Penelope....RUN Penelope RUN...
I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses
by PenelopePaige 160 Replies latest jw friends
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leavingwt
You may have already noticed that the JWs like to talk about the End of the World. Again and again they have claimed that the end was near.
It reminds me of Luke 21:8. You might want to ask your study conductor about this Scripture.
8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
Below is what they printed in the late 1960s.
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Shrek
"I love the Watchtower and Awake and to me, none of that seems crazy. "
These are editions that are printed to appeal to those who are not witnesses. They are purposely written to not raise any warning flags. The witnesses stduy a different edition of the Watchtower at the Sunday meetings that they don't offer to the public. Ask your bible study conductor to let you have those too!
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shamus100
Love bombing must be an understatement. They must be texting people in other congregations talking about this 'new one' getting ready for demonstrations, experiences, etc. They must have big plans for you, LOL. It's not often someone actually studies and gets in these days. ;D
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watson
Studying for 6 months? Hmmm.
You are already experiencing concerns and doubts that many apostates are expressing.
It's such a personal decision, I'm sure you'll make the best one for you.
But thanks for bringing your experience here.
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WTWizard
Here is what usually happens when you are sucked into the cancer:
During the initial period, you just study the book. You think you are learning a new life, and all seems fine. In fact, it all seems to make sense the way they take the scriptures out of context. There is also the thrill of being among the few that are going to survive when everyone else gets destroyed. So far, so good.
Soon in, you are regularly attending boasting sessions. Still, you feel you are learning more about what appears to be the truth. People go out of their way to welcome you, furthering the illusion that this is the truth. Again, by taking things out of context, they make it all seem to make sense. You now feel that you are helping make history, and this is stimulating at this time. Enjoy it while it lasts, because it will soon be a distant memory.
Going in a ways, you are asked to give parts in the boasting sessions. Usually it will be a small talk. At this point, they also begin hounding you to get rid of things that are against the religion. If you smoke, you have to quit. If you are living with someone you are not married to, you have to break up unless you get married (and no gay marriage in this religion). If you attend church, you will have to quit. They will harp on the "bad songs" you may have in your collection, any "bad" videos or games, and things along these lines. You will be hounded to get rid of them. If it becomes necessary, they will enlist the hounders to create the illusion that most of your songs and videos are objectionable. You will have to throw away holiday paraphenalia and quit celebrating. If all is going according to plan, this will seem the right thing to do because you are now seeing these things as wicked and vile.
The next step is going out in field circus. You will have to formally disassociate yourself from whatever church you have ever been baptized in, even if you are currently inactive. Then, you are going from door to door. At which point, the stagnation is already starting. You are not yet aware of it, because it seems to be the right thing to do, and you are only just getting started. You will be hounded to go out regularly. Once you go out in field circus once, free time for everything else has to go to make room for more. Still, you are stimulated--at least you think you are.
After a while, you will go through the baptism questions. These are designed to test how indoctrinated you are, and there will be 5 sessions that will waste 5 afternoons. A hounder will discuss each batch of them with you. After you go through them, you will usually be told you are ready for baptism (if you passed--most people do pass). Now, the fake excitement reaches its climax as you get ready for the a$$embly in which you are going to be baptized. You will then sit in the designated seating during the baptism talk, and then get in your modest bathing suit (they always emphasize modest) and get dunked. (Sometimes you require more than one attempt, if a foot or hand pops up). Now, you are fully in the religion.
From now on, it is all downhill. The excitement that you had on your way in fizzles. You realize that you are doing the same work repeatedly, and if you go through the territory several times, you realize that you didn't even put a scratch in what's left. Every day, you are repeating the same lines that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger prints in the Kingdumb Misery trying to get you to place the rags or littera-trash. Endlessly. There is pressure to pio-sneer every month. And the boasting sessions are repeating the same story lines, all the time. Entertainment is as scarce as snow on a hot July day (a hot January day if you are in the southern hemisphere). By now, the excitement is gone.
And that's if you don't break the rules. Slow down on field circus and start doing other things because of the stagnation, and Brother Hounder is going to want to see you. At this point, it is because he wants your hours and boasting session attendance back up to where it was. If you start doing something you are not supposed to, it gets more severe--such crimes as wearing outdated suits or a pair of shoes with a scuff mark on them will yield counsel that you are holding yourself back from "privileges(??)". More serious "offenses" could result in getting marked and avoided, or even reproved and disfellowshipped. Such will bust up families, as even siblings or parents/children cannot talk with such that are disfellowshipped except where minor children still living at home are involved.
I think now is the time to get out. The excitement is an illusion, and will be totally gone by the time you are baptized or shortly thereafter. And then it will be too late. And there will be no chances to retract the decision without getting hounded--if you quit the religion, it is "a major transgression" and you are treated as if disfellowshipped. You can go inactive--simply stopping all activity. Of course, you will have to watch Brother Hounder because he wants you back to full activity. For sure, you are not going to feel so excited about it after a few months of doing this work as a baptized member.
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shamus100
LOL, Shrek,
Yeah, it's pretty bad. But don't let us talk you into anything, you decide for yourself. I'm being nice with my 'high control group' label. Many also consider them a cult too - but that's where the disagreement ends. Medical professionals go one way or another. ;)
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Found Sheep
Oh the wonders of the internet! So glad you searched it out first! Welcome and please don't drink the cool aid!FS
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snowbird
Oh, one other thing.
During the late 60's, JW's were advised to study with a potential convert for only 6 months.
That way, more could be reached with "the lifesaving message" before the end came - which was projected for 1975.
We were all deceived by the WT's teachings.
Be sure to ask your conductor about that!
Syl
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discreetslave
They even work their way into your sex life. Nothing worse than thinking of Watchtowers while trying to have an orgasm.
