Posts by cyber-sista

23

Post Your Prayer for the Governing Body,,Be Honest as Possible

by frankiespeakin in

jw
friends

.

dear god,,no not you jehovah or jesus because your just archetypes of the collective unconscious,,i mean the real god the self the one the what ever you want to call it,,real deal that one.. please give enlightenment to all members of the governing body let them know accurately the pain they inflict on many innocent people who trusted them.

and let them turn around and give up this terrrible game.

cyber-sista

i pray that the GB start seeing people as people and understand that lives are being affected. We're not numbers, or statistics, or book sellers, but people

...who need people God please mend all the broken families and broken hearts and sell off the WT walls and give all the money to those who are truly in need and let the world know that it was all a lie and then sentence the GB to work at the catholic church food bank and the salvation army soup kitchen. AMEN candidly--thanks for the first part cybs

48

congregational cliques

by chuckyy in

it was my experience during my 13 yrs as a jw that congregations usually had a social clique.

in other words, there would be a group of people in a congregation that would only associate (and sometimes only go out on field service too) with people within that social clique.

if you were in the clique, fine.

cyber-sista

The "out's" on the other hand, especially the children of single mothers, didn't have a chance. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. It crushes me to think of how many lonely "outcast" Dub youths there are out there. Or whose lives were ruined completely.
You know what I'm talking about... the kid who is never included in anything, is poor (so can't "dress" to the standard), can't go out to eat with the others or go to the amusement parks, his mom struggles just to make ends meet, has no dad to help him be socially adjusted as a young man (goes for females too). Is gossiped about, maligned and laughed at... Then the kid finally says f*ck you! and they all gasp and say "We were right, we always KNEW he was BAD ASSOC!- goat!"

UPSIDE/down...Ya got this one...I knew many of these kids...mom is ususally depressive too and really stressed out trying to work and then make the meetings and then getting discouraged from being sick and exhausted and not being able to make the meetings and then having sister elder's wife who has never had to work a day in her life refer to sister single mom as being "weak" This just happened on my way out of the congo AND to make matters worst an elder got up there and gave a talk about widows and orphans and how challenging it can be to try and help these ones who haven't had good training from their mothers and then gave an example, so that everyone knew that he was referring to single mom sister in the congo and her kids were sitting right there in the audience. I felt horrible and the kids were really upset and never went back to the meetings again . And they were really nice mild mannered kids. That was one of my last meetings too. I knew single mom sister and she was a nice woman--just burdened down with health and financial problems and getting nothing but ridicule from the congo. God this makes me mad to think about it! And, I was sister with the unbelieving mate and yes, that put me in a whole different catagory. Not much socializing with the elite JWs when you're in that position. Yes, there were cliques and they were obvious ones. They were encouraged by the Org. "Associate with those who will build you up spiritually" "Be in the center of Jehovah's sheep-pen Org" Keep a safe distance from those on the fringe, which includes widows and orphans and anyone else who may need a helping hand.

Sorry I am still a bit bitter here.

cybs

39

Help and advice needed soon , please

by jules99 in

jw
friends

i am looking for some advice to hopefully prevent me going mad.

my husband (an elder) was disf?d by the jws 8 years ago for having an affair with me and consequently leaving his wife.

he has 4 grown-up children and 9 grandchildren.

cyber-sista

((((((((((((Jules)))))))))))))))))))))

My heart went out to you reading your story...I am so sorry for your loss. All I can say is there is much good advice above. I do hope you can find some peace. Please read as much information as you can before getting involved in the WT Org. They tend to prey on people in times of need. I know I was one of them for many years. There are many wonderful non-JW people in this world who offer their unconditional love to you. I believe that your love for your husband will live on somewhere in the universe. I'm not sure who God is anymore, but I know that there is support and love out there for those who seek it and that it is not in the narrow confines of the JW religion.

Much Love

cybs

33

* NEW DVD _ YOUNG PEOPLE ASK: WHAT WILL I DO WITH MY LIFE *

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

this is an in-depth look at the new dvd released this fall.

it is primarily designed for young jehovah?s witnesses; in fact, the whole dvd is geared towards witness youth only.. .

on the front cover there are 8 happy youths carrying school books and bags.

cyber-sista

Totally nauseating...

I know of a man who DAd himself in his late 40s--he is a mensa genius, but has never been to college, so despite being highly skilled cannot seek the career he would like to and with his intellegence level this has always been very frustrating to him. . Now he has no chance of the career he wants, as he can't afford to go back to college (has financial problems), plus he no longer has any communications with his family and friends and a strained marriage to boot. Sadley he has fallen into depression and resorted to drinking. As a young man he followed organizational direction and did not seek a higher education and this is the results.....Young people ask PART 2: What will I do with my life after I wasted all those years serving the WT Org?

cybs

44

Getting out...terminating Bible study

by PClark in

jw
friends

.

i have been visited by a local jw woman weekly for almost 4 years and started weekly study about 1 year ago.

friday things took a more serious turn and i am very uncomfortable.. i need advise on how to stop the meetings (without being offensive) and still get away from this madness before it gets out of control.

cyber-sista

aloha Pclark. Run for the hills!

Seriously I don't think you are really in danger if you already know that you do not want to become involved in the WT Org. Now you just have to figure out how to give these people a strong hint that you want nothing to do with them anymore. Tell them that you read something that disturbed you about the silent lambs program or the UN scandal. You can find that info on this site or go to silentlambs.com and print out some research and try to show it to your study. Hard to know how she will react--most likely to tell you it is all a lie and then will shy away from you after that.

newlight2 also had some great links on his post, which could be helpful if you would like to defend yourself to these people. If you don't give them some sort of a firm reason why you don't want to continue with your study they will usually persist for a while believing that the demons are trying to pull you over to the dark side and so they will persist in trying to "save" you for a bit It is a weird twisted belief system. I was involved in it for 20 plus . So glad I'm out, but it did cause some damage to my life and I am still picking up the pieces.

The best to you!

cybs

35

Why Do People Become/Stay As Jehovah's Witnesses???

by minimus in

jw
friends

what makes a person leave their religion and join the witnesses?

what makes a doubter or better yet a jw that knows this isn't really the truth, remain a witness?

i believe most stay on because being a witness is like being a member of a club.

cyber-sista

This is worthwhile info--just linked to it from another thread. think it is worth a go around for those who missed it the first time.

cybs

28

We Should Go On The Offensive Against The Elders That Come After Us!

by minimus in

jw
friends

instead of allowing the elders to run roughshod over us, i think we should start thinking of how to get to them before they try to impose their will upon us.

some may not care if the elders and society suddenly went after us.

but just out of principle, we should not let them do anything they want to us in their shunning treatment.

cyber-sista

NICOLAOU..Great idea on the cease and desist notices...I am going to copy this one out...

I have been expecting a call from the elders soon and I think they will be trying to "draw me out"

If I am threatened in any way with dissasociation I was going to say something like: "I don't like being harrassed or threatened in this manner and if you make any sort of annoucement against me I will personally sue you for slander, endangerment to my family and mental distress." (My sis is still a witness and I would be cut off from her if I am DAd.)

I was also thinking of a religious argument here based on the fact that I was batized before 1985. In 1985 the baptism vows were changed. I was baptised to serve god and christ. In 1985 the dedication vows were to serve god and the organization. Thus my contract as being one of JWs was made null and void by this change in the contract--thus I am not truly a member of the WT organization.

Any other ideas on this would be greatly appreciated. I really don't want to just sit back and let them dump their garbage on me.

Thank, cybs

81

Do you think of yourself as an apostate

by barbar in

many of the people on this site say that they are apostates.

but that is not the way i feel about myself.. i am not angry with the "witnesses" or the organisation, i don't feel that i wasted my life.

i just think that i was stupid to believe it for 30 years (well sort of believe it, i did have severe doubts on and off).

cyber-sista

I never try to talk my mother out of the religion, I feel that although she has a false hope, it is better than the emptiness she would feel at her time of life if she no longer was a witness. If she was 30 years younger then maybe (but then I would only be 11).
Do you think it is better to turn all witnesses away from the "truth", as they see it?

This is the dilemna for me. I know people in the Organization whose lives are totally screwed up by being JWS, but then again many of these are the same people who would probably flip out if they did ever leave the Org. I see families who have been torn apart by the WT doctrine (parents alienated from Dfd children and vice versa) and this is a truly grievious thing in their lives. I would like them to know that it doesn't have to be this way--that this is all wrong...but then I know those ones who have totally immersed themselves in the JW persona that if that was stripped away I am not sure what you would find underneath. These people would need some major help to recover themselves. So many JWs I knew were on the edge of losing it already I feel like I have to be gentle with some of these people. But then there are the a-hole controlling sadistic type of JWs and I don't care about offending them that much. But I also think there are many in there that are just trapped in the JW routine for one reason or another and while it would be painful for them to realize that they had been living under an illusion already it would also be a relief for them once they separated from the Org.

I view the word apostate as a prejudice word.

The term "apostate" is a WT label designed to create loathing and hatred towards the people who have left the WT Org. In this way they can play on the fears of their members causing them to avoid anyone with this label, thus preventing any members in the WT flock from finding out things that may turn them away from working for the WT Org.

If the WT knew I was writing this they would put the apostate label on me. I feel that it is slanderous and hateful--and it will tear me away from some of my family. I don't like that at all.

cybs

36

2004 Numbers are on WT web site it looks like.

by garybuss in

jw
friends

http://www.watchtower.org/statistics/worldwide_report.htm.

can anyone confirm this is what it looks like?

i may be delivering old news.

cyber-sista

On average, these figures are pretty dismal. In the USA, 6,205 hours were spent on average to get 1 person baptized, In Canada, 8,529 hours, Italy, 9448 hours for one whole baptism. Bangladesh took 7,695 for one person to get dunked. Over all, it took about 4,886 hours for one person to get baptized......and I'd say at least 3/4 of baptisms are kids that were raised in "the truth", not converts.

In the end all I saw was JW kids getting baptized and then most of them didn't last too long after that, so the percentages above are even more fruitless than that if you take this into account. the only ones I saw who came into my last congo were mentally ill--- and soon dropped out after a short period of time. To bad this wasted time isn't spent doing some charitable works that would truly benefit someone.

cybs

19

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 2-13-05 WT Study (Abbreviated)

by blondie in

" (acts 10:38,42).

"the conclusion of the system of things".

we are living in "the conclusion of the system of things.

cyber-sista

But Jesus did not come to earth merely to do a social work. He came to bear witness to the truth?.any material benefits he provided were temporary?.only by bearing witness to the truth could he help some to gain everlasting life (CARROT).
Today, some individuals try to imitate Jesus? good works by opening hospitals or performing other services among the poor. In some cases, they do this at great personal cost, and their sincerity is commendable:
But
Any relief they supply is temporary at best.

Underlying message here is: Giving money to or being involved in charity organizations is fruitless--give your time and money to the WT Org only.

Thanks Blondie,

cybs