SwampThing

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Posts by SwampThing

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  26

  My mom is worried!!

  by Junction-Guy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom is an ex jw and was disfellowshipped in 1980. she is worried about my upcoming plans to picket the convention, she is afraid that i will get arrested and lose my job.

  i told her this is basically something i feel i have to do and the only way to get this off my chest and feel a sense of satisfaction.

  i assured her i wouldnt scream or cuss at people but would act civilized and pass out flyers concerning several issues.

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  SwampThing

  Hey JG,

  I just realized that you are a fellow Tennessean. Do you mind saying which city you are in?

  Thanks,

  Swamp Thing
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  25

  have you done things BECAUSE they were condemned by the WTS?

  by doogie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey guys,.

  since leaving, has anyone done anything specifically because it was condemned by the society?.

  - i went and got a tattoo (i had wanted one anyway, but really enjoyed it since it was a no-no...i'm getting a big'n next week...).

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  SwampThing

  OK, what's the deal with Girl Scout Cookies?

  After reading all these posts, I can see now why the JWs I know never tried real hard to recruit me. This stuff sounds like normal, every day life to me...:)

  Swamp Thing.... *proving that I really never have been a JW*
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  16

  Politics: Just the facts

  by desib77 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is there anywhere i can get just the facts about current issues and where both presidential candidates stand on each?.

  it seems like everywhere i look there is someone or something trying to sway me one way or the other.

  my husband is a head strong republican while others i know are active democrats.

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  SwampThing

  Hi desib77,

  Nice to meet you. Yes, there is somewhere you can go for the facts. I swore an oath to myself when I joined this board, and obviously just broke it, that I would stay from political discussions here because they always lead to arguments. Why? Because 99.99% of the people who discuss politics do nothing more than regurgitate whatever their favorite reporter feeds them. Whether it be Rush, Liddy, Hannity, Peter Jennings, your husband, or any of the other hundreds of talking heads spewing thier views these days, people throw back up what they hear and what they have been convinced is "right."

  Much like the members of this forum did when they left The Society, my suggestion is to look it up for yourself. Here is a good place to start...

  http://www.constitution.org/

  You will find some interesting facts in the Constitution such as we do not live in a 2 party system, the Congress must issue a declaration of war before the president can put our countrymen in harm's way, you don't have to fill out the long-form every 10 years when the census people come around, and the government has no authority to write law regulating firearms. By the way, you won't find anything in there dealing with abortion.

  The Constitution is not difficult to understand. Printed, it is about 10 or 12 pages long, depending on the font size you use. It is in plain language, and it means what it says. It is not written in a lot of legaleze, and was read by, and understood by people at the time with less education than the majority of us on this board.

  When you want the facts, go to the source.

  I hope that helps,

  Swamp Thing

  P.S. If you want to know what authority the Federal Government was given, look at Article 1, Section 8. The rest of the Constitution just tells them how to run their organization. Enjoy
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  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  Thank you for your comments and your opinion, Odrade. It?s a pleasure to meet you.

  Your argument is well made, and one that I agree with. Maybe I am wringing my hands over nothing. However, I take it very seriously when the course of action I am considering could effect so many lives. I believe it deserves more than just a passing thought.

  But you are correct, when the BS is boiled away, he chose the consequences when he chose the action. Thank you again for your input.

  Swamp Thing
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  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  ConcernedMom:

  He has actually hurt quite a few people, though I did not know about them until this current situation arose. What is sad is that a number of really nice and caring people are going to be harmed, some in a big way, by helping this guy out of problems he has created. Like myself, they did not know who they were dealing with. I apologize for being so vague, but I don?t know if he, or someone from his congregation, might read this forum. Thanks for your comments.

  jgnat:

  Thank you for your kind words. No, he doesn?t know what sort of friend I am. Unfortunately, the friendship was one-sided. My wife tried to point this out to me on many occasions, but I kept telling her "you just don?t know this guy. He has strong convictions and would never lie." Obviously she knew him better than I did. There is something to be said about a woman?s intuition...:)

  Thanks again,

  Swamp Thing
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  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  Hey Valis,

  I am not trying to show this person the error of his ways as I know now that he has given his mind over to the Borg. He will not listen to me. In fact, he has not spoken with me directly for several months. I believe I am experiencing a form of shunning, if a non-JW can be shunned. Before I came to this board and discovered how The Society controls its members, I thought he was just trying to rip me off because he is a jerk. Now I can see where his actions are the direct result of his Watch Tower induced thinking.

  What I have been trying to say is that because of our past business dealings, I could do a lot of harm to him if I shared certain information with the people he is responsible to in business. In fact, there is a great possibility that I could cause him to lose his livelihood, and maybe face local, State and Federal fines, if not possible prison time. My dilemma is that since his mind is being controlled by the WTS, is he responsible for his business decisions which have led to our current disputes?

  Hopefully that will clear things up a bit more. Thanks for the help you have been offering. I truly appreciate it.

  Swamp Thing
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  7

  Seeking clarity regarding Bethel Ministries...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good day everyone,.

  i have been reading a number of articles over the weekend from the freeminds website, and have a question regarding bethel ministries.

  i seem to remember a number of posts on this forum which led me to believe that bethel was some sort of jw institue of higher learning, saved for the ultra touched anointed.. please help me clear up my misunderstanding.. thanks,.

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  SwampThing

  Thanks for the information, Randall. Nothing like the straight dope coming directly from the horse's mouth...:)

  I have been reading your site for a few weeks now, but not knowing much about the JWs, I got the Bethel names confused. Thank you for clearing things up for me.

  I really enjoy your website.

  Swamp Thing
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  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  Hi Valis,

  The person I am referring to is a man that I have known for over a decade, a man I befriended, and who pretended to be my friend. He is a devout JW. Recently, I have discovered that he has been taking advantage of me in some very serious ways, and has caused a great deal of difficulty in my life.

  For me to take the knowledge I have about the cult-atmosphere of the WTS and use it against him would be like taking advantage of an adult who has the mind of a child. If an adult with the mental capacity of a 7 year old injured me in some way, I would not defend against the injury to the same level as if he had been in full control of his faculties. In other words, I feel sorry for this guy that he does not think for himself.

  If you had a friend who was ruining his life with drugs, and was no longer thinking clearly, what would you do? I don?t mean the occasional joint or two, but selling his wedding ring to buy more crack. Would you recognize that it is the drugs, and not his normal self that is making his decisions?

  Does that help explain it?

  Thanks, friend....

  Swamp Thing
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  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  I truly appreciate all of your responses. You have all helped contribute to my understanding regarding the question I posed. This has to be one of the friendliest and most helpful discussion boards on the Internet.

  Thank you all once again for making me feel welcome, and for entertaining my questions.

  Respectfully,

  Swamp Thing
• 
  20

  Another question from the new guy...

  by SwampThing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have another question if you all would be so kind as to enlighten me.

  after reading hundreds of posts here, i understand now why some people stay in the wts even though they would like to leave.

  the loss of friends, family members and such from this bizarre practice of "shunning" could be devastating in the lives of some people.

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  SwampThing

  Thanks for the responses, everyone. You guys and gals are sure quick on the draw.

  KLS, as to your question, I still shake my head every night when I go to bed from what I read on this forum. The WTS has to be one of the most despicable organizations I have ever read about. You may find it strange, especially for someone who has never been a JW, but I probably spend a minimum of 3 to 4 hours a day reading this site and related JW sites. Yes, I have a reason.

  The best way I can think to explain my understanding of the WTS thus far is to relate to you that my wife comes from several very abusive past relationships. The last she was in was so bad that she is missing part of a finger due to her partner?s temper. She and I have had many discussion regarding why she stayed in the relationship as long as she did, and why she kept choosing men who wanted to beat her up. Her answers are very similar to what I have read on this board. As a side note, an odd part of our relationship now is that sometimes she does not know what to do with her freedom since she married me. It has taken her nearly 5 years to understand that I am not going to yell at her or beat her up if she wants to join a book club, or attend a party with friends she works with. Being controlled is what she always knew from men, and I didn?t fit the pattern. It caused us some problems early on, but now she is like a kid in a candy store when she bursts in the door to tell me how much fun she had at whatever event she just attended, without me present.

  So, what do I think now that I know what the JW cult really is? Well, to be honest, I am torn. One part of me wants to be angry with the man who has screwed me so bad, yet another part of me says he is not in his right mind, and is controlled by a cult, so I should be angry with the cult. I flip back and forth on this and it consumes me. It is very much like the circular argument of the chicken or the egg. I remember back when I watched Star Trek, and the Borg were first introduced into the series. I wondered to myself if the way to destroy them would be to have them ponder the question of the chicken and the egg, and watch their collective heads explode. Maybe that?s my answer.

  It is difficult for me to be critical of people who have been drawn in by the WTS. I am sure that when they were first introduced to it, they were well-meaning and felt that this is what they needed in their lives. Who am I to tell someone they cannot practice the religion of their choice? However, somewhere along the line I have to wonder at what point, if there is one, do you hold them accountable for their actions? At what point is the mother responsible for the damage she does to her children by shunning them? Or the elder for taking advantage of his position and destroying people?s lives?

  The past few weeks of reading this board has been a real education for me. Sun Tzu teaches that to be a victorious General, one must know his enemy better than the enemy knows himself. This was part of the reason I have spent so much time educating myself with regard to the Witness friend I mentioned upon my arrival here. The moral dilemma I am currently dealing with is that Sun Tzu also teaches that a victorious General exploits his enemy?s weaknesses in an effort to throw him off balance, and thus win the war. If I were dealing with a man who was in control of his own mind, I have no problem with that philosophy. But now that I know I am dealing with a man who?s mind is under the control of the WTS, is it right for me to take advantage of his weakness?

  Sorry to ramble....

  Most respectfully,

  Swamp Thing