Posts by Make Lemonade

2

What do you know about "Personal Mythology?"

by Make Lemonade in

our group has been introduced to the term "personal mythology".

so far we think this area of study has potential to explain the actions of the governing body and all in the "organization".

perhaps not a substitute for the term "cognitive disonance", but an additional term that adds insight into the thinking of jehovah's witnesses.

Make Lemonade

"There is nothing outside the organization." "Apostates only tear down, they have nothing to offer." Those myths are far behind my wife and I at this point. She just left for work saying, "I love this new job."

Last night I finished "The Hero With A Thousand Faces." So many reasons for needing to read that book for myself. It benefited me in surprizing ways. One reason relates to choosing courses in a junior college or from a university. Both offer degrees related to drug and alcohol abuse counseling.

So much to learn and so much to choose from.

83

Blown away-- where to go from here

by All for show in

jw
friends

i stumbled upon this website a few weeks ago due to the jw.org ridiculousness, since then i haven't been able to pull myself away.

the thoughts, feelings, and concerns i have had the past few years aren't just mine.

it's global.

Make Lemonade

Welcome:

It was very painful to realize that Jehovah's Witnesses do not have the "truth". Then you could go thru a period of making apologies to friends and family for teaching them something that proved false. Perhaps you could also start to think that you wasted your life serving men and not God. Hopefully you will reach a point were you are happy to have a new life. Part of your new life includes the realization that you did not waste anytime as a witness. What you experienced will be of great help to many people. Part of enjoying your new life is finding ways to benefit others with your unique experiences.

Sounds like you will do just fine. Thanks for sharing your feelings.

20

Is sex abuse in the Wt that big of a problem

by joe134cd in

before i start, i'm not a wt apologist and i am certainly not trying to minimise sex abuse.

i was looking at the amount of sex abuse cases in light of witness population.

just say wt ended up on paying out on 30,000 individual abuse cases.

Make Lemonade

marked

2

What do you know about "Personal Mythology?"

by Make Lemonade in

our group has been introduced to the term "personal mythology".

so far we think this area of study has potential to explain the actions of the governing body and all in the "organization".

perhaps not a substitute for the term "cognitive disonance", but an additional term that adds insight into the thinking of jehovah's witnesses.

Make Lemonade

Our group has been introduced to the term "personal Mythology".

It is new to most of us. So far we think this area of study has potential to explain the actions of the Governing Body and all in the "organization". Perhaps not a substitute for the term "cognitive disonance", but an additional term that adds insight into the thinking of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even if it can only be applied to individuals that is helpful.

Wikipedia has an article with references.

What we would like is someone who knows this subject and can point us in a direction that will save us time and energy. Specific ways that the Governing Body can be explained as is in this catagory. Then how individual witnesses are not really in the "truth", but are actually in what can be more accuratley described as the "compromise."

Thanks

126

This is my first post

by Make Lemonade in

i wanted to express appreciation to the members of this forum.

there are resources here that are deep.

like we heard from the stage, "what is your depth and breadth of bible knowledge?

Make Lemonade

I have to make a correction. Jim McCabe did not use the word "slip". He used the word "Sneak"

48

The Apostasy Within

by Ultimate Axiom in

in the latest watchtower (july 15, 2014, page 14, paragraph 10) it says; today, jehovahs people are not often confronted with apostasy within the congregation.

still, when exposed to unscriptural teachings, regardless of the source, we must decisively reject them.. so, not often, but occasionally jws are exposed to apostasy within the congregation, and they are instructed to decisively reject it.

as we all know, the vast majority of the apostasy they are exposed to comes from the governing body.. i am meeting up soon with an old friend from the 1970s who i havent seen for decades, who is still an active jw, and who would really like to hear what i think about things.

Make Lemonade

Very interesting details about your friend. Your experience highlights your friendship. We heard that people would listen to us if we showed we cared for them. Your friend is listening and discussing issues with you. That is not the mold the GB try to force their followers into. You have overcome that programming with your friend. You have shared a positive and practicle experience.

I have to agree that many Jehovah's Witnesses fit your statements: "His position is somewhat unusual, and not one that would have GB approval................if this isn't the Truth, then who has it?............a great part of it is also a lifetime of friends and all his family are Witnesses."

Many long time Witnesses are having to create "Compromise" rather than having the "Truth".

Looking forward to what he says regarding the "false prohet" subject.

10

What happened to member "Amazing"?

by EdenOne in

jw
friends

i have read last night the personal story of forum member "amazing", which he posted in 19 installments about 12 years ago.

there are so many things about his experience that i can relate with.

he seems to have vanished from this forum, for his last post as "amazing" was about 3 years ago.

Make Lemonade

Thank you for this valueable information.

2

Scientific basis for Captives of a Concept?

by Londo111 in

jw
friends

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140612104950.htm.

when people get together in groups, unusual things can happen -- both good and bad.

groups create important social institutions that an individual could not achieve alone, but there can be a darker side to such alliances: belonging to a group makes people more likely to harm others outside the group.. "although humans exhibit strong preferences for equity and moral prohibitions against harm in many contexts, people's priorities change when there is an 'us' and a 'them,'" says rebecca saxe, an associate professor of cognitive neuroscience at mit.

Make Lemonade

Thanks for this information. It will be useful to help answer the question: "how does the Wt. maintain control?"

162

True Stories from the Tower - Part 1 "From Anointed to Pedophile to Bethelite"

by BluePill2 in

before i dive into the actual write-up of this experience, let me put some things straight.. i have thought long and hard if i should write more about my experiences during the 10+ years at different branches.

during these years i worked from financial department, service department, home office and different it assignments.

as you can imagine one sees and hears and reads a lot of stuff going through different stations in different countries.

Make Lemonade

Again, I want to express my appreciation for this forum, and in particular this post. ALL the comments are thought provoking in a practical way to myself and family. You are all expressing a discussion of risk vs. benefit. Do you risk your personal security/ comfort to try to correct harmful policies and actions of the WT leadership?

This discussion has motivated me to move forward to do what I can to make people aware of very serious problems. In my personal case, I would feel that being a coward would be worse than any additional ad hominem attacks against me and my family. That is my personal situation and decision. Even though I feel very strongly about this course of action for me, I still see room for others deciding differently, although I must confess, a strong disappointment in what others have not done, but remain hopeful that they will do something sometime in the future. Perhaps reading the comments on this thread will move them to take actions that will benefit others. BluePill2 is raising awareness.

One thing about BluePill's actions that are encouraging to me is that others know his whole story. Among those others, who know his story, there are many of them networked into a much larger group that is actively working hard to bring about a relief from the WT oppression.

Be afraid WT! To those that are working hard: Carry on!

23

80 Year old COBE Layoff Conspiracy

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

who else thinks something is afoot with this?

is the gb deciding to go back to pre-1971 times with perhaps the cobe as the man in charge and the rest just ministerial servants.

so for this reason they want younger men in those postitions?

Make Lemonade

In my former congregation, the last two men appointed to the office of C.O.B.E. had far less experience than everyone else on the body. One was removed at a very questionable time when compared to the events going on in two overlapping abuse cases. The inexperienced elder's deletion left the C.O.B.E. position open. The next appointed man was also young and inexperienced. Both of these young elders complied unquestioningly to the WT. lawyers directions. While these young elders new of the directions from the lawyers, more experienced elders on the body were kept in the dark. At least that is what they told me when I refused to deal with the compromised COBE and went to them. This is not a theory but simply a factual report of actual events. The current COBE still presides over elders with far more experience. I know this to be not in harmony with past policy. The newest and least experienced elders would be given time to become "seasoned". It just goes agianst basic common sense for this to have taken place. Add the drama of Wt. lawyers in the background and you really begin to realize the depth of manipulation that has gone on behind the scenes in our experience.

I will follow this thread with great interest wanting to find out if any other elder has gone thru what our group of family and friends has and is enduring.