sometimes i must confess bewilderment at peoples talk of cults: i.e.
comments like well, the witnesses display all the characteristics of a cult as noted by [insert anti-cult website here].
has it occurred to anyone that the idea of a cult is a human invention, indeed a very peculiar modern human construct in comparison with the rest of social history?
To those who say "But what about the damage it does to people?" I say "Tough shit - you're going to die anyways"
I don't know if thats supposed to blase, sarcastic or simply arrogant. I do find it sad however that people can exhibit so little compassion for others. That's like saying 'too bad your leg got cut off 'cos you might have old and crippled anyway'..how crass and how utterly sad. sammieswife.
ok i'm not at all surprised to not be invited to my sisters engagement party as she is a jw and i'm df.
i was telling my girlfriend about it and she was shocked that as a family member i wouldn't be involved.
she already knows that as far as a wedding goes i'll probably be invited to the ceremony but not reception and that i'll be shunned at the kingdom hall, but i think the fact that the engagement is at my parents place she was so surprised that someone is so cut off from family things when in an unapproved status as per the wts.. like most people who have never been a witness, they don't realise how mental the whole thing is until they witness it.
to show unbelievers how they treat someone who decides to leave the borganisation
Unfortunately, that doesn't always work. Many Witnesses don't like to appear cold, cruel and heartless or sully the image of Watchtower, thus they go out of their way to be polite and unassuming. This can make it doubly hard for a non Witness to pick out anything strange. We were given letters of non-invites to avoid any verbal communication with family - told via letter not to visit with siblings and parents during a recent funeral. Told not to attend son's wedding...relatives instructed not to give out any information on my new daughter in law including her name, what she looks like and so on. The best way for someone not in the org to learn about the reality of what it is, is to read the stories of those who have escaped and recognize the irreparable damage that has been done and all in the name of - what?
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i just checked on the stats for this week, and it looks like taylor is still #1. elliot has the lowest votes, but it's close with kat.. i thought her "over the rainbow" was brilliant, but taylor ruled the show.
I think Elliot is going tonight. I hope Taylor wins! Kat can sing - of that there's no doubt - but she lacks depth. There are times when a person sings a song and it seems to come from deep inside them sometimes making a mundane vocal into something that moves you - Taylor gives us that...Kat just sings. The notes are good, the facial expression studied but what comes out seems superficial and not heartfelt. Taylor is an entertainer - Kat is a singer. sammieswife.
any comments appreciated because i can't think clearly right now!
here's the story.... .
hubby and i married 5-1/2 years ago.
I've been in similar circumstances in the past and no, you aren't being unreasonable. I took a lot of trips on my own or with girlfriends but rest assured that in time, it was obvious that it couldn't compare. Taking a trip with someone you love, creating memories that the two of you can share is a bonding experience. Taking a trip with girlfriends and then coming home and talking about it doesn't fill the same void. In the end though, I would be more concerned with the 'stringing along' as he calls it - being dishonest or manipulative in one area can open the door for the same behaviour in others. sammieswife.
does anyone listen to phil gowan on talk 650?
he had a scientologist on yesterday and an ex-witness called in - that was interesting.
it was a good show - i think he is still getting emails on it.
It was a pretty good show. He interviewed his guest for the entire first hour and only let in one caller (no doubt an agreed upon condition of the interview). The guy hedged pretty good when asked specifics but like any good cult member with experience, he managed to circumvent the issues quite nicely. Anyone without knowledge or that didn't care about the stuff would have believed him...but....then you have ex cult members who can see through it all. He didn't touch on the shunning/complexes/ etc within the religion but instead made it sound like some benign little play group that welcomes everyone with open arms and a warm fuzzy heart.
The high spot was during the next hour when a 20 year x-JW called in and suggested Steve Hassan's reading. He was articulate and enlightening for the host who mentioned that he was unaware of that side of the JW's. This opens a door.
sammieswife.
does anyone listen to phil gowan on talk 650?
he had a scientologist on yesterday and an ex-witness called in - that was interesting.
it was a good show - i think he is still getting emails on it.
Does anyone listen to Phil Gowan on talk 650? He had a Scientologist on yesterday and an ex-Witness called in - that was interesting. It was a good show - I think he is still getting emails on it. Might be nice to have one on JW's....sammieswife.
when i speak to my old dad, i have to repeat about 3 times because he is deaf in one ear, but also he likes to make everyone repeat, becuse it's a bad habit he always had.
he always did that even when he had good hearing.
it's as if he has to see me to understand me.
Agreed Robdar. Have patience - when they are no longer here we might strain to recall the sound of their voice, the color of their eyes or the memories shared. My mother is permanently bedridden and has been in poor shape for years - she has multiple issues including a brain tumor, hearing loss and partial blindness. My father has Parkinsons. Despite all this I don't really see them as old and I never get angry with them. I see that as they age and as they become more dependent on others, their world gets smaller. I only hope when I am their age, I have people around who love me and care to spend time with me - just as they do.
That is one of the most horrific aspects of the Watchtower - by ripping apart families, many will never know that level of love and compassion and I find that, quite frankly, sickening.
sammieswife.
hello, i discovered this site yesterday and have been on it for hours!
i've been studying with jehovah's witnesses for 4 years and quite frankly love it.
a bit of background, i am a college educated young man (have a bs in psychology) and am currently a medical student.
Do not look upon a human organization to be God for you. All they can do is guide you. I
They direct ..they do not guide. There is a difference....a BIG difference. The Watchtower directs the members as to how they should think, walk, talk, dress, marry, breed, read and have sex - all the while brainwashing people into believing they are God's mouthpiece. They martyr those that have died for their lies. I would imagine with your education that you could easily understand the pricinples of cult thinking by acknowledging that cults create an illusion of 'family' by using common bonding familial terms like 'brothers' and 'sisters'. This is done to remove the person from the bonds of fleshly family and create a new family within the cult and summarily sever all ties if need be to that fleshly family in order to serve the cult better. sammieswife.
Went and saw the film today and it was actually pretty good. Better seen on the big screen because of all the action - but I must say I can't wait for the Da Vinci code and the Poseidon to come to the theater! sammieswife.
i'd like to give these judges a dictionary.
randy drives me nuts.
here is a professional man who talks like a school kid.
I love the show - but I gotta think that Paula is 'off' in another world half the time. There are times she looks downright stoned..she tries to clap her hands and misses..flings her arms about..eyes half shut..then the next time (like this week) it appears as if she's downed a bottle of sedatives she gets so quiet and is only capable of one word commentaries. I don't mind Randy or Simon - they are who they are. I hope Taylor wins! sammieswife.
