And thank you all for reading my post and 'specially to those who took the time to respond. It's something I've wanted to write for a while.
I in NO WAY wanted to invalidate or diminish the pain and suffering that this cult has caused us. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just don't think realistically it's going away. They're too crafty. Hopefully, I'm wrong and everyone (even those in other cults) can be freed from this spiritual raping machine. We can hope. We MUST hope.
Dungbeetle,
You brought out some most impressive thoughts, i.e.: "The other thing that concerns me is the social burden. Many of the children of Jehovah's Witnesses grow up to need a tremendous amount of community resources just to STAY ALIVE...I can give you stories, people I have personally met. Then they need community resources to rebuild their lives and finally to build a new life. If it really is true that the Watchtower is a burden to Society, I believe it should be made to pay somehow."
It got me to thinking about other ways it's a tremendous social burden. For example, SO much of the preaching work 9os subsidized by the Taxpayer. At least where I came from, single mom pioneers, encouraged to stay on welfare to keep up their pioneering instead of getting their educations, or joining welfare to work programs. And even whole families on welfare, even having more children so they could remain on and do more for so-called Jehovah's organization. Interesting indeed. I wonder if a survey could be done on how many able bodied witnesses accept some kind of aid from the government--a government which they have in the past denounced as Satan's organization.
Much food for thought. Thank you.
Love,
Bridgette
Bridgette
JoinedPosts by Bridgette
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Why don't we ALL just shut up and go away!
by Bridgette inso, why dont we all just shut up and leave the wtbts alone to its work?
this question comes up frequently from those still inside the organization.
i want to address this question from my humble pov.
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Bridgette
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Why don't we ALL just shut up and go away!
by Bridgette inso, why dont we all just shut up and leave the wtbts alone to its work?
this question comes up frequently from those still inside the organization.
i want to address this question from my humble pov.
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another glorious greatcrowd.net page...
by Princess inthis made me ill...[>:(].
note what philologus posted.. princess.
scottish jas .
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Bridgette
Yes, the likening of humans to fertilizer and the general dehumanizing of individuals or groups (i.e., "refuse", "stinking", "infectious") is what you have to teach people (even if it IS covertly) in order for normally loving human beings to accept with glee that over 6 billion people will die. Sad. Hitler used similar propoganda towards the Jews to gather the support of his sick agenda. His propogana films depicted Jews to disease ridden rats running rampant in sewage and on the streets. That's what made it easy for the masses to slaughter 6 million of them. They were no longer human anymore. They were worse.
Sad, sad, sad.
Thank you for posting this, Princess. If nothing else, maybe if people, who I believe without this maniacal religion, are loving at their core, will see what these beleifs are doing to them.
Oh well, I don't hate them. I don't see JW's as refuse, infectious, fertilizer etc.
Bridgette -
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Family About to Disown Me
by Moridin inwell i finally got the guts to tell my mother that i had enlisted in the army.
she didn't say a whole lot to me, but she did tell my sister she was calling the elders and that when i was df'd she would have nothing to do with me.
i can't say that it suprises me too much, but i was hoping for more of an adult reaction.
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Bridgette
((((Moridin))))
Thank you for what you do. Thank your wife, too.
And thank all of you who are in the armed forces, protecting our right to gripe, bitch etc.
May we never forget.
Love,
Bridgette
p.s. Do tell your recruiter that your JW family is violently opposed regarding the asthma issue. We do tests where I work to rule out asthma all the time for the military--it has to be significant. Shouldn't be a big deal. Good luck to you. -
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Why don't we ALL just shut up and go away!
by Bridgette inso, why dont we all just shut up and leave the wtbts alone to its work?
this question comes up frequently from those still inside the organization.
i want to address this question from my humble pov.
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Bridgette
So, why DON’T we all just shut up and leave the WTBTS alone to it’s “work”? This question comes up frequently from those still inside the organization. I want to address this question from my humble POV. First of all, I think it behooves us all to remember that the WTBTS, in the grand, cosmic scheme of things is quite minute. It is only because it has touched our lives (usually quite negatively, but not always), that it APPEARS to be the center of the universe. It is not. It’s actually quite a silly little group when you stand back and look at them. Pretend like you were never one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, or touched by them in anyway. Pretend you’re watching a documentary on them. It’s laughable. Take away the EXTREME collective paranoia, and the sick glee most express at over 6billion people dying, and it’s almost a loveable, albeit annoying, quirky sub-section of Americana. It’s sort of a religious Amway. The Multi-Level-Marketing Pyramid of the religious world.
So, given this, why don’t we all just shut up, and quietly slink out of the Kingdom Hall with our shoulders slumped, and our tail between our legs (to coin a phrase from Tallyman) and never dare utter a word about the WTBTS? Why do we lurk and post here? Some of us embarking on mountainous research projects, building webpages, cult exodus groups,etc. I believe this: we are all here to heal and/or to help others heal. Some people here are extremely angry. It’s like the abused child (and many of us were literally physically and definitely emotionally abused with the sanction of this organization), who cannot make the non-confrontational break with the abusive parent. These are the fighters. After years of stifling their emotions, and having everything about their human individuality devalued, when some find their voice—they are fire spewing dragons. Others are the eternal peacemakers. Perhaps they are more objective. They can see some of the good things about growing up in or having been touched by the organization. They want to remember the happy times with “mother”: the times “she” wasn’t beating or belittling them.We’re all here to learn and heal. I try not to judge how people need to heal.
Despite appearances, however, what people would do well to remember is that there is a whole world out here. Those of us who have made our exit from the organization known as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (a.k.a. Jehovah’s Witnesses) more times than not, have rich full lives since leaving, and are FAR FROM destitute, spiritually deprived, debauched individuals the cult would have you believe all who leave become. Many of us have gone on to non-dysfunctional relationships, overcome debilitating depression (which mysteriously disappears after leaving the ORG) received our education, gone on to careers, and have rich social lives that are not hindered by how much “time” a person puts in, how many meetings they make, or how dedicated to a human organization they are.
Which brings me to another reason why I think we’re here. This organization has, up to now, insisted on exclusive devotion up to cutting off one’s family and even death, for policies that have changed, and prophecies that have proven false. With a track record such as this, it HAS to be questioned. Even WITHOUT a track record like that, any person, or group that purports to be GOD’S ONLY SPOKESPERSON ON EARTH and attempts to hold people THAT tightly MUST BE QUESTIONED—TOO MUCH IS AT STAKE TO SIMPLY HAND OVER YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CHILDREN’S LIVES TO A GROUP OF HUMANS. So we’re here with our knowledge and voices for those who are thinking of joining, so they can get an alternative view point from those of us who’ve been there and for those who’s voices cannot be heard from within, especially the children, who have no choice in the matter. And to be a safe haven where those who stumble out broken and bruised to let them know—THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
Now, is this religious corporation going away anytime soon? I think not. Do I want IT to go away, like they would like myself and others to go away? Heavens no! Whose got that kind of resources or the inclination to bring down a corporation of that size? If nothing else, I think of the people in (like my mother) who need to be told what to do. They need the org like a heroine addict needs their next fix. They will lie to themselves and others, they will degrade themselves to no end, lying back and quietly taking whatever it is “mother” offers. This is sickening to those of us who crave freethought and spirituality, but this is the simple truth of the matter. Where would some be without “mother”? They would be emotionally shipwrecked. No, the org will probably be here for the long-haul. They’ve learned some very impressive survival lessons, and the name of the game today is PR (public relations). I believe this is why they are branching out into the lesser developed lands via the NGO UN sanction to obtain the fresh blood they desperately need to survive that they can no longer get in the more developed countries whose populace has more access to education.
Now, are we, the questioners--the dissenters going anywhere? No. We are necessary for reasons denoted above. BUT are we making a difference? Yes. The organization, while not going anywhere, IS changing, my friends. Do we honestly think they would willingly change if they could continue in their power-crazed course unimpeded, unquestioned? I am glad they are changing. They are mainstreaming, and with this, their chokehold on people’s consciences and spirituality will diminish. They may even become useful in the worldwide scheme of things--NOT with their silly magazines (however, if these became truly educational, that would be great)-–feeding the hungry, building schools, supporting the UN charters—in other words—SECULARIZING. As for our part, I’m proud to be here. We’re doing what we need to. In the words of the great Frederick Douglas when asked on his deathbed how civil rights should proceed: “agitate—AGITATE!”. We’ll always be watching. And we won’t be silenced while people are being oppressed.
Thank you for letting me vent and heal in my own way.
Love,
Bridgette"Believing is easier than thinking. Hence so many more believers than thinkers." --Bruce Calvert
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how long were you out before...
by lydia inhello all.. i'm just trying to get a handle on everyone in here..so how long have all of you been out of the borg?
also how long was it till you got on here??.
lydia
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Jon passed away this morning
by jonjonsimons inmy name is kevin and i am jon's partner.
jon gave me his password a few weeks ago and asked me to post to the board if something happened to him.
as some of you know jon had been undergoing cancer treatment since the end of july.
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Does anyone know about....
by lydia inokay, i've seen lots of posts with references to this subject, but does anyone know of the percentage of child molsetations, or incest that occurs as an average in the dub org??.
i'm trying to get a handle as to how big of a problem?or how common a problem, this is for the children who have been raised in this enviroment.. anyone who can help me to understand - thanks in advance!!.
lydia
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Bridgette
I have to agree, that it is probably not more or less per capita from within the org as opposed to outside of it. What is at issue is, the archaic way of dealing with it, which is protective of the offender. They have only changed minutely to bow to public opinion. Growing up when I, and others did, this was NOT the case. The offender, in the interest of protecting the org. was protected at all costs. They were highly discouraged from reporting to authorities, or revealing it in a manner even within the org in order to protect the children of congregations. I remember when the Catholic Church was taking her licks on this issue (deservedly so), and the WTBTS ravaged her publicly via it's magazines. They used this issue as a clear indication that the Catholic Church was not God's organization (*duh, alert the media) so, by their same standards of judgement, they must NOT have god's favor. Why is it always so different for the witnesses than for the churches in their eyes? Absurd.
Pax,
Bridgette"Believing is easier than thinking. Hence so many more believers than thinkers." --Bruce Calvert
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"Hey there all you lurkey ones..."
by Simon inhmmn, doesn't quite work does it?
ok...we'll stick with 'thirsty' then .
why not register and make a post or two...ask a question...make a statement...whatever !.
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Bridgette
Welcome all!! It's like we always know there are those eyes peeking out of the darkness at us, but it's nice to finally "put a face with the lurkers"! Great to "meet you all".
Englishman,
you said "Walking home afterwards, I felt a strange sense of excitement. I've still got it!"
That is EXACTLY how I feel. Except I was DRIVING home, I rolled down the window, and took a sweet breath of freedom, and have NEVER looked back. I feel fresh and alive everyday, after having suffered debilitating depression while in the org most of my life. No, this isn't a soap commercial, it's just how I feel being out--GRRRREAT!
Anyway, all the newbies, whether you stay or go, never stop questioning or living out loud.
Love,
Bridgette -
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a new religion?
by Deacon inok. i finally went and got myself well and truly immersed in the lawful side of being ordained as a religious minister...yes folk, all the legals have been truly investigated and complied with and i can now well and truly start my own church and take weddings and funerals etc.... now...i dont want to be a "reverend".. but i do want to well and truly investigate the entire bible to see what the real message is..and i want to see where i/we go from here.... if any one is serious about pursuing some serious bible discussion...then email me.... thats all the well and trulys for this evening lol
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Bridgette
Dear Deacon,
Will you entertain thoughts of other so-called holy books? Or is the bible going to be "it" for a while? Also, will you use any of the apocryphia (sp?).
Asking in sincerity,
Bridgette"Believing is easier than thinking. Hence so many more believers than thinkers." --Bruce Calvert