This Forum.....What Benefit is Is thesedays? (page 3)

PopeOfEruke

I think its wrong to portray to doubting JW's that life after leaving the Borg is one big happy smiley family with no dissention, where everyone is happy and gets along like, well, in the New System.

If these discussion boards get sanitized to the point where no active mind-power is evident on them, then they have failed. Better for the doubting Jay-Dubs to stay in the Borg than be tricked into leaving by any false impressions or false hope offered to them by a glimpse of a reality that is in fact not real, but the product of manipulation.

The real truth is : life in the "old world" is difficult. I am so glad that I learnt this the "hard way" after becoming an ex-JW, I think sometimes people just to have to learn it the hard way. An awful lot of active JW's are total a$$holes; they don't change just because they become ex-JW's; they don't become ex-a$$holes.

I was a brain-dead JW too long to become a brain-dead ex-JW. The trouble is, I don't know how a discussion board can be managed to keep discussion free and spirited and lively and interesting, while at the same time keeping real trouble-makers/trolls/whatever under control. Maybe its just not possible? We'll probably just get it worked out and have implemented a fine solution, and Armageddon will arive and kill the bleedin' lot of us. That'd sure be funny!

Pope 20 milla lira's worth

ScoobySnax

And Lady Lee.....on many of your points you are validated. Most definately. It doesn't however answer my original question about the benefit of this forum other than to provide a forum for many tired phrases and same old thoughts to bounce back and forth in an exclusive club setting. This forum claims that it might help many who may not post yo make a stand. True one or two may post and be grateful in a month. But I think for a vast majority of both JWs and ex-JWs it is a bit of a laughing spot. I don't say that lightly, its by pure obsevation and dialogue from others on this big ol wide web. Too much attention here is placed here on a few elite, and the ready acceptance of many to be part of the group. Its become a bit "exclusive" and just another group within a group.

Come on Minimus, for once stand on your own., you don't need Valis' help.

..... You seem to me to be parroting back that exactly what I accused you of!!.... I don't think this forum does benefit the people it claims to reach, and is increasingly becoming a club within a club. Full of an elite of certain members that have attained that elevated status. Thats my personal viewpoint Minimus....would you like me to be clearer?

cruzanheart

I agree with Lady Lee, and what I heard you say, Scoob, is that you thought we might need less fluff and more substance. I think the forum is a good balance of both, sometimes more fluff, sometimes more substance. Leolaia has been coming up with some really interesting posts about Bible history and, if I might ask, why don't you start a few threads of your own about subjects you think people just coming out might need to hear? I've done that before and posted my feelings on spirituality at that point in my life. I'm not the deepest thinker on the board and don't really want to be -- after 46 years of struggling to understand the dratted multi-colored prophesy books the Society dished out, I'm quite content with the simple things: love God, love your neighbor. But I'll jump in the soup occasionally.

Don't leave unless it helps you grow. Your presence here DOES help others. Okay, fine, so it doesn't look like the sea of humanity leaving Egypt for the Promised Land, but every person who lurks or posts on this board LEARNS SOMETHING about the Witnesses that they either didn't know or didn't want to face. And that's more than they knew yesterday.

Nina

ScoobySnax

HS..... a parody of my words. What have you become.

Tch....I would have expected more from you.

minimus

So.............If you don't like it HERE, go elsewhere. Pretty simple , really.

boa

maybe a newbie to an inet site like this, but not in life - this guy don't deserve jack.

Lady Lee

It doesn't however answer my original question about the benefit of this forum other than to provide a forum for many tired phrases and same old thoughts to bounce back and forth in an exclusive club setting.

Can you please give examples? How do you see this as a forum for tired phrases and the same old thoughts? I know I don't read everything here but what are you talking about? Exclusive club setting? Maybe I'm so far out of the loop that I don't have a clue so please explain.

This forum claims that it might help many who may not post yo make a stand. True one or two may post and be grateful in a month.

I don't see Simon the admin here claiming the above. Some people might say it though but they aren't the board. And you have no idea how many people PM or email me about something here that helped them. And I am just one person. I'm pretty sure I am not alone in getting those PMs. I even get emails from people who have never posted here but still want me to know what they think of some topics (sometimes even topics I haven't read yet). The truth is we have no idea how many read here or are touched or moved or learn by what is posted even if it has been discusse umpteen times before. For each new person who comes here it is all new.

But I think for a vast majority of both JWs and ex-JWs it is a bit of a laughing spot. I don't say that lightly, its by pure obsevation and dialogue from others on this big ol wide web. Too much attention here is placed here on a few elite, and the ready acceptance of many to be part of the group. Its become a bit "exclusive" and just another group within a group.

How does one become part of this elite group you speak of? Does the amount of time spent here count? Does number of posts count? Is it the type of topics chosen to either start or post to count? Maybe it is having met some offline? Or speaking to them on the phone?

To be honest most of the attention on a few that has been given here (that I have seen) is usually negative attention. Again maybe I am missing a lot.

But then I think I have gotten to a place in life where I know I have never been with the "in" group and so just do my own thing

flower

It seems to me that anyone who desires more thoguth provoking topics needs to start them.

Just to throw in my two pennies..

I agree with this but I also notice that when someone does post something that might not be as interesting as the latest 'sex question of the day' or 'I'm gonna bring down the watchtower part 99' thread, it seems like its buried within a very short time because no one can be bothered with posting a reply.

If there is going to be a balance then I think the regular posters should make more of an effort to at least acknowledge more of the 'non-fluff, 'non gestapo' posts.

That being said, the forum was very similar when I found it as it is today and it was a major factor in opening my eyes to the societys fraudulence.

I think it can do even more good but I think people who have gotten through the hard part and at this point just want to have fun should be allowed to do that too.

Balance is the key..sometimes there is balance but sometimes things seem very unbalance.

Your view of the board depends on your stage of exjwism (for lack of a better word). Some people are in the phase where they worry about the innocent people still in that could wander here and be even more convinced of the wickedness of apostates. Others realize that we cannot save everyone even if we try...its up to them. I was shocked when I came here and convinced myself that everything they ever said to us about apostates was 100% true! They were even so good that they dared pretend to care about me and take an interest in me personally..all of it orchestrated by the devil himself. And yet the other side of the board convinced me that I was right in trusting people who had been there before.

If a witness comes along here with an open mind and a desire to know the truth they will find it. its not the boards job to get people out. its just here to support us as we exit and while we learn to adapt to the real world...

hillary_step

Scooby,

HS..... a parody of my words. What have you become.

Not a parody, the truth as I see it.

While you seem a good soul, you have not exactly added a noticable intellectual dimension to the Board. Of course, that is not a criticism unless one begins to make judgement calls about the intellectual level of the posts on the Board, as you did.

You must then Scooby, expect your words to be scrutinized, and if they come home and savage your buttocks well, who can you blame?

HS

PS - I am bringing to the top a post that I wrote recently about the WTS, rape and a moral dilemma. I would be interested in reading your views on it.

minimus

Lady Lee, if YOU can get Scooby to answer any questions, I'll give you a flower. He just likes to "bait", as boa said. He never answers anything clearly.

This Forum.....What Benefit is Is thesedays?

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