Posts by Bubbamar

10

Should I respond ....................

by happehanna in

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i was sent a scan of parts of last sundays watchtower from my father yesterday and he hadn't really made any effort to talk to me of anything wts in the last year or so.. the watchtower is about spiritually weak ones blondie did a great synopsis on it.. not sure how to respond, in the past when he sent emails about returning i normally ignore them these days and only respond to the family and normal topics.. however i don't want to rock the boat too much with my parents as they are old and really lovely people just very misled, they have been jws for nearly 50 years.. but it hurts me when they say that they pray every day for me to return to jehovah as i am the only one in a very large family who is no longer a jw................ i know that they are genuine and i have hurt them by becoming inactive.

Bubbamar

Hi Happehanna

I have hurt them by becoming inactive.

I wanted to comment on this statement. Just because your parents feel pain as a response to your decision to leave their cult does NOT mean that YOU hurt them. There is a big difference. I have learned that we are all responsable for our own thoughts, feelings and actions. They have a choice in how to respond emotionally to your choice. They could be happy for you and perhaps someday they will be. You did what's right for you and they choose to be wounded by that. I am sorry for them.

I am glad that they seem to continue reaching out to you and you continue to show them love. That's the best way to reach them - I think - LOVE.

26

Dad said JW's number 6.5 million and are growing -- can anyone verify this?

by Gopher in

jw
friends

i had one of my infrequent phone conversations with my jw-elder-father yesterday.

he's been "in da troof" all his adult life, over 5 decades now.

it's all he knows.. so naturally, on those rare occasions when we talk, he launches into a "come back into the truth" soliloquy.

Bubbamar

Why don't they also include numbers of people who were DA'ed/DF'ed and faded? Are WE growing in numbers at a faster or slower rate? Wouldn't it be great to be able to say that worldwide apostate numbers are growing at 8%!!! Hahaha I would LOVE it!

Do they have a column for "People we kicked out" "People who figured out the scam and left" "People who would leave if not for the threat of DFing" "People who will NEVER be back"

And what about percentage of reinstatements! How many could there possibly be in a year. 2?

Growing my ass. More like taking hostages.

30

Isn't the Power of Prayer Just a Myth?????

by Balsam in

1. isn't the power of prayer just a myth?

if a child asks a parent for help in an emergency and the parent does not respond we'd call it child-abuse.

if a friend asks a friend for help and they were immobile and silent we'd call that betrayal.

Bubbamar

I believe that God is a god of SPIRIT and that is the way he responds to our needs - in spirit. I don't believe he performs miracles and saves one baby over another. One baby just lived and the other died. I think he can provide the courage, endurance, willingness, grace and whatever else I need in spirit.

For example, a few years back I was having some health problems. I prayed to be healed and was not healed. However, I happened upon a wonderful doctor who treated me well, a great book that taught me how sugar destroys the immume system and provided me the motivation I needed to give up sugar so my body could heal. I also grew in understanding of the role my illness served in my live - and was able to do emotional work that also led to me regaining my health. It was a long process and while I was never immediately healed by my prayer - I don't claim to have healed myself either.

I read a book that helped me a lot after my father and both Grandmothers died 2 weeks apart called When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It sounds trite - but I did not find it so. I highly recommend it.

I am so very sorry you lost your son. I can't begin to imagine how you feel.

Hugs to you!

31

IMPORTANT IDEA! Petition the Society and embaress them for their hubris

by Terry in

jw
friends

i may have an important idea!

(beginner's luck).. what if we all (and i mean every last one of us; big numbers of people) wrote a scathing and precise petition or letter of protest (as an open letter) to the governing body of jehovah's witnesses and released it to the press on a slow news day with lots of fanfare?.

we would "call out" the rascals in no uncertain terms citing our grievances (like the founding fathers to george iii) and enumerating our personal suffering under the policies we want changed.. the list would include setting themselves up as little dictators speaking in god's name and issuing papal decrees upon penalty of excommunication.. we could demand apologies for stealing the future of children born to jw families who lose the happiness of childhood through worthless pharisaic adherence to blind rules such as no birthdays, christmas, easter, holidays in general, etc.

Bubbamar

I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it! I'm in!!! Let's go!! Woohoo!! Great idea!!!

27

Why do some here refer to themselves as "Apostates"?

by Netty in

jw
friends

the only real definition of apostate i ever had was from being raised a witness.

so, i have this idea that it is an evil, wicked thing.

because of that i dont like to call myself an apostate.

Bubbamar

I think for me it is just a way of claiming power over something that is intended to be hurtful. Like someone else said with the n-word--Gay people also can refer to themselves as dyke, fag or queer in a fun and powerful sense. If I own that I am a dyke - then how can you name-call me? You'll have to move on and find something else...something meaner to say.

So I'm an apostate. Big F'in deal. At least I don't call people names!

16

Can they be excused, in all honesty????

by BLISSISIGNORANCE in

over the period of time i have been posting on this forum i have noticed how differently we feel about the borg and dubs.

i guess our point of view is based on our own particular situation and experiences, our upbringing, our culture, our gender, our relationships etc.

but i think i can safely say that we all agree on one point, that the borg is a corrupt, greedy, hypocritical, dishonest, controlling, unloving, brain-washing cult!

Bubbamar

Hi Bliss

I have wondered the same thing. Do Jesus' words apply to them..."forgive them Father they know not what they do." Does their belief that what they do - they do for God excuse them?

They could find out the truth if they wanted to - just as we all have. But they don't look because they are told not to look. Will it really fly- when they face the Maker- to say "but the Watchtowers says...."

I am sorry for what happened to you. I really don't know how anyone could justify that as okay or Christlike. At least when I was DF'ed it was for actual wrong things that I did. Not for protecting children. It is truly amazing that your congregation was not totally appalled. I for one can not excuse them. Hopefully for them, their God is bigger than me!

25

Defending the WT despite doubts

by kj in

jw
friends

i just wanted to ask some of you a question.

i have been meeting with a jw woman for 4 months now.

i've asked her several difficult questions, and shown her a few things about the wt and their lies- including the letter from the un's website that confirmed they were an ngo for 9 years.

Bubbamar

OMG Lisa - how can this crap STILL blow my mind??? A 2 year "bible" study wants to talk about the UN- JW goes running in fear. What if you really wanted to keep studying? What's that about? Now a bible study can become an apostate before they ever actually become a JW. I love it!!!

BTTT - I don't know how old-timers can not have doubts. But thought blocking is a very effective to protect oneself from a painful truth. You can see alcoholics die everyday - convinced to the grave that they are NOT an alcoholic! But as soon as you start talking to them about their alcoholic behaviors - just watch their defenses go into action. Defenses are like anything else - practice makes perfect.

3

Shades of "Who's on First" with Abbott and Costello......

by Sunnygal41 in

abbott: the word in office for windows.. .

abbott: the blue "1.".

abbott: the word in office for windows.. .

Bubbamar

You people crack me up!

And thank god for it!

26

Im Sad

by Mona in

jw
friends

Bubbamar

Aww Mona sorry you are going through this. I hope if you do go to the meeting that you won't answer any of their intrusive questions. Challenge them to find 2 witnesses to your supposed fornication. It is possible that the 2 of you are just roomates and sharing rent -- why do their holier than thou minds automatically assume the worst? They do not have a right to judge you and they are NOT safe people to confess to. Their goal is to "keep the organization clean" and if that means tossing you out to satan -- they will in a New York second - they are not there to HELP you.

BTW - Welcome to JWD!! Please stick around - there's a lot to learn here and a lot of comfort for what you may be about to go through.

(((((Hugs))))

32

Is the Watchtower Part of the "Antichrist"?

by metatron in

in the apostle john's day, a variety of religious sects appeared in christian congregations called the gnostics.. many of these gnostics thought that matter and flesh were bad and anything 'spirit' was good, so they believed.

that jesus couldn't have been flesh and blood.

so, john condemned them , in his letters, as the "antichrist" because.

Bubbamar

First: Hats Off to BLONDIE for the on-the-spot references!!! What would we do without you??

I think the whole thing comes down to them trying to reconcile that Jesus talked about a heavenly kingdom and the WTS says that Jesus really only meant 144k. I think the whole "legalese" argument is a red herring. They use so many words so that the average dub will throw in the towel half way through the response and thereby admit defeat and concur with their answer.

My question for them then is : when the 8000 remaining annointed all die (pretty soon) - will there be NO one for Jesus to mediate between?

I guess when there are about 10 of them left - there will be "new light."