Blanket Bomb Or Snipe? (page 4)

jst2laws

Hillary,
I not only like what you have to say here but like the respectful way this has been discussed. This is the kind of thread I look for. I thank everyone for your intellectual contributions.

I lurked at H2O and here for almost two years before I got brave enough to post. I postponed participation because of a perception that defending any part of the WT or its teaching would invite merciless attack. You have to understand that from my perspective at the time an attack on the organization was an attack on every individual witness.

I plunged in about six months ago with the question "Is there No good in the WTBTS?" I expected Farkel, JanH, Kent and others to chew me up for just the appearance of defending Witnesses.
While I was surprised with the overall kind response, the reality is that I put off getting involved here for a year because I feared attack for being a 'stupid Dub'.

I feared involvement because I did not want to become the "Target". Concidering my "stage" (Hillary) of "dis-indoctrination" (bigboi) I could not distinguish criticizm of the Organization from an attack on myself and my convictions.

Again, I thank Hillary and everyone here for this reasonable discussion and hope we better understand the feelings of those 'victims' lurking here whom we all hope to reach.

Jst2laws

larc

Hillary,

Thank you for your kind words. They will keep me going. There are days here where I feel like my words are just dust in the wind, but once in a awhile I strike a chord or help someone like the woman who came here who calls herself Troubled, and it helps me as much as it helps her. Thank you again for lifting my spirits.

hillary_step

Larc,

If I may be so bold as to ask, have you worked in the psychotherapy field? You show an uncommon tolerance and grace in dealing with potentially difficult coversational flashpoints.

You are teaching me bundles of new things!

HS

hillary_step

Hello Again just2laws,

Thank you for your very kind sentiments, I am glad this discussion has bought some good things to you.

As you know one of the difficulties of broaching these more controversial issues is that they tend to spring off like octopus arms into eight different directions and in the melee the point of the thread gets buried. AlanF grasped the point and offered some interesting views early on in the thread which was, as you remember, our motives in choosing our theological targets. Larc I thought, in noting the different stages of a persons emotions during the ‘exiting process’ showed that a robust approach to helping JW’s exit may no be so useful in the early stages. Though I largely disagree with Kents MO. I well understand his viewpoint.

Thank you again for your input -- HS

larc

Hillary,

I have a PhD in Organizational Psychology with a minor in Clinical Psych. I have never worked as a therapist. I once worked for a major corporation in Personnel Research and in Training and Developement. I spent the last 15 years of my career as a tenured, full professor of organizational behavior at a small private college in Michigan. I retired at the end of 1999, and now live in Dayton, Ohio.

At one time, I had hoped to be a therapist for xWitnesses. I started on this forum last December, and this comes close to fulfilling that dream.

wokeup

Hi Hillary, I found this thread quite thought provoking.As A newcomer to this forum I've appreciated the sincerity and candor made by various ones. For years I viewed apostates thru rose colored glasses.Words such as venomous,gangrene,spiritual death was drilled into me regarding talking to or reading anything from former members . I woke one day and realized my own thoughts would be considered apostate thinking. Thinking and drawing my own conclusions for a change that is.I find this forum refreshing for the simple fact that verbalizing free thought in the org is short lived. They make sure of that...........Allen

Maximus

I dunno, Hillary.

I spouted Shakespeare previously but that was for this board.

Right now I'm thinking of obtuse ones in Brooklyn,
and I'm pondering:

......... stiletto or bludgeon .........

Blessings on you for lifting the dialogue--and our spirits.

Max

jst2laws

Larc, sorry I failed to remember you started the thought on "stages".
As to dreams, mine were similar but as an "untrained volunteer". You have much to offer and I appreciate what you are doing.

Hillary, I was often offended when I first came here. Now some of them, even the 'junkyard dog' has become a friend. I can take it now, but I could not at the early stages. I feel it is good to focus on the 'target' and often insert a comment that consoles the victims, even if our audience doesn't know the difference.

Wokeup, glad to meet you. I recently woke up myself with the help of these good guys and Ray Franz.

Jst2laws

teejay

Six,

I tend to view the Duns/Friday/You know type character even more reprehensible than the types of men who are in power in the org ... Duns et al has looked it all square in the eye, and made his choices. Worse yet, he has the audacity to use obfuscation to defend those choices.

How can you be so sure about Duns? Do you know--have you met--him personally? What I see in your reaction to him is what bothered me about the reaction some gave him while he was here. I normally agree with you, Six (you know that), but in this I think that unless you have something other than the words of his that you read from your computer screen, you are being horribly presumptuous -- always a big mistake, setting the stage for unfair treatment.

peace,
tj

SixofNine

How can you be so sure about Duns?

Well...just this. He's educated, he's here, he obfuscates. What seems to be important to him are things that are not important (in a positive way) to humanity.

I can only go by the words he posted here, but if his thoughts vary greatly from what he posted, then that makes him even less.

I challenge anyone to show me anything he said that showed real morality and intelligence.

Blanket Bomb Or Snipe?

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