Posts by Balaamsass2

15

50 years ago today

by frozen2018 in

jw
friends

buzz aldrin and neal armstrong landed on the moon and fulfilled jfk's ambitious goal.

i've watched some of the programming about the event.

i think the best was on pbs's "the american experience.

Balaamsass2

Sunday, July 20, 1969, at 7:56 PM PST. I remember it well.

I was stuck at my grandmother's that day after the meeting and she only had a 19" Black and White TV with rabbit ears and aluminum foil.

I was glued, but Grandma would not stop talking she was so upset! She was sure it was going to trigger ARMAGEDDON!

#1. Apollo was a demonic god. #2. Like the tower of Babbel Jehovah would certainly confuse them to thwart their reaching to the heavens!!! #3. The Bible prophesized there would be signs in heaven and blood on the moon!!!

She got so upset mom thought Grandma would have a stroke, so mom turned the channel (probably to Lawerence Welk)....and I missed an hour of it until I could get home. I will never forget missing THE MOON LANDING. That was HUGE for me!!

PS. They didn't die and Armageddon didn't come. Grandma and mom both died before they could pet Lyons or picnic in the Alps with the fruit lady.

(I was quite the amateur astronomer as a kid. I had a little 50mm refractor scope and snuck over to the City Recreation center to take a class on telescope making by John Dobson of the San Francisco sidewalk astronomers (he was a "worldly" hippie & catholic seminarian).

11

Will Watchtower ever allow Jehovah's Witnesses women equality? Jimmy Carter's thoughts.

by Balaamsass2 in

ran across this interesting read today penned by former us president jimmy carter.

he is "losing his religion" over it.

he makes reference to historical evidence that women played a much bigger role in early christianity.

Balaamsass2

I found Jimmy Carter's following quote profound:" The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.

The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world." end quote.

11

Will Watchtower ever allow Jehovah's Witnesses women equality? Jimmy Carter's thoughts.

by Balaamsass2 in

ran across this interesting read today penned by former us president jimmy carter.

he is "losing his religion" over it.

he makes reference to historical evidence that women played a much bigger role in early christianity.

Balaamsass2

Ran across this interesting read today penned by former US President Jimmy Carter. He is "Losing his Religion" over it. He makes reference to historical evidence that women played a much bigger role in early Christianity.

(I watched a program about this some years back on the history channel. Historians were talking about many "banned" books of the bible (some penned by females or extolling women) that were in common use before the Roman Ceasar Constantine's Council of Nicaea made Christianity "legal"- the same Councils Watchtower picks and chooses from.

It is easy to condemn Islam or Fundamental Christians about bronze age attitudes towards women..but what about Jehovah's Witnesses?

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-dk0v.html

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html

26

Did being raised a Jehovah's Witnesses result in psychological damage? An interesting read in the New York Times.

by Balaamsass2 in

interesting read in the new york times book review.

food for thought on a subject 3rd gen and i have discussed between ourselves and with our daughter.

in our case, the answer is yes.

Balaamsass2

Thanks for insights, everyone. I had a lengthy set of phone conversations this week with an old high school friend and neighbor who has been a PIMO (Physically in mentally out) and (POMI ) back and forth, JW for the last 10 years. He said last weeks Watchtower outlining it's new, new, old, stand on child abuse was the last straw and Sunday was his "last meeting". Fingers crossed, leaving a lifelong death cult can be difficult.

I re-read the NYT story before bed, and asked 3rd gen "at what age do most kids stop believing in an all-knowing magical guy named Santa Claus who rewards good children and knows when you've' been bad?" She thought...for a minute and said "about 6".

"3rd Gen, at what age did we stop believing in a magical guy that would get even with bad people for us, and reward us with a magical petting zoo in the Swiss Alps, where an African lady would deliver Pineapples on her head to our everlasting arthritis free picknic? "She smiled sheepishly and said ".....our 60s........."

That NYT quote keeps rolling around in my mind:" "indoctrination that so severely limits the formation of an adult psychology that many don’t ever achieve maturity in the way secular society conceives of it, a state of empowered capability that permits complex life choices" bam.

26

Did being raised a Jehovah's Witnesses result in psychological damage? An interesting read in the New York Times.

by Balaamsass2 in

interesting read in the new york times book review.

food for thought on a subject 3rd gen and i have discussed between ourselves and with our daughter.

in our case, the answer is yes.

Balaamsass2

3rd Gen and I are retired now, with a home and squeak by on Social Security from 40 years of work.

We swap stories of some of the bizarre things we experienced at the hands of our "godly" JW parents. To this day we still have some bad dreams based on childhood memories of physical abuse by our parents who got into Alcoholic rages after many meetings and constantly reminded us how bad children in the bible were stoned to death, drowned in floods, or mauled by Bears. (That picture of the little girl on a tricycle being killed by Jehovah in the back of the Paradise book was shown to us many times)

As an example of born in Cult thinking.: My young pioneer JW wife #1 was horrified in the 80s when she saw my paycheck deductions for life insurance, disability Ins., a 401K, and an IRA. My attending night classes at the local JR College on non-meeting nights (work-related) and saving to buy a home was the last straw! She had a hissy fit and accused me of apostasy, "spiritual endangerment" and a lack of faith that "Armageddon was just around the corner". She promptly relayed her fears to the elders who counseled me about working in the "Vortex of Satan's system" and the need for "a simple eye" and "living simply in expectation of the end". She left soon after to pioneer.

An IRA, insurance, and a 401k?- 100% normal adult behavior for any gainfully employed non-cult US adult was "Satanic" to JW elders...in California.

And what happened to the financial genius cult leaders I was counseled by? One Elder died broke living with his "worldly" father-in-law, the other one became unemployed in his 70s after 10+ years working free for the WT Society. His golden years spent in an old rundown mobile home supported by his wife's Avon sales.

My ex-wife #1? She pioneered, went where the "need was great" and returned a homeless California bag lady in her 60s waiting for Armageddon..any minute. -I guess"Jehovah provided" better than that Satanic IRA, 401k, or materialistic faithless husband.

It is hard to even explain any of this to anyone not raised in the JW cult- to an outsider.... it isn't believable.

26

Did being raised a Jehovah's Witnesses result in psychological damage? An interesting read in the New York Times.

by Balaamsass2 in

interesting read in the new york times book review.

food for thought on a subject 3rd gen and i have discussed between ourselves and with our daughter.

in our case, the answer is yes.

Balaamsass2

Interesting read in the New York Times book review. Food for thought on a subject 3rd Gen and I have discussed between ourselves and with our daughter. In our case, the answer is yes. Talking with other Ex-JWs on the phone and in-person...the answer is yes. What about you? Quote: "But the stunted psychology of those raised in extreme religion is another problem altogether. For these children, there is no obvious forfeiture of common sense or flight from existential chaos that informs adult conversion. Rather, they experience a totalizing indoctrination that so severely limits the formation of an adult psychology that many don’t ever achieve maturity in the way secular society conceives of it, a state of empowered capability that permits complex life choices, a state in which contradictory ideas can be held in tension without psychic recoil. Instead, the fundamentalist child, raised on fear and limitation, lives a life of diminished options, constrained by strict dualisms: black and white, good and bad, God and Satan, and (perhaps most alarmingly for the broader culture) us and them." end quote.

Bamm.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/books/review/leaving-the-witness-amber-scorah.html

31

Disfellowshipped

by lriddle80 in

jw
friends

my judicial committee was set for monday.

the message says to call back asap and that he loves me, but he said it like "i love ya, girl" he never has said that to me like that.

so, i call back and he says i have been a hard person to get a hold of and that confused me because i had not received any calls from him.

Balaamsass2

Wow. So sorry for the mental abuse you have endured. I am surprised they went after you after so many years. Very unusual to pursue a non-member after so many years. The elders must not have been afraid of a defamation lawsuit or other fall-out.

I read your last thread. Were you ever baptized?

I hope you continue to get professional counseling, do some reading on Cult mid control, and keep a journal. Perhaps write letters to your mom whether you send them or not. Four dads (and breakups) would be hard on any kid. Your mom may be an abuse victim herself.

Work to get it out of your system so the toxins do not infect your marriage and kids.

Hugs from the Mrs and me.

44

It’s Your Last Meal...What Would It Be??

by minimus in

jw
friends

i’m watching a restaurant tv show and i’m getting hungry 🐷...i think i would enjoy a prime rib end cut with buttered baked potato and definitely a greek salad with plenty of feta as the first course..

Balaamsass2

Last meal, so who cares what the Doc says. :) House of Prime Rib in San Francisco. Prime Rib, end cut, with Garlic Mashed potatoes, asparagus, and a Lobster tail. It HAS been the last meal for many a patron I hear. lol.

14

Is there any appointed one disfellowshiped?

by Roxie in

i was wondering... are here people who used to be appointed ones and left the jws?

if yes: what was the reason you left and do you believe in god now?

i am just curious.

Balaamsass2

I have known a few "anointed" to be disfellowshipped over the years. One for fornication others for "apostasy" and "rebellion".

The entire belief system surrounding "anointed" =immediate issues for mentally ill attracted the organizations "love bombing". They believe God has spoken to them directly, therefore, the Elders need to obey them because they are god's spokesman. These people needed medical intervention not disfellowshipping. Exhibit A JW governing body members.

20

Jehovah's Witnesses as medical records employees, and Medical Privacy laws.

by Balaamsass2 in

this subject has been brought up before.

the governing body and watchtower have repeatedly encouraged jws to show loyalty to the organization to "keep the congregation clean" by reporting wrongdoing to the elders.. i know directly of two cases.

two jws working in the records department of our local hospital "outed" 3rd gens 1st husband to the local elders when he and his mistress sought medical treatment together for stds.

Balaamsass2

Actually, 3rd gens ex-hubby got out by TWO JW sisters who worked in that hospital's medical records department. LOL, so I guess there were two witnesses. I was amazed at how many JWs worked in hospitals or contracted to do medical transcription. ( The pay is good, benefits and flexible schedules).