Advice, Opinions, Please!

by mellojello 23 Replies latest jw experiences

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    I have gone through several crises of faith, and each took a few years to go through. Even though it is a time of uncertainty, I think it is good to re-examine everything once in a while. It keeps us limber of mind. I suggest you dig down to the few things you know for sure and rebuild from there. For instance, I've adopted the Confucian/Christian/Schweitzer'ian principles as much as possible, "Do no harm" and live with "Reverence for Life". Instead of trying to live with a long list of "Don't Do's", I test any new situation against these two principles.

    Here's more food for thought:

    http://www.moralfoundations.org/

  • Heaven
    Heaven

    Other than the general moral principles most people hold regarding loving one another, helping others, and being a law abiding citizen, most of the Botchtower doctrines are designed to keep you isolated and under control.

    I celebrate however I wish. Relationships are about treating people kindly. Regarding a partner, I personally am not the kind of person to jump in bed with anyone who comes along. I have to have a connection and feel love for that person. I don't give a crap about marriage since it is really all about property ownership anyways. If I was to live with someone for a year in my country, I'm considered 'common law married' anyways.

    Part of the indoctrination of the Botchtower is to subtly push people down, telling them they are not good enough, not doing enough. Sometimes, it's not so subtle.

    It's simply a choice as to whether you want to keep beating yourself up or not. If you need to, sit down and actually forgive yourself for anything you feel you have done wrong. Let it all go.

    Look at your life anew. What would you like to do with it? What things do you enojoy? Start creating, designing, architecting your life. Maybe start by defining your personal mission statement and goals. You can Google mission statement and check out some sites. This is a link to Stephen Covey's page on it: https://www.stephencovey.com/mission-statements.php

    Maybe read Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". I also found his "First Things First" book to be good.

    Letting Botchtower tell you what you should be doing, will only lead to your unhappiness.

    Regarding Armageddon... it is not coming. It's fantasy. It's the ravings of a lunatic in Revelations. John of Patmos was either high or demented when he wrote that stuff. Also, FYI... the book of Revelations was hotly contested by the Council of Nicaea. It almost didn't make it into the Bible.

  • fastJehu
    fastJehu

    @ mellojello

    1. careers: Have a close look, how god will see your career and if you are the "best" in your job:

    (Proverbs 22:29) 29 Have you beheld a man skillful in his work? Before kings is where he will station himself; he will not station himself before commonplace men.

    2. birthdays: celebrating birthdays will NOT end in DF. Reading the "elders book" about this was helping me to get free.

    3. end is near: reading the Awake from 1968 telling young people, that they will not get old in this system and should have no career in this world helped me a lot to see behind this "the end is near". The end is near since brother Russel started writing.

    Jesus showed his followers to have a money box for the poor people. Ask yourself: Are JWs following this pattern?

  • mellojello
    mellojello

    @Heaven See, I always knew there was something up with them because it seemed like no one was good enough, you always had to do more and work harder but I really appreciate the advice. If it weren't for the Armageddon thing, I know I wouldn't be feeling this way.

    @fastJehu The elder book doesn't say DF happens when someone celebrates a Bday? What happens then? Not because I'm still in there, I'm just curious.

    @Jgnat Thanks for advice. I guess the hardest part os to rebuild anew

  • Band on the Run
    Band on the Run

    I would recommend What Color is Your Parachute for finding jobs. Most states have programs, too. It was called CareerLink in PA. If you are near a city, The Urban League is good, too.

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    Hi mellojello, You are probably suffering from a form of PTSD, because of the WTBTS's BITE control. If you do not help yourself, time will help, venting on JWN will too, and talking with a cult-exit counselor may help you get through the process the quickest.

    Have you considered talking with a cult-exit counselor like Steve Hassan, reading Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"), visiting his website www.freedomofmind.com, and watching his FREE videos on his website like Strategic Interactive Approach explained 2003 (1:23:23)? It took years for the WTBTS to indoctrinate you with WTBTS phobias and it may take years to get rid of them.

    Do independent research of the WTBTS as well as "undue influence" and critical thinking; make more non-JW friends; join reputable volunteer or community organizations, and gyms; and start viewing life as an adventure instead of dreary and dreaded experience to reach the WTBTS's Paradise.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    A scripture rarely mentioned in the Kingdom Hall, I bet:

    Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. - NAS

  • leaving_quietly
    leaving_quietly

    Holy moly! I just read Gen 40:20,21 (thanks @Honesty). Of course I knew about the chief baker being executed. But I never really thought about the fact that HE WAS IN PRISON!!! Hello? He probably did something wrong to be placed there in the first place. Just because Joseph was framed doesn't mean the chief baker was innocent.

  • leaving_quietly
    leaving_quietly

    The elders book says, under Apostacy: "Celebrating false religious holidays: (Ex. 32:4-6; Jer. 7:16-19) Not all holidays directly involve
    false reLigion and require judicial action."

    The term "birthday" or "birthdays" is not listed. Since it is not a false religious holiday or something that violates neutrality, there is nothing that can be done about it.

    The two accounts in the Bible that cast a negative light on birthdays: Gen 40:20,21 (see my comment above) and Mark 6:21. Read that in context. Note that it says "a convenient day". That's really important because it is only showing that the birthday was not the focus, but instead Herodias' scheming on that particular day because it was convenient, and because she had a grudge against John but could not kill him. See the previous verses.

    THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BIRTHDAYS.

  • Syme
    Syme

    In order to ''know what to do'', you need resources.

    Before you act, you need to have a background. The sterile WT publications that were your sole channel of information until now, do not provide that background.

    Now that you are not bound by the WTS publication chains, try reading as if you read for the first time.

    Read philosophy, read science, read politics, read economy, read applied psychology. Read everything that helps you re-discover the world around you and re-defince your place in it!

    When you have sufficient amount of secular knowledge, you will apply it to your own life, circumstances and feelings, and then do what's best for you.

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