubts, inability to defend boundaries, and an extreme, persistent feeling of irrational shame. I can help people impacted by an experience with the Witnesses by revealing in detail the policies and social dynamics in the Witness organization that cause these problems.
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