I tried this past year to discuss my concerns with my JW neice and I succeeded in scaring her back into activity :( Her husband was at the point he had vocalized he didn't know if he wanted to be a witness anymore, and she was inactive but attending meetings occasionally . After I told her of a few of my findings I think she went to her Jw mom and was given advice not discuss anything with me because I had apostate veiws . Same thing with one of her friends . These young people in their twenties are doing alot of questioning , but are terrified when they hear the word apostate. As for me this past year has been hard , I feel the need to talk to someone face to face . I appreciate all the support on here , but I really can't express myself as clearly sometimes as I would be able to in person . So far I have spoken with people I work with since they have seen a change in me this past year . One woman told me she knows an ex- Jw elder and gave me his phone number as he said he would like to talk to me . I think I will try and call him today .
would you call someone or go to their house to discuss concerns with WT?
by truthsearcher 21 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
I wrote: "I've spoke in churches, universities, and ecumenical pastor meetings."
You wrote:Gary,
Hi Anni, I got into speaking by accident. I set up a dedicated phone message line to Witness victims in 1995 and I advertised the line in local papers. One of the papers ran this article on their front page:
Can you elaborate a bit more on this? How were you contacted in order to have you come and speak to them? How do others discern whether you are a certified nutcase with an imaginary axe to grind or an honest and sensible person who has left a cult? How did you go about this?
Anni
http://www.freeminds.org/buss/argus_leader.htm
The requests and TV interviews came after this article.
Now, when the churches hear I'm not a theist, most of them lose interest in me. The universities don't care, they want an expert. -
blondie
I would not do that in the area I live in since I am a fader. I might listen to someone vent about their treatment at the KH and let them know what their choices are in dealing with it. I like the anonymous access JWs have to sites like JWD through the internet. You can take in information at your leisure, digest it, do research, come to your own conclusion.
To me it it is like trying to give people advice about marriage problems. You may be married or have been married, may have gone through hard times even a divorce, but it is a unique experience for each person as to how to handle the problems. And a personal decision. Some may stay others may leave.
Blondie
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carla
I wish more ex's were available to the general public. In my case (non jw, never even knew any) it would have been so helpful! How often do we see a new thread about, help, marriage in trouble spouse got involved with jw's!? Outsiders truly do not know anything about the cult. I deliver my anti witness literature and will be trying to get local ministers together shortly (I hope) to discuss and make their congregations aware of jw's. You don't need to have all the answers to give 'witness' about the witnesses, nor do you need to have all the biblical answers either.
I talked with Gary B years ago as did my jw. I was so thankful to talk to someone who actually went through the cult. Unfortunately my jw was already more immersed than I knew about and Gary had a 'chip on his shoulder' of course. Gary did make a comment that a few friends and ministers made as well and still makes him angry if I bring it up. I figured if strangers and friends came to the same conclusion it wasn't just me overreacting (at least on that point! haha).
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sf
Outsiders truly do not know anything about the cult. I deliver my anti witness literature and will be trying to get local ministers together shortly (I hope) to discuss and make their congregations aware of jw's. You don't need to have all the answers to give 'witness' about the witnesses
THAT'S the attitude carla.
Good morning.
sKally
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sf
This really is a great topic. My answer is emphatically yes.
There is so much info and research out there now that all really one needs to do to help, along with sharing their jw life experience, is guide them to the pertinent resources on and offline.
It has warmed my heart to see how, many folks are starting to speak out to the public. As well as those who speak out naturally.
Gary, I feel and think the same way:
The only real value my loss has is to help others.
I mean, I truly don't see where I even have the right NOT to help. It's become natural to me now to do so when the opportunity arises. And to also MAKE the opportunity happen. You are a great inspiration Gary. You too carla!
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taypay,
wish more ex's were available to the general public.
I am available.
Welcome to the forum.
The things I am hearing are more disturbing than ever. A regurgitation of myths to keep the members enslaved. Its amazing to me they keep buying the BS!! How many more generations will they capture? How many more lives will they destroy?This is deeper then the general public can understand.
There is a great deal you can do to shift the momentum of awareness to the public. All you need is a good working printer, know how to navigate and negotiate your computer and it's features, lots of ink cartridges, a little money, alot of passion, devotion and determination to HELP THE PUBLIC HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of this organizations LETHAL AND DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES.
Print up fliers, info, documents, news articles, court rulings, ad infinitum. Then distribute them locally around the area of the k.h., post them up all over town, put them on store shelves, especially where kids items are sold. There are thousands of places to place fliers at and on.
You don't even need to be THAT active offline. You can start like I did, bringing awareness online. All you need to know is how to cut/ copy and paste. I did that for a few years exhaustively online in chatrooms where lots of jws used to gather.
Then I tried it offline and got hooked on the feeling of bringing awareness and talking to the public and jws when they come KNOCKING. I've got a posting history here detailing some of those events, if you are so inclined to read them.
Carla and Gary have great ideas and I love johnnycip and moshe's ways of "field work".
Haha, even JIM WHITNEY see's the fruit in my caustic posts weeks ago about hypocrisy and speaking out what you now know as the truth. { referring to his recent thread } Good for you Jim!
Anyways, it's great to see work being done offline.
Guess I should throw a shout out to Robert King right about now!! LOL, can you believe this guy?
sKally
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RevFrank
great idea.....would do it in a second
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truthsearcher
Hi all: Thanks for great comments. It seems unbelievable that in a free society, there has to be cloak and dagger activity. I am gathering information also and planning to educate those in my area via DVDs and handouts. Is there a list anywhere of people who would be willing to meet with JWs? Is this something that should be created?
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mouthy
As you know ...I do the same a Gary speak in Churches, schools, groups, Sally Jessie Rapheal, Shirley show. Roughcuts, but be warned when you do this EVERYONE IN THE ORG phones & tells each other what your doing. I think that is why my kids will have nothing to do with this judas....
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mama bear
Troubledmind said: As for me this past year has been hard , I feel the need to talk to someone face to face . I appreciate all the support on here , but I really can't express myself as clearly sometimes as I would be able to in person .
Talking to someone face to face is an essential part of the process of healing. I think it is getting the thoughts swept out of our minds and spoken for our ears to hear. However, it does not have to be someone who has been a Witness, though that would be one resource. I actually had my loving husband who had taken every step as a Witness with me. But what I found personally with sharing with the former Witnesses was the commisserating did not move me beyond my sense of loss. What helped me was to just tell folks I met and who may have known I was a witness that I left. I was no more. I had a couple of women who were deeper than others and who knew there was a story and wanted to let me vent to help with the healing process. This works a work of good too because they see first hand the traumatic affect living that lifestyle has on the person and it solidifies their stand NEVER to go there. These days everyone has a friend of family member who is or was a Witness and the peculiar behaviors are all noted by outsiders. Questions from those outside are an inevitability and when they hear the answers they are just dumb founded. For you, to help you heal, talking to a live person is a natural course of action. Believe it or not, there is a time when you move past the hurt, past the deep sense of loss, like a huge wound that has healed and will always be a little more tender than anywhere else on your body and has the biggest ugliest scar, this part of our past does takes its place in the stream of things that stretched from our birth to eternity. Just remember what Solomon finally concluded....there is a time for every season ... a time to cry...you will have a time to laugh....a time to tear down...you will have a time to build up....a time rip apart....you will have a time to heal. On the other side of your own personal experience is a much better LIGHT....it doesn't get brighter it is already the LIGHT of the world!