anybody heard this new talk going around at the moment - it is the last talk on sunday afternoon and it is about depression?
There is so much depression in the Organization that all these poors souls will view this talk for them as food at the proper time. I hope they go easy on these fragile ones and don't beat them over the head with it with the old line about increasing your field service time and regular meeting attendance as an aid to helping them combat your illness. The organization doesn't know that guilt and is not a good motivating force when you're down.
cybs
tonight i heard one of the most cruel and twisted comments i've ever heard at the platform.
the topic was the apocalypse and whether or not children will be slaughtered.
through one side of his mouth, the po stated that the bible is not clear on the matter, while out the other side he pointed to all those old testament accounts where children were killed.
Yes, I remember crabby sister out in service being so digusted with people not listening to her at the door (she was crabby at the door too) that she vidictively said she couldn't "wait for the day when Jehovah comes and destroys all these people."
I remember brother at the hall telling a joke. "What do you call rice chistians after god destroys them at Armegeddon? --RICE CRISPIES..."
There were many of these jokes and comments over the years. I did wince when I heard them, but still continued on in the cult for several years--I am disgusted with myself for doing so and for not speaking out aganist the obvious hatred and separating myself from it sooner.
cybs
kingdom ministry - april 2005
week starting april 18th
15 min: living w/ soundness of mind in an electronic age.
There is no need for any individual, committee, or congregation to prepare a Web page about Jehovah?s Witnesses. Some have posted the contents of our publications with all scriptures and references given in full and have even offered copies of convention material on a donation basis. Whether profit is involved or not, the practice of reproducing and distributing publications of Jehovah?s Witnesses in an electronic document is a violation of copyright laws. While some may view this as a service to the brothers, it is not approved and should be discontinued. That part I put in red is something I found fishy even when I was a Witness...I remember first seeing that when the first articles on the Internet came out and all I could think was "if a site is made by a fellow brother then what is wrong?". I was naive enough to believe that all active Witnesses felt completely satisfied and didn't have any objections to certain things; looking at this now, it shows me how paranoid the society is. It is sad that the WTS has to resort to restricting communication between even JW's in "good standing"...ME TOO! I was also thinking that here we are told over and over again to witness in whatever way way can from door to door--on street corners--over the phone--whatever way we could to get the message out to those deserving ones, but now the organization was restricting one of the greatest means of communication now-a-days--the internet??? Besides being able to give a witness to others over the internet we could also use it as fine upbuilding association and encouragement with fellow believers right? The WT is totally paranoid of the internet because of sites like this one for instance, which uncovers the WT crapola. I knew some very paranoid JWs who had never used the internet and were scared to death that something like demon was going to jump out of the screen at them if they ever did attempt to use it. cybs | |
would someone who has the new od book explain any changes in "keeping the congregation clean"?
is it still the same policy or have they actually changed anything?
i'd especially like to know if they are changing their tune on the "inactive".
maybe they just don't want the congregation to know if a person is out by choice or force.
Yes, this makes sense. So many are leaving of their own accord and disbelief and not because of some biblical sin commited. This is what the WT does not want its members to know. Now the congo will just speculate about everyone who is is annouced as "no longer one of JWs" and imagine them as being wicked and evil and unrepentent even if there was no "biblical sin" commited. It will help the WT image to demonize everyone who has left the Org for whatever reason and make sure the congo is kept in the dark kept clean.
There may also be some legal slander type issues they are scooting around.
cybs
would someone who has the new od book explain any changes in "keeping the congregation clean"?
is it still the same policy or have they actually changed anything?
i'd especially like to know if they are changing their tune on the "inactive".
Yes, it would seem that not much has changed BUT....as I found out a couple of years ago that there is a lot of new light and unwritten rules in WT organization that is not presented to the average JW until a situation arises. Then the elders pull these little tricks out of their bag and twist them around to fit and control whatever situation they please. They could interpret this rule anyway they want--we all know of people who have been shunned for not commiting a sin, but only for speaking out against wrongdoing in the congo.
cybs
i just read an excellent article on the issue of mental illness and jehovah's witnesses by psychologist named jerry bergman.
the link is:.
http://www.premier1.net/~raines/mental.html.
Our job as Witness recruiters was to identify the mark's vulnerability and build our presentation's on those. Fears and resentments were sure bets to build on.
Exactly Gary,
Yes, we were trained to seek out those who were "moaning and groaning over the system of things" In fact that was a criteria for becoming a witness--dissatisfaction and unhappiness with life in general are symtoms related to people in mental distress.
I was one of these people caught in the midst of major post partum depression (You want you baby to live a healthy and happy life don't you? You don't want your baby to die do you was the line that hooked me as and fed upon my paranoia and insecurity at the time--along with my other dysfunctional thinking.
Guilt, paranoia, social phobias, low self esteem and insecurties are all symtoms played upon in WT indoctrination program.
It is easy to manipulate people who are already down and continue to do so by keeping them down (as good for nothing slaves)
The only aspect of a witnesses life that he is allowed to feel proud about and to find strength in is his one minded association with the WT Organization. This is how they build up the strong loyalty and fierce protectiveness shown for the organization by some of its members For many if you take their WT away they have no strength to make it on their own--they have been trained (brainwashed) in that way and that is why is is so hard to make the break--yet some do manage it.
Your fellow escapee,
cybs
comments you will not hear at the 3-20-05 wt study
(february 1, 2005 issue date)
review comments
9 A fifth reason for accepting Jehovah's judgments is that he is "the Most High over all the earth." (Psalm 83:18) As such, he is not obligated to explain or justify his actions to humans. He is the Great Potter, and we are like clay that has been shaped into vessels, for him to deal with as he pleases. (Ro-mans 9:19-21) Who are we-the pottery of his hand-to question his decisions or ac-tions? When the patriarch Job misunder-stood God's dealings with mankind, Jeho-vah corrected him, asking: "Really, will you invalidate my justice? Will you pronounce me wicked in order that you may be in the right?" Realizing that he had spoken with-out understanding, Job later repented. (Job 40:8; 42:6) May we never make the mistake of finding fault with God!
So, what are they really saying here?
The WT organization is not obligated to explain or justify anything they do (ie regarding the UN, silent lambs etc etc) You cannot trust anyone or any information outside of the WT Organization--nor can you trust yourself to make your own judgements about any information outside of what the WT organization tells you.
You have no right to question
don't think just listen and obey the words of the WT.
thanks for the hard work blondie--good job
cybs
hi guys and gals....... .
i would just like to extend greetings to all those poor souls who had to endure the torturous childhood of growing up in a strict jw lifestyle as i had.
i didn't know that there were such forums on the net, and i was made aware of this by my sister who is also a member here, i believe.. i find this kind of funny really.
You have described it all very well...welcome
me still angry too and sad about all the others who are living a life of fear and denial under the WT regime.
cybs
during talks, the audience just don't think.
the speaker can shoot off some stat, a comment, but "where is the evidence for what you just said?".
the speaker can give a really great story about how a drug addict became a jw, how it saved his life, but do they think: "yes, that is one neg example in the world, but what about the positive examples?
The speaker can say that paradise is right around the corner, any day now, do not give out, but do they ask themselves "Is it worth living a life that has been bought with the lives of billions of people from all walks of life, of all ages?"
I often thought of this. why was I more deserving than so many others who did so much more to help others in the world than myself? Just because I was sitting in a KH 3 times a week and passing out magazines did this really make me more worthy of everlasting life than the the self sacrificing humanitarian? I meant well, but to be truthful I wasn't doing a whole lot of good for anyone else. it was a selfish life and I regret putting my non-JW family through the years of my sacrifing for the Org because they had to sacrifice too and for what?--so that they would die in the end? Really sad and depressing way to view life.
cybs
since im still new here, i never saved any info or links.. i could get off my lazy butt and search through this whole site, but that seems like alot of work.
(and the search thing never works for me.
know some of you have craploads of links, articles and other things that may help me out.
www.silentlambs.org was a bit eye opener for me especially since I personally knew of a couple of these type of cases.
the best to you in your search,
cybs
