Yes, Blondie, I completely agree, that without knowledge, the hold continues - for years - even without any meeting attendance. I went back to a former Bible Study who never got baptized and hadn't been to a meeting in two years - to tell him about some of the things I had discovered, especially the UN affiliation. I felt I needed to let him know I no longer recommended the life course I had recommended to him when I was an active JW. Even though never baptized, and even though no meetings for over two years - he told me in a phone conversation several days later, that he almost stood up and asked me to leave his home!!! Such was the grip this concept still had on his psyche! It was still God's organization to him! And I was speaking against it. Never mind that I had served loyally for decades within the org and he had never even joined it! But when he spoke with another former elder he had studied with in GA, he was advised to listen to me! That turned him around. Then he read COC. So again, a general pattern to unlock the grip seems to be: 1.) Being away from meetings for a significant period of time (whatever that means for that individual) followed by 2.) Powerful information to demonstrate the very difficult to accept fact that they have been conned. It's true, as we all know. Contemplating leaving the org when you're in, is like contemplating stepping out into the nothingness. Once you're free of the constant drone of the meetings for a period of time, your mind starts to peek outside the box. Once that happens, if you stumble across the right information, the fog will clear and you will see a new way. Exit is accomplished. Otherwise, you will remain in the fog, clinging to the concept, neither fish nor fowl.
LennyinBluemont
JoinedPosts by LennyinBluemont
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39
What is the key that unlocks the mental grip of the WT?
by LennyinBluemont inive wondered this from time to time, especially in trying to figure out how i finally broke free and in looking at the stories of others.
if you asked me a few years ago, i probably would have said either seeing too much hypocrisy or suffering the last straw of spiritual and/or emotional abuse.
but i know in my case and others, even that wasnt enough to break the mental shackles.
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letter from my MOM(response to COC)
by purplesofa inpurplesofa, .
thanks for sharing this book with me.
although i'm sure this book is accurate and these things have happened within the governing body, it did happen a long time ago and even the "annoited" are imperfect men.. after alot of thought and prayer i chose to stay a witness- an active witness to my ability which is now limited.
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LennyinBluemont
Hugs to you, Leslie. Regardless of the outcome, you have discharged an important responsibility. She can never say, "Why didn't you tell me?" Like the others here, I was so excited to see that your mother would share her own concerns about the WT with you. And then - when you told us she accepted COC -- and read it!! It appeared she had left the WT in the dust! We were all so excited and happy for you! I'm glad you have shared this with us, because I think it helps us all to have greater appreciation for the power of this cult to control peoples' thinking. Sadly, it well illustrates, and tends to support my thoughts that knowledge is not the key to helping someone exit, or to breaking the mental grip of the WT.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/143570/1.ashx
If my theory is correct, had your mom read COC after having not attended any meetings for six months, the result may have been exactly the opposite. Because of the constant reinforcement at the meetings that "This is God's Organization", even the extreme power of COC is easily dismissed by that simple rationalization. "They're imperfect men." I really believe the antidote is for someone to stop attending meetings for a significant period of time. Their brain starts to return, slowly, to normalcy. It's at that point, that knowledge becomes important. But how to get them to stop attending? I don't know the answer. As to her feeling offended, I think that was predictable. When we sent out our letters, one of our closest friends emailed us to let us know how deeply we had hurt her. She made the comment, "How dare you try to destroy my faith!" And all we had done was to share the facts of the UN escapade. Really, they see it as an attempt to destroy their world, or their entire personal identity. How can they see you as anything other than an enemy? It's really horrible, isn't it? But Leslie, you have done what you can, and for that we all applaud you. You have our love and respect.
Lenny
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What is the key that unlocks the mental grip of the WT?
by LennyinBluemont inive wondered this from time to time, especially in trying to figure out how i finally broke free and in looking at the stories of others.
if you asked me a few years ago, i probably would have said either seeing too much hypocrisy or suffering the last straw of spiritual and/or emotional abuse.
but i know in my case and others, even that wasnt enough to break the mental shackles.
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LennyinBluemont
I know it’s easy to generalize or oversimplify this, but here’s the reason why I don’t think knowledge is the key. For JWs who have been in for decades, they have first hand knowledge of the changes and shifts and double standards. In the confidential company of a close friend, they may even make an isolated comment about it. Many of us have written letters to our friends on the inside upon leaving, including many facts and evidence of gross hypocrisy and lies. This is powerful knowledge. And I know many of the ones we sent letters to read them. But here’s where the problem is with knowledge being the key. It seems no matter what they are presented with, whether its court records of pedophilia payoffs by the WT or illicit relations with the scarlet colored beast, either of which would be sufficient to cause any intelligent person to at least start asking questions under normal circumstances – their steadfastness remains intact. At the core of their mental powers there is a mantra that never ceases it’s endless loop: "It’s God’s Organization." This single thought seems sufficient to vanquish and absolutely evaporate the most powerful reason and evidence. And it really doesn’t make any difference how intelligent they are. This, I believe, is the central concept that is drilled into their consciousness endlessly at the meetings, from the opening prayer to the closing prayer. On the other hand, if they haven’t been to meetings for a few months and then come across this stuff, it seems the odds are remarkably greater that they will at least give the information , or knowledge, serious consideration. It’s at that point the knowledge becomes important, because to even consider the possibility that the WT is false requires a huge hook to hang your hat on.
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Share something funny!
by LennyinBluemont inthis is a true story!
the other day a buddy of mine told me that his friend was getting ready to go through a divorce from his wife.
she had been goin' out on him.
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LennyinBluemont
This is a true story! The other day a buddy of mine told me that his friend was getting ready to go through a divorce from his wife. She had been goin' out on him. But she wanted to try to get back together, so they met for dinner. During the dinner it came out she still was messing around and he had had enough. He got up from the table, looked at her and said, "There are two kinds of people in this world. . . . . . . . .and you're neither one of them!"
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What is the key that unlocks the mental grip of the WT?
by LennyinBluemont inive wondered this from time to time, especially in trying to figure out how i finally broke free and in looking at the stories of others.
if you asked me a few years ago, i probably would have said either seeing too much hypocrisy or suffering the last straw of spiritual and/or emotional abuse.
but i know in my case and others, even that wasnt enough to break the mental shackles.
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LennyinBluemont
I’ve wondered this from time to time, especially in trying to figure out how I finally broke free and in looking at the stories of others. If you asked me a few years ago, I probably would have said either seeing too much hypocrisy or suffering the last straw of spiritual and/or emotional abuse. But I know in my case and others, even that wasn’t enough to break the mental shackles. I think now, if it was one thing, it was when I stopped going to the meetings. After several months of no meeting attendance, even though my wife was still going, slowly my mind began to peek outside the box and consider other versions of reality. I really think the mind control is most readily maintained by demanding attendance for those five hours per week. Not only the steady drone of indoctrination with fully scripted meetings, but also the reinforcement of the idea just by the presence of so many we hold dear and respect. Even more than the literature and the field service, I really think it’s the meetings. What do you think?
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The Pecking Order of Jehovah's Witnesses
by minimus inwhere were you in the pecking order??
jws pride themselves as being different from "worldly" organizations and other religions.
they claim to have no clergy/laity groups.
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LennyinBluemont
Bible Study
Unbaptized Publisher
Publisher
Auxiliary Pioneer
Regular Pioneer
Ministerial Servant
Elder
Presiding Overseer
City Overseer
Circuit Overseer
District Overseer
Branch Overseer
Zone Overseer
Governing Body Member
Hierarchy? What hierarchy? We all be bros! They have evolved a hierarchy even more complex than the Catholic Church and claim to be superior because "we are all brothers". What a crock.
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Jehovah's witnesses
by tonerlungs inhi everyone.. i am here to look for others who are disgusted by the watchtower pushers like i used to be.
this cult makes me sick.
my whole family is in this cult and it is ruining my life..
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LennyinBluemont
Hey tonerlungs and beegee! Welcome to the party! You'll find much more here than you'll ever need to substantiate your conclusions. There is much to learn, and many willing to listen, as they nod their heads, saying, "I know. I know." And, if you're anywhere near VA, we're having a get-together in Richmond on October 20!
The faithful and non-discreet apostafest promoter.
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Has the Watchtower ever officially LIED?
by Dead Man Joaquin inno, i'm not here to defend them.
but you know how they love to get off on technicalities.
i'm sure all here would agree that the wt is extremely evasive, misleading, and intellectually dishonest (i.e.
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LennyinBluemont
It seems to me there has been a thread here regarding the Proclaimers book and all the misrepresentations they made in it regarding their history. Anyone know of any gems there?
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Shunned by my SIL the B........
by AK - Jeff inshunning still hurts for me, i admit it.
though i have no common ground with these people any longer, it is just the idea that i am treated as evil for nothing more than exiting the religion.
i was in a chinese rest on wednesday.
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LennyinBluemont
Hey Jeff, I can empathize, man. When we sent our letters out, two of them went to the two closest friends of my lifetime, both elders I had known for decades. During their tenure, both had been unfaithful to their wives and subsequently DF'd. One kept it a secret for years and continued to serve as an elder until he finally confessed and was DF'd. They are both elders again, and I am out. The one that lived a "double life" didn't even bother to respond at all to the letter. The other one returned my letter unopened and marked "refused". Even though I have been married for almost 35 years and have never been unfaithful to my wife (nor done anything else deserving of WT DFing other than dissing "mother") they both assume a position of moral superiority to me. When I consider their behavior, I reluctantly wonder if I exhibited the same self-righteous attitude when I was in. I'm afraid we all did. Just the act of going from door-to-door to "share the good news" necessitates a moral posture that clearly suggests superiority.
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Oh my OJ Simpson under arrest
by IP_SEC inhttp://origin.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6912406.
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LennyinBluemont
Too bad, Johnnie's dead.
"If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Rhyming asshole.
Many people don't know that the Goldman family successfully sued him for millions, but have never collected a cent since he has all his assets protected in offshore corporations which are outside the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Let's all root for karma. Yeah, complete karma.