Being in the WT and then discovering the "truth" about the "truth" is very much like the falsely accused person who has been incarcerated for X number of years.
Both lose a significant percentage of their lives because someone lied to them
when things are going well, you can sorta ignore all the crap the jws have brought to your life, but sometimes you gotta let go, get it out.
i was talking with a nurse today who has to deal with the jw demands about blood transfusions, and i found myself speaking outright against the jws and their f*cked up beliefs.
if i could destroy that religion i would.
Being in the WT and then discovering the "truth" about the "truth" is very much like the falsely accused person who has been incarcerated for X number of years.
Both lose a significant percentage of their lives because someone lied to them
a friend of mine who is df'd is seriously considering trying to get reinstated in order to have his family back in his life.
this is not an easy decision because he's fully aware that this isn't "the truth", but the pain of being excluded from normal family relations is really tearing him.
he has two choices: either move away from his family and try and start a new life, or bite the bullet, try and get reinstated and then do the fade.
Oldflame;The JW cult family tells him he has to get reinstated before we can talk to you . Well hell they knew that when they were disfellowshipped
Not 100% correct since intra-family contact was permitted up till the 2002 "new-light" revealed in the KM handout. Remember that MANY Dubz DF'ed or DA'ed from the ORG! They did NOT DA from their family. It is just another example of the control that the WT needs to assert over every aspect of the R&Filer's life that they decreed "no more communication with the expelled even if they are immediate family"
Lots of folks bounced back and reinstated after this announcement and the WT pointed excitedly to growing numbers of publishers. How many are falsely associated and have no love for the WT? Lots I bet.
Spiffy the way the Nazi-isms are included only in the hand-outs given to active Dubs and not to the general public wouldn't you say?
i was reading the "news" on fark.com and one of the topics that came up was how some fundamentalists are refusing rabies treatment for their children based on some supposed scripture.
i suspect it was the same "old light" that the wt used to forbid true christians (meaning jw's) from being vaccinated.. the conversation turned to weird religious beliefs used to make children suffer and their parents to appear more "spiritual" as a result of that suffering (a weird kind of munchausen's complex if you ask me).
in the process up pop the dubs and blood transfusions.. an observation was that the martyred children are often placed on the cover of the wt literature or have articles written describing their spiritual strength; in other words certain people who have followed the rules are hilighted as being particularly "special" in some way.. just to make sure, i called up my book study reader who has about 50 years of serving the wt and asked him "why don't jw's celebrate mother's day again?".
The special "Dead Kids" issue of the WT is different in that it is the only? or one of the few that refers to specific real people that JW's are askied to follow and imitate.
I'd say that covers at least one definition of "idolize"
i know we've heard a lot of horror stories about jcs and getting disfellowshipped.........................but what is your experiences of continuing going to the meetings to be reinstated.............what did it really feel like?.
did you mind being ignored or did you understand it and take it on the chin?.................................what were your familys treatment of you during the period of having to sit on the back row????.
when i saw ppl comming in late and leaving early .....................i just knew it was wrong, wrong , wrong to treat ppl that way.. in fact i got told off for smiling at a sister who i knew genuinly wanted to come back,( the pos wife told me ) i did it out of human feelings and was then blasted.. after she got reinstated, i was the first person she came upto and introduced herself.
After the KM school "new-light" in 2002, my wife's twin sister told her that she would no longer be able to talk to her until she re-instated.
We agreed to get her un-DF'd as a direct result (and ONLY because) of this threat.
Horendous experience listening to them describe every meeting why the Org was so "loving" and Jehovah's people so "happy" The amazing thing was that THEY felt miffed when I entered late and left early with my wife. The evil turd elder asked me why I was "shunning" contact with the brothers.
i was reading the "news" on fark.com and one of the topics that came up was how some fundamentalists are refusing rabies treatment for their children based on some supposed scripture.
i suspect it was the same "old light" that the wt used to forbid true christians (meaning jw's) from being vaccinated.. the conversation turned to weird religious beliefs used to make children suffer and their parents to appear more "spiritual" as a result of that suffering (a weird kind of munchausen's complex if you ask me).
in the process up pop the dubs and blood transfusions.. an observation was that the martyred children are often placed on the cover of the wt literature or have articles written describing their spiritual strength; in other words certain people who have followed the rules are hilighted as being particularly "special" in some way.. just to make sure, i called up my book study reader who has about 50 years of serving the wt and asked him "why don't jw's celebrate mother's day again?".
I was reading the "news" on Fark.com and one of the topics that came up was how some Fundamentalists are refusing rabies treatment for their children based on some supposed scripture. I suspect it was the same "old light" that the WT used to forbid true christians (meaning JW's) from being vaccinated.
The conversation turned to weird religious beliefs used to make children suffer and their parents to appear more "spiritual" as a result of that suffering (a weird kind of Munchausen's complex if you ask me). In the process up pop the Dubs and blood transfusions.
An observation was that the martyred children are often placed on the cover of the WT literature or have articles written describing their spiritual strength; in other words certain people who have followed the rules are hilighted as being particularly "special" in some way.
Just to make sure, I called up my book study reader who has about 50 years of serving the WT and asked him "why don't JW's celebrate Mother's Day again?"
Because it would be a idolatry to place one person before another was the answer from the 50 year inside Pioneer/Elder
But it's OK to idolize dead children by putting them on the cover of the mag I guess? Any logical thoughts on this out there? I will NOT accept "putting a person's picture on the cover of the most widely published magazine in the world does not mean we are idolizing him/her" as I'm sure the apologists will try to assert
personally, i like them here.
they provide themselves a purpose to make lurkers question the "apostates".
that's fair, imho.
What kind of argument could they possibly present?
Apologist: "Blah Blah Blah 607 Invisible Jesus Paradise"
Me: "You guys would rather kill your own kids than disagree with some fanatical cult leader about blood transfusions even though they have a track record of comedic proportion, you also look forward to the day when 6 Billion people die in agony so you can move out of your garage apartment and live in my bay-front house."
Apologist: "Apostate Lies!"
the concentration camps
often times, when the statement "crimes against humanity" is either.
written or spoken, powerful mental images of individuals being abused.
TW;
One big difference is that JW's voluntarily submit to WT indignities. Like they say here on the board, "If you don't like the rules, then don't come back (or don't sign up)!" Only JW's and Ex JW's understand that you only REALLY start to get the rules AFTER you join when it's too late.
in his article at freeminds on when prophecies fail, about the witnesses and cognitive dissonance, randy watters wrote the following, including an insightful quote from barbara harrison grazzutti.
it may seem incomprehensible how the witnesses could ignore the implications of each disconfirmation.
outsiders view the witnesses as lacking common sense for not leaving the organization after numerous failures.
I'm reminded of the JW cliche about "false religion" that describes the fine restaurant with nice linens and beautiful art, but the silverware has bits of old food encrusted upon it. The question is even though everything else is nice would you still eat there?
Where else would you go? Heck, Jesus assembled HIS followers at the base of a mountain, in an open field, at a fishing camp; does it really matter where you go when the food is served with dirty utensils? ANYWHERE but there!
/ Wish I could find the WT I remember that from. Haunts me to this day wondering how I could have sat through that crap.
.
i read an interesting question on one of my threadshow many people at bethel were anointed?
how many of those were on the gb?can you estimate the percentage of people at bethel who were anointed vs non-anointed?
Joe scores a hit by asking why the religion does not consult with the "anointed" before making major doctrinal changes.
Lady smacks it to the warning track by asking why women anointed (more common in Rutherford days I hear) are only considered as R&F.
Lady; A newly anointed sister in my congo is considered "marked" because there is doubt amongst the "very spiritual" that she is truly anointed (this really sounds comical as I type it). The sister has the requisite umty-teen years in the Org, she speaks seven languages, yadda yadda etc. but it will never be enough because she is "new". Anyway when they die and are ruling these anointed are supposed to lose their gender anyway.
Joe; the society does not consult with them because it does not enhance the power and control of the GB. I realize your question is rhetorical but it's all about control from the top. According to the Dubs, anointed ones serve no purpose on the earth in direct contrast to, for example, the book of Samuel which describes the great impact that anointed ones should have at least according to god.
But God's not on the GB is he?
the united nations and the watchtower society
having researched this issue thoroughly it was.
the deciding factor on my leaving the organ-.
Wouldn't go all out on that agree to the charter thing there Morocco. It seems as if there WAS a change in NGO policy after the WT signed up (or at least claims the society)
I do however, get a lot of mileage with the WT pic showing the whore riding the scarlet beast (UN) Pretty bizarre stuff that was circulated well before the WT hooked up.
Hell why would they want anything from them any way? Isn't Satan full of lies?