Phaedra

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Posts by Phaedra

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  35

  My first post: Pet Peeves from my JW past

  by BarHarborBarbara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first post here: longtime lurker but hesitant to take the leap.

  my story is pretty much like everyone elses with little variance, but i thought id add a few details that especially tormented me when i was in.

  im sure these are familiar, im afraid this is a bit of a rant.. --paradise: the constant chatter about a perfect world when most in the hall were not even slightly interested in taking care of the earth now.

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  Phaedra

  Welcome, BarHarborBarbara! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

  I was even GLAD because it meant less time facing a door and trying to explain why I was invading their space and putting the householder on the spot for their personal convictions.

  That SO describes how I felt about d2d work!

  Funny you mention car groups. I remember as a young teen at a circuit assembly, there was a scenario onstage during one of the talks that depicted four sisters in a car group. The four chairs on stage were arraged like car seats. As the sisters sat and gabbed in the car on the way to the territory, one of them started bemoaning how people in the territory just weren't interested and it felt like a waste of time, etc.

  The point of the skit was to not talk negative/voice discouragement, etc. in car groups because it wasn't uplifting.

  As impressionable as I was, my takeaways from that skit were:

  1. Since that was the first time I had EVER seen/heard someone being negative about service (hadn't ever been in a cargroup where people were misbehavin'), my eyes were open to people in the congregation who were not all happy/perfect in the org.
  2. Planted subconsciously was that it was not okay to express your true feelings in front of other JWs unless it was something positive and upbuilding. Which translated into personal reservations / feelings that went against the current = something wrong with you.

  Phae
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  61

  How did you tell your spouse you want out of the JW religion?

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  what did you imagine would happen?

  did they react the way you expected?

  how did you bring it up?.

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  Phaedra

  It was a gradual process over a few years.

  I was already in an unintentional fade when I started having doubts.

  When I got online and learned TTATT, for some odd reason, I thought the stimulating articles and posts and paragraphs from COC would be as interesting to my JW husband as they were me. Not so.

  He was on and off inactive, but always found resolve to explain away and rationalize and conclude that those who left were just twisting thing in favor of their own agenda, etc.

  What I found strengthened my resolve... and his, I suppose.

  He knows I don't want anything to do with being a JW, but hopes I'll come to my senses and come back.

  I don't share stuff with him anymore.

  We live and let live. I think him not being hardcore helps a lot.

  Phae
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  16

  7 Things Remarkably Happy People Do Often

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i came across this article today and really appreciated it's positive message; and so i wanted to share a few choice excerpts that i thought were particularly relevant for this group:.

  7 things remarkably happy people do often1.

  make good friends - make real friends.

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  Phaedra

  Thanks for sharing!

  Phae
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  6

  The Bethel "Compound", CULTure & Cults

  by Phaedra in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was reflecting on some of the traditional cults mentioned in hassan's book that recruit members and have them move into some kind of compound, give up their worldly lives, possessions, leave their families, etc.

  and work solely for the furthering of the cult... isn't that exactly what "going to bethel" is?.

  when you become a bethelite, you take a vow of poverty and devote your life to the org.

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  Phaedra

  I had a couple of close friends who studied with me as a teen get accepted into Bethel in the late 80s and they are still there. They've spent the prime of their life serving this organization, from their late 20s, now in their 50s.

  He was appointed a Bethel elder right away. I wonder how far they've moved up in their 25+ years there (I haven't been in touch for over a decade).

  Phae
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  38

  Unbelievable Watchtower quote from 1962!!.. ''Don't waste time speculating on what year Armageddon will come'' (check it on cd-rom if you like)

  by defender of truth in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  wt 6/15 1962 p.380-383.

  "likewise it is possible to spend valuable time speculating on matters concerning the future.

  one might ask, in what year will armageddon begin?...jehovah has not provided answers at this time.

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  Phaedra

  "Truth and theory are not synonymous [unless it originates from US and we say so]."

  

  Phae
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  6

  The Bethel "Compound", CULTure & Cults

  by Phaedra in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was reflecting on some of the traditional cults mentioned in hassan's book that recruit members and have them move into some kind of compound, give up their worldly lives, possessions, leave their families, etc.

  and work solely for the furthering of the cult... isn't that exactly what "going to bethel" is?.

  when you become a bethelite, you take a vow of poverty and devote your life to the org.

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  Phaedra

  I was reflecting on some of the traditional cults mentioned in Hassan's book that recruit members and have them move into some kind of compound, give up their worldly lives, possessions, leave their families, etc. and work solely for the furthering of the cult... isn't that exactly what "going to Bethel" is?

  When you become a Bethelite, you take a vow of poverty and devote your life to the Org. Your environment is controled, your time/schedule managed, meals are at set times and run in a militant style (I've vistited Bethel several times had the "privelege" of joining a couple of dining room meals).

  The JW organization runs just like any other typical cult... but has the advantage of having most of its recruits "out in the field", self-supporting, willingly volunteering all their time and resources and autonimity to the cult remotely in congregations throughout the world. Belthelite or not, everything about this high-control group quacks like a duck.

  Imagine if everybody who was a dedicated JW had to move into a Bethel-like setting. They have the best of both worlds with the current set up: those who work in the world to support the Org financially and those who give up their entire lives to run it.

  Phae
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  40

  GB approves entertainment auditioning for international delegates.

  by suavojr in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i don't know if this was mentioned but i spoke with a jw from atlanta, georgia that informed me that the great gb has approved jw auditions.. yes, you read that right!

  now the jw's will have their own jw idol, jw voice, and dancing with jw stars, lol.. they are using an assembly hall in atlanta and jw's from all over are auditioning from 8am till 6pm.. supposedly the idea is to have live entertainment for the delegates traveling from overseas for the international conventions.. he said they have had jw's who can play all the hits from the beatles, play merengue, salsa, sing, dance, etc.. the gb is trying hard to make their cult look normal.. some of the questions this rises are,.

  will it work?

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  Phaedra

  A group that has consistently managed to take the entertainment value out of everything, that makes the meetings and conventions as dry and boring as a insurance convention, they are going to have entertainment?

  add to that, a group that has consistently discouraged:

  • the nuturing of personal creative talents and doing *anything* that takes away from Furthering Kingdom Interests™
  • spending time on personal development, education, and hobbies
  • enjoying anything the world has to offer, especially things that draw attention to oneself

  Just wow.

  Phae
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  16

  Satan's tic tacs or GB kool aid?

  by sparrowdown in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone that has been a jw would be familiar with any or all the following scenarios.. 1. you get offered a full time position or promotion after submitting a pioneer application.. 2. a really great bible student you have gets offered a job which means they have to move or have no time for study anymore.. 3. a promising return visit begins a new relationship and the new bf/gf is'nt favourable to jws so the great rv backs off.. 4. a married sister falls pregnant right after her and her husband are invited to bethel or circuit work or gilead.. 5.a couple needs to start caring for an aging parent right after they decide to move to where the need is greater.. etc, etc, etc.

  most if not all jw's would tell you satan is to blame,.... or is he?.

  satanic pattern of sabotage or blind superstition?.

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  Phaedra

  can't sell your house to go where the need is great = satan keeping you from serving Jehovah to the fullest.

  can't sell your house to go where the need is great = Jehovah has some other blessing in mind for you.

  Phae
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  16

  Satan's tic tacs or GB kool aid?

  by sparrowdown in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone that has been a jw would be familiar with any or all the following scenarios.. 1. you get offered a full time position or promotion after submitting a pioneer application.. 2. a really great bible student you have gets offered a job which means they have to move or have no time for study anymore.. 3. a promising return visit begins a new relationship and the new bf/gf is'nt favourable to jws so the great rv backs off.. 4. a married sister falls pregnant right after her and her husband are invited to bethel or circuit work or gilead.. 5.a couple needs to start caring for an aging parent right after they decide to move to where the need is greater.. etc, etc, etc.

  most if not all jw's would tell you satan is to blame,.... or is he?.

  satanic pattern of sabotage or blind superstition?.

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  Phaedra

  double post
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  39

  A few International Conv instructions (more ways to control)

  by doinmypart in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few official instructions jw delegates are being told leading up to the international conventions.

  congregation secretaries are holding conference calls and then relating the instructions to the congregation.. atlanta - do not drive to convention, parking will not be available.

  take public transportation; attendants will be on all public transit and able to assist.. dallas - attendants will be on site at all hotels to make sure delegates leave the hotel at their assigned times and take their assigned route.

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  Phaedra

  New Orleans - Carry two wallets in case you are robbed. Keep a small amount of cash in the wallet you will hand over to your assailant.

  Really?! That'd sure make me want to attend!

  Phae