Posts by Alive!

32

Peer presure to use Ipad

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

earlier this season i advised my retired father to ignore the use of a tablet during his kingdom hall congregational visits.

his response was hopefull, but between the lines i could hear he had no choice.. yesterday he showed me his new 600 euro 64 gb ipad air 2. he had no clue what he has to do with it, he told me one of the elders will install the jw.org apps.. so, i feel he had to deal with presure to buy this ipad and i think he is not the only one.. do you recognize this?.

gorby.

Alive!

I've visited a local church - just as an observer......songs are shown on a huge screen up on the stage. Easy.

Each pew has bibles placed ..... No iPads, ever.

No dressing up, no 'witness bags' or 'meeting bags', no special leather bible covers wth special inserts for the reasoning book or whatever .... No special anything.

Just people who can turn up as they are and worship as they feel moved (the point is....its SIMPLE)

No one under pressure to look like a corporate branded 'christian'.

I can think of many JWs over 60 yrs who would feel so 'left behind' .......

15

Another Up Building Field Service Experience

by ThomasCovenant in

the following was from a friend of mine:.

yesterday for the first time in the 2 years we've been living here.

two 50+ year old women.

Alive!

I remember staying at a relative's house (not a JW) and one Saturday morning....'Knock knock'.....I'm standing at the kitchen door and so looked on as he went out to the porch....

Two JW women over 50 something.....with magazines on Satan.

After a quick initial greeting.... The conversation went like this....

'did you know God's word, the bible states that the world is lying in the power of the wicked one...that's the devil, Satan'

'Well, to be honest - I'm an atheist, so I don't believe in God'

'That's interesting - We find many people say that today ....thank you for expressing your thought...so do you think God will allow Satan to cause wickedness in the world forever?'

'Errrrr....well, like I said, I don't believe in God'

'May I just read you this interesting scripture in this paragraph?' ...( without pausing goes onto complete her rehearsed presentation) .....then 'do you not agree with this?'

'Errr well, I don't believe in God or the bible soon I'm afraid you are wasting your time' ( all this said with a sweet smile and a degree of bemusement)

'Well, I'm sure you'd find this article very interesting - I enjoyed it and I'm sure you will too - I'd like to leave the magazine with you and come back to hear your comments at another time'

This was getting very painful - I was fully 'in' at the time - but I remember the quiet internal desperation I felt - is this the best we can do? Listening to one of our 'presentations' from an eye witness perspective and other side of the door perspective was ..... Unsettling.

But then again - I've heard a lot, lot worse.

'

8

Hope and Reality

by Alive! in

for a long time, i've been moving into a place of utmost hope and faith.

universal reconciliation.

as a converted jw - i began my conversion with the joy that there is a hope for something we all would love - a world where each of us sees our fellow kind as a true brother.. i don't think that's an unhealthy way to live.. but - i'm living with the effects of corruptive thinking from a 'sect' - a divisive sect and judgemental sect that has hurt my sense of self.. it's terribly painful to have completely believed one thing, and then completely believe something else.... well that's how it feels to me.. i've read of some here who were jws for years, then became devout born agains for years and now are confirmed atheists.. wow.. how do you cope with the frivolous nature of your 'beliefs' - beliefs that were 'truths' for you in their own time.. i'm struggling - anyone else?.

Alive!

Thanks for all your comments.

Much appreciated - it's all a weird and sometimes not so wonderful roller coaster ride.

I'm so grateful that my husband and I survived together.

8

Hope and Reality

by Alive! in

for a long time, i've been moving into a place of utmost hope and faith.

universal reconciliation.

as a converted jw - i began my conversion with the joy that there is a hope for something we all would love - a world where each of us sees our fellow kind as a true brother.. i don't think that's an unhealthy way to live.. but - i'm living with the effects of corruptive thinking from a 'sect' - a divisive sect and judgemental sect that has hurt my sense of self.. it's terribly painful to have completely believed one thing, and then completely believe something else.... well that's how it feels to me.. i've read of some here who were jws for years, then became devout born agains for years and now are confirmed atheists.. wow.. how do you cope with the frivolous nature of your 'beliefs' - beliefs that were 'truths' for you in their own time.. i'm struggling - anyone else?.

Alive!

For a long time, I've been moving into a place of utmost hope and faith. Universal reconciliation.

As a converted JW - I began my conversion with the joy that there is a hope for something we all would love - a world where each of us sees our fellow kind as a true brother.

I don't think that's an unhealthy way to live.

But - I'm living with the effects of corruptive thinking from a 'sect' - a divisive sect and judgemental sect that has hurt my sense of self.

It's terribly painful to have completely believed one thing, and then completely believe something else.... Well that's how it feels to me.

I've read of some here who were JWs for years, then became devout born agains for years and now are confirmed atheists.

Wow.

How do you cope with the frivolous nature of your 'beliefs' - beliefs that were 'truths' for you in their own time.

I'm struggling - anyone else?

The only 'truth' I want to hold is about hope and life for all of us.

But, I struggle with the shame I feel for falling into a cult. How do others cope?

40

What was your ''the last straw that broke the camels back'' moment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back.

if you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

when you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.. my moment (to stop attending all watchtower meetings) was after the harsh treatment from the elders and fellow congregation members of my second cousin who was disfellowhipped as a teenager.

Alive!

My husband made a comment the other day - he observed how some 'weak' born in JWs, those immersed in their own materialistic lives, who half heartedly turn up for meetings and give lip service to minimal field service - but by golly - got to shun someone? Absolutely hard core. They 'perfect' this part of their Christian life!

LOL.

40

What was your ''the last straw that broke the camels back'' moment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back.

if you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

when you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.. my moment (to stop attending all watchtower meetings) was after the harsh treatment from the elders and fellow congregation members of my second cousin who was disfellowhipped as a teenager.

Alive!

Talesin - too many deaths.

(((hug)))

40

What was your ''the last straw that broke the camels back'' moment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back.

if you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

when you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.. my moment (to stop attending all watchtower meetings) was after the harsh treatment from the elders and fellow congregation members of my second cousin who was disfellowhipped as a teenager.

Alive!

Thanks so much for posting the illustration.

For thinking 'lurkers' - please consider what the message is from the men who call themselves 'Christ's Brothers'....Christ's 'ambassadors'

It's a message to the world.

If you, a caring witness could feel disturbed - imagine how this looks to a someone who you are trying to 'reach'

It's wrong - and you know it.

40

What was your ''the last straw that broke the camels back'' moment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back.

if you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

when you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.. my moment (to stop attending all watchtower meetings) was after the harsh treatment from the elders and fellow congregation members of my second cousin who was disfellowhipped as a teenager.

Alive!

By the way, I could quote loads of doctrinal issues and false prophesies - but it was the sense of discomfort I got from 'hearing' a voice and perceiving a message through their incalculation tools that was absolutely unsettling.

40

What was your ''the last straw that broke the camels back'' moment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back.

if you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

when you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.. my moment (to stop attending all watchtower meetings) was after the harsh treatment from the elders and fellow congregation members of my second cousin who was disfellowhipped as a teenager.

Alive!

One final straw after another!

A big straw was the illustration of the organisations structure - you know? GB at the top in deluxe leather boardroom chairs....No Jesus (surely you'd expect at least a nod to him in the illustration - aren't they Christian?) it got me on an emotional level - it felt like they were absolutely mocking us.

Each level of the org hierarchy was given lower chair status - LOL.

What message is THAT?

My heart definitely did a hard shift - it was spine tingling.....it told me how 'they' view their brothers and sisters .....

More heavy straws through crazy doctrine - but it was that 'emotional' message I remember - along with the Robert story, he was DF'd and absolutely shunned - and he was grateful, as if his family had given him just a tiny bit of family contact, it would have been enough perhaps to keep him happy and not motivated him to 'return to Jehovah'

Emotional blackmail - nothing less.

And they printed that story twice!!

Blind as bats.

29

Encounter with J.W's at wittnessing kart.

by karter in

jw
friends

me-you allow pedophiles to go d2d and into peoples houses even when they have children.. j.w-no we don't.. me-the one that interfered with a relative of mine does and another i know who raped his sister does in fact he's an elder.. j.w-we cant stop them going d2d.. me- so now your saying they do go d2d you can't stop them,no you don't want to!.

j.w-it happens in all religions.. me- so that justifies sending pedo's into strangers houses.how would you like it if a pedo came to your place and you didn't know.. j.w- it happened to my mother and if he came to my place it knock him out.. me - but you have no problem with anyone from your church going to peoples houses even if they are a pedo.. we argued around in circles with him saying the elders may not know and me saying well i told them and so did the victim and he admitted to it ,then i told him about the r.c in australia and he said that could be anyone claiming to be a j.w could be on the stand ( by this time he was getting desperate)the i said like jeffery jackson?.

i told them to look it up on you tube.. i gave then the names and congro's the 2 pedo's are in and said i'd come back next week and see if they had checked it out.the lady's body language said she knew the elder that raped his sister as they are a well know family they were in the year book a few years ago.. stand by for next week.. karter.

Alive!

I have seen carts in several major cities. In each case the witnesses were either engrossed in conversation with each other and did not appear to be with the 'cart'.

A passer by would not realise the carts were manned, I figured.

The other day I was rushing through a busy city square and my eye caught a sister I knew, sitting with another JW. I stopped for a quick hallo etc - then as I turned to walk on, I noticed the 'cart'. Hundreds of rush hour workers were walking right by, even dodging it as it was awkwardly placed. It occurred to me how absolutely lacking in user friendliness the cart system is. I tried to imagine actually stopping to look and pick up a publication - one would feel quite 'obvious' and unsure about what it's all about.

Everywhere I've seen 'carts' I have yet to see anyone stop.....and on several occasions I've taken up an observation post (lol) and watched....once I spent a couple of hours sitting at a public landmark where there were thousands of tourists - the cart-folk just talked with each-other and not a soul stopped to look at the cart.....not one person.

Karter, I spat out coffee when I read the bit about 'anyone could dress up and pretend to be a JW' - what an insanely desperate comeback - and your response...'err Geoff Jackson?' I wonder how your next conversation will go?