Phaedra

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Posts by Phaedra

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  1

  International Cultic Association "Free books"

  by OrphanCrow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a post recently made on the exjw reddit forum made reference to the international cultic association.. if you go to their webpage, http://www.icsahome.com/, and click on the "email signup", it will take you to a page where you fill out a short survey.. after you submit the survey, you are able to access free e-book downloads.. these books and resources are excellent for anyone interested in researching the psychological aspects of the tactics of high control groups and the resulting trauma that people experience from exposure to these groups.. i downloaded the following and have started reading the margaret singer collection.

  bardin, livia - coping with cult involvement- a handbook for families and friends.

  ford, wendy - recovery from abusive groups - healing from the trauma of authoritarian leaders.

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  Phaedra

  Thanks for sharing this!
  
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  20

  How many of us are 'perfectionists'?

  by FayeDunaway in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i made a medium level mistake at work today, and when i make mistakes it really shakes me up and takes me a long time to recover.

  it completely rattles me, makes me feel awful about myself.

  my mind keeps going back to the mistake reliving how i could have let it happen.

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  Phaedra

  This topic hits so close...
  We were told that perfection is possible.

  And we were told that we can strive to make over our personalities in this system.

  So many of us equated that with that we can be close to perfect if we just.... try a little harder.

  Problem is a little harder never lets up. Then we become neurotic.

  Ripe for the picking.
  
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  27

  For me the worst thing is not having a helper anymore

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  one of the things that gave me confidence in life was that i believed i had the almighty creator/god watching over me, directing me, guiding my every step, protecting me from harm, and answering my prayers.

  i now know that is not the case anymore.

  i finally stopped praying.

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  Phaedra

  I miss the comfort, too. Really, really, miss it.
  
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  52

  Try Other Religions

  by Sofia Lose in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  sometimes i get a strong curiosity to start dabbling into other religions, other faiths, you know?

  really different ones such as islam, judaism, hinduism, etc.. has anyone here looked into something else?

  has your spirituality been satisfied by any other than christianity?.

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  Phaedra

  Sofia,

  I get it. After I left JWs, my curiosity about everything was so unquenchable.

  I followed my instincts wherever my research wanted to take me. I read everything I could get my hands on and visited places that were forbidden in JW land.
  

  Do what makes you happy. Search, explore, enjoy.

  I hope you find contentment and peace where ever it leads you.
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  35

  If you were told today you would die next week, would you be happy and fine with that?

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't know how so many who seem to be certain this life is it after being jw's seem to happily accept it and be fine with it.

  i am living and trying to live as if this is it.

  i want there to be a future life/afterlife, something, but i see how fast life comes and goes and even if i'm living it to the fullest, there is no peace for me with the thought this may be it.

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  Phaedra

  Accepting that this life is the only one makes it more vital.

  I don't know. That just makes me figure it's all pointless and why bother.

  Not happy and fine. Just "finally, I get off this tiring, meaningless thing."

  I'm in too deep of a depression right now about this clusterf* world.
  
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  Memorial on Good Friday?

  by ShirleyW in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just found out the memorial is this coming friday, which is good friday, don't recall that happening before, or has it?.

  just seems strange that the dubs would celebrate their only special day on the same day that christendom celebrates as well..

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  Phaedra

  The moon on Memorial night always seems to be very cool.

  phae
  
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  7

  Old Hat

  by Phaedra in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  15 years ago i joined this forum under a generic alias.. if it weren't for the fact that i have close family weaved into this tapestry of a religion i think i could have moved on long ago.. when you're connected, you're connected.. to those in the same boat, you're not alone.. we get it, and you.. hugs,.

  phae.

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  Phaedra

  15 years ago I joined this forum under a generic alias.

  If it weren't for the fact that I have close family weaved into this tapestry of a religion I think I could have moved on long ago.

  When you're connected, you're connected.

  To those in the same boat, you're not alone.

  We get it, and you.

  Hugs,

  phae
  
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  104

  The Secret is out....but nobody cares

  by MrTheocratic in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been looking on this site for some time but never posted.

  i'll give a little about myself, but not too much.

  i'm a ex-bethelite ( brooklyn )and currently serving as an elder (10 years) (thinking about stepping down) on the service committee.

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  Phaedra

  Thanks for sharing, Mr Theocratic.

  Without a doubt, I know my 70-something parents believe to the core and act accordingly.

  I can't imagine what must go through their minds about it all at this point in their life.

  phae
  
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  34

  The "5 Pillars" of Witness life...

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  oh, there is one brother that keeps prattling on about "the 5 pillars of faith and worship".

  - prayer.

  - personal study.

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  Phaedra

  I was raised with the same "five fingers" as life is to short described.

  I was so fond of my study mentor when I was a teen. She and her husband took me under their wing in the mid-80s and I hung on her every word. I could have sworn there was another way the "5 things" were described to make it easy to remember. That red Live Forever book seemed like the end all.

  Here we are 30 years later.

  Wow.

  phae
  
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  6

  "...and they were eating and drinking and marrying, etc"

  by Phaedra in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  was just thinking of how i used to sit in audience growing up at the kh hearing of "those in noah's day" eating and drinking and what not during some wt article.

  i thought, "those poor people, doing what their hearts desire, and then perishing because they were not people of jehovah.".

  they lived, partied and died.. we don't live any differently today.. we are those people.. we thought we were the exception.. fools we were.. phae.

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  Phaedra

  Was just thinking of how I used to sit in audience growing up at the KH hearing of "those in Noah's day" eating and drinking and what not during some WT article. I thought, "those poor people, doing what their hearts desire, and then perishing because they were not people of Jehovah."

  They lived, partied and died.
  

  We don't live any differently today.
  

  We are those people.

  We thought we were the exception.

  Fools we were.

  phae