Yep, friend of mine from way back who was raped by an elder (and kept quiet about it for all those years ever since until this elder from a prominent jdub family died in very good standing) scratched the skin on one arm until it was as rigid as cardboard... touched it myself...
Juni,
You misspelled: it is litter-rature.
Van Gogh
JoinedPosts by Van Gogh
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29
Self Mutilation - In A "Spiritual Paradise"? Awake Feb '06
by metatron ini found this latest article in the awake to be quite remarkable.
while they try to explain cutting yourself as a sickness in the world, it.
nevertheless makes clear that some witness kids are committing this self multilation, too.
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Van Gogh
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When you were a JW, which would you have prefered living on earth or heaven
by JH inwhen you were a jw and believed that either you could live in heaven or on earth eternally, which did you prefer and why?.
although we were told that heaven was a better place to live, that we would see god, and that we would live eternally and never die, i prefered living on earth, never see god, and not 100% sure of living eternally, cause we would still be mortals forever, even though we could live eternally on earth.
most jw's i know said that they would have prefered living on earth eternally in perfect health than living in heaven.
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Van Gogh
Yep, single most attractive thing about jdubs. It probably also kept me in there way too long.
Never could figure why anyone, including the Brooklyn boys, were ever willing to give us the best deal.
In fact, I gathered that this mysterious incomprehensible yearning must consequently be proof of the supernatural "channel".
I once asked a relatively young post-1935 CO about this. He actually confirmed that he could not really be bothered about earthly life that much anymore (funnily, I have found this lack of zest for life not to be uncommon in many a jdub, especially those of the "elders-with-a-cleaning-career class").
On the other hand, a relatively young post-1935-late-calling-sister I was very good friends with, once told me how she'd fought against the whole anointing thing for years until she'd resigned to it. It scared me shitless.
Also, many exdubs seem to have suddenly taken up the heavenly calling after leaving the realms of the "spiritual earthly paradise".
I really can't get my mind around any of it...
If tickets for earth are/were still available, can I please still make reservations...?
Didn't Jesus say to this sinner guy crucified next to him he'd be with him in paradise? Why would Jesus then be in heaven and this other guy supposedly down here..? -
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Anyone here anointed??//
by Star Moore inhello friends, i would like to hear some stories of becoming anointed.
i have been for 5 years now.. been a christian for 26 years.
i dropped out of the watchtower in september and am learning in leaps and bounds since i left with my new eyes.
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Van Gogh
Could you guys for once just elaborate on this and share with us what this secretive "anointing" is all about?
This whole anointing business has seriously been scaring the **** **** out of me ever since a very trusted friend many years ago once confessed to me how she'd had this anointing feeling for many years and how she had been struggling with it and fighting against it because she really didn't want to go to heaven, until she finally somehow resigned to it. I just couldn't understand how God would do such a thing against anyones will. It threw me into a serious depression.
Also, Robert King, AKA E-Watchman, has been touting his anointment and how it suddenly gave him miraculous "insight into the scriptures". Designating the serious pseudo-bOrg teachings and tacticts that he and the likes of Donald Burnley (Living Waters) have been churning out as complete BS is putting it just mildly (except for his Awake! article "How to train your dog" bashing of course). His new book must be a tiresome rerun of "Studies in the Scriptures."
BTW, I came across some stuff on the Unitarian Church which really intrigued me. They claim that no-one will ever go to heaven and that these kings and priests will simply rule ON earth. IMO they really made a thorough job of substantiating this scripturally, which surprised me. IMO this ties with Hebrews, which says the old faithful like Abraham were looking forward to a heavenly kingdom. This would also tie in with OT references that the WTS applies to JW elders for crying out loud. When I read Revelation in another bible than the NWT, it also talked about kings and priests ruling ON earth (not just OVER).
Could you please answer me, especially considering that the scriptures seem to make more sense to you as anointed?
Respectfully,
Theo Vincent
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Today at the KH, Hopefully opens my wifes' eyes
by DaCheech inthe kids were sleeping, and one brother came up to me "is there a microphone on thats picking up some loud noise"?..
i said "all mikes are off except for the stage".
he said "there's gotta be something because the noise is annoying!".
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Van Gogh
Can we have the vote now?
I'm all for snoring babies during the meeting - would seem kinda soothing to me (perhaps we could all join them then).
And no, I don't even have children. -
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tetrapod: a year ago today....
by tetrapod.sapien ini joined this board in march of 05, if i recall correctly.
i had da'd shortly before.. a year ago today, dec 25, 04, was hell for me.
i was already an atheist, but had not da'd yet.
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Van Gogh
Dear tetrapod,At this life-changing moment for me I can identify very much with the substance of your writing.
But what impresses me even more than that is your writing ability: it gives me goose pimples - you are a writing talent.
Write your novel.
(Tell your editor to leave out the capitals. It adds to your message)
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seems quiet - is everybody enjoying pagan festivities?
by stillajwexelder init seems quiet on the board -could it be is everybody enjoying pagan festivities and getting a life?
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Van Gogh
Satanus,
Puffing a cigar with some trusted! exjw friends....such a great prospect for the new year!
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How often is Christ view of headship followed?
by stillAwitness ini did go to a wedding last night.
the talk was painfully boring and same as always.
seemed to be more directed to the bride at times: .
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Van Gogh
PoppyR,
The emancipated cong members of course laugh at the bOrg rules. They apply whatever suits them and leave out the rest. Sometimes it is called common sense - sometimes it is blatant double standards.
It is the WEAK ones that get hurt by the system. They take the system seriously. That's the whole point. The "lambs" that remain "silent" get abused.
Reproach cannot be brought on God's organization. So it isn't that well known what goes on behind closed doors.
Coming from a more or less abusive elder's home myself, I experienced first hand the mechanism of keeping silent.
It is hard to believe, I know, but a trusted ex dub from (not from the Netherlands - so untracable) finally confessed to me only yesterday how she/he was raped by an elder 35 years ago after seeking spiritual assistance - after knowing me for 25 years... She/he told me how for years she/he had to deal with him as an elder and his wife.
She/he only told me after I confessed to her/him yesterday that I had definitely and finally left JW.
I know, it boggles the mind...
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Over 160,000 Simply Left The "Truth" Last Year
by minimus inthat was the comment that a former elder made at the local meeting today in his comment.
evidently, he and his wife heard a bethel speaker's comment during his talk say that (i believe the figure was) 167,000 people did not get disfellowshipped but simply left.
the ex-elder made it a point to say that the elders should be watching to help out the flock before they up and leave.
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Van Gogh
Great comments here, especially observador and confession. I agree with you both.
The "truth" is based on quicksand.
That's a problem when you're caught lying.
But whole continents can sink and dissolve in lava only to erupt at the other end as solid rock.
The cycle is unending.
There will always be a customer base for a cult.Van Gogh, of the "167.000 class""
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What were the reasons you would say it was "the truth"?
by DannyBloem injust a question, because i'm trying to find out how to bring up good arguments to people still in the borg.... a) what were the reasons when you were (or are) still a jw that you would say that "you were in the truth"?.
b) and what would you say now, that were the reasons that you thought it was the troof?.
a) 1) the prophecies come truth.
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Van Gogh
A) Restoration of the earth, including ending the violation of the ecosystem, resulting in world peace and the righting of all the wrongs and unspeakable injustices committed against all the faceless ones and all those who died in infancy who are all lost in history not to be remembered by anyone. This seemed to make sense to me. Going to heaven never seemed to - and still doesn't - make sense to me. If those guys in Brooklyn managed to figure out what they managed to, somehow, make so many millions of us believe, then they couldn't all be wrong. Besides, they were anointed. This was supposed to be something so evident to them that, surely, they would not all make this all up, especially considering that everybody after 1935 seemed to suddenly believe in having the - in my eyes at least - better option of living on earth. They couldn't all be all wrong either. Now, if those of the FD&S were so thrilled about going to somewhere that seemed so unattractive to me, they surely must have had a good reason for it. Also, I believed that the world was heading for a catastrophe (and still do...). I also believed that, despite the obvious lack of love - in my opinion unavoidable in any hierarchical organization - the fact that they were at least politically neutral and did not serve in the military, was a sure sign that they heeded Christ's foremost command to a level that was IMO realistically attainable. I still believe that someone who serves in the military cannot be a true Christian. I believed that the lack of love was nothing special. I just couldn't understand why they always had to cover up (=lie about) the facts. Biblical Israel wasn't such a pretty picture either - the bible didn't hide this - but despite this they still managed to be anointed/The Chosen. My family was inside since the early forties. When I was a kid in my old cong, I used to call all the older ones "uncle" or "aunt." There seemed to be a special bond. All my early life I heard stories about the beginnings of the troof. All the old timers seemed such sincere and devout God fearing Christians. I still somehow think that most of them really were. Also, over the years I met some really special people. Some are still my most valuable and treasured friends. B) I was brainwashed in a cultish religion that - I realize now - my parents did not survive. Over the years I learned to despise almost everything about the bOrganization. Reading a short and simple analytical expose on how the boys from Brooklyn could never have been the real deal is all that was needed to make a hollow dead tree come crashing down for me. I now realize that there was never a strong healthy tree to begin with. It turned out to have been a house of cards all along...
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What were the reasons you would say it was "the truth"?
by DannyBloem injust a question, because i'm trying to find out how to bring up good arguments to people still in the borg.... a) what were the reasons when you were (or are) still a jw that you would say that "you were in the truth"?.
b) and what would you say now, that were the reasons that you thought it was the troof?.
a) 1) the prophecies come truth.
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Van Gogh
Sorry, Word messes everything up...