Posts by coffee

it's odd really..we don't give much credence to king or country whilst we're in the dubby brigade, yet once we're out, we seem to become a bunch of flag waving scallywags with the best of them.. i wonder if we're using patriotism as a replacement for the loss of a controlling influence that we feel when we leave the witnesses?

coffee_black

Great points Bas

Politics also seems to create an us against them mindset...Our side is always right...you must be evil or stupid to have an different idea... Very similar to the organization.

At my recent 35th (Yikes! ) High School reunion, I had an interesting conversation with one of my classmates who is now a Psychiatrist. We talked about the jws and cults. She said she was concerned about her 21 year old son who had been working for the Kerry campaign. She said she observed all of the earmarks of a cult in his behavior. She said the cult mindset is present in a lot of areas in society today that we wouldn't think of.

The good news for us is that having been the victims of cult mind control once, we have a better chance of avoiding it in future because we can recognize the signs. The most vulnerable point is when you are first coming out, and you are vulnerable emotionally and spiritually and you are in great emotional pain and feeling empty.

Coffee

19

Patriotism And All That..

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i've noticed that ex dubbies tend to become quite patriotic once they've left the witnesses.

actually, scrub the patriotic, i mean very patriotic!.

it's odd really..we don't give much credence to king or country whilst we're in the dubby brigade, yet once we're out, we seem to become a bunch of flag waving scallywags with the best of them.. i wonder if we're using patriotism as a replacement for the loss of a controlling influence that we feel when we leave the witnesses?

coffee_black

I thought about this a little more... Leaving the borg leaves a huge hole in your life. We all fill it with something. Some replace it with another religion. Some with family relationships or a career or education they were denied while in the borg. Politics is another place to put energy that seems to help fill the void within. I think the important thing is to keep it balanced, and not lose oneself or give up our own identity...something we all did to one degree or another in the borg.

Coffee

19

Patriotism And All That..

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i've noticed that ex dubbies tend to become quite patriotic once they've left the witnesses.

actually, scrub the patriotic, i mean very patriotic!.

it's odd really..we don't give much credence to king or country whilst we're in the dubby brigade, yet once we're out, we seem to become a bunch of flag waving scallywags with the best of them.. i wonder if we're using patriotism as a replacement for the loss of a controlling influence that we feel when we leave the witnesses?

coffee_black

Hi Englishman,

I agree to a large extent. In my own case, since I had never voted, or even paid attention to politics, it was a huge milestone to me when I voted for the first time. I really value that freedom. It has been a process for me. I'm now a news junkie, whereas in my life as a dub I only watched the 6:00 news, if that. I love my country, but I don't agree with every policy, and I won't defend policies I don't believe in. I don't decide on an issue based on which party supports which view though. I come to my own conclusions after listening to all sides. I have filled my life with other persuits, so politics didn't replace the borg for me. It does have a prominent place though.

Coffee

431

Things Learned Along the Way

by blondie in

jw
friends

i have collected sayings, homilies, whatever along the way that crystallize something bigger i learned.

i will post a few every day.

if you have one, please share it.. if you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.. to belittle is to be little.. somewhere, i got the idea if i just took care of others, i would be taken care of.. blondie

coffee_black

It takes less time to do it right than to explain why you didn't.

Coffee

35

Trying again...

by CeriseRose in

jw
friends

i'm sitting here with great trepidation at being here.

i logged in yesterday, compelled by i don't know what...maybe to see who was around, or what everyone had been up to.

i hadn't logged in since i left back in november (december?).

coffee_black

Welcome back!

Coffee

138

The brainwashing around the "Schiavo" case...

by Brummie in

jw
friends

up until this evening i had thought teresa schiavo was in an unconcious state, lying on a bed with just a machine keeping her alive.

how wrong was i?

i saw her smiling and showing awareness of her surroundings.

coffee_black

Newlight2,

I hadn't heard that. If true, that's good news, because he has been reported as planning to have her cremated.

Coffee

7

The eldery at the KH....

by Country Girl in

jw
friends

while i was a kid at the kh, some of my most favorite people at the kingdom hall were the elderly.

i loved sitting by them, loved talking to them, and loved them giving me candy during the meeting, and then giving dirty looks to those younger folks that dared send them a nasty stare for my chomping of the gum they gave me.

my favorite people at the kingdom hall, and to this day, have been elderly people.

coffee_black

I agree. When I was about 10 I had a Bible Study with lady in her early 90s. She agreed to it because she got a kick out of a 10 year old teaching her. She had been a school teacher and had so many interesting stories to tell. At 96 she lived alone and still mowed her own lawn and tended her own garden. My aunt is 83 and still works almost full time. She drives a little red car...and she makes me smile often.

Coffee

coffee_black

Posts by coffee_black