Posts by AudeSapere

4

Brooklyn Daily Eagle: New WeWork facility turns old Jehovah's Witnesses buildings into small-biz mecca

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

wonderful photos to see of the present exterior and interior of one of the old wt factories.

please go to the site to see the photos and read the rest of the article that i did not paste here.. barbara .

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/12/23/new-wework-facility-turns-old-jehovahs-witnesses-buildings-small-biz-mecca.

What made you turn atheist or agnostic?

by LevelThePlayingField in

if you were a jw and are now an atheist or agnostic, what was the tipping point that made you turn to it?.

the reason i ask is i have noticed that many who leave the jw's seem to turn to atheism, versus still having some form of a faith.

have many of you given up on god first or have you had atheistic views first and then found atheism to be true.

AudeSapere

I don't think I can say that I 'turned' Agnostic. It's more like once I really understood that our personal belief system is a CHOICE, Agnosticism is what suits me best - for now.

For a while, I wanted to be Atheistic, but there were too many things that didn't quite jive in my mind. Too many coincidences that made me think (or want to believe) that there is some short of energy out there that might somehow equate to a superior-type energy. Thus, Agnosticism felt like a better fit for me than Atheism.

And it still does.

Occasionally, I feel an interest in attending a church - just for the symbolisms and traditions. There was a basic comfort in attending (4 or 5 times in the past 8 years) but nothing that spurs me to return. The most rewarding visit was when I went to a Christmas service that a JWN poster was performing in. That was very nice. The others were less captivating.

So Agnosticism still feels like a good fit for me. At least for now.

-Aude Sapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Widsom/Understanding; Dare to Think for Yourself)

.

EDIT TO ADD: Another BIG reason Agnosticism suits me just fine - for now - is because I just plain don't care what may or may not be "up there". I spent a couple of my best years believing I was serving the one and only true god. As it turns out, I was in a high-control group, serving as a free slave-laborer for a publishing company that was masquerading as a religion.

If there *is* a god up there, then he knows the spiritual abuse I've endured. And he would see and understand the good in my heart.

If there *is* a god up there, he should have made the 'truth' abundantly clear - with no room for mis-interpretation and subsequent abuse.

If there *is* a god up there, and this life that we have here on earth is a gift from him, then I've squandered several decades of my life and have not been cherishing that gift by living and enjoying the gift to the fullest potential. I cannot afford to squander any more of my life. I have absolutely zero interest in hypothetical religious discussions and arguments.

Formal religion and 'god' discussions just do not interest/matter to me anymore.

Although I consider my Agnostic, I also consider myself much more spiritually-inclined than when I was religious. Witnesses seem to view 'spirituality' as something measurable by others. I believe that true spirituality is something that drives your being, it's the driving force within a person, the motive behind their actions, not the actions and activities themselves. Certainly not an activity that is done just for the purpose of showing other(s) how godly someone is.

Rather, it's the driving force that moves you do something (anything) just because it is the good and right thing to do. Even if noone ever sees it or knows about it. That's my idea of spiritual. It's more cosmic, yin-yang, something along those lines. I probably should read a few books on the subject of spirituality, but not all that motivated to do so right now.

I'm actually quite comfortable with where I am with my own personal beliefs. No need for labels, but if I must pick one, Agnostic is just fine for me. At least for now.

22

Tv's in Kingdom hall

by dothemath in

so now that the borg has taken all of the congregations money, there was just a resolution to get all new tv's, etc for the stage for the new meeting format.. i wasn't there, but it was a large sum.

somebody mentioned over 3000$.. all the congregations in the city are likely doing the same thing, and are getting all the equipment from bethel.. i was wondering if this was happening all most everywhere?.

can't see it in third world countries( might not even have internet).

AudeSapere

sir82 wrote: The current schedule for the CLAM is that once a month there will be video shows instead of student demos. Videos currently are shown frequently in service meeting parts.

Can someone please tell me, What is CLAM?

16

If anyone who decides to have a meetup around LA/Orange County in southern Ca!!!

by Olivia Wilde in

if anyone is up for a meetup in a public place anytime soon around southern california let me know.

i am not a good organizer of these things but if anyone wants to organize a meetup i am all for it, it can be near disneyland or surroundings!

!

AudeSapere

I just saw this now... Hope everyone has a good time!

I'm working, otherwise I'd join you. If you meet up again, let me know~!!

40

I'm Perfect, You're Doomed - a review

by Farkel in

"i'm perfect, you're doomed" by kyria abrahams, 2009, touchstone.. if you want a way to get people out of that horrible cult, easily, quickly and expeditiously, then here is how to do that.. i can say with a vote of confidence that anyone who reads this book will never and i mean never become a dub.

dubs who read it (assuming they have at least one or two brain cells left) will run from their religion like flies on shit when you pour bleach on it and blow it up with dynamite.. toss away crisis of conscience, apocalypse delayed, 30 years a watchtower slave and all those other very nice books and read this one.

i read those and all the other ones.

AudeSapere

(Marking for later.)

I miss Farkel.

75

Ray's Books. And Copyrights!

by DwainBowman in

jw
friends

the copyright owner has posted a message on the internet, and can be found below!.

ray franz.

AudeSapere

To the person who started this thread: Thank you. I was so happy to read Deborah's own words.

I'm angry for what has happened with the copyright violation issues. Grateful to see that things are finally being resolved. So grateful that I just contributed to her cause.

-AudeSapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding; Dare to Think for Yourself)

.

edit to add: I still have my original copies of CoC and ISOCF that I purchased directly from Commentary Press about 13 years ago. I had already walked away from the org over a decade before then. The books helped me understand that I was correct in my decision to leave and that I would never, ever return. People can leave without the books, but having them helps us to understand that which we likely could not know without Ray's personal details of what occurs/occured behind closed doors with the GB. -Aude.

32

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 06-13-10 WT Study (HOLY SPIRIT)

by blondie in

jw
friends

comments you will not hear at the 06-13-10 wt study (april 15, 2010, pages 7-11 (purpose).

as we have seen, jehovah used his spirit in the past to protect individuals as well as the nation of israel as a whole.

why doesnt god protect individuals today?.

AudeSapere

(Marking for later.)

24

New Witness video "Do not visit Witness dating sites" be happy single. Sick Horror!

by Witness 007 in

after the sunday meeting an over zealous young elder encourages the cong.

with a 2 hour clips from jw.org!

one video showed a young sister battling loneliness not able to find a mate in her hall or area.

AudeSapere

It's funny to me that JWs are so conditioned to avoid and distrust *anything* that does not originate from the WTS/org itself.

While talking to my non-jw aunt and uncle, my single, hardcore jw sister responded to their inquiry about dating sites for JWs - like J-Date - she smiled pretty, shook her head and said "There *are* some, but none of them are from the official organization."

I started to reason with her that it is just social -interaction in the computer age. My thinking was that is is similar to having a non-official 'get-together' with people from various congregations.

She darted me a critical sneer then sweetly repeated her comment to our aunt and uncle: 'There are sites, but they are not sponsored or supported by headquarters.'

Sad.

Part of me wants to say 'What's the harm in letting people meet and mingle?'

Then I remember things that happen when JWs actually *do* speak honestly without their JW filters. Terrible things happen. Like people learn the Truth About the 'Truth'.

And websites like JWD/JWN grow and take hold.

So family members yet again remain captives of the concept they choose to put above all else - including their own freedom and happiness.

-Aude.

21