vinman

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Posts by vinman

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  83

  What woke you up?

  by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  in march of 2014, i was a very active jw, a ministerial servant, gave a public talk, was an attendant for the memorial, and one of 4 cleaning captains for an international convention of 40,000+ attendees.

  so what woke me up?

  an innocent comment from a co-worker about the candice conti court case rang a bell that could not be unrung.

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  vinman

  Finding out we worshipped Jesus till 1954. Come on!! You can't get that right and you call yourselves Jehovah's Witnesses?!! What the heck!
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  41

  The elders of the 1980s are now in their 60s and 70s

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  having just come back from the uk and spoke with some witnesses to find out how my old congregation is doing, i realized i am now the age that my elders were when i was a kid.

  and i wonder what the elders who are now in their 60s and 70s are thinking when they look in the mirror and an old face looks back at them.

  many of the elders in my old hall are now retired.

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  vinman

  I think of this all the time. All your comments are spot on. A lot does have to do with age. Being forty five, I realised I had to act swiftly and not ignore reality. I still have a lot if energy. It is sooo depressing to contemplate this subject.
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  17

  " See ourselfs as others see us"

  by The Rebel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the membership rule is simple, you join the organisation for life and undertake to serve for life.. my o.p is based on the poet robert burns who talked about the gift to " see ourselfs as others see us".

  i think maybe the hardest thing for me to leave, the jehovers witness " organisation" was to accept how my family and friends will now "see" me.. so my questions are how difficult was it to leave:-.

  a) knowing the reaction of friends and family?.

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  vinman

  I understand how a person feels this way. I currently have been avoiding the thought. But I must admit, their are maybe a few individuals and one family I do care how they view me. I just wish they would listen to me and at least acknowledge why I left. Right now, I haven't seen a witness come near my house in months. I am like a barrel of toxic waste that no one wants to disturb.
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  2

  Recommended Read

  by vinman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  since i discovered ttatt, i am always looking for a good book that can help me recover.

  if you think you need a therapist but can't get to one, i highly recommend this book: exiting the jwcult- a healing handbook.

  the author (bonnie zieman) was a witness for 30 years, then became a professional in psychology.

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  vinman

  Since I discovered TTATT, I am always looking for a good book that can help me recover. If you think you need a therapist but can't get to one, I highly recommend this book: Exiting the JWCult- A Healing Handbook. The author (Bonnie Zieman) was a witness for 30 years, then became a professional in psychology. It is sooo good. It is a new book. It is so professional, you forget sometimes that she is talking to witnesses because it is not just a book about our beliefs. It helps you through your thinking process. The electronic version is only 7 or 8 dollars on Amazon. I give it 5 stars.
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  59

  Introducing Myself

  by Peony in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've finally got round to joining the site (after over 2 years lurking!

  i was born into jws, pioneered for 10 years (met my husband at pioneer school).

  had health issues that saw me catapulted away from 'the centre of the cong' and wow what a different place that was!

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  vinman

  Like everyone, I welcome you as well. You mention panic attacks. The same happened with me. I had to get to my car to feel safe. Isn't it strange that once you know TTATT, the bigger picture unfolds. It is actually terrifying. The KH becomes this creepy place due to mind control.

  I'm happy for your escape!
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  12

  How are you spreading TTATT?

  by vinman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just wondering if anyone has used any underhanded ways of spreading ttatt.

  i mean, has anyone made up business cards or tracts and spread them far and wide?

  i would love to engage in this "alternative witnessing".

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  vinman

  Just wondering if anyone has used any underhanded ways of spreading TTATT. I mean, has anyone made up business cards or tracts and spread them far and wide? I would love to engage in this "alternative witnessing".
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  91

  Setback

  by EdenOne in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i saw this coming since my mother-in-law's funeral .... the congregation's "love-bombing" over my wife had its impact.

  i watched her drawing closer and closer to her friends in the congregation.

  then she decided she would attend the memorial.

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  vinman

  I know this sounds strange. But try to see the positive. Don't talk about the organization in a negative light unless you have to make a particular point. My wife knows exactly how I feel and why. I can't convince her. She earlier had said to me to not talk to her about this anymore. So what I do is "show interest". I ask how many were at the hall. Or, did you have support for field service? Any type of generic question works. Even though I absolutely despise the organization, at least my wifes behavior is predictable. Life isn't really that bad. However, even if my wife accepted TTATT, not all do as well with it. Things can turn out bad for her. People need the organization for different reasons. I, early on, knew my wife could not cope without it. I shut up quickly. It is like being weaned from drugs. Cold turkey can kill people. Same is true with TTATT.
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  41

  Ganged up via Telephone

  by vinman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been fading for about 9 months.

  the elders know exactly why.

  i received a phone call a couple of days ago.

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  vinman

  JWdaughter

  Use it as a reference anytime. I also mentioned in a later comment that I attached several pages of Jackson's transcript where he lies about disassociation and how they don't police people. 😊
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  69

  Why Me?

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  do you ever wonder why out of all the witnesses, you are the one that woke up?

  i wonder many times why me.

  i know many men and women that are much, much better persons than me; either they are much smarter, more humble, kinder, more successful, or just better persons all around.

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  vinman

  
  

  John Aquila10 hours ago

  Yea, I do, I really don't have any answers. Everyone here so far makes a point I can't refute. I almost have my second degree and read tons of books on different subjects and I'm still as lost as ever. So I decided to just admit I don't know and probably won't before the final breath. And I'm not really ok with it but what else can I do? Nothing but try to enjoy the last few moments of life I do have.

  When I started fading, I went bazerk. I reseached everything including evolution and atheism. But after the dust settled, I realised that their are two sides to EVERY story. I went to this website: http://thewatchtowerfiles.com/mystory/

  Many articles were encouraging. I came to the realisation that I feel like the author, Doug Shields. The Bible, Yahweh, Yeshua, just feel natural. I also studied many sites about the Bible itself. My favorite is this article written in prior to 1900: http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/inspiration.htm

  I have found great comfort in this path.

  
  
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  41

  Ganged up via Telephone

  by vinman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been fading for about 9 months.

  the elders know exactly why.

  i received a phone call a couple of days ago.

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  vinman

  Oh. I forgot one thing. I also sent them 7 pages of Jackson's trial where he talks about disassociating and not having a police system like with 2 elders showing up. Also how he lies about how you can say you are not a Witness and not be disassociated. Blah..blah..blah