Thank you Skully for such a great, eye-opening post. It made me realize how little control the organization has over me now and how different that is from the days I used to worry about everything I said around them. I remember from a very young age being taught to respect authority and the headship "arrangement." My therapist has helped me with the marriage and father part, but I still still struggle with the congregation. I think I go overboard sometimes telling my daughters how they can be ANYTHING they want to be in life. It doesn't matter if they are a girl, the world is wide open for them. My dad used to use the scriptures that talk about wives and children being in subjection while beating me, my siblings, and my mom. I will never let any human or diety have that much control over my girls.
hartstrings
JoinedPosts by hartstrings
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33
Elder™ sighting at work
by Scully infor background info: two elders came to visit this afternoon.
so i'm at work tonight and just before the coffee shop closes, i run downstairs to get something to drink to tide me over the next several hours.
as i approach the kiosque, i see a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction.
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10
In memory of...
by hartstrings ini was reviewing some ex-scientology sites and on one site they have a "morgue.
" in it, they give the names of all the people who have died due to scientology.
it made me think that it would be neat if we could set up a "in memorium" board for all those who have lost their life due to jws screwed up policies - blood, organ failure, suicide, etc.
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hartstrings
I was reviewing some ex-Scientology sites and on one site they have a "morgue." In it, they give the names of all the people who have died due to Scientology. It made me think that it would be neat if we could set up a "In memorium" board for all those who have lost their life due to JWs screwed up policies - blood, organ failure, suicide, etc. It would be a neat fund-raiser. We could either just list them and their story or could go further by setting a virtual Hall of Memory. It may help those who come here to see that their are lives lost due to following the oscilating "rules" of this org.
HS {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs to all those who have lost loved ones because of this vicious cult)))))))))))))))))
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current 'light' on voting
by beezknees indon't know if any of u guys can help me out, i could swear i read somewhere that voting is a matter of consciense now, only i was having a disscussion with bro in law who says i am wrong, i'm sure i read it in the watchtower...or did i dream it??
if anyone knows what the current standing is or if there is a watchtower on it would be grateful to know ...thanks x
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hartstrings
You aren't crazy, I remember something brought up here about that. Maybe someone else remembers the article. Regardless, I voted for the first time in the 15 yrs I've had that privilege, earlier this week.
HS
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Do you still believe in JEHOVAH?
by lowden infurther to the thread that minimus stated about 'still believing'....what i want to know is do any of you stil believe in jehovah?
that is, the named god of the bible that sanctioned the genocide of millions of unbelievers.
as the israelites came into the 'promised land' god told them to devote to destruction 7 populous nations and not let a breathing thing live, or in other words commit genocide!!!
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hartstrings
I wondered this question aloud about a year ago after I really started emerging from the "fog." I still am very confused even though I've read a lot of info on the topic. I sincerely don't understand how some people believe the Bible yet don't believe in the Hebrew god, Jehovah. I am sincerely confused on how some can detach the Hebrew scriptures from the Greek.
Honestly, I have felt like giving up lately. It depresses me to think that the deity whose image I was created in could possibly murder whole societies of people. That he would view some of his human creation as not deserving of the best of life (slaves and/or women). But honestly, all my studies bring me back to the fundamental notion that in order to believe in a higher power, a creator, I need to believe in all that was written about him. I can't just pick and choose which scriptures I like. When I try to reason that the Bible is just a story, then I'm left feeling confused too because I can't dismiss the thought that there was intelligence that went into our creation. I give up. I can hardly live with the thought that the god of the Bible made me. I am disgusted by it.
HS
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Elders comment regarding "apostates" at WTS 3 weeks ago
by XBEHERE inhe basically said that these opposers will even use wt literature to draw you away from jehovah but they use it out of context and misquote it.
the majority of the articles used on the internet that i have read either on here or other sites to prove how stupid the doctrines are have the entire article posted so how is that out of context?
such a hypocritical statement when this very tactic is peppered throughout their literature to begin with.
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hartstrings
Leo, I agree. I think that is why the society makes the dubs avoid making ANY comments to the media.
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Did U Know A Lot Of "Cuckoo" JWs???
by minimus ini knew a number of elder's wives that were nuts.
one in particular used to talk to herself regularly.
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hartstrings
I have to agree with Gumby here. As a regular pioneer for over 7 yrs, I was constantly admonisheded to seek out those "sighing and crying" and was trained how to look for these ones. I remember the pioneer meetings before the circuit assemblies being the worst for that. They would go into so much detail on how we could get into, what I now know, those with mental illness. We were trained where to look for them. We actually had favorite territories because we would find the outcasts of society among them and of course, they would cling to anyone who showed them "compassion" and offered them a wonderful sounding pipe dream. Plus, they were typically not educated so didn't have the critical thinking skills necessary to assess motive, etc. When informal witnessing became the new thing, we were trained how to look for those who were weak from a devastating event such as death, divorce, or job loss.
Which begs the question, "Why are "apostates" accused of taking advantage of people when they are doing it themselves?"
HS
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Baseball great Kirby Puckett has died...
by TresHappy ini loved watching him when the texas rangers would play the twins...he was only 44.
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hartstrings
O-M-G!! No, no, no! He was my hero as a kid (along with every other MN kid born in the 70-80's. I would go to the dome all the time and we would scream our lungs off when he would come to bat. He could send them out of the park. In his later years, after he retired, he got sort of weird, but in his hey-day he was THE man.
----Rest in peace Kirby---
HS
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I left!!!!
by Hawkeye inthis is my first posting on jwd!
i wrote out my disassociation letter.
i am sending many in the congregation copies of my letters exposing the fine "elders".
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hartstrings
Welcome Hawkeye. This board has been a lifesaver for me. So tell us, what specifically made you say "enough is enough."
HS
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Movie: The Truman Show = Jehovahs Witnesses? Anyone seen this movie?
by Trojan inby now, i realize there are a couple of good movies that help to understand the situation a jw finds himself in, once he finds out the truth about "the truth".
like: the village, the island, stepford wifes.
i find that these movies help me to understand the situation of being trapped in a cult and the mixed emotions about finding out and the courage and strenght needed to leave.
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hartstrings
Wow! I knew there was a reason I loved that movie so much. The weird thing is that my JW husband loves it even more. Maybe I'll have to use that movie in referring to how I felt when I came out. Tell me more about "The Island."
I'm bad at remembering the names of movies, but there was this movie about these older teens that are watching like Ozzie and Harriet or something like that and are sucked back into that life. They see that there is emotional turmoil everywhere but is never talked about openly. Then one day someone breaks the status quo and gives into their desires. Suddenly they are no longer "in black and white" but have become technicolor; they are shunned.
That movie reminds me of JWs because the weak and vulnerable are attracted to the supposed "paradise" that exists in the org...then when they are fully entrenched they see that it is little more than good PR. Everyone still has the same problems but they just can't talk about it. Then they can't get out of the black and white world without risking being painted as a traitor.
HS
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Morning conversation with my mom
by mrsjones5 inmom calls me this morning.
chatting, just chatting about my oldest son's birthday yesterday (he turned 12 and we took him to dinner and a good time was had by all), about my sister, about us and the kids going out to california this summer to visit my parents, about when mom should be receiving her girl scout cookies and mary kay order from me.
i related how after the sermon at church my son tried to invite a friend out to his birthday dinner.
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hartstrings
She sounds like a very nice person who loves you very dearly underneath all of the gummy WT goo. I'm glad your son's party went well. One more year until the teenage years, are you ready??
Hs