Posts by RandomTask

23

Hi -New Here

by RandomTask in

i want to share since i'm new here!

i was more or less born into the jw religion and raised as one.

my mom was a pretty strict believer, but she didn't get baptized until i was 9, "surprisingly" my parents got divorced three years later.

I want to share since I'm new here! I was more or less born into the JW religion and raised as one. My mom was a pretty strict believer, but she didn't get baptized until I was 9, "surprisingly" my parents got divorced three years later. (my father was not a witness)

I was always looked down upon in the congregation because of this, no father, because my mom had to work for the first time in her life we were pretty poor. So since I didn't have any friends I tried to be more "spiritual" by answering at meetings, giving better talks, going out in service, etc... It didn't gain me respect, but I did get some priveleges, eventually becoming a MS when I was 19-20. I had a lot of zeal and was even afraid of looking at "apostate" sites on the internet back then.

Things changed though when I got married. I was able to talk to someone about my doubts, my wife. Since she never really wanted to be a witness anyway but went along because her whole family was she had an open mind about the witnesses. We started to see together the hypocricy in the congregaton, that there really wasn't any love, that everyone was in their little cliques and the brothers were more concerned that certain ones were pioneers than the fact that they may lead a loose lifestyle. They seemed to look the other way. It was these sorts of things that motivated me and my wife to just stop going to meetings. I don't feel that I could have gotten out without my wife being the way that she is, but her lack of brainwashing helped her to see things quite clearly. In fact I would say that I was more brainwashed than she was. We felt there was no way that this could be gods organization.

Her parents and my mom tried to convince us to wait on Jehovah, they had seen the same things that we have but still believed that it was God's organization. But we already had serious doubts about even major doctinal issues and this was even without doing any research on the internet! So we have only stated to our parents that we just didn't like the atmosphere at the meetings and thats all. It kept them from turning us in and shunning us I guess. After a couple of years of not going to the meetings they have all but ceased trying to get us to come back, they didn't even ask us to attent the District Convention this past year, I'm hoping that Memorial will come and go next year without a word, but we will probably have to go. The price we pay I guess to still have contact with our parents.

I used to sometimes wonder if we made the right choice or not, whether the Watchtower is really god's organization, but after careful research I have been fully assured in my mind that it is definitely not. The only problem is I wish I could share this information with my family members, to keep them from wasting their lives further in the BORGanization, but I have to constantly bite my toungue around them. I value my realtionship with them too much. But it really is sad.

Its sad when I see my newly baptized 18 year old brother in law put off college because he gets no support from his parents who would rather see him scrape by doing some menial job for no pay and be a "good witness". Its sad when my even younger sister in law is encouraged by her mother to go to a special high school where she only has to go to school two days a week so she can go out in service the rest of the week and be a "good witness". Its sad when I see her probably someday soon marrying some guy when she's 18 and being a witness house slave for the rest of her life. It's sad when I see my whole family growing old, putting off real life because they are in expectation of some fantasy paradise where 6 Billion people will be killed.

So I have to go on, smiling when they talk about the latest magazine article or talk, or how this event or that event is signaling that "its getting closer" when I know they will probably die of old age in "this system", a whole life in expectation of the great pumpkin.

So I really wish I could write that DA letter to my local congregation like so many of you have here. I'd be free to say who I am and where I live, but because of my family I have to hide all of that. I really salute the courage of you who have made that choice and wish that someday I could do that with the rest of my family.

Edited by - RandomTask on 5 August 2002 1:47:13

Edited by - RandomTask on 5 August 2002 16:36:22

6

TO: Minimus

by JT in

jw
friends

i have seen a number of post that you have started in the last few weeks addressing or raising many good issues and questions, but do you have your bio on the board.

i would like to know more about you and your exp with the org.

if you don't mind sharing with us your exp i'm sure that many like myself would love to hear it.

RandomTask

I know this was directed at minimus, but I want to share too since I'm new here! I was more or less born into the JW religion and raised as one. My mom was a pretty strict believer, but she didn't get baptized until I was 9, "surprisingly" my parents got divorced three years later. (my father was not a witness)

I was always looked down upon in the congregation because of this, no father, because my mom had to work for the first time in her life we were pretty poor. So since I didn't have any friends I tried to be more "spiritual" by answering at meetings, giving better talks, going out in service, etc... It didn't gain me respect, but I did get some priveleges, eventually becoming a MS when I was 19-20. I had a lot of zeal and was even afraid of looking at "apostate" sites on the internet back then.

Things changed though when I got married. I was able to talk to someone about my doubts, my wife. Since she never really wanted to be a witness anyway but went along because her whole family was she had an open mind about the witnesses. We started to see together the hypocricy in the congregaton, that there really wasn't any love, that everyone was in their little cliques and the brothers were more concerned that certain ones were pioneers than the fact that they may lead a loose lifestyle. They seemed to look the other way. It was these sorts of things that motivated me and my wife to just stop going to meetings. I don't feel that I could have gotten out without my wife being the way that she is, but her lack of brainwashing helped her to see things quite clearly. In fact I would say that I was more brainwashed than she was. We felt there was no way that this could be gods organization.

Her parents and my mom tried to convince us to wait on Jehovah, they had seen the same things that we have but still believed that it was God's organization. But we already had serious doubts about even major doctinal issues and this was even without doing any research on the internet! So we have only stated to our parents that we just didn't like the atmosphere at the meetings and thats all. It kept them from turning us in and shunning us I guess. After a couple of years of not going to the meetings they have all but ceased trying to get us to come back, they didn't even ask us to attent the District Convention this past year, I'm hoping that Memorial will come and go next year without a word, but we will probably have to go. The price we pay I guess to still have contact with our parents.

I used to sometimes wonder if we made the right choice or not, whether the Watchtower is really god's organization, but after careful research I have been fully assured in my mind that it is definitely not. The only problem is I wish I could share this information with my family members, to keep them from wasting their lives further in the BORGanization, but I have to constantly bite my toungue around them. I value my realtionship with them too much. But it really is sad.

Its sad when I see my newly baptized 18 year old brother in law put off college because he gets no support from his parents who would rather see him scrape by doing some menial job for no pay and be a "good witness". Its sad when my even younger sister in law is encouraged by her mother to go to a special high school where she only has to go to school two days a week so she can go out in service the rest of the week and be a "good witness". Its sad when I see her probably someday soon marrying some guy when she's 18 and being a witness house slave for the rest of her life. It's sad when I see my whole family growing old, putting off real life because they are in expectation of some fantasy paradise where 6 Billion people will be killed.

So I have to go on, smiling when they talk about the latest magazine article or talk, or how this event or that event is signaling that "its getting closer" when I know they will probably die of old age in "this system", a whole life in expectation of the great pumpkin.

So I really wish I could write that DA letter to my local congregation like so many of you have here. I'd be free to say who I am and where I live, but because of my family I have to hide all of that. I really salute the courage of you who have made that choice and wish that someday I could do that with the rest of my family.

Edited by - RandomTask on 5 August 2002 1:47:13

176

APOSTATE DUBS----STONE COLD KILLERS?

by You Know in

as part of the sign of his presence, jesus said: "furthermore, brother will deliver brother over to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death.

until recently it was difficult to imagine how such a scenario might play itself out in fulfillment of christ's prophecy.

but, with the ongoing apostasy now accelerating, and the world's financial system rapidly crumbling, and rumors of war a part of daily life, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the stage is being set for jesus' words to become a horrifying reality.

RandomTask

Please YK, don't waste your pearls of wisdom on us "swine". Would Jehovah approve of this waste of time? Hardly.

Since we are already under Satanic influence then I suggest you help out your brothers and sisters with these matters, especially the elders as they are in need of the very education you offer. For best results, you should really start including this stuff into talks you give from the platform. Your brothers and sisters need this knowledge, not us.

You have a lot of work to do!

27

Theocratic War Strategy at my house

by freeman in

jw
friends

well it looks like i find myself in the middle of the jw battlefield once again fighting the borg for nothing less then the soul of my younger son.

many months ago i had forbidden my full-blown dub wife from bringing my young boy to cult programming, i mean meetings anymore.

at issue was the shunning and blood issue.

RandomTask

Well its just been my experience and the other experiences tat I have read back me up, that when people attempt to fight the dubs head on then they lose ALL contact with their loved ones. Fighting against the borg is like fighting against God to them and then being loyal dubs they will then TOTALLY cut you off.

SO my advice is if you want to keep in contact with your family and perhaps save them from the mind control cult then you should keep a low profile and try to instill those doubts from within. Ultimately its their choice, but try to encourage open mindedness and freedom of expression, its a stark contrast to the Kingdom Hall.

27

Theocratic War Strategy at my house

by freeman in

jw
friends

well it looks like i find myself in the middle of the jw battlefield once again fighting the borg for nothing less then the soul of my younger son.

many months ago i had forbidden my full-blown dub wife from bringing my young boy to cult programming, i mean meetings anymore.

at issue was the shunning and blood issue.

RandomTask

I don't think he is fighting a losing battle, I just think that attacking this head on is the wrong way to go. It may be the thing we all want to do, to fight for our rights, I mean I'm sure you are mad knighthawk, but the dubs will put up a big fight if you try to do this by force. They will turn your son and wife against you so fast it will make your head spin.

I think the only chance you have to get your son and maybe your wife out is to not be passive, but to be proactive while still being able to have an active relationship with them. All that I know is that if you put up a fight then they are quite succesful at cutting you out of their life completely. Its what my mom did to my dad, they got divorced when I was 12, and I haven't been able to have a meaningful relationship with him since. I spent most of my teens hating him because of the "propaganda" I would get non-stop from my mom about him.

Just think before you act and think what will give you the best chance for success.

21

I am new here

by Salsita in

hi

RandomTask

So, anything we can do for you?

27

Theocratic War Strategy at my house

by freeman in

jw
friends

well it looks like i find myself in the middle of the jw battlefield once again fighting the borg for nothing less then the soul of my younger son.

many months ago i had forbidden my full-blown dub wife from bringing my young boy to cult programming, i mean meetings anymore.

at issue was the shunning and blood issue.

RandomTask

Its like a chinese finger puzzle, the harder you pull the tighter it gets. Better not to attack this straight on, they will only turn against you and towards the organization more strongly. Just spend a lot of time with your son, let him know you aren't so "satanic" and build up his doubts in the organization slowly. It may come to a point where his mind may start to open up when he has the inner conflict of not wanting God to kill you. I know thats what started my road to recovery, "How can I not want people to die, but God does? How can I be more compassionate and forgiving than God?" I'd also encourage him to associate with so called "worldly" people, once he sees how normal regular people really are, he might start to open up.

43

WERE YOU CONSIDERED A GOOD EXAMPLE?

by minimus in

jw
friends

have you ever had to deal with the thought that you really weren't that good of an example?

perhaps, the congregation was encouraged to pioneer or reach out for bethel service or go to seldom worked territory, etc.

and when you applied, you were told that you didn't qualify.

RandomTask

My dad was an "unbeliever" and then my parents got divorced when I was 12 so the other boys in the hall my age who all happened to be the children of elders treated me like a second class witness. So I pretty much had a mission to be twice as spiritual as they were during my teens. I could never bring myself to pioneering, but I loved giving talks on short notice, answered several times at the watchtower study and book study and by the time I was 19 I was an MS. I actually believed at the time in everything the witnesses taught vehemently. Then after I got married when I was 21 my perspective sort of changed and I just no longer believed anymore, or wanted to believe. I guess I knew too many "worldly" people through work and "higher education" (uh oh) who I thought were nice, but God in his infinite wisdom was supposed to destroy them for being evil. I just didn't buy it and me and my wife were able to succesfully drift out for the most part. Even though our parents, especially her's gave us a hard time about it. Thankfully they didn't even ask us to go to the District Convention this year like last year. I wish I could DA myself, but I do value my family's association so I keep it on the down low for now, but its hard not to talk about the hypocracy in the organization.

18

Is there a better way than disfellowshipping?

by barry in

jw
friends

and can the wt learn from other churches?.

the general conference of adventists held in toronto canada.

no adventist will ever be disfellowshiped again.. voted to change the term "disfellowshiped" to 'remeoved from membership".

RandomTask

Of course there are some who argue that the act of "shunning" is unbiblical and believe that disfellowshipping should be just viewing someone as one of the nations, or a worldly person. Disfellowshipping as it is though is such an effective tool for the witnesses that I don't see them ever getting "new light" on the matter. I mean lets face it, the thing that every JW fears the most is the public embarassment among all of their friends plus not being able to have contact with them. I believe actually takes its toll on the psyche of most dubs but it definitely keeps them in a mental cage.

14

"Shepherd the Flock" book.

by Bosho in

hey,.

i'm relatively new here and wondered if any ex-elders (or indeed anyone who knows) could tell me what's so secret about the "shepherd the flock" book.. what is in that book that they don't want ordinary publishers to see?.

i haven't met an elder yet that can give me a good answer as to why it's kept so quiet.. any help would be gratefully received.

RandomTask

I'm sure you could find excerpts on a website somewhere. I find new things everyday.

The thing I don't understand about witnesses is there need to keep so many things secret. If it is the true religion then why keep things from the R&F?