Posts by Axelspeed

i had a long discussion the other day with my new flatmate, who it turns out has studied with jws and thinks they're wonderful, about my view that being raised a jw is psychologically abusive.

being indoctrinated with the concept of jehovah killing people who don't do what he says and being scared of losing your friends and family if disobedient is, in my view, a very unhealthy thing for a child.

any thoughts?

Axelspeed

dilaceratus ...there is little I could add as much of what you said says it all. Many of us lived a life so full of pretense on so many levels, some of it unconsciously, that dishonesty became natural. Even being dishonest with ourselves.

To believe that this playacting an interchangeable role is the best part of you is too sad to speak of.

Believing that its not necessary to playact, and breaking the cycle and inclination to playact through life is one of the biggest inward battles...even though we desperately want to live authentic lives.

Some who really tried to live the jw life, need a nudge to really believe that their authentic parts really are their best parts.

Axel

34

Double Standards?

by OpenFireGlass in

talk about a dysfunctional family life.... did anyone else experience growing up in a dub family that had a double standard for siblings?.

my younger sister was allowed too: have new kids on the block posters on her wall, as well as gotten taken to a nkotb concert... have & play a keyboard.

pick her own music, & have a boom box in her room.

Axelspeed

I was also the firstborn...with everything that came with it. I was the example, the one with all the expectations, the one cursed with the burden of carrying the family flag. So I do understand and I definitely think there is something to the idea of birth-order. There are definitely double standards, but that's not necessarily just a jw thing.

Axel

57

I'm going to give you one more chance.

by LDH in

jw
friends

i hope all of you genx-r exjw will get a kick out of this story from my childhood.

i was just talking to jt and he says i should post it..... my daughter is studying wwi history in school.

i told her that when i was in 10th grade, i had a social studies teacher named nancy galbraith.

Axelspeed

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. In COLLEGE.

LOL. I think we have a winner. Kudra, I cringe for you. But hey, you did get to go to college at least.

Axel - of the "many of us have been there class"

60

Witnessing at the WalMart in Evansville, Indiana(pics)

by Jourles in

jw
friends

.

for your viewing, uh, pleasure?

Axelspeed

funny and sad actually. Its funny how weird it all looks to me now, even though I would have never gone to this extent even when I was in.

Axel

52

Creepy JW Music for Kids!

by limbogirl in

jw
friends

maybe this has already been posted or you're familiar with it but i just discovered this on itunes.

it's being sold on itunes.. the subject matter alone is enough to make you want to barf but get a load of the music and singing talent on this little gem.

a couple of the tracks landed in an imix of the worst music on itunes.

Axelspeed

Listen to Go Ahead and Make Me Happy...guaranteed to inoculate you to anything jw related for at least a year.

12

Reading "The Power of Myth"

by wanderlustguy in

it was like i had so many doors already cracked open, so to speak, but this book has thrown them right off the hinges.

i would recommend it to anyone.

it also helped me to understand james thomas' posts a lot better.

Axelspeed

Just finished and it was a great read and eye opening. (Thanks Dave!). I am now reading Vol.lll of Masks of God - Occidental Mythology. A very interesting and enlightening Campbell read also (skipped the first 2 Vols. for a later time).

I guess I need to check out Hero of A Thousand Faces too. So much to read, so little time.

Axel

55

Were Most Of The Elders Dumb--- That You Knew???

by minimus in

jw
friends

i'd say out of 10 elders, the average "sharp" ones are 2 or 3.

Axelspeed

In my experience there is always a mixture:

Some were not so sharp, and others were very intelligent. So I dont think its so much a matter of intelligence in all cases. Even the mind of an intelligent person is capable of performing some amazing mental gymnastics in order to accomodate a desired worldview.

There are some elders who have so much invested in years, family and effort, that it would be mental suicide to allow themselves to allow that it all was a waste and a lie. They may be very intelligent, and can reason step-by-step in a line of reasoning, but as soon as there belief system is threatened from the outside or by their own thoughts the "dumb down" switch goes on. It almost a self-preservation mode. These are the ones who are the most frustrating to deal with, as it is confounding and inexplicable how intelligent people can follow a line of reasoning so well and then shift course in reasoning so abrubtly.

Others are in it for social and family reasons and fear of the outside unknown holds them in. They may be elders but are still using training wheels when dealing with anybody not a jw. These are the ones who were raised in and have grown up in the jw cocoon.

Others delude themselves into thinking they have real power. They probably are ineffectual at getting power in other areas (i.e at the job) and so use the org as an outlet to wield some untapped desire for power. And then there are others who are the ladder climbers. They like the power and enjoy the attention received from being front and center at assemblies, giving talks, and being of the prominent ones in the org and well as in their careers.

The true believer elders are among those who are more simple-minded and never really have a thought apart from what is given to them. The one issue they all have in common is dealing with reality... some choose not to ...others may not have the ability to. Some really do need the jw environment.

The elders who are not of the above, but willing to question and can reason, usually don't remain elders.

42

GB and their 'Hot Chicks'!

by Gill in

how many members of the governing body are married to women a lot younger than themselves, and how many are married to 'hot chicks'?

Axelspeed

In the d. conventions in my area I noticed that there was no shortage of "hot chicks" in the dubs. For a male, especially one with position and who is at least tolerable in other areas, the harvest is great.
Most of these end up leaving or hooking up with someone on the outside eventually, and the rest start using the pioneer word in every other sentence...thus losing all "hot" factor appeal. Way too many issues down that road.