I recall a program about "rumspringa" the teen rite of passage thing the Amish do. Something about the Devil - oh, yeah, Devil's Playground. It really brought home to me how very alike they are to JWs. But I recall there were girls doing the wild oats thing, too. Or maybe they were just among those who got shunned.
mamochan13
JoinedPosts by mamochan13
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40
They Are Just Like The Amish (But with Electricity)
by OnTheWayOut ini was describing jehovah's witnesses to a family member who had no idea whatsoever about them.
i may be straightforward and describe things in terms i have learned since reading about cults, but i was not over the top in any way.
i was simply stating the facts in a way that did not try to put any positive spin on anything.. my family member said, "so they are basically the amish but with televisions and electricity.
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As a JW, how did you feel about shunning?
by jwfacts ini am interested in the answers for a new poll.
also, feel free to suggest other options, wording etc.agreed in full with the watchtower guidelinesagreed with shunning in general, but not for familywas stumbled by this practice but shunned as instructeddid not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people .
for me personally, i did not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people, even whilst at bethel.
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mamochan13
I believed in the policy - used the "you joined a private club and you knew what would happen if you didn't abide by the rules" reasoning. However, I also believed that when df'd ones came to the meeting, it was a sign of repentance and a good thing. So I would always smile and acknowledge them. If it was a friend or someone I knew, I would actually greet them or offer a hug or a word of encouragement.
Of course, after I was df'd my perspective changed. One meeting a couple of months into it they announced that a young girl, about 17, had been df'd. I saw her mother's face and the profound sadness, and it made me cry thinking of the pain that family was going through. The asshole elders actually used that against me, telling me that I was sympathizing with the df'd person so I was not truly repentant.
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Book of Mormon the musical
by Tiktaalik ini went and saw the book of mormon when i was in nyc last week.
it was superb.
so many great songs and so, so funny.
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mamochan13
It's interesting how this musical has particular meaning to us cult survivors (JW, Mormon, etc.). I wonder how others see it. Obviously they enjoy it, but I"m sure most people really don't get why it's as funny as it is.
I had a weird thought - without having been in an insane cult, we would not have things like this Broadway musical, or Mr. Diety, or all Processor's Witchtower stuff (http://www.svhelden.info/witchtower/). Humour and satire has helped us survive.
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New "Jehovah's Friend" video - Lesson 3: Pray Anytime
by cedars inhere it is folks.... http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/pray-anytime/.
sophia takes center stage on this one.. .
cedars.
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mamochan13
Dammit! I can't get the song out of my head.
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I did it my way
by Roberta804 inas many of you know, my mother passed away this past week.
sitting here in the quiet of my hotel room i recalled a repeated wish i had since i was 10 years old.
"if only mom would die i would be free (of the jws)".
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mamochan13
Glad you are able to take the positives out of everything you've experienced and can now move forward. Good luck - you have a whole world out there waiting for you.
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A fascinating glimpse into the wacky and sinister world of Scientology
by cedars ini've spent the last couple of days reading up on scientology.
there is a new book out by lawrence wright called "going clear," which i really want to buy and read.. going clear is based on wright's article in the new yorker where he explores scientology through the experiences of paul haggis, a celebrated hollywood director who defected in 2009.. here's a two-part news report on haggis and scientology, featuring wright's opinions as an outsider investigating the organization.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=men7nb--q7w.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vvnsc3ah7m.
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mamochan13
A few years ago I stumbled on that site when I was doing some reading on the topic. It's quite informative.
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what is the earliest age you heard someone get Baptised?
by enigma1863 ini was curious what is the youngest age any jw has been baptised.
i thought it was hypocritical for jws to say wait for marriage because its such a big deal but "why wait to get baptised".
i think my step sister was 11 years old.
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mamochan13
Arboles - I remember hearing that talk, too, using Samuel as an example to justify 5-year-old baptism. I used to buy into that warped thinking, too.
Now I look at my grandchildren, aged between 4 and 8. They are just in the process of forming ideas about god and the universe, developing their critical thinking skills. They are susceptible to what others tell them, too, because they simply have not had time to be exposed to different ideas. Expecting them to make a decision to choose a particular form of faith that will completely shape the rest of their lives is ridiculous, particularly given the consequences of changing your viewpoint.
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what is the earliest age you heard someone get Baptised?
by enigma1863 ini was curious what is the youngest age any jw has been baptised.
i thought it was hypocritical for jws to say wait for marriage because its such a big deal but "why wait to get baptised".
i think my step sister was 11 years old.
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mamochan13
One of our COs bragged that he got baptized at 5. He said he knew it was the truth. His family was living in a foreign assignment at the tim. I cannot recall his name. But he was one of the real charismatic ones. Everyone loved him.
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My Mother Passed
by Roberta804 inthank you for all of your support durning the two difficult weeks my mother was on her death bed.
last night at 10:30pm she breath her last with my sister and i by her side.
this is a real end of an era for me as i have known little these past 8 years other than taking care of my parents.
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mamochan13
Thinking of you as you move into the next phase of your life. Stay strong.
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Anyone Else See Les Miserables?
by BizzyBee ini went to see it today - by myself (mr bee is on a golf junket).
i was glad that that i was by myself because i cried so much at the end, i wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone who wasn't crying - and that would not have been mr bee!.
les miserables the current film is adapted from what is considered one of the half-dozen greatest novels of the past 150 years and one of the longest novels ever written.
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mamochan13
oops. Now How did I manage that? LOL