Phaedra

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Posts by Phaedra

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  34

  WOW gotta check out this Charles Sinutko talk "Is It Proper to have doubts?"

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so manipulaitve.

  .

  http://www.printcentralandsigns.com/jwtalks/covisits/sinutko%20charles%20-%20is%20it%20proper%20to%20have%20doubts.mp3.

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  Phaedra

  Not going to listen, but I remember my parents had a memorial talk of his on cassette that was circulating (in the 80s). He must be a good speaker, manipulative and all... is he Australian (if he's the same speaker I'm thinking of)?

  Phae
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  20

  Some JW on the street, my reaction...

  by sp74bb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today i had some of my worst experiences.

  i saw a jw group walking on preaching.

  one of them knows me well, we share a lot of week-end on rbc.. my first reaction was rage and nerves.

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  Phaedra

  I remember my adrenaline shot up on seeing some JWs going d2d on my street some time ago while I was in my yard doing yardwork.

  I began having pancky flashbacks and felt sorry for them at the same time, while hoping they wouldn't approach me in my yard (they didn't, they were across the street).

  Still, the familiarity all comes flooding back, mixed with compassion toward them, that they are captives of a concept, many reluctantly doing what goes against their nature so they can please God (men) and not be held accountable and bloodguilty for not preaching publicly.

  I want to run as far away as I can and save them from the pointlessness of it all at the same time.

  Phae
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  38

  Miami Has New Young Partakers

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  snapper creek (miami, fl) congregation, had 2 pioneers (female), partake at the memorial for the first time.

  one is 20 years old, the other 23.. the gt delayed again!!

  !.

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  Phaedra

  I'm very interested to see this partakers movement growing in congregations across the world. Don't know if it's related to that anointedjw site, which has claimed to be promoting the Urantia book ideas, with most visitors unaware.

  The growing number of partakers is a fun anomaly to see how the FDS® will publicly handle what they can't control.

  Phae
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  36

  Where were you? / How old were you?... during the Ray Franz witch trial?

  by Zoos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was 13yo and largely clueless to what was going on.

  i think i remember hearing something about an apostate being weeded out of bethel but really couldn't have cared less.

  i didn't start getting zealous until a couple of years later.. .

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  Phaedra

  I was 8 as well and never heard anything about it until I found Freeminds on the Internet in my 20s. And what a very juicy story it was indeed!

  Reading CoC shortly after changed my life forever.

  I was too young to understand the KM announcement and don't remember any discussion around it in my family or JW friends. I think I was just sheltered from such things, if they did occur.

  Phae
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  10

  Life after meetings

  by GoUnion in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  what are the positives in your life since leaving jws?

  mine would be a healthier lifestyle mentally and physically.

  i'm free to do what i want and can make my own decisions, is this good for me will it help me or could it hurt someone else?

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  Phaedra

  what are the positives in your life since leaving JWs?

  • new, real friendships forged out of common interests and not simply a belief system.
  • no wasting energy on worrying about what others (JWs) will think of my personal decisions in education, recreation, music, reading, and association.
  • healing of JW-induced anxiety and social phobia towards 'wicked' worldlings' (not).
  • natural walks in a neighborhood to enjoy the scenery without worrying about ringing doorbells, keeping track of not-at-homes, or bothering people to sell religion.

  That's just a few off the top of my head.

  Phae
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  112

  Why are JWs so afraid of apostates?

  by Magnum in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why are jws so afraid of apostates?

  their view of apostates seems to be out of the realm of the ordinary, the natural.

  its as if the words of apostates are supernatual or spiritistic as if apostates are some kind of jedi knights who can slightly wave their hands or twitch their eyes and bring one under a spell.

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  Phaedra

  as if apostates are some kind of Jedi Knights who can slightly wave their hands or twitch their eyes and bring one under a spell. There really is some kind of spooky, demonic, supernatural connotation to the word among JWs. I guess the org has created that connotation purposefully.

  As a virtually born-in, and highly sensitive and suggestible person, much of the internalized fear I had about "apostates" due to JW programming was irrational, exaggerated and overblown. Apostates are categorically viewed as much worse than "worldlings" and even DF'd ones that may come back to the fold and often tools of Satan, who most likely has possessed such ones.

  When I first faded in my 20s, I made email contact with a well-known xjw on the other side of the world known for going on TV to talk about JWs as a "cult", shaking in my boots as I hit the send button. The deep ingrained fear I felt made me feel vulnerable and unprotected should the ex decide to *do something* (I don't know what, but the fear was palpable, and it was only after a few email exchanges that I realized this "horrible" person was as normal as my next door neighbor).

  I felt the same fear on meeting with an ex-JW, former bethelite woman in-person for the first who ran a xjw support group - who was swept out of bethel around the Ray Franz fiasco. We had a good chat for a couple of hours and I felt a whole new shift in perspective.

  Nothing bad happened to me in either case (why should it?), except that I learned my first real-life lessons about people, life, and the myopic view the JW ORG has programmed into the unfortunate children in its culture who have no other choice but to accept what is told to them by the adults in charge.

  I don't know why I suddenly grew the courage to question things, but I'm glad I did. So many others cannot even go there in their own minds. I broke out of the JW box and can never go back in.

  Phae
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  53

  Ayahuasca / DMT.... anyone else curious?

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ever since reading about dmt and hearing people discuss it, my new post-jw open mind wants to experience it.

  anyone here tried it or feels the same?.

  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ciqzhzax4ro.

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  Phaedra

  Always curious.

  Phae
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  43

  Anyone Here Used to Fear Persecution?

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was thinking today about how i no longer have to fear the attack of satan against the jws.

  i used to fear being rounded up and beaten by mobs.

  seeing my family tortured.

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  Phaedra

  Re: Anyone Here Used to Fear Persecution?

  Yes, for being a JW ... when the great tribulation hit... or before. Everytime they'd discuss WWII or Malawi or Rawanda I feared being murdered for my faith.

  When I was a child in the 70s, I sat at the KH as they read and discussed what was going on in Malawi, encouraging the letter writing campaign.

  Nice thoughts for an 8 year old. No wonder I have JWPSTD.

  Phae
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  59

  Any gay exJW's?

  by Trapped in JW land in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  was just wondering how many gay exjw's were on this site, and how did you deal with being in this organization?

  and also, how did you end up leaving?.

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  Phaedra

  Would bi-curious count?
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  10

  What's your take on UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS?

  by Black Man in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not looking for another religion as i'm completely atheist at this point, but the uu's do seem to have a community spirit about them and don't seem to be so cultish.

  i lived across from one of their churches (before my recent move) and went to one of their services.

  it didn't have the rigidity of the dubs, and seemed to be somewhat open minded.

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  Phaedra

  I attended a few services at the UU in town recently, and appreciate what they do in the community, and their welcoming attitude to all peoples, no matter what orientation they have in life, belief, or otherwise.

  I have a very good friend who introduced me to their principles years ago on a little card she carries in her wallet. I read them and thought, "Wow, I already embrace those ideals!" Basic laws of living and cooperation, IMHO.

  Last November they had a Thanksgiving dinner for those without family, older couples, and whoever wanted to attend for whatever reason, etc. As a holiday loner, I attended the dinner and had a grand time meeting new people (like a Dutch couple in their mid-80s) and feeling like part of something that day; something I haven't experienced my entire life. One void filled — check! I plan to go back this year.

  The services are diverse and interesting. I haven't gone enough to figure out what kind of a spiritual connection I have there, other than just being around a group of open-minded people who can help me expand my horizons and help me drop some of the JW baggage I carry. I always feel funny when churches have the few minutes of "say hello and shake your neighbor's hand" thing... because of my introversion and it feels forced. Anyway, different strokes...

  As I grow I'm becoming more open to these experiences. I'll enjoy attending again... it's hard getting out of bed on a Sunday morning when you *don't have to*. 25 years of mandatory 3 meetings a week as a JW will do that to you.

  You can always visit just to check it out. YMMV.

  Phae