betterdaze

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Posts by betterdaze

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  85

  Mormons getting hollowed out: The tipping point has occurred.

  by Qcmbr in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ever since mitt romney turned the spotlight on the lds church a growing tsunami of disaffection has been accelerated and brought to a head.. the lds core faithful members are leaving in increasing numbers such that growth has not simply stagnated in the west but it has actively reversed.

  to their credit the church is responding aggressively but not only is it too late, it is an impossible task.

  you can only paint sh*t so many ways.

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  betterdaze

  The article below is from two years ago, but it highlights the similar trend with limited Watchtower growth, *excepting* immigrant communities.
  
  N.J. Mormon community to build church in Newark
  
  Many of the new members are first- and second-generation Latin American immigrants who have flowed into New Jersey, and elsewhere in the nation, over the past two decades, said Kim Smith, a professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, former Short Hills resident and past Scotch Plains stake president.
  
  John Almeida, president of Newark’s English-speaking Mormon group, said about a third of all congregations are Hispanic, many coming from Ecuador, Brazil and elsewhere in South and Central America. Ramirez, for example, said he converted to Mormonism in native Peru before moving to Newark in 1979.
  
  
  Presently, there are three different congregations in Newark: Portuguese, Spanish and English-speaking groups. They rent space in the Wilson Towers in Newark’s Ironbound, and stagger their Sunday services so there is room for everyone.
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  20

  Homeless HitchHiker saves Woman from Jesus Attack w Hatchet

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  how great would it be for it to turn out that this dude is an exjw (watch it till the end, you'll understand):.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckfbgdzor_0.

  http://youtu.be/4y7i1ascs5o.

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  betterdaze

  Update:

  Famed hitchhiker 'Kai' arrested in Philadelphia, charged in Clark lawyer's murder

  Kai arrested in Philadelphia for New Jersey murder
• 
  36

  Ok EVERYONE- want to know who is going to be reading this website and others?

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while everyone has been bickering back and forth, i decided to do something positive to move forward.

  as most of you know back in jan our family marked us as apostates and started shunning us.. so i wrote to all of my congress-people and told them what is going on with the jw's.

  i told them how they are breaking up families, teaching the children intolerance, etc.

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  betterdaze

  LOL Roberta! "Truth or Consequences" fits the bill but that's already been taken by an old game show.

  Jehovah's Juveniles? Witnesses Gone Wild? Preach or Perish!
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  36

  Ok EVERYONE- want to know who is going to be reading this website and others?

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while everyone has been bickering back and forth, i decided to do something positive to move forward.

  as most of you know back in jan our family marked us as apostates and started shunning us.. so i wrote to all of my congress-people and told them what is going on with the jw's.

  i told them how they are breaking up families, teaching the children intolerance, etc.

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  betterdaze

  Hi Newly Enlightened, I got your PM with the link and responded…
  
  I appreciate your efforts in getting the word out to your elected representatives. If ever a JW-related case arises in her district, she and her staff have a point of reference from a constituent who tried to educate them about WT policies and abuses.
  
  That is a *good thing*!
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  36

  Ok EVERYONE- want to know who is going to be reading this website and others?

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while everyone has been bickering back and forth, i decided to do something positive to move forward.

  as most of you know back in jan our family marked us as apostates and started shunning us.. so i wrote to all of my congress-people and told them what is going on with the jw's.

  i told them how they are breaking up families, teaching the children intolerance, etc.

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  betterdaze

  I also threw in there the quote from the psychologists in Norway that said JW's were raising the next generation of serial killers.

  
  
  
  I'd like to see that. Do you have a link?
• 
  106

  WT SHUNNING POLICY: What has it done, or could it do to you?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi y'all, this is mrs. flipper.

  please share your experiences with this, or possible consequences of being outed.. this recent controversy and resulting arguments all stem from people being outed - possibly losing friends and family because most jw's will blindly follow the watchtower's rules to shun them.. among people i know and experiences read here, the grief and loss caused by this is terrible, and maybe now is a good time to put up some experiences here, and put the focus on the worst villians of all - wt policymakers..

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  betterdaze

  One of the possible consequences of being outed is being cut out of your parent's will. Better to remain on the inactive list, maybe attend the Memorial or a few special talks to keep the old folks at bay, than have your family's heritage thrown away to the Watchtower $ociety.
  
  It pits siblings and spouses against each other. I can't tell you how many times I've read here about grandparents who've never even met their grandchildren. Heartbreaking!
  
  Another possible consequence is losing your only source of income, if you work for JWs and need a good reference to move on. In this economy, many are stuck in jobs they can't move from, and afraid of losing their homes if they do. Even worse for former FT pioneers and Bethelites who spent their young college and working years in the cult and are still catching up to their peers out in the world.
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  20

  MUST READ: Books for Young JWs - a Required Reading List

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been contemplating a list of works of fiction that should be read by every young jehovah's witness, (12 - 18 years old).

  the goal is to plant seeds of truth and critical thinking skills which could ultimately invoking cognitive dissonance and help them wake up to the truth about "the truth" (ttatt).

  my idea is an adaptation of steven hassan's approach of not attacking a cult members beliefs directly, but rather indirectly by getting them to look at other similar belief systems and social structures, in this case fictional ones that mirror many of the destructive, oppressive features of jehovah's witnesses.

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  betterdaze

  Finding Fish: A Memoir

  Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. He ultimately came to live with a foster family, where he endured near-constant verbal and physical abuse. In his mid-teens he escaped and enlisted in the navy, where he became a man of the world, raised by the family he created for himself.
  
  Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born -- first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who would eventually become one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters.
  
  A tumultuous and ultimately gratifying tale of self-discovery written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish is an unforgettable reading experience.
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  23

  'The Matrix' and 'The Village'

  by JWB in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  'the matrix' and 'the village'.

  elsewhere someone created a thread concerning the novels '1984' and 'animal farm' as being relevant to the wts.

  i would also like to add a thread to draw suggestions for movies.. .

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  betterdaze

  Antwone Fisher
  
  Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.
  
  
  Based on Finding Fish: A Memoir
  
  Fisher was born in prison to an incarcerated mother and a father who had been shot by a girlfriend. After being placed in foster care, Fisher was treated brutally and blamed for his own misfortunes. He was also sexually abused by a woman who often babysat him from around age 3 to 8. He then was sent to George Junior Republic. Eventually, he found his way into a stable job in the Navy.

  Later, Fisher became a security guard at Sony Pictures Studios, where his story inspired producer Todd Black to make a film, Antwone Fisher, based on his story.

  http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Fish-Antwone-Q-Fisher/dp/0060007788
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  20

  MUST READ: Books for Young JWs - a Required Reading List

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been contemplating a list of works of fiction that should be read by every young jehovah's witness, (12 - 18 years old).

  the goal is to plant seeds of truth and critical thinking skills which could ultimately invoking cognitive dissonance and help them wake up to the truth about "the truth" (ttatt).

  my idea is an adaptation of steven hassan's approach of not attacking a cult members beliefs directly, but rather indirectly by getting them to look at other similar belief systems and social structures, in this case fictional ones that mirror many of the destructive, oppressive features of jehovah's witnesses.

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  betterdaze

  The Bear That Wasn't
  Though appearing as a children's book, this story takes a critical and satirical look at aspects of society. It revolves around the concept of people believing a repeated idea even though it may not be true. People have a tendency to shift their views if a concept is hammered into them over and over again, like the bear being told he is a "silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat". The bear eventually succumbs to this mistaken assumption, believing he is a man even though he had previously known otherwise, just as humans shift their views on a topic because of repetitive information, or because 'they all say it is true, therefore it must be'. Yet, in the end, the bear, who is cold in winter, reverts back to what he really is - a bear - and finds shelter in a cave. This idea covers the concept of people never changing due to outside influence. Though a person may change for someone else, when placed in a difficult position, they revert back to old habits - just like the bear hibernating. Whether something's fact or fiction, it is what it is and doesn't change - no matter how many people believe otherwise.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Wasnt-Dover-Childrens-Classics/dp/0486466191
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  11

  JW's join the Bogota Colombia book fair trade 2013

  by OneDayillBeFree in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  link will be below.

  there's an email that's been floating around all over the jdub's emails and it somehow got sent to me.

  i don't know if there's already been a post on this but i thought i should share.

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  betterdaze

  What's the guy on the iPad signing?