Posts by cyber-sista

36

Does the averageJW really believe it is the truth?

by whatistruth in

jw
friends

i ask this question because the average jw does not show true love though they are commanded to do so.

the average jw often confesses that the meetings are quite boring.

the average jw complains about almost everything within the org.

cyber-sista

I can only speak for myself and say that my faith was not a solid one. Sometimes I believed more than other times, but never completely. There was a lot of denial. I didn't like meetings--I hated conventions and going out in service. What kept me there was obligation (the constant reminders that I had made a promise to Jehovah) and fear of displeasing him and being ostrasized because of it - Or not looking good in the eyes of the others in the congo and not receiving their love because of it. The later I have experienced since I left the Org. It's over and I'm trying to get on with life. I think many I knew were in denial--you could tell by their actions. Many were depressed--which is not a sign of someone who is living a joyous life in a spiritual paradise...

cybs

7

Methods used to defend the WTBTS - how sound are they?

by AK - Jeff in

have you ever noticed that the watchtower apologists always use the same argaments to defend the organization - and that these arguments are the same ones they use in reverse to attack 'false' religion?that the organization is made up of imperfect men - therefore it is bound to make errors in both doctrine and action at times.

but that argument is not accepted for say the catholic faith or the lutherans when they attempt to refute the accusation that they have not the 'truth'that we will wait on jehovah to clear up that issue or this - but the other religions are not allowed that defense.that we changed doctrine due to new light on the matter - but the other religions are following 'teachings of demons'.

thoughts - comments?

cyber-sista

These are great questions and I would not have had an answer for them when I was a JW. Oh wait, I guess the WT reasoning could be is that it takes faith to believe in the WT Org and faith is not a possesion of all peoples--right? We did have an answer to refute almost any logical argument--even if was an illogical answer.

cybs

34

JW Says:--JWs Are "Not Required" To Go Door To Door!

by Voyager in

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20041217/valleynews/112170011 .

overcast 29. .

cyber-sista

Jehovah's Witnesses are not required to participate in door-to-door work but those who do learn how to talk to people about God's hope, Pogainis said.

When a JW woman ( a pioneer) who had been a friend of mine for years asked me about my spirituality when I was first exiting the Org and I told you I wasn't going to meetings she said to me quite gruffly before rudely cutting me off and hanging up the phone.

"Meetings and field service are not optional in serving Jehovah!"

She didn't seem to care about my hardships or emotional upset--just if I was going to meetings and out in service was what made me a worthwhile person to her. She hasn't talked to me since then--it's been about a year--I haven't called her either. We were good friends for about 10 years.

cybs

23

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 11-21-04 WT Study

by blondie in

comments you will not hear at the 11-21-04 wt study (october 15, 2004 1st article)

review comments

will be in black and parentheses ().

cyber-sista

Truth is found from personal experience and exploration. Jesus said to search for truth like hidden treasure continually... he didn't say to stop. Yet it seems a lot of people in religions stop searching and just let their religion spoon feed them.

Welcome unfettered. Interesting thoughts. I was not raised a JW, but had always been a searching sort of person. I had many interesting and somewhat spiritual realizations before becoming a JW, but had to let any of those ideas and explorations go after I joined up with the Org. (In fear of the demons you know.) It is good to be free again to think and explore new thoughts and ideas out of the WT box.

Thanks Blondie, I think this whole subject of paradise is the big carrot that drew me into the JWs and kept me there for several years, even though many of the teachings went against my grain so to speak. If it wasn't for this teaching of paradise I don't think the religion would have gone very far--the JW religion is just too dull and uninteresting otherwise. I imagine this carrot will be dangled more and more as the JWs continue to slow down and get "discouraged" by their religion. I truly believe it is what keeps most people there and what attracts so many into the religion. It's sad to lure people with such a hope and then use it to control them into doing other things that they would not normally want to do.

cybs

31

A "first-timers" ponderings...

by upside/down in

i accidentally posted this improplerly so i'll try again.... i'm a "first-timer"- so please be gentle ( or at least use lube).

can we try and look at the bible's message without any preconcieved notions that we've been fed?

read it as if we've been lost on a desert island our whole life- what would we come away with?

cyber-sista

Aloha upside down,

I too was a JW in good standing for 20 years and reason I left was because of a lack of love shown by the JW Org. In the end I kept trying to make it work--trying to tell myself that I should not be bothered by the imperfections of others (their cruelty and lack of love). We were told over and over again Jehovah's people are "the most loving people on earth", but that was just a big smokescreen. In the end when my family and I were treated cruelly and with disrespect I stopped going to meetings. When I stopped going to meetings (because I was discouraged and hurt) I was dropped by all my JW "friends" and snubbed by the congo I attended. JW love is condional and is only given when you are serving the Org. I think the WT Organization causes does not teach the real meaning of love, thus causing it's members much emotional damage and social retardation.

After going through the process of separating from the Org life is much better now. I can open my heart to anyone I want and that feels right to me.

The best to you,

Unconditional Love to you,

cybs

14

The Issues of a New Generation of Ex-JWs on the Internet

by GermanXJW in

jw
friends

i am in a melancholic mood somehow.

i have been on the internet for more than a decade now.

i started as a jw apologetic.

cyber-sista

Yes, I still come to this site for emotional support. Sometimes I stop thinking about anything JW for a period of time, but then something gets triggered and I'm back on line seeking something with this board. Just need a listening ear I suppose.

The therapist I see told me one of the most powerful things to a persons well being and recovery is knowing that someone hears and understands them. JWs who are leaving the Org are in an especially needy position because hardly anyone they have previously associated with will listen to them and some are even totally cut off from all their friends and family. None of my friends in the Org would listen to my concerns and all of them have cut me off now. I am grateful to this board as a major part of my healing process along with a supportive hubby and a good therapist.

I am still processing it out though--don't know when it will stop. I was deeply entrenched for many years I am still upset a lot by it. I am here to support others too. The internet has given us the power of knowledge and has provided us with community support which we could not get anywhere else.

cybs

25

Jael With The Nail..

by Englishman in

jw
friends

this little snippet from the survival book intrigued me somewhat:.

>>>>>>13 some 180 years after hobab decided to go with israel, one of his descendants, a man named heber, was living with his wife, jael, not far from megiddo.

heber had separated himself from the rest of the kenites and had entered into peaceful relations with jabin, a canaanite king who harshly oppressed israel.

cyber-sista

OMG Englishman,

When I read stuff like this it seems so surreal to me now. I admit I had to look this one up this on the WT CD to make sure you were not making this stuff up. I remember studying this book, but I don't recall any of this stuff (Must have blocked it out.) Interesting it was under the chapter entitled "What will you personally do?" and under the subtitle "They made the right decision." This is some real sicko stuff here. This woman was a heartless cold blooded murderer, but she is being applauded as being righteous by the Org. When you read the titles here and the content I really wonder where the WT is leading people. Unbelievable!

120

We walked out of my mom's memorial service

by tyydyy in

jw
friends

.

my brother, my sister, myself, xena and those with us walked out when we were called aside and asked not to attend the reception after the memorial.. more details to follow....... timb

cyber-sista

Wow, this is all very weird, but it may all be stemming from the new rules they started to strictly enforce a couple of years ago where those with "positions" could lose their "positons" if they attended anything where a DAd or Dfd person was present or a wedding ceremony of those who were marrying "out of the lord." I belief it was Minimus who wrote about someone losing their microphone privleges because of a case of this sort. My non-jw daughter married a non-jw and all were told that they could lose their "privleges" if they attended. This is also the case at other gatherings and funeral receptions too, I 'm sure. I couldn't believe how much the elders were in fear of losing their "postions" if they didn't set the rules straight for everyone in the congo regarding social gatherings where worldlings and those not in good standing are present.

I think the elders are feeling threatened by the Org about losing their "positions" and some are taking extreme postions about it.

17

Do JWs really grieve?

by undercover in

jw
friends

a strange thing happened to me while watching a television movie on the life of the late nascar star dale earnhardt; i got choked up remembering a close family member who died at an early age.. .

for those of you who aren't familar with earnhardt, his father died when dale was a young man and this movie portrayed him pretty much living his entire life trying to live up to his father's ideals.

of course he died on the race track having some of the same issues with his own son, now a superstar on the track.. .

cyber-sista

I'm glad you brought this one up. Seems like from the above comment we have all some some different experiences with this. I went through a period of greiving this last year for a few family members I lost while I was in the Org. I don;t think I realized that I had never had a chance to truly grieve for them. It hit me really hard sometimes after my exiting from the Org. When my mother passed away none of the JWs I knew came to her funeral (she wasn't a JW) and I received only 2 cards of condolences from JWs. It seemed to be a sign of weakness for me to show emotion about my mother's passing. All those stupid comments too..."We'll she wasn't a witness--so now at least she has the hope of the ressurection."

Even at JW funeral we are told that scripture..."better to go to the house of mourning" than to be rejoicing....you know the one. Death is an emotionally twisted subject among JWs. I found myself rather numb when my family members died. Very few JWs even acknowleged their passing. I have mentioned this before, but one jokerman elder made me feel quite terrible when he said to me after my mother in law passed away "We'll you got the old lady buried, huh?" and then laughed and walked away--I had been gone for a month and was exhausted from helping my hubby and family with all the arrangements, but he never asked how we were--very few did-- they seemed more concerned that I was finally back to the meetings than anything else. I think this religion does not allow people to greive in a healthy way and it is a sign of strong faith if you keep your grieving to yourself. This along with the surreal belief system about the ressurection and the guilt that is layed upon you not to be grieving like those "without hope."

Just recently I went to a memorial service for a young man who died. It was by the ocean and a beautiful Hawaiian chant was done. We all held hands and stood in a large circle under the trees. People openly spoke about this man's life and people openly cried and comforted each other. There was no strings attached--no preachy sermon--just real people supporting and comforting each other in a respectful and peaceful remembrance of this person's life. It was touching and beautiful. Of course by JW standards it was something that no "true christian." would have attended. Yet it felt more real and comforting than any JW funeral I have ever attended.

cybs

39

Does being a JW damage some children mentally?

by Gill in

jw
friends

cyber-sista

Yes, there are a lot of phobias with JW kids and with the adults too. How the parents presented the "good news" to their children has a lot to do with their mental state. Some parents beat their children with "the truth." Others try to follow the Christian example of treating family members with love, though the Org can interfere big time on this concept too (as I most definitely learned). The Organization does not foster a climate for healthy mental, emotional or social deveopment. A child with an overactive imagination could really freak out when studying about the 7 headed 10 horned wild beast that comes up out of the sea.