Posts by rebel8

42

Feeling Sad After Uncovering TTATT

by pale.emperor in

my initial pangs of unease and doubt led me to research some things.

well, a lot of things really.

i've never felt comfortable using the bible to try to calculate dates (1914).

rebel8

Of course you don't have outside friends. The organization engineers your life to exclude all others so you don't leave.

Using rewards and punishments, efforts are made to establish considerable control over a person's social environment, time, and sources of social support. Social isolation is promoted. Contact with family and friends is abridged, as is contact with persons who do not share group-approved attitudes. Economic and other dependence on the group is fostered. (In the forerunner to coercive persuasion, brainwashing, this was rather easy to achieve through simple imprisonment.) source

You can rebuild a life worth living, a truer one at that.

27

If Jehovah hates magic, why is it ok to go to Magic theme parks such as Disneyland the Magic Kingdom and not be disfellowshipped for it?

by Greybeard in

jw
friends

if jehovah hates magic, why is it ok to go to magic theme parks such as disney land the magic kingdom?

i grew up a jw and we all went to disney land and magic mountain.

if jehovah hates magic then why are these places not forbidden?

rebel8

Next up, Caleb's friend invites him to Disney and his mom helps him realize it would make jehoover sad.

They assumed us kids were smart enough to know "pretend magic" from "real magic" or spiritism (demonic things).

There were times when I saw it like that. Now I see it all as pretend. There has never been any evidence that magic or supernatural beings exist, despite the major advances in camera and recording technology.

26

Will Bro. Rogers be DF'd posthumously for drug addiction?

by ShirleyW in

jw
friends

some have been df'd for suspicion of smoking cigarettes, yet bro.

rogers death is because of an addiction, fentanyl is what they are saying is the drug that did him in which was reported on the news as being more potent than heroine.

why is it that some nosy sister can report you because someone who looked like you was in the parking lot the same time as she was, yet bro.

rebel8

Posthumous DFing would be a new low for them. (I assume the OP was not really seriously thinking that.)

I'll bet they view prescription drug abuse as a lesser sin than risking a blood transfusion.

Gawd, what a waste of a life by a religion that values a symbol of life over life itself.

36

I was helping a Mature Sister with her tablet for downloading the meeting and then noticed ...

by Quarterback in

this sweet older sister needed help and while trying to download the clm on her tablet, the history showed some porn pictures.

how does someone overlook that and carry on?.

rebel8

This thread is meaningless without screen shots.

The most important facts are being left out. We need to determine the level of sinfulness, so details are important:

Skinny pants?
Colored socks?
Kingdumb Smelodies playing in the background?
Was the main character named Caleb?

27

Embracing, Not Running From, My Repressive JW Heritage, Finding A Few Things Worth Salvaging

by TMS in

yes, we could have been born in an alley in calcutta or with the physical deformities associated with thalidomide.

instead, we were born into or introduced to a repressive, american, religious cult, that shielded us from the warmongering game of chess, the militaristic boy scouts, fornication-inducing sock hops, the twist, as well as the hokey pokey.

we heeded the warnings, avoiding the greedy self-worship associated with masturbation, decadent rock 'n roll and anything preceded by the word "extra-curricular.".

rebel8

I did learn public speaking skills in the TMS, but nothing I could have learned by taking a class or joining Toastmasters. Those things would have resulted in better skill sets--how to speak properly without use of coercive mind control techniques.

Let's face the facts here. The only reason we had this learning experience is because it was a side effect of being in a dangerous evangelistic cult, not because we went into it seeking public speaking skills.

To use an illustration(TM), it isn't as though Jonestown survivors go around thinking, "Oh well, at least I learned how to make Kool Aid like a boss. For that I'm grateful."

Sometimes I feel like Debbie Downer on these "glass half full" threads, and maybe others think so too, but I can't help (edit) it, my jw experience was overwhelmingly negative--that's just a fact. I did not walk away from it with positives--and this is my perspective after being separated from it for 25 years.

It is what it is. Yes, we did learn public speaking skills, but it was not done properly or with a good motive.

98

Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

by Listener in

the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

rebel8

Jeehippity-hop

This is going into the Apostate Dictionary.

98

Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

by Listener in

the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

rebel8

What if we switched "beards" with something as equally unimportant?

17. What are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a belt?
17 What about the propriety of brothers wearing a belt? The Mosaic Law required men to wear a belt. However, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, nor are they obliged to observe it. (Lev. 19:27; 21:5;Gal. 3:24, 25) In some cultures, a neat belt may be acceptable and respectable, and it may not detract at all from the Kingdom message. In fact, some appointed brothers have belts. Even so, some brothers might decide not to wear a belt. (1 Cor. 8:9,13; 10:32) In other cultures or localities, belts are not the custom and are not considered acceptable for Christian ministers. In fact, having one may hinder a brother from bringing glory to God by his dress and grooming and his being irreprehensible.—Rom. 15:1-3;1 Tim. 3:2, 7.

See how ridiculous this sounds?

51

Help needed: transgender people and other unclear topics

by TeaBiscuit in

first of all, i am not quite sure whether this is the right place to ask my questions.

if this is not really appropriate, please tell me in advance, but i really did not know who to turn to, so i thought why not ask the internet... now, i know many of you are apostates and i'm not really looking for "leave it all behind you" answers, but really for experiences, thoughts and ideas... as well as maybe some verses if you can think of any.. anyway, first things first.

since this is very anonymous and i'd like to keep it that way, i will not give you my name, but still, i think some background info might be helpful.

rebel8

Why did Jehovah create transgendered animals?

51

Help needed: transgender people and other unclear topics

by TeaBiscuit in

first of all, i am not quite sure whether this is the right place to ask my questions.

if this is not really appropriate, please tell me in advance, but i really did not know who to turn to, so i thought why not ask the internet... now, i know many of you are apostates and i'm not really looking for "leave it all behind you" answers, but really for experiences, thoughts and ideas... as well as maybe some verses if you can think of any.. anyway, first things first.

since this is very anonymous and i'd like to keep it that way, i will not give you my name, but still, i think some background info might be helpful.

rebel8

Be like the Boreans. The Society has encouraged it; here's proof from WTS literature:

http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/religion_-_verify.html

45

Died Due To Refusing Blood Transfusion

by rrb2016 in

well, last monday my mother, a jehovah's witness since her baptism in 1968 died last week because she would not accept a blood transfusion.

she was 76 and had lung and skin cancer.

i know that the cancer would have gotten her anyway, but she was bleeding internally, and was told that she needs a blood transfusion, as her blood count went all the way down to 3.2 (should be 12-14.

rebel8

Sorry (( ))