I just had a thought that made me feel so much better about this fade...

by sosoconfused 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  00DAD

  sosoconfused: I am so frakin mad right now that I just want to start punching puppies in the stomach.

  These are the puppies you should be upset with:

  
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  LostGeneration

  Hey Sosoconfused,

  Its a mind fuck to be sure. When I left I read everything out there against JWs...I mean JWfacts, all the message boards, even Six screens. I probably went overboard, but it was like a cleanse that had to happen, get all the shit that is backed up in your system out of there.

  Jwfacts.com is probably the best. I swear it would take a week to read that site from top to bottom, and all of it is just point/counterpoint showing from WT literature how messed up this cult is. I can't imagine how many hours that guy has put into that site. Un freaking believable the job he has done!

  You will get past the "guilt" phase, probably pretty quickly if you simply immerse yourself in arguments against the WTS. Yes there is anger, bigtime. That doesn't subside until you move on with your life. Exiting the cult as quickly as possible helps you get over the anger.

  GOOD LUCK!
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  whathappened

  First thing you need to do is stop equating the Watchtower Society with Jehovah. You haven't left Jehovah, you have left a group that falsely claims to speak for Jehovah. After all, they have no proof whatsoever that they are God's earthly organization. There is no mention in the Bible that we need a corporation to be saved through.

  All you need is time for it to sink in.
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  Hortensia

  OODAD -- you beat me to it!

  You'll get over being so angry one day. You'll never get over the astonishment that you once bought into it all. I'm still amazed -- and I've been out over 30 years -- that I once practiced all that shit.
• 

  QC

  SoSo,

  I'm thankful for the JW debacle. It proved to be a test forcing me to determine what I’m going to be. Am I going to be an atheist, or modern Canaanite or a 1 st century Christian? I did figure it out. Results? Now I am way happier because I'm way more spiritual than when I was a JW.

  Here’s the deal. Salvation is about individuals, not earthy organizations. Jesus is organizing the pure of heart. JWN has information that you can pan to find excellent nuggets of gold. And, you can filter out the nonsense if you use your pure heart. "The pure in heart will see God.” Mt 5:8 Hearts don’t literally look and see. So, what is this Scripture taking about? Your pure heart will “see”, grasp the “voice” Jn 10:27 of insight about God. So, take the good from JWs (being a Bible student) and really be determined to know God. Its better the second time when you are free to read and think clearly. That’s your silver lining. You are in a better place!
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  LouBelle

  sosoConfused - it's only because those feelings of unworthiness literally have to be UNLEARNED. This takes time, but embrace it and take baby steps....every journey begins with one step.

  Once you leave the faith - there is a lot of healing that has to take place and we go through so many different phases. There's the sadness, the have to disprove, the anger, the madness, the acceptance, the peace. You'll get there, one step at a time.
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  Witness My Fury

  First thing you need to do is stop equating the Watchtower Society with Jehovah.

  Yep, classic mind control technique this one, break it and you are half way home.
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  cobaltcupcake

  Sosoconfused - You've spent years and years educating yourself to be a good JW, and all the meetings, assemblies, CO visits, have just hammered it into your mind like a board that has hundreds of nails pounded into it. It will take time to pull all of those "nails" out.

  Educating yourself by means of reading books like Steve Hassan's and Crisis of Conscience and websites like JWfacts will go a long way toward combatting the guilt you're feeling and freeing your mind at the same time.

  Don't lose heart. You'll get there!
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  freedomisntfree

  I have found it really helpful to study the early history of the bible students. If you can understand charles Taze Russell and the early movement in the context of America at the time and the after effects of the 2nd great awakening it just all makes more sense. Bible students were just another group of many many groups influenced by millerites, cambellites, adventists etc. Russel even wanted to call his group the church of jesus christ but that was taken as we all know hahah. I find this helps eleviate any doubts that you might be leaving the right religion. Also try and be at peace with the ups and downs of emotions. be kind to yourself. Its a long journey. theres many people on this board who have been out for years and still get very sad about things and regretful of some aspect. stay strong. Love& support FIF.
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  cobaltcupcake

  Just remembered something that got the ball rolling for me.

  My ex-father-in-law, who died "faithful," used to say, "It amazes me that a bunch of old ladies sitting under the trees in Cedar Point fulfilled bible prophecy."

  He was referring to the prophecies in Revelation about pouring out the bowls of wrath (or was it opening the seals? I love it that I can't remember) where each bowl was fulfilled by a resolution passed at some assembly of Bible Students back in the day.

  It occurred to me that it was ridiculous to think that something that was supposed to be a worldwide proclamation with stunning effect could be accomplished by passing out pamphlets in a few American cities.

  Check it out in the Revelation Climax book.