Posts by Ticker

16

demons in Watchtower drawings

by what_Truth? in

back when i was a good little faithful dub i never read apostate literature.

however, when i brought a school friend of mine to a district convention he picked up a pamphlet from this really crazy looking apostate guy (you know the type, wild eyed brown trenchcoat, sandwhich board, yelling "the watchtower is a ssssnnnnaaaarrrrreeee!!!

through a megaphone).

Ticker

I thought I saw Rita Mcneil in that picture, or maybe it was a demon who looks like Rita Mcneil. Yah thats it. lmao

Ticker

13

Friends

by pleaseer2001 in

jw
friends

ok it has been a little bit since there was a fluffy post by p2..so here it goes!.

i have been thinking the last few months about family,friends and what role they take in my life.i have a good circle of people where i live but many do not understand my need to be who i am and to just live life and not give a hoot what anyone else feels the right or wrong way should be.

i live my life based on what i feel is right for myself and my kids...not what most would feel as the norm.

Ticker

Right on P2 From briefly talking to you in chat you seem like a really cool sensitive person. True friends are hard to find and I value my friendships that I do have, and not one darn JW has been a true friend that stuck with me. Thanks for posting P2.

Ticker

126

I still think it might be the truth - what is wrong with me?

by slimboyfat in

apostate literature - i have read the lot.

you name it - c of c, gentile times reconsidered, thirty tears a watchtower slave, the orwellian world of jehovah's witness, apocalypse delayed, and the freeminds and watchtower observer sites, so on and so on.

and i have been reading the posts on this site regularly pretty much since it started, and hourglass before it.

Ticker

Hello Slimboy, I just wanted to add that I left of my own accord and not because I couldn't live up to biblical morals. I was never reprimanded for any wrongdoing that could be scripturally founded. I was disheartened by the attitudes of thoese within the society, hurt by the hypocrisy, and just had enough. I prayed to God and though it wasn't easy I never gave up, I learned to rely more heavily on the creator, as it became a personal relationship. A 3 fold cord, me, Christ, and the heavenly father.

I too suffered many times from feelings that maybe I made a mistake by leaving, maybe it was the truth and I was being blinded by apostate literature. I realized though by further research into psychology, the transition period that one goes through when leaving a high control group, that former JW's are not alone in feeling this way or having flashbacks to JW thinking. It takes time, even years to overcome this, its part of the recovery period and former members of many different groups face the same problem with exiting. It helps to read the material presented here and in other books but sometimes as in my case it was of great benefit to study the psychological effects and feelings that one goes through. It also gives one a break from disecting doctrines and reinforces the point home as to what happened and why you feel the way you do when you leave the organization. Ive done just as much psychological research as I have doctrinal research and if you are truly experiencing these feelings, you may be going through a normal phase of recovery. Im just basically trying to say that it may help you to learn about the emotional states that you go through in the road to recovery. You will be much better prepared if you realize why and how you feel as you do. Some great books that deal with the psychological effects that plauge former members are "Margaret Singer Cults in our midst", or "Steven Hassen Combatting Cult Mind Control". Both of these books are non-jw specific but rather cover a generality of the effects of involvement in such groups. Margaret Singer was a Psychiatrist and her book was very helpful in sorting the emotions that one goes through in this tumultuous period of transition.

Your next best bet is to dig into that bible sitting on your shelf and really discover what it says. Remeber this book is addressed to you and not just a certain number of annointed, read it and reflect. This is what first helped to open up my eyes that not all was right in the way I was worshiping. Its amazing in how you can disclose what they try to hide by just earnestly reading this book on its own. Other then that its up to you, you can give up your search for God and be content or continually strive to find truth. To me Jesus is the truth and the life. John 14:6 Truth cannot be found among men or organizations, but truth is being a follower of Christ, a fellow slave, and humbly submitting to his authourity. Hope this helps as I tried to cover various points and different ways to cope.

Ticker

The Stone - How do you reflect on it?

by Ticker in

jw
friends

please read these lyrics and reflect on your time as a witness and as you exited and let me know what memory's and thoughts it brings back to mind.

im interested as to how you all felt at that critical time in your life.. i've this creeping.

suspicion that things here are not as they seem.

Ticker

Please read these lyrics and reflect on your time as a witness and as you exited and let me know what memory's and thoughts it brings back to mind. Im interested as to how you all felt at that critical time in your life.

I've this creeping
Suspicion that things here are not as they seem
Reassure me
Why do I feel as if I'm in too deep?
Now I've been praying
For some way to show them
I'm not what they see
Yes, I have done wrong
But what I did I thought needed be done
I swear

Oh, Unholy day
If I leave now I might get away
Oh, but this weighs on me
As heavy as stone and as blue as I go
I was just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone
I'm a long way
From that fool's mistake
And now forever pay
No, run
I will run and I'll be ok
I was just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone
I go a long way
To bury the past for I don't want to pay
Oh, how I wish this
To turn back the clock and do over again
Now I'm just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone

I need so
To stay in your arms, see you smile, hold you close
And oh it weighs on me
As heavy as stone and of bone chilling cold
I was just wondering if you'd come along
Tell me you will.
From the song "The Stone" by Dave Matthews Band

I was just wanting to share these lyrics with you and see what you guys thought.

For me this song really was a comfort to me in my exit and seems to emminate many of the feelings I had during this turbulent emtional period of my life. To me many things were a creeping suspicion at the time as to the honesty of the organization and I was trying to show others I cared for the truth, hoping they would not just view me as misguided and apostate. I felt the need to help them and in doing so it helped me, but I had to go hoping they would come too but if not I would go alone. All of it was as the lyrics express a wieght on me as heavy as stone and of bone chilling cold.

Ticker

41

Cruel Joke by Circuit Overseer

by diamondblue1974 in

jw
friends

i was reading the thread about the prospect of the wts releasing some new light shite about a prophecy to fulfil the fact that they are not growing and it brought back a really horrid memory, unintentional i know but horrid nonetheless.. the co visited the congregation were i was from and after the obligatory song and prayer, it was announced that the co needed to speak to us urgently on a local needs issue.

he came onto the platform his look was sombre and melancholy (nothing new there then).

he said he had an announcement from the governing body and that their had been a law passed that day which banned jw's in the uk that the usa and other world governments had notified the wts that they were to follow suit shortly.

Ticker

Its one of their many tactics to further prod and prick the R&F. Why would God need to resort to mind games to further his will or stimulate growth. Its twisted and wrong to put such mental anguish on ones merely searching for truth.

Ticker

25

a question

by bonnzo in

i'm a jw still, and i'm new on this forum.

here's my question: if the faithful and discreet slave is a messenger for truth why is the only mention of them in the bible in the form of a parable?

why only one time(in two parallel accounts)?

Ticker

Steve, no prob its hard to keep up with all their interjected reasoning. It just further shows the fallicy of their reasoning and how it is riddled with problems. Human reasoning is proven as foolishness with the passing of time and this is evident as time passes for the watchtower. Their two class distinction becomes harder and harder to uphold as time progresses, just as we have seen with the nethinim class that they have recently introduced. So now they have essentially created 3 classes, none of which I can see have any scriptural backing. Its kinda like the lie that has to get bigger and bigger to hold up the first lie. They have blockaded Christs extension of grace toword mankind and selfishly applied it only to themselves, leaving the scraps which fall off the table for the dogs.

The JW's basically think that they are somehow included in this covenent but I dont think they fully realize that their hope lies not in Jesus covenent but rather in a human organization. We are warned not to rely on human reasoning as it will cause one to become disheartened. This we see great evidence of as more and more ex Jw's express greef and loss for having put hopes in such human reasoning. The FDS wants everyone to believe in the back of their minds that they are nessesary for salvation instead of salvation coming directly through Christ. They just havnt been totally blunt and open about it as they prefer the members to somehow feel as though they are involved when they actually teach to the contrary. For many years such ones were not even considered JW's but as some obscure class of foreign residents residing among them which could gain their salvation through the organization. They so often like to parallel themselves with ancient israel but neglect to show that such an arrangement no longer has any application or existence in our day.

Its sad and a hard realization to accept when you discover that after all thoese years of being a witness you were only a secondary member, one who could never enjoy a personal relationship with God. To try and follow a bible that they state wasnt directed toword you or to acknowledge and live up to a covenent that you are told you are not part of and cannot partake of is too hard for me to stomach. If our only hope for salvation is stripped from us what hope do we have?

Ticker

25

a question

by bonnzo in

i'm a jw still, and i'm new on this forum.

here's my question: if the faithful and discreet slave is a messenger for truth why is the only mention of them in the bible in the form of a parable?

why only one time(in two parallel accounts)?

Ticker

If you need any further scriptural evidence please message me and I will try to post a short essay if it would help.

Just remember that Jesus covenent is directed toword all of mankind not a select few. John 3:16-18 John 6:28-35 answers an inquiry as to how to do the works of God. Jesus just simply states This is the work of God, that you exercise faith in him whom that one sent forth." Jesus also refers to himself as the bread of life and the answer to our thirst, not some man made organization. In verse 48-51 we see further emphasis on Jesus sacrifice and the bread of his body being extended to all mankind not a select number. In fact our involvement in this new covenent is vital to our lives and to not be part of the new covenent leaves one outside of any biblical hope.

The GB have essentially done the same as their predecessors the pharisee's, as they have shut up the door to heaven and hindered ones from entering into a precious personal relationship with their heavenly father. John 10:1-16 is excellent too in showing that we all have one shepard and that we will all be one flock, not two different flocks as they try to emphasize. Also notice that Jesus said he is the door and not an organization of humans and he even states that all thoese coming in his place are thieves and plunderers that truly do not care for the flock(think of the malawi incident, was that evidence of a loving sheperd or rather a counterfit sheperd).

John 14:6 is also an excellent scripture showing that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life not some man made affilation. Jesus tore down the walls of division between jew and gentile and extended this gift of grace toword all mankind, so why would the watchtower attempt to teach a new gospel that puts up barriers between the one flock? They in a sence have divided the one flock, seprated them into two pens, and beat them into submission, and also have taken away salvation from the other sheep. This in no way coincides with the sheparding that Jesus said he would lovingly exert toword us as one sheperd one flock. I see a direct similarity between the watchtower and the pharisee's in their dealings with the gentiles of that time, a similarity that Jesus warned ones of and would never promote himself.

Their are countless scriptures that outright blow the GB's idea of two groups and two salvations out of the water. Its just hard sometimes to pick up on them when you are indoctrinated because your mind set automatically blocks out any negative reasoning against the org. even if it is credibally founded. They have also spun so many confusing interpretations on such scriptures that it is hard to wipe the fog from your eyes when reading them. Its easier to see what the bible actually states when you can drop some of the watchtower bias and read it with an open mind. Anyway hope this kinda helped.

Ticker (of the class that is extended the freedom and grace of being in union with Christ as one of his followers and grateful to be part of the new covenent not just an observor of it)

25

a question

by bonnzo in

i'm a jw still, and i'm new on this forum.

here's my question: if the faithful and discreet slave is a messenger for truth why is the only mention of them in the bible in the form of a parable?

why only one time(in two parallel accounts)?

Ticker

Actually Steve the watchtower society's doctrinal approach is that Jesus is only the mediator for the 144,000 and the rest of the world must find its medatiorship through the FDS. They have essentially cut off this gift of grace from the rest of humanity and selfishly applied it only to themselves. To make their long story short, all non anointed JW's are cut out of this personal relationship with Jesus and must cling to the organization for any hope of salvation. This to me is very unscriptural on their part and a very arrogent elite attitude for them to view themselves as a hope of salvation. They have basically interjected themselves into this precious relationship between mankind and God. A place they have no right to put themselves into. They also go as far as stating that the new covenent and the bible are not directed or meant for the rest of humanity, only directed toword the 144,000. This is truly in error on their part and should make any wake up and question their authortiy. Jesus stated that his sacrifice was for all mankind not just a select number as they try to explain. If the bible was not meant for the rest of mankind and only focused on a 144,000 then why would God say its a roadmap for our lives. No matter how they try to distort sound reasoning the bible shows to the contrary and is a very effective black light that can expose their counterfit doctrines.

Ticker

6

free turkey

by sugarbritches in

jw
friends

.

Ticker

Rebel 8, that is so typical of jw's. They always blab how they will help out the poor distressed souls but again just lip service. A big party is more important then the welfare of someone who is in need. Really a greedy thing to do on their part, your the one that earned the turkeys not her. Sheeesh that peev's me off that they wouldn't even remedy the wrong.

Ticker

26

So How Does Your "Never Been A J Dub" Partner Cope With All Of This?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

mine does very well!.

she's astonished at the df'ing thing more than anything else.

she reckons it's all about control and power.

Ticker

In my case both me and my wife were involved and I was the one to break away first. It was hard at first because she kept prodding me to take the spiritual headship and such. I felt kinda bad because she wanted to continue to associate with them and I wanted nothing more to do with them. I stumbled on this site and quite a few others and when I could sort it out for myself, I helped her to see the inconsistencies of the watchtower too. It was actually reallly nice to have a wife who went through the same things firsthand and knew all the jargon, etc.. We could talk it out for hours and we both understood each other and the feelings we had because we had both experienced what its like to be a JW.. We were basically each others councellor for awhile, which was really helpful. Im glad that me and my wife were both members at one time because it helped in the sence that we had a common bond when it came time to make the break. With a unexposed spouse they might not understand fully what a person goes through when they seperate from the watchtower.

Ticker