Posts by OneEyedJoe

50

Hello

by Garrett in

jw
friends

hello forum,.

i'm new here and not sure where to post.

so, i'm 21 years old and currently a baptized witness, however, i'm slowly making my mind up to leave and here's why.. first, there are certain things that make no sense to me in the organization.

It sounds like you're already well on your way to an effective fade. you've made your depression known so you have an "excuse" (in your case it's actually a valid reason, most of us have to have to settle for an excuse to miss meetings) not to be at the meetings. If the elders start to bug you too much, you can always go back a little more for a while, then say you're moving. Go to another congregation just long enough to get your publisher card moved (sunday's only so they don't get too used to seeing you there) and if you talk to anyone mention in passing that you might have to move again soon. Once the publisher card is moved, never go back.

I haven't done it myself (yet) but this is roughly the procedure I've seen laid out a number of times. It leaves you as just a footnote in a congregation where they have no personal interest in you.

You're lucky to be waking up to the realities of life as a JW as early as you are. I wish I'd realized something was wrong before I was married and stuck in for the sake of my wife.

In the meantime, if you ever need to talk feel free to PM me. I'm no psychologist, but I know for me sometimes just writing things out with the knowledge someone else will read it is helpful.

Edit: Also, I'll just say - you're not alone in this by any means. There's nothing wrong with you that you don't fit in there. The things you've observed are universal throughout all JWs, and definitely represents a systemic problem. The organization is at fault, not your average JW who's usually genuinely trying their best to do what they think (or, more accurately what they've been told) is right.

92

GB says, "Our way of worship will soon be altered."

by Separation of Powers in

my mom called me yesterday to ask how i was doing.

i hadn't seen her in a while, so it was nice to hear her voice.

we went through the motions of jw small talk and then she started telling me about her co visit from last week.

OneEyedJoe

The GB will release 'new light'. "Recently new light has revealed that the governing body alone are the faithful slave, and were we not appreciate for the governing body having shared this new light? The trumpets of truth have shone more new light! Evidently, since the faithful slave is entrusted with all his master belongings, the faithful slave is actually the representation of the master, and as such, the faithful slave is to be worshiped as the master would be, because in worshiping the faithful slave, one is in actuality worshiping the master. From here on, all talks will be televised from the GB directly worldwide. All chairs will be removed from the kingdomhalls and replaced with prayer rugs. Everyone will bow low in worship as they take in the divine teachings from the master himself through the faithful slave, the governing body.

I think it's more likely to go something like this: Since the master will appoint the FDS as the master of all his belongings, how much more so should you do the same? The GB is proud to announce that they are willing to help you oversee all your worldly possessions. They'll provide legal services for you to sign over any property to them, as well as have your paychecks be auto-deposited in their accounts. They will provide you with an allowance that will cover your living expenses.

What a loving provision it is that they are willing to take responsibility for these unrighteous riches and material possessions to allow us to better focus on spiritual things and store up treasures in heaven.

72

Last nights meeting...

by DATA-DOG in

i know dubs are delusional.

i know dubs don't reason well.

i know dubs are a bit off, like many groups.

OneEyedJoe

Its been interesting reading everyones ideas of how old the the kid in the video is. I think it was planned that way. For people who WILL go very young with baptism - here is their role model.
For people who caution it shouldnt be a "child" well.......hes really "12-13 dontcha know" wink wink
I am basing my idea on the fact that we know they have always elaborately staged their illustrated work in publications and then encouraged people to derive meaning and comment on them at meetings.
They are finding that things they have put in to words have come back to bite them. Its very hard to be held accountable for things you put in to a picture.

Yep, the kid is sorta an ink-blot test. No matter what an individual JW thinks is the perfect age for baptism, they'll think the kid is that age.

The "what can we glean from the picture on page 12" questions at the meetings are always so irritating to me. From people's comments it's like they think because someone can stage a scene or, better yet, draw a picture that's proof that it's an accurate portrayal of reality. It's almost like the joke I've seen on TV shows a couple times - where the stupid character says something that rhymes as if the very fact that it rhymes makes it a true statement.

In any event, the kid is young but certainly not 6-7 years old and I've seen kids that young getting dunked. Even being older than that, what does every kid want? to be older. If they see a cartoon of an older kid getting dunked, they'll want to do it as a sign of their maturity. If they see a younger kid getting dunked, they'll feel guilty or inadequate. It's win/win for them.

46

How did you get through mind numbing meetings?

by minimus in

jw
friends

as an elder, i used to find a legitimate reason to wander.

OneEyedJoe

I like to browse this forum and screw around online to pass the time. Sometimes I'll read ahead in whatever they're "studying" and see if I can find some comment to give that might help someone in the audience to think about things a little more.

72

Last nights meeting...

by DATA-DOG in

i know dubs are delusional.

i know dubs don't reason well.

i know dubs are a bit off, like many groups.

OneEyedJoe

Adults giggling to the predictable sound effect laden idiocy of a cartoon and comparing it to some kind of miraculous provision was just too much. I truly felt alone as I sat there, listening to the drones giggle and fawn over a cartoon.

I don't know if I'd rush to judgement based on that. After all, I'd certainly rather watch a cartoon than sit through a typical meeting part. Their system was so prepared for the usual dull doom and gloom, do more or you'll die at armageddon BS that they always hear, so a lighthearted cartoon is such a shock to their system - of course they're going to giggle.

Once you're mentally out, the absurdity of it all is really shocking though. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to miss tonight so I'm glad I won't be sitting though this crap.

21

Mormon 'support' for gays, pressure on the WTS?

by Simon in

the mormon / lds church has noticably changed it's stance toward homosexuality and instead of condemning it seems to be supporting protection for people's rights (of course they want to throw some protection for themselves in there as well).. how will this affect the wts?

the lds is the more-successful counterpart to the wts, similar age and history and same non-mainstream appeal.. i have no doubt that the lds church is only changing because they know which way the wind is blowing and society has completely changes it's attitudes towards gay people.

maybe they just want to stay ahead pf the curve before federal legislation enforces people's rights.. now, can we see the wts changing their views" will they be one of the last holdouts?

OneEyedJoe

Sir82 - you make a good point. The recent concessions that the mormons are making are probably directly related to Mitt Romney's presidential run. I bet they desperately want to get a mormon into the whitehouse (or at least more positions of power) to legitimize their cult.

7

Automatic disfellowshipping if "sin" is repeated?

by snugglebunny in

back in the day, if someone was put on probation for an offence, rather than being disfellowshipped, if he re-offended whilst that probation was in force, disfellowshipping was automatic.

normally a probation lasted 12 months.

after the probation was finished that was it.

OneEyedJoe

A couple years ago, one of my first indications that something was systemically wrong with the organization was when a friend of mine told me about his cousin that had just gotten DF'd. His cousin had recently gotten married, but it came out that they'd had sex before hand. He got DF'd but his new bride only got reproved. My friend said that this was because the elders in his congregation had a "three strike rule" and he'd gotten in trouble with other girls in the past (many years prior).

My first thought was that Jesus reproved his disciples for daring to limit forgiveness to 7 times, but these assholes are taking someone who's clearly not going to re-offend (being that he actually married this girl) and they're giving him the boot because they can't bring themselves to forgive a measly 3 times?

Same thing with DFing people just because they get in trouble twice within some arbitrary, man-made time window. If they're repentant, they should continue to forgive them indefinitely in keeping with Jesus' statements. Maybe some good will come of it, though. Maybe some of those who are DF'd because of rules like this will wake up as a result and won't remain in a mental prison.

21

Mormon 'support' for gays, pressure on the WTS?

by Simon in

the mormon / lds church has noticably changed it's stance toward homosexuality and instead of condemning it seems to be supporting protection for people's rights (of course they want to throw some protection for themselves in there as well).. how will this affect the wts?

the lds is the more-successful counterpart to the wts, similar age and history and same non-mainstream appeal.. i have no doubt that the lds church is only changing because they know which way the wind is blowing and society has completely changes it's attitudes towards gay people.

maybe they just want to stay ahead pf the curve before federal legislation enforces people's rights.. now, can we see the wts changing their views" will they be one of the last holdouts?

OneEyedJoe

If they're forced to do it at the threat of loss of cash they'll probably dust off their tried-and-true method of not making it a DF offense, but saying that they've disassociated themselves by their actions. The end result is the same, the R/F won't know the difference and they'll be able to say that they don't DF people for being gay.

I don't think they really care too much about getting new recruits - they're happy to be the "few" that are finding the "narrow road." If they capitulate on the gay thing, I think they're likely to lose a few of the bigots that they've created since the acceptance of gays has been probably the #1 crime that they've been accusing christendom of for the last few years. They'd much rather reinforce their being the only true religion in the eyes of the R/F and if they're the last ones holding to the bible's bigoted view then that "where else will we go" question becomes just that bit more difficult.

111

Who is your favorite "Apostate"? Who helped you see the truth about "The Truth"?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i would have to say that ray franz was the biggest influence for me.. when i first got on this board, a poster by the name of james, a former bethelite and organization heavy, helped me understand a lot of the inner workings in the upper echelons of the society.. .

and of course, farkel's common sense approach was (usually) helpful..

OneEyedJoe

Paul Grundy (jwfacts) is the one that I owe my awakening to. Can't overstate how much I appreciate his clear fact-based approach.

92

GB says, "Our way of worship will soon be altered."

by Separation of Powers in

my mom called me yesterday to ask how i was doing.

i hadn't seen her in a while, so it was nice to hear her voice.

we went through the motions of jw small talk and then she started telling me about her co visit from last week.

OneEyedJoe

Our CO visit a year ago I think he gave a talk about all the recent changes and there was a strong implication that more was to come. I'm not convinced that anyone knows what the changes are yet, but from even a cursory examination of their history it's obvious that there's going to be changes, so they probably just like to keep the R/F prepped for that.

Plus statements like that are always good for a little fear mongering.