How much written in this Forum can be believed?

by Spectrum 47 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LittleToe

  ... unfortunately most of it!
• 

  TD

  One thing I've noticed about XJW's is that "Truth" practically becomes their new religion. JW's are conditioned to think that "Apostates" lie and can't be trusted. Therefore, the "Apostate" has nothing to gain and everything to lose by lying.

  If he or she does, they've not only validated the JW organization by doing exactly what it said they would, they've committed the same sin and lowered themselves to the level of that which they now condemn.
• 

  Crumpet

  Just as LT said, although its probable that we didnt see it as appalling ill treatment at the time. for instance i nevr thought being shunned by family for the best part of the last 14 years was wrong at all til i came here.
• 

  heathen

  I'd believe most of the experiences I'v read on the board . I've known alot of j-dubs in my life and they are petty , manipulative , slanderous , self important , murderous (over blood doctrine) , insulting ..... ok ok everybody add your own , it's all true ......
• 

  jst2laws

  Hello Spectrum,

  If you are wondering if the site itself is encouraging or conspiring to promote misinformation, you give us more credit than we deserve. If you are wondering if sometimes hurt feeling expressed here exagerate the severity or intent of the elders or WT reps who are sited, I'm sure that is the case. It's human nature, especially when someone else has damaged you.

  I'll suggest you just look for the big picture here when it comes to personal testimony, and look for the supporting details when it comes to damaging policies, teachings and actions of the WT. Many like the UN/NGO affair, the twisted blood policy, the child molestation scandle and the WT mistreatment of those who speak about these matters is fairly easy to prove to yourself.

  And yes, we are all shocked from time to time.

  STeve
• 

  JAVA

  I ask this because some of the posts I read indicate really awful behaviour that I never came across in my 9 years of association with them.

  Cyber forums can bring out the best in some folks, and the worst in a few folks. If you've been on-line for any period of time and checked out other sites, I don't believe this forum has "awful behavior" compared to other sites. True, JWs put on a better show at Kingdom Halls, etc., but shunning members who don't buy into every word of The Watchtower goes beyond "awful behavior!" Tearing families and life-long friends apart for the crime of voting or needing a blood transfusion is hopefully something most people won't suffer while on their spiritual path.
• 

  atypical

  I think the most important thing to do is to first put the personal experiences on the back burner, and look closely at the policies and rules made by the society. Research for yourself such issues as disfellowshipping, the faithful and discreet slave, does the bible point towards a governing body, etc. Once you have a firm grasp on the basic issues, it becomes easy to see where the behavior of individual jws comes from. The individuals themselves are probably ok people, but they are influenced by the policies of the governing body, which leads to shunning, judgmental attitudes, and so forth. Thus you end up with many, many horror stories of personal bad treatment that people on this board have been through. The fact that a few of them could be exaggerated or made up doesn't change the fact that this stuff does happen, and it happens for a very explainable reason.
• 

  Lady Lee

  How much written in this Forum can be believed?

  I would say way more than any JW could ever dream of.

  I grew up thinking that I was the only JW in the world that was sexually, emotionally and physically abused within the organization. It never dawned on me that there were others or even that the abuse and the way it was handled had anything to do with the WTS's policies regarding sexual abuse.

  As an abuse counselor I know that most abuse survivors minimize their experiences (it wasn't that bad).

  What I have seen here is that people pretty much do the same. When they first get here their stories start small. As they get the support they need they share a bit more.

  What I find so amazing is reading what others have gone through and knowing it is so similar to my own story..I have seen my own voice printed on the screen so many times and I know how they feel because I have been there.

  I have to admit that sometimes my jaw just drops at some of what I read. But I know from my personal or sometimes my work experience that what I read is most likely true. What I read often helps me to make sense of some of my experiences or I recall someone else here had a very similar experience.

  And yes I have been fooled a couple of times. But those instances are so rare that I cannot deny all of the other stories.

  I wish there was a lot less truth here sometimes. (my need to believe it wasn't that bad kicking in)

  Sadly I have realized that the WTS is far worse than I ever expected.

  Abusive people or organizations thrive because they intimidate people (their victims) into silence. Remove the controls that maintain the silence and the real truth comes out.
• 

  metatron

  Let me help you with this, via my personal experience. After I gave up as an elder and left the congregation, I was astonished

  by what I was told about my fellow elders and publishers - by Witnesses at another hall.

  I agonized over this - because I wondered what kind of fool I was not to see or hear about the corruption and evildoing I was now

  informed about. I asked one sister we were close to as to why I was never told about the coverup of child molestation, for example.

  She said:

  "We knew you would be upset!"

  There's a huge amount of secrecy in this organization - and I was shocked by what was hidden from me as an elder - by other

  elders! Beware! You might be naive, as I was.

  metatron
• 

  delilah

  as Little Toe put it, "unfortunately, most of it!" I personally, don't have the time, nor the energy to fabricate stories and exaggerations of my life in the borg. I speak the truth when I do muster up the time to post something, and it's usually helps me to recover from the hurt and years lost, while "in" the organization. While I admit, there may be some stories that sound" too way out there", I remember the counsel we got at the KH, to" let the reader use discernment"..... But I do have to admit, that i have met many wonderful people in the many congregations that I have attended over the years.