Mortality bites. I don't know if being an aging former JW from birth makes turning 50 all the more disconcerting or not, but sometimes there is a quality of unreality to it. Which is insane since I've known the religion is false for a long time. It's just so ingrained in my psyche-like I keep waiting to hear that there is some kind of "out" so that this whole thing (life) won't reach the inevitable conclusion-death. But it will, and it makes me sad that my mom watched everyone she loved die and is facing it herself after fully buying into the lie all her life. How much more poignant is her experience as she is facing 3/4 of a century? Getting old sucks so it is no wonder people buy into the pretty lie, right?
JWdaughter
JoinedPosts by JWdaughter
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16
Random Thoughts on Getting Older
by Lee Elder inthe reality that all of us ultimately must face is that we get older and our bodies, and our minds eventually fail us.
i have seen this first hand in my family, in the jw community, and in the ex-jw community.
it is simply a sad part of the human condition, as is physical, emotional, and mental illness.
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41
Numbers don't lie... and these numbers are beautiful!!
by ILoveTTATT2 inthe numbers don't lie... definitely slowing down!!.
in the 40´s the average growth per year was 20%in the 50´s it was about 10%they had four decades of solid 5% per yearnow the average for the past 16 years has been 2%.
maybe in the future it will be 1% or 0 or even negative????.
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JWdaughter
This is kind of ironic because the internet won't destroy other religions. Most of them do not have a heirarchy proclaiming that you will go to hell unless you are of that particular sect. They may say you will if you reject Jesus or if you are not "saved", but they don't really jump the shark as a religion. No one is told that there is one true SECT of people all walking in lockstep that they must be agreement with. So, when there are mistakes and screwups, it isn't going to drag down the ENTIRE foundation of these people's lives. When the ONLY TRUE LOVERS OF GOD are complicit in a variety of abuses, when that becomes apparent, it is about the entire organization. When One guy or even a local church is riddled with some kind of wrongdoing or crime that is covered up at the direction of the head office (pope). With the WT, it all starts and ends with the "organization" or "the society". When an elder gets away with abusing kids because the POLICY of the entire RELIGION requires it, then one has to look at the "truth" of the organization altogether.
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"Stumbling" and Wussification.
by schnell inthis really annoyed me towards the end.
the watchtower doesn't do its members any favors by frequently warning about stumbling and offending each other.
it's no surprise that this becomes a cult control tactic where you can't even groom yourself the way you want because it might be "cause for stumbling".. with so much emphasis, it became wussification and contributed to the toxic environment of jehovah's witnesses.
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JWdaughter
"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes."
I recently realized that the biggest bully in my life was my mom with WT has co-abuser. I was constantly told how people would pick on me for my weight and religion. Constantly informed that if I lost weight I could go to a real store(not a thrift) and have a shopping spree. If anyone questioned why I didn't "celebrate", they were just persecuting me. I didn't deserve nice stuff on my fat body. Any normal kid stuff was immediately blown up as persecution and I know it warped me measurably and immeasurably. My mom would say I walked "too slow". So thus taking any joy out of moving at all when the message was I couldn't even WALK right. My feet both broke later and I have had consequences to my gait. My mom and sisters both comment rudely about what other people think(am I drunk or retarded-their words!)-to this time of my life-im 50. My sis does the same thing to her not thin daughter. Little digs, all the time.
My mom let me know when my pantyhose size was bigger than hers! When I lost weight, no matter what I weighed, it was always fake concern.Still so heavy or too thin.
Looked sick.
Why no makeup?
I remember few child bullies, but my mom was the one that lived in my house and in my head. My sister, to a lesser degree, was both her victim and now fellow perpetrator. My dad is the the only reason I had any self worth as a child and he gave me enough common sense to know things were not right, even if I couldn't always articulate them. He is the reason I recognized the ugliness of the org, if only because he was the main adult in my life who wasn't a JW, but he wasn't some animalistic, Satan worshiping reprobate or fake person that the WT told us worldly people were. He was a hero and the best of men and never ever was JW. Not perfect, but perfectly wonderful human being. Later, my aunt Sharon, who actually had some low confidence herself, still managed to be another 'worldly" person who made the WT propaganda out for the lie that it is. She is an encourager. I knew they were real, not fake. Not perfect, but truly kind people with no agendas to put others down. My mom has good stuff in her, but I'm not a fluffy dog or a JW or the daughter she wanted, so I'm missing the benefit of her good parts.
Most people are not interested in picking on me, fat, skinny, hijabi, modest, immodest, disabled or strong. Whether I celebrate every holiday or salute the flag. The ones that are can carry the ugliness with them, I assume the best of you until you prove otherwise, because most people are not judging others as much as they are judging themselves.
So, I trip through life slightly awkwardly and I'm enjoying the view as I travel it. I hope you do too because we just get the one life and damn it, you don't get to stumble me!
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I am glad to have found the true religion
by A Believer init really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
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JWdaughter
Believer, you did a jw thing. You rejected what you know and accepted biblically because the WT told you too. There was no rational argument. You just dropped a central tenet of Christianity and spouted nonsense cause you bought the lie that you are too stupid to read the scriptures yourself. Bless your heart.
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You wake up one morning and see
by A Believer inthe un has banned religion.
what are you're thoughts?.
also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.
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JWdaughter
What if they say "the end is just around the corner!" "There is only a short time left. . .it is a matter of weeks or months, not years " What if they said Jesus had already returned. . .but changed the date plus said it was "invisible" ? What if your religion keeps blowing smoke up your backside? Will you ever recognize you've been conned repeatedly? Or will you keep thinking you have "the best way of life" so all the falsehood is therefore justified?
What if. . .indeed?
The UN hasn't banned religion. Your religion is conning you and should be banned. It's a scam.
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Bro Knorrs Notes RE Disfellowshipping & Two Witness Rule
by pale.emperor inhi guys.
a fellow ex jw shared this with me.
haven't time to read them yet (i'm using my phone to go on internet).
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JWdaughter
Yeah, this is the WT I remember. I think the reasons stopped being part of the announcement around 1975. Probably got too embarrassing for the WT. There was definitely the special needs talk afterwards. It for more vague after 1980 or so. Still not at all subtle.
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201
I am glad to have found the true religion
by A Believer init really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
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JWdaughter
Babygirl, probably because some of us used to BE the troll. And others of us like the intellectual(?) exercise of there exchanges.
Gotta admit though, he isn't stretching my intellect much and he is not very good at faking being 's study'. He is not any kind of challenge.
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Mass JW exodus
by stockholm_Syndrome inmaybe there will be a mass exodus from jws when thinking people read feb 2017 watchtower telling them the governing body stuff up, shouldnt expect correct/ perfect information and basically make up guff as they see fit.....ya reckon?.
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JWdaughter
Trump was elected, therefore, anything is possible.
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My Dad wants to study with me
by BlackWolf inso my parents continue to pester me about getting baptized.
the other day my dad told me that i was old enough to make a decision, and was wondering why i wasn't ready (assembly is in a few weeks) so i told him calmly that i have many doubts and if i were to get baptized it has to be 100 percent my idea.
he was a little annoyed by this, and now wants to study the "is there a creator that cares about you" book (which is complete bs) with me.
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JWdaughter
I don't think studying with dad is a good idea. The anger issue could bring things to a quick head. I think it would be better to have a conversation with an elder, telling them you love Jehovah, but you read the article about dedications/baptism being nonrevokable and recognizing how critical the decision is, you feel like you are being pressurized to make a decision that you aren't ready to make. I don't think it's bad to point out any examples of those who baptised and are now shunned and ostracised until elders decide they are repentant enough.
If there is physical abuse in your home, please get help and remove yourself from danger.
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201
I am glad to have found the true religion
by A Believer init really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
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JWdaughter
So, Believer, you showed the WT teaching that Excludes the majority of humanity from having Jesus as mediator. As an unbaptized study, do you believe him to be your mediator now? Have you talked to your study conductor about your understanding?