Posts by boy@crossroads

WHEN I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE JWS I THOUGHT THAT MAKING FRIENDS WOULD BE EASY BUT WHAT I FAILED TO REALIZE IS THAT IT IS HARDER WHEN YOU LESS THINGS IN COMMON WITH THEM.

ALL OF US HERE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON !!

22

want to get close to people but always back off !!!

by boy@crossroads in

jw
friends

hey everybody, .

who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!

) associates.

For me I think a whole lot of the problem lies in the control I continue to let the jw's have over my mind and personal judgement. I think if I erased the jws from my mind (hypothetically) then I wouldn't view people as a threat so much.

However, with the jw mentality and programming I always seem to have a hard time seeing people as more than just insignificant satan worshippers. THERE I SAID IT. THE LONGER I AM AWARE FROM THE JWS I CONTINUE TO BE AMASED HOW CRAZY MY THOUGHTS ARE !!

( APPRECIATE THE PROBLEMS YOU'VE GIVEN ME, BETHEL HEADQUATERS GOOD JOB !!!! )

22

want to get close to people but always back off !!!

by boy@crossroads in

jw
friends

hey everybody, .

who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!

) associates.

boy@crossroads

Hey everybody,

who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (I hate that word !!) associates. I think I have done a pretty good job of leaving my comfort zone as I have visited other churches, met and hung out with other students from school, etc...

However, my relationships always feel awkward after the the 1st couple of times associating with them. IT'S LIKE THE 1ST FEW TIMES ASSOCIATING IS OK. ITS A NOVELTY. IT'S SOMETHING NEW. FINE. BUT SOMETHING WITHIN ME WON'T LET THEM GET ANY CLOSER. I hate to admit it, but I think i have some trust issues. RIGHT NOW AT LEAST.

2

Mazatlan is here wish you were beautiful!

by BrendaCloutier in

jw
friends

just a quick postcard.

sorry, no pix.

got in late monday afternoon.

boy@crossroads

Yes Mazatlan is beautiful. Have you ever been to teacapan, a town outside the city? I went there before some time back. What area are you at now?

31

X-JW , X-Mormon & More OR: Around the World's Religions in 60 Years!

by Rod P in

hi people!

i am new here, but started out on the topic of "high rates of depression in org.

" there are 3 posts, one of which has been pasted below on my new thread.

boy@crossroads

I like your sense of storytelling. I also am studying sociology. and i've thought about visiting the mormon church, not to join but just out of interest. It seems strange that after excommunication (a drop in your status) no-one would look at you differently. Maybe I just not used to that way of interacting (having been raised in the jws).

I like the part about using the mushroom as an umbrella. Seems like something out of a childs fable.

11

mind games to free yourself of jw fear mentality

by boy@crossroads in

i find that to get rid of the jw mentality i have to play mind games on myself as i go throughout my day.

one tactic that i've been using recently involves telling myself "now as i go through this (whatever) situation how would you act if you had never been exposed jehovahs witnesses".

it really is an amazing thing for me b/c after i think about the situation i really do become more comfortable and the true "me" comes out.

boy@crossroads

I understand your concerns POs son. Your concerns about raising your child the best you can? So what is the best spiritual path to lead a child down? Do you raise them to question every little thing such as the witnesses (birthdays, xmas, caffeine -a mormon taboo). Or do you raise them with no concept of God at all?

As far as giving morals to your daughter, I've always observed that if you want children to be moral then the parent must set the example.

11

mind games to free yourself of jw fear mentality

by boy@crossroads in

i find that to get rid of the jw mentality i have to play mind games on myself as i go throughout my day.

one tactic that i've been using recently involves telling myself "now as i go through this (whatever) situation how would you act if you had never been exposed jehovahs witnesses".

it really is an amazing thing for me b/c after i think about the situation i really do become more comfortable and the true "me" comes out.

boy@crossroads

I appreciate everybodies responses !

to almost atheist- while I know that their doctrines are bogus I haven't really sat down to research all of them. I take more of a "let your heart guide you" approach. I think once I totally get rid of Jw fear then I will go back to research just how wrong they are. But being in the early stages of the fade I'm just trying to establish fact from fantasy as regards the "world".

11

mind games to free yourself of jw fear mentality

by boy@crossroads in

i find that to get rid of the jw mentality i have to play mind games on myself as i go throughout my day.

one tactic that i've been using recently involves telling myself "now as i go through this (whatever) situation how would you act if you had never been exposed jehovahs witnesses".

it really is an amazing thing for me b/c after i think about the situation i really do become more comfortable and the true "me" comes out.

boy@crossroads

I find that to get rid of the jw mentality I have to play mind games on myself as I go throughout my day. One tactic that I've been using recently involves telling myself "Now as I go through this (whatever) situation how would you act if you had never been exposed Jehovahs witnesses". it really is an amazing thing for me b/c after I think about the situation I really do become more comfortable and the true "me" comes out. I find that I become more sociable and approachable.

I've been doing my fade for about 6 or 7 months now. Up to this point I've been very careful about keeping a low profile as to my activities (e.g. attending other churches, opening myself up to outside association, reconnecting with old highschool associates). I've basically been living my life like Neo from Matrix and treating old witness associates like Agent Smiths. When I first started my fade I would just dissappear when I saw one but now I'm starting to just not give a shit. I have to continually tell myself (for example if i'm out with some old friends and if a witness sees me) that "I'm not doing anything wrong I'm just living my life. They are the ones that are wrong."

I've definitely come a long way since the last meeting I stepped foot in. Some of the things I still have an issue with are feeling comfortable around people smoking (theres always that little voice) and feeling comfortable in the midst of a large "worldly" crowd (I always feel like I shouldn't be there and that its a waste of time b/c we will all be destroyed). My head says "its all bullshit you know it" but my heart is just damn stubborn.

21

jw meetings and obedience to the society

by boy@crossroads in

jw
friends

in what ways does each of the jw meetings play a part in instilling obedience to the mother organization?

or maybe put another way, how does each weekly jw meeting contribute to the overall jw mindset?.

this thought came to me whilst drifting in and out of the watchtower study this morning.. ministry school: helps jws strengthen their speaking skills for better defending their beliefs.

boy@crossroads

Great posts everybody.

"The reaction in the room was hilarious. Half of them were shocked because what I said made sense" . Yes, the witnesses aren't used to people not conforming. In the watchtower study past sunday, a new comer at the hall i was visiting gave a personal comment (which wasn't exactly in par with the watchtower study) and you could tell from the body language of most the witnesses that they didn't find his comment meritted any of their time and attention. IDIOTS !!

watchtower: whats the point of the watchtower study? I know the witnesses are "parrots" to what those at the top say. It's so funny the way the questions in the watchtowers are asked though. The writers try to make every watchtower that comes out some big revelation so therefore every question in the study article is phrased in the most sensational way possible. Asked "who was the messiah?", a watchtower would have it " who was this man that came down to earth to die for our sins?" SENSATIONAL

I know the Watchtower study like all the meetings are about control and obedience to the society but it's just funny that week after week the same damn thing is being said, "stick close to ~~watchtower society~~ Jehovah and stay away from ~~rational thinking~~ Satan !" IDIOTS !!