My mother refused blood for me many times in life-and-death situations and turned me into the elders for imaginary offenses I was innocent of.
Posts by rebel8
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30How Far Would You Have Gone To Prove Your Loyalty To The Organization?
by minimus inwould you have not taken a transfusion?
would you make sure that your child was deprived of one, too?
would you have turned in your own family member to the elders?..........just how far would you have gone in showing allegiance to the cult?
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15
What Bethel Taught Me About SuperRighteous People
by metatron inin it's own harsh way, bethel taught me some vital lessons about life.
work hard,.
play hard, drink hard and don't trust the goons in charge.. one of the scenarios that would replay itself over and over again concerned a subclass.
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rebel8
"SRs" ( Self Righteous or Super Righteous)
I was a SR, at least in my actions (not heart and mind). I figured, if I am going to do this, let me do it right. (I've always been an overachiever, LOL.) I obeyed the speed limit and every rule they ever put forth (that one is 'obey Caesar').
Thing is, I do believe being a SR helped me to leave sooner. The stronger I would get into it, the more I would realize how much was wrong with it all and how depressing of a life it was.
I think this is why the elders were so disappointed to learn in my jc that I hadn't broken any of their rules. Dubs seem to love going around claiming the people who leave don't have the self-discipline to follow the rules, they're weak, etc....nope! Not me. I followed their rules better than they did. I left because I rejected them and their stupid way of life. Really pissed them off!
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17
dubspeak follies
by what_Truth? inwhat would you think if i told you "last thursday i went to the service meeting at the kingdom hall to hear the presiding overseer give a talk from the platform.
most of us here know that to mean "last thursday i went to church to hear the head pastor give a sermon on the door to door ministry from the pulpit", a pretty common and straight forward event for a jehovah's witness.
i asked my pennicostal wife what she thought the phrase meant and she guessed it had something to do with slavery and human sacrifice.
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rebel8
A cult technique is to use a unique set of vocabulary to unite members and insulate them from non-members and outside ideas. See http://www.factnet.org/rancho1.htm?FACTNet Scroll down to #6, ?Loaded Language?.
''Publisher?
A very strange choice of words from a publishing corporation that is trying very hard to make itself look like a religion.
?the Truth"
I always hated that term. Never used it to any non-dubs, because people would be highly offended when I explained what it meant. LOL, my ?unbelieving? dad used to say, ?If you are ?in the Truth?, do you also say that I am ?in the Lie???
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My wife is getting baptized on the 19th!
by Check_Your_Premises inmy wife is getting baptized on the 19th.. i wrote her a letter today.
basically i asked her why she isn't coming to me to find out my concerns.
i am the person who has the most invested in her.
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rebel8
cj, I too am the product of a jw mother and a non-jw dad. Although I've done everything humanly possible as an adult to try to mend the fences with my immediate and extended family, much of the damage is deep and permanent.
CYP, I know this sounds gloomy, but I do think these stories can give you a realistic expectation about what you're in for. Being in a "mixed marriage", as the dubs call it, is harder on families than anyone could possibly explain.
You've received a lot of advice and wisdom in this thread. One of the best tips I read was to try to delay your wife's baptism...if she doesn't agree to delay it, to give an anonymous tip. I know it sounds mean and wacky, but the suggestion is valid. It might be the only thing that would work--the only way to save her from a cult and a life of heartache. (I would suggest the alternative of sending an anonymous letter to the attention of the elders, rather than a phone call. You never know who you're talking to on the phone, and it's harder to ignore a letter.)
Your wife would be subjected to a Judicial Committee. Believe me, they are soooo bizarre. Just being in a JC might open her eyes. Also, if your wife denies the 'wrongdoing', they may very well conclude that she isn't 'repentant' and mark her for shunning. As painful as that would be at the time, it would probably be the best thing for her in the long run.
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Leading double life
by JustTickledPink ini ran into a young jw i hadn't seen in probably 12 years, anyways, she was the presiding overseer's daughter, perfect little jw... she's now 25 yoa, she is still an active witness and in fact a sympathizer to their crap but dressed in a low cut top, belly showing, carrying a beer, trolling for guys out a hot spot on a friday night with a "worldly" friend.. she talked to me for 5 mins and told me she had been df'd for a year but how horrible it was, she is reinstated and doing good..... but everything about her looks said she wasn't a good little jw.. i think more and more hypocrites are being raised in the organization.
i wouldn't be able to stand leading a double life, i would much rather be honest and not hiding who and what i am... but there are more young jws, including ones i would never suspect, that are jws by day, and regular people at night.
i think they are falling into the "sunday morning christians" mentality and carrying tons of guilt around with them.. i just wish they would wake up.
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rebel8
cindycp, I don't think I explained myself very well in my last post. What I meant to say is this. Yes, you have only 7 days to appeal the jc's decision. That is spelled out in the elder's handbook. Opportunity missed.
However, if your DFing has not been announced to the cong yet, it is not yet effective. This is also in the elder's handbook. Your option at this point is to 'repent' now, therefore nullifying any 'scriptural basis' for DFing. That might work. You would have to show "genuine repentance", which means you must demonstrate 1) you've ceased the 'wrongdoing' and 2) you feel genuinely sorry for what you've done.
DFing is [again according to the elder's handbook] for unrepentant people only. If repentant, there is no basis for DF...public or private reproof only, not DF. No one in the organization has the authority to DF you for past wrongdoings just to punish you for them, if you are repentant.
This is not to say they will abide by their own rules. I'm just explaining what they're supposed to do, according to what I've read. Maybe some of the ex-Elders on this board can verify this is possible. I'm not DFd and was never an Elder (just a lowly
sowwoman, you know).I hope that helps.
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28
Depression - a possible cure in sight
by gumby ini was just reading an article about a 50 year old toronto psychiatric nurse who has had 10 years of horrible depression.
she has fought off suicidal thoughts, cried and sobbed on her balcony for hours on end, spent 6 months in bed, shunned food and friends.. today.....two years later, she is happy, full of energy, and feels like living again.
what happened?.
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rebel8
She along with 5 others, had electrical wires the size of spegetti and about a foot long, implanted in her brain that sends out 130 shock impulses per minute to eliminate negative thoughts by the mind. This is in an experimental stage but sounds promising to those severely depressed.
I'm skeptical. Sounds like an urban myth.
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10
Why Mar 24 for Memorial?
by Will Power inapril 24 (sundown 4/23) to april 30/may 1, 2005 (5765):
, or pesach in hebrew, the holiday commemorating the hebrews' exodus from slavery in egypt, lasts seven days in israel and among reform jews, and eight days elsewhere around the world.
since hebrew days begin and end at sundown, passover begins at sundown on the preceding day.
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rebel8
...because they have their own "ways" of calculating it.
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7
My "best friend's" pioneer JW daughter completely "shuns" him What can I do
by booker-t init is eating me alive watching my "best friend" who is df'd for questioning the wts completely shunned by his pioneer jw daughter.
it hurts me when i see him hurting.
his daughter got married and refused to invite him because he is disfellowshipped.
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rebel8
If he is that depressed, get him professional help immediately. 1st he needs to resolve his suicidal thoughts. Then perhaps therapy and/or receiving support from other ex-jws will help him to cope with his daughter's behavior.
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My wife is getting baptized on the 19th!
by Check_Your_Premises inmy wife is getting baptized on the 19th.. i wrote her a letter today.
basically i asked her why she isn't coming to me to find out my concerns.
i am the person who has the most invested in her.
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rebel8
check_your_premesis: So sorry to hear of your wife's pending dunk in the dub pool. That is so awful.
Re your request for info, I have a bunch of info and links on my site www.jwinfo.50megs.com Links to actual UN documents, etc.
You might also discuss the ownership of Rand stock and the March 2005 watchtower which I heard is making a prediction that the "end" will come near 2034...haven't seen it myself though.
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23
Why is the Governing Body so Thoughtlessly Cruel?
by frankiespeakin ini have wondered why the governing body is callous when it comes to the rules they make that effect millions of their followers.
they enforce their ban on blood transfusions with the threat of disfellowshipment which has caused untold suffering and death for its members.
they make shunning mandatory of any member that doesn?t agree with their interpretation of the bible which destroys families and friendships, and in all this there doesn?t seem to be any let up.
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rebel8
The lack of natural affection among dubs has been observed by others as well. IMO, in the case of death, it can be attributed to their belief that showing too much sadness over the death of a loved one reveals lack of faith in the resurrection. I know that's what I was taught.