IMHO, the org taught us to PERSUADE people to FEEL/or BELIEVE the way we said they should feel or believe. Seems we can stay stuck in that mode - remember that whole, "USING THE ART OF PERSUASION" part on the service meeting a couple of years ago? Cult techniques used made inroads in the thinking of many and are hard to escape from. One needs to be ready to admit to themselves that they were/are a part of a cult and then take the steps to break free.
Posts by 4JWY
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41Why do you keep posting here?
by ScoobySnax inyou know i like to post these dumb'uns but i was thinking this tonight as i sat here thinking what to post.
then i thought to myself, why am i sitting here "wondering" what to post on a forum like this.
i think i get more than the fair share of stick here for posts i have made because of what i do post, and i can live with that.
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13
I finally did it !!
by Junction-Guy infor most of my adult life i have always been reluctant to mention that i was raised a jw, just out of pure embarassment, it has always been a source of shame for me.
last night i was finally able to tell people that i work with that my family are jw's.
the whole thing that started the conversation was another officer talking about an inmate in the hospital having a blood transfusion, that was my way in to the conversation.
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4JWY
Junction-Guy:
Go for it - sounds like you've got enough energy for it! Sometimes the conversation is overwhelming to me, like you said, there is SO much to say about it. I'll be happy to be in your audience as a supporter one day!
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Jehovah's Witnesses dont like my jokes"
by ApagaLaLuz inthey only want me to tell "knock knock" jokes.. .
i was watching the movie "stuck on you" last night.
a street performer in one of the scenes says this line.
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4JWY
Chev:
....what's your line?"
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20
Welcome Ex Dub MS to the Board
by Sassy in.
we made a new friend in chat today.... and since he is only on his 4th post, it isn't too late to give him a official welcome!.
welcome ex dub ms!
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4JWY
Good to have you here Ex Dub MS!
Lol ing occurs regularly here and it sounds as if you'll be a fine contributor!
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Do JW parents ENJOY watching their kids struggle ???
by run dont walk in.
speaking from my observations in my family .... have an uncle, very successful travel business, very well off, both kids in their 30's 40's never had a job, both in bethel and have nothing.. another had 5 kids , did very well, all kids are pioneers and or bethel kids and have nothing, one just left bethel and now living in a one bedroom apartment with wife.. and they have no future or skills, .
even my one brother, 2 kids both work part time, and pioneer, yet he would never quit his job and go into the full time work, in fact his wife just got a job.. and what bugs me about this, is, they shove it down their kids throats, and yet they would never give up their jobs, they would never pioneer, i find it disturbing and sad.. and i saw this at the kingdom hall as well, anyone have similar experiences ??
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4JWY
I didn't enjoy it at all - and had been questioning how a religion that expects parents to watch that happen to their kids can be called "The Truth". My kids and their sanity and futures were at stake and I loved them enough to get out and stop subjecting them to the b.s. I was so thankful for the courage they showed in not cowering in fear behind the WTS teachings they'd been brought up with.
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22
do you ever write posts but not post them?
by dh ini find that i do it a lot, often to do with politcal threads, i read some of the stuff people write and i want to rip into it so badly, of course because i know i am right all of the time and everyone else just thinks they are, so i write a post, then i read it and don't bother to post it... i figure, why destroy everyone elses illusions that they are right?
that just wouldn't be nice.. sometimes i spend a while writing a long post, then i just hit ctrl+a followed by space bar, and back in my browser... does anyone else do this or is it just me?
i am particularly interested to hear from other people who like myself are right all of the time but would feel guilty about shattering everyone else's illusions.
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4JWY
Is this the equivalent of wanting to give a blasting answer at a meeting but not raising your hand after all?
Been there, done that.
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I lived beyond 21?
by 4JWY intoday's my birthday as i hit that 1/2 century mark - and here i didn't think i'd make it past 21 (1975).
how does it start out today?
i'm walking at a local park and happened upon the retired couple who are volunteer rangers - i mentioned that later in the day i'm returning to the park with my family to take some family photos on my 50th b-day.
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4JWY
Thank you all: sassy, Euphemism, ohiocowboy, happehanna, and LittleToe for your greetings!
LT: They were genuinely friendly - although when they could see my reservations re: Christianity due to my life experience, their demeanors changed - kind of like when someone at the door would tell me they were an atheist or agnostic. That was unexpected to me for some reason and it brought back bad memories of when I thought it was up to me to convince someone else what to believe in.
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I lived beyond 21?
by 4JWY intoday's my birthday as i hit that 1/2 century mark - and here i didn't think i'd make it past 21 (1975).
how does it start out today?
i'm walking at a local park and happened upon the retired couple who are volunteer rangers - i mentioned that later in the day i'm returning to the park with my family to take some family photos on my 50th b-day.
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4JWY
kls: Thanks - I agree completely and think I will adopt that approach too. I don't discuss politics OR RELIGION, right?
it'sallgood - NOW! - did you say you wanna study with me? lol !
Carmel: How did you know - I considered doing that very thing, posting the photos - just not sure if I'm there yet tho. We leave soon for the shoot. That couple better not come snooping around!
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JW Suicides
by dmouse ini heard some sad news today.
an old friend of my mum's has apparentely committed suicide.
i remember the woman well, a devout jw with an amazing sense of humour and a lovely personality.
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4JWY
dmouse, I'm so sorry for the sadness of the loss of your mum's friend in this way. Since there are many circumstances that can lead up to a person taking this course of action, I know that the WTS has become a little more understanding with this issue in recent years. My personal experience with the loss of my devout JW dad to suicide, was that had we wanted a memorial at the KH, there would have been one. We weren't up for the generic KH memorial talk offering. He was a zealous, active brother in the congregation who had struggled with suicidal inclinations due to severe depression/ and WE know, OPPRESSION for more than 40 years of his true self. He carried a note card in his wallet with scriptures related to the WTS's view and the Bible's view on suicide - one of his notes read:
Eccl. 7:7 NWT: "For mere oppression may make a wise one act crazy..." ????
Other notes showed that he had confidence that God is the only judge and he alone knows all of one's thoughts and what would cause them to take such action. He found comfort in this.
Unfortunately, suicide is not an uncommon experience in the congregations as you can see from the other thread you were directed to.
Warm regards,
4JWY
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I lived beyond 21?
by 4JWY intoday's my birthday as i hit that 1/2 century mark - and here i didn't think i'd make it past 21 (1975).
how does it start out today?
i'm walking at a local park and happened upon the retired couple who are volunteer rangers - i mentioned that later in the day i'm returning to the park with my family to take some family photos on my 50th b-day.
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4JWY
Thank you xjw
The whole thing was just kinda creepy feeling as I thought they had taken advantage of that famous "opportunity" in the conversation!