Posts by Tenacious

47

Hello, this is my first post

by noralee in

jw
friends

hello, this is my first post, i would like to introduce myself and say thank you to every one on this forum, you have been a lifeline to me these last few years.. i had been a jw for 30 years when i walked away a few years ago disgusted by the treatment victims of child abuse, domestic abuse and rape receive from the wtbts.. at first i thought it was a local problem, elders personal opinions, the way they handled the situations, imperfect men etc., until i checked out jehovahs witnesses and child abuse/domestic abuse online.

that's when i realized they had the same modus operandi worldwide.

that led me here, tbuo this forum, and then to crisis of conscience, jw facts, watchtower documents, jw survey, old watchtower literature and cd s, reading a couple of steve hassans books, and more recently exiting the jw cult.. the feelings of shock, betrayal, anger at the wtbts, angry with myself for being so gullible, depression, reflection, loneliness, have taken their toll.

Tenacious

Welcome noralee.

I wish you and your family the very best.

As members we never come to the realization of just how toxic the Witness community truly is until we put down our JW outfit and look back at it objectively.

Then we come to realize just how intoxicated we were and even then it's hard to believe we were intoxicated to begin with.

I can certainly understand how you felt. I believe we all went through that stage of depression, loneliness, and anger. Some of us came out fine, some of us not so much.

I invite you to PM me anytime you need a listening ear.

43

It amazes me...

by punkofnice in

..to think about how the congregations actually function....even down to the individual level.. the biggest bully on the boe (or his wife), controls the show.. ones within the congregation are treated like they're dirt and still they return.

stockholm syndrome?.

i've heard ones say that 'jehovah(tm) will sort it all out.

Tenacious

The GB have conditioned the minds of members to believe without a doubt that they are God, represent God, and speak for God. The GB no longer openly admit this but if you notice in the literature and talks, all the praise and credit is given to Jehovah for the information being disseminated, spoken, printed, preached, and spread. Hence the name Jehovah's Witnesses. The line has become blurred and in the member's mind they can no longer differentiate between God and the GB. There is no difference, they are one in the same. Let me give you an example of how the GB uses this sinister tactic. The recent release of the tract "Return to Jehovah". Notice the wording? In effect, they are saying it, without actually saying it, that the member so long as they remain outside of the Organization, they have no relationship with God. Quite sinister, right? And those members that are much older and have too much to lose, family whatnot, and entire social life revolves around the witness community, what options do you think they'll choose? Hope this helps.

16

Geoffrey Jackson and the Australian Royal Commission's timing of events

by Tenacious in

i'm not sure why i was thinking this but does anyone else find it an incredibly rare coincidence that geoffrey jackson just so happened to be in australia attending to his father when the arc happen to be at the exact stage for him to be deposed as a witness?

what are the chances of him being in the country at that precise moment?.

divine intervention?

Tenacious

I'm not sure why I was thinking this but does anyone else find it an incredibly rare coincidence that Geoffrey Jackson just so happened to be in Australia attending to his father when the ARC happen to be at the exact stage for him to be deposed as a witness? What are the chances of him being in the country at that precise moment?

Divine intervention? Aligning of the stars? Snowing in Miami, Florida?

*Don't, no, no, back away from the keyboard, place your hands by your side and proceed to leave the room...cofty!!!

Just kidding mate.

75

Have we become what we despise so much?

by Tenacious in

the majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives.

upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the wt gestapo.

again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a kh for the first time.

Tenacious

You know cofty, your good fella. You're passionate about what you believe in and I respect that although I would go about it a bit differently..

As a matter of fact, I'm going to go back and read your position on evolution.

The way I see things is, if the Bible is true, it will stand up to close scrutiny. The same with evolution.

Good day mate.

75

Have we become what we despise so much?

by Tenacious in

the majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives.

upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the wt gestapo.

again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a kh for the first time.

Tenacious

cofty wrote:
Bloody hell it's like being back at school. Grow up

That's it!

I'm telling on you!!

75

Have we become what we despise so much?

by Tenacious in

the majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives.

upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the wt gestapo.

again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a kh for the first time.

Tenacious

Simon wrote:
I think your real complaint is that you are a "believer" and don't like the fact that people are allowed to criticize religious beliefs. You don't have anything specific to complain about so instead you make insinuations of impropriety and unfairness to besmirch the site, it's members and those who run it.

My profile and posts since I joined this site is open to scrutiny by anyone and everyone.

Yes, I still believe in the Christian God of the Bible yet I've never pushed this belief on anyone, anywhere, at anytime nor have do I misconstrue any statements to further support my position. At times when I have disagreed with another member I'm always cautious to adhere to forum policies and common courtesy.

I appreciate you starting this site Simon. I know your site revenue is probably barely enough to cover hosting fees. Which is why I'm sincere when I say thank you. Your site provides an important forum for those of us that are still members, former members, and soon to be former members.

No, you are right, I don't have a specific complaint at this point in time but to say I wish to besmirch you or anyone associated with this site is far-fetched. I have, at times, pointed out to you specific comments on certain members that lack common forum courtesy as per your "welcome message" wording. Sometimes you act, sometimes you refuse to get involved citing an open forum. However, remember, I didn't write your "welcome message", you did, and that's the point I wish to impress and continue discussing here.

Seriously, how hard can it be for members to remain respectful and demonstrate common courtesy. This isn't a KH nor the U.S. Senate floor, but I do know it's not a back alley either.

75

Have we become what we despise so much?

by Tenacious in

the majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives.

upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the wt gestapo.

again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a kh for the first time.

Tenacious

Thank you to all, yes to all, who have commented whether negative or positive. I realize it's an open forum yet Simon's welcome message is a little misleading to boldly state:

"provide a friendly, tolerant and informative environment where you can ask questions, share information and make new friends."

I have no problem engaging anyone on any topic so long as the discussion is kept respectful and said discussion leads to further information being disseminated on the subject matter. No one should have to the suffer the indignity of being subjected to the same type of treatment they would typically receive from elders or other "so called Christian brothers" for disagreeing on doctrinal matters.

While I have owned several successful websites, at the moment I have no intention to start one being that, for the most part, this forum has been very successful at exposing the WTS for what it truly is.

Simon wrote:
Everyone is welcome on the site to stay and post as long as they adhere to the fairly common and typical rules designed to enforce minimum expected standards of behavior and civility.

And the fact that forum rules are held to a minimum is exactly why many members join, myself included. However, those members that do "go beyond" these rules, time and time again, are the ones who need to have their actions curtailed. You know who they are and so do many other members. Sensitive topics would see an increase in posts if members didn't feel intimidated by the offending members.

Simon wrote:
I don't like when people are unnecessarily aggressive to newcomers or even those who are JWs challenging the "doubts". I've tried to keep on top of that and set a tone for discourse and overall I think we do pretty well self-policing the community standards.

Why do you feel that newcomers should be treated differently than those who have been members for years? Don't all members deserve the same treatment regardless of seniority or topic? This is what I was referring to when I mentioned the "honeymoon" period.

Simon wrote:
Some people don't mean to be antagonistic but are hurting and damaged and sometimes lash out, possibly due to the internal conflict they are feeling - they may be angry at the lies they've been told and decide the fault is the ones who exposed them and pulled back the curtain, not the wizard that told the lies to them.

I completely understand the hurt that members feel as I've experienced and continue to experience the hurt as well. However, this should not be used as an excuse for mistreating other members who they themselves have also been deeply hurt yet they do not lash out, myself included.

A member has a right to disagree with another member and yet remain respectful. It's called common courtesy. Religious or not it's a universal law adhered to by most of the civilized world. I understand that anonymity provides a personal protective layer that allows for a more open and frank discussion. However, it can also serve as a barrier that protects and promotes the kind of behavior that I'm speaking out against.

75

Have we become what we despise so much?

by Tenacious in

the majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives.

upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the wt gestapo.

again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a kh for the first time.

Tenacious

The majority of members who tend to join this forum have been hurt possibly even traumatized sometimes to the point of wanting to end their lives. Upon joining the forum, new members are welcomed with open arms, welcome messages start pouring in, "likes" are freely given, a false sense of security is promoted where a member is free to speak his mind without having to worry about the WT Gestapo. Again, similar to how potential converts are welcomed and "love bombed" upon entering a KH for the first time. After the new member is extended the courtesy of a "forum honeymoon" period, which at first was very welcoming, very warm, and receptive to anything and everything said, now has to face the reality that many of those same welcoming and warm loving members are now antagonistic, condescending, intolerant, and unapologetic in their point of view. The false sense of security that member had upon reading Simon's welcome message on the home page is all but shattered. The respect and admiration for leaving or trying to leave the lion's den only to enter another hostile environment where some members are quick to bash and berate someone's belief can be equally disconcerting and psychologically damaging.

Your thoughts?

41

They Push You In,,,,Then Punish You If You Go!

by new boy in

they brag about the fact that they the don' t baptize their babies because "how can a baby 'know' what religion it wants to believe in the rest of it's life!".

but a 14 year old does?.....they put so much presure on their children to get dunked, that if your not baptize by 18 years old there is something really "wrong" with you.. so the poor kid does it, just to get everyone off their backs.

legally a minor can't be held to a contract if they are under 18 years old and why?

Tenacious

I had barely cleared Mom's delivery tunnel when I saw a brother standing there with a "Live Forever" book.

60

Those keenly following umbertoecho ARC Brief Update.

by MightyV8 in

i feel it is comfortable to say,.

yes her arc hearing has come and gone.. yes her hearing was so powerful, her allotted time was tripled!.

yes, information handed over "mind blowing" response from arc.

Tenacious

Here's to hoping that one day soon, real soon, Hollywood will make a movie similar to 'Spotlight' and expose these blood sucking GB maggots for the true filth that they are.