Posts by Guest with Questions

9

Update on my surgery, biopsy, etc

by asleif_dufansdottir in

jw
friends

i had my colonoscopy and hemorrhoid surgery yesterday (sorry if that's oversharing but it's easier just to say what type of surgery up front ;) ).. the prep for the colonoscopy was difficult, i couldn't have anything but clear liquids the day before, in addition to special stuff you have to drink to, as grandpa would have said, "clean you out good", and not even water yesterday.

that was difficult because my check-in time was so late (2 pm).

that was made even worse when i got back to pre-op and the nurse said my doctor was running 2-3 hours behind due to a particularly difficult surgery that morning (just what i wanted, last surgery of a hard day!!).

Guest with Questions

So glad for you that it's not cancer. Hope you feel better soon. I sometimes wonder which is worse, pain or nausea.

As far as your husband acting like a jerk.... I think most men can't handle it when someone is sick, especially their wife or kids. My husband has never been helpful when I've been sick. Even when I gave birth to our son 25 years ago, he would quickly pop in and say that he couldn't stay too long because he was going sailing. I was in for 18 days with an infection. Yet when he is sick I take care of him. Don't know what it is. Maybe they feel because they can't fix it they walk away.

Anyway so glad you are better. The not knowing can take a toll on you.

15

Is it easier for a witness (vs Christian) to stop believing in God?

by Guest with Questions in

i dont have any statistics but am curious if there could be any truth to it; that it might be easier for a witness to stop believing vs a christian.

i dont see this at any of the churches i have attended; people leaving in droves with some totally discarding any belief.. 1 the jw org is the only truth.

you question its authority, then you question god.

Guest with Questions

I don’t have any statistics but am curious if there could be any truth to it; that it might be easier for a witness to stop believing vs a Christian. I don’t see this at any of the churches I have attended; people leaving in droves with some totally discarding any belief.

1 The JW Org is the ONLY truth. You question it’s authority, then you question God. If the JW Org is wrong, then there is no God. (What my mother told me)

2 JW wonder, if this is not the truth, where will I go? You can’t go to another church because they are all of the devil. (I realize that many do end up going to church but I am wondering about the inititial reaction)

3 You don’t need to think; the Org will do that for you. Even if they teach nonsensical things you are to trust them; trust God.

4 JW don’t believe in an eternal soul; that when you die, you no longer exist. That fear is taken away. If I stop believing, when I die I will no longer exist.

5 Because a JW found out that the Org was false they may be humiliated; having believed an untruth; that no one or no faith will ever make a fool of them again.

76

How do you see the world heading if all religion was eliminated?

by Guest with Questions in

many, like dawkins, think that religion is the root of all evil.

hypothetically, if all religion was eliminated and all people stopped believing how would you see the world in a few years?

with atheism on the rise do you think that society will improve or deteriorate?.

Guest with Questions

I'm not sure how you can say indoctrination is similar to teaching. Teachers can prove things and it helps people learn facts. Indoctrination does neither.

www.definition-essay.com/categories_defessay/education/I.shtml

Indoctrination in Education: An Analysis This three-page undergraduate paper examines indoctrination in modern education. The author notes that today's classrooms emphasize rote memorization and indoctrination instead of fostering the development of critical thinking skills. As a result, modern schools are failing to produce young people capable of functioning in the world beyond the classroom.

http://www.answers.com/topic/indoctrination-2?method=6

In q ·doc q ·tri q ·na q ·tion
n.
The act of indoctrinating, or the condition of being indoctrinated; instruction in the rudiments and principles of any science or system of belief; information. Sir T. Browne. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoctrination
Indoctrination
is instruction in the fundamentals of a system of belief (such as a political ideal, philosophy or religion).
Religious indoctrination
A recent study of child abuse in Samoa found that, "Religious indoctrination was significant in the promotion and prevention of abuse and family violence, depending on one's perspective," [3] thus suggesting that the effects of such indoctrination could vary from the positive to the negative.

Religious indoctrination is a subject of academic interest. An upcoming volume, The Costs of Autonomy: Personal Essays on the Morality of Religious Indoctrination is planned to analyze the effects of religious indoctrination on academics.

Political indoctrination

An example of the use of political indoctrination on children is seen in It's Elementary

[4], a teacher training video[5] by Academy Award winner Debra Chasnoff and Helen Cohen.[6] It illustrates children undergoing political indoctrination in schools across the country showing real examples of school activities, faculty meetings, and classroom discussions.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=indoctrination

Main Entry: in q ·doc q ·tri q ·nate
Pronunciation: in-'dääk-tr&-"nAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat q ·ed; -nat q ·ing
Etymology: probably from Middle English endoctrinen, from Anglo-French endoctriner, from en- + doctrine doctrine
1: to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : TEACH
2: to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle

http://www.babylon.com/definition/indoctrination/

indoctrination
n. teaching, instruction; instruction in a particular doctrine or set of beliefs, brainwashing

http://www.iconoclastpress.com/bookAlternativeEducationSchoolLearningIndoctrinationConventi.htm

Knowledge is a poor consolation, a worshipped failure, for it has not succeeded in emancipating us.

38

The Underbelly is exposed...........

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

what proactive things have you done [or intend to do] to warn others about the cult you have escaped?

the unfortunate fact of life is that we tend to look only at our own personal benefits from leaving the cult if not careful.

or we give up after a failed attempt.

Guest with Questions

hope this works: adjusted from old brochure I made up a few yrs ago. It's still rough, so any changes you think will make it better I welcome.

38

The Underbelly is exposed...........

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

what proactive things have you done [or intend to do] to warn others about the cult you have escaped?

the unfortunate fact of life is that we tend to look only at our own personal benefits from leaving the cult if not careful.

or we give up after a failed attempt.

Guest with Questions

I just got home from work a while ago. While resting, the thought came to me about putting it on say a 4x5 leaflet. One side could state the reason for the leaflet; to ask anyone starting a Bible Study to at least look into it before jumping in. If they still want to join this group at least they have been informed. We could also have a list of Web Sites about the UN, Sexual Abuse settlements, SixScreens, etc, including JWD. This way we could see if it has any effect and if anyone has questions they could come here. I think the less info on the card, but really important info, could be the way to go. The info is already there on the Web Sites.

For me the Mediator is a really big thing. I still haven’t received any real answers from any witness to what they personally believe. Maybe they’re confused about it.

I have considered, to cover costs and have the manpower to distribute the leaflets, asking if any churches would back up the project if I decided to cover a whole city or region.

I don’t know what anyone else thinks of it. A thousand minds are better than one. If, to those who are interested, we can come to some agreement to what is really important; what the reasons where why you got out, we may end up with some success in reaching even a few. It wouldn’t take much time to put together; a short note and a list of Web Sites. Maybe it could be printed off from this site so we all absorb the costs.

38

The Underbelly is exposed...........

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

what proactive things have you done [or intend to do] to warn others about the cult you have escaped?

the unfortunate fact of life is that we tend to look only at our own personal benefits from leaving the cult if not careful.

or we give up after a failed attempt.

Guest with Questions

We do have a class at church each week on various cults including, of course, the JW Org. I would like to see an extension of this. One gentlemen, an x-witness, at the church I attend agreed to get together with me. Maybe we could work on something together.

I did start a brochure a few years ago but got sidetracked with work and family and other projects. I think it’s a great idea to place literature where ever you can, grocery store bulletin boards, windshield wipers, libraries, laundromats

Could we collectively, to those who are interested, start a brochure on the really important things, such as the recent sexual abuse settlement, UN..........where do we start? I have really considered putting the sexual abuse literature on car windshield wipers. Maybe when everyone in the Cong was inside I would quietly sneak into the parking and place them. Could I be charged with trespassing?

I don't think most JW's can be reached but we could forewarn those who are considering this Org.

46

Would you EVENTUALLY be happy in a JW dominated new system?

by JH in

jw
friends

many here say that they wouldn't want to live in a world dominated by jw's.

i understand.. i know that i wasn't always happy under their rules and way of living.

i don't like going to meetings, especially 5 a week.

Guest with Questions

I do believe in an eternal life and hope and believe that in spite of my failures I will blissfully live eternally but to be honest, if the JW Org proved to be right, I truly doubt that I would choose that route. The Org doesn’t believe that the soul continues to exist after death so I would just be oblitirated, to be no more. Apart from my parents, no one in my family or my friends, neighbours, would be in the new system because they don't believe in the Org. I think it’s where all your loved ones are that determines what you would choose. Thankfully the Org isn't the truth.

37

Never a JW, what makes you post here?

by Mrs Smith in

jw
friends

in some of the post i read, people say that they have never been a jw.

what makes them post on this forum?

my only guess would be because they have family or friends that are.. .

Guest with Questions

Thankfully I never became a witness. Both my parents became witnesses back around 1970 and what was already a difficult family life became even more difficult. I moved out. My oldest brother had already moved out. My youngest brothers, at the time 6 and 3 were raised to be witnesses but in the end didn't embrace it. My mother, who recently married an Elder,is the only family member that it is a witness.

I couldn't understand how my dad came accept this belief system. He had very strange ideas, communism, numerology etc. I guess he liked communism because he hated working; wasn't a good provider and everyone would be provided for even if it wasn't much. He hated being told what to do yet he became a witness where they tell you how to think, how to behave. Like my brother said, they're own views on life fit in with the JW way of life. Them (though more so my dad) against the world, no birthday acknowledgement, no real sense of family etc. He was very stubborn in a passive way -passive aggressive? My mother was more passive and I can understand why she so easily accepted it though. It really had nothing to do with the belief system, but a sense of belonging. I think that's the reason she will never let go, even if she sensed something was wrong. For the life of me I can't understand how us kids came out of it fairly unscathed. Maybe because we were strong enough not to accept this belief system, we were strong enough to put our lives back together. Who knows. Going a bit off track.

34

You could have knocked me over with a feather I was so shocked!!!

by Bumble Bee in

ok, i met my brother today.

he drove me to my eye appt out of town.

we rarely get time together alone (no spouses/kids etc).

Guest with Questions

I am so happy for you. I couldn't imagine being separated from my brothers over a belief system. I always like to think that there is a glimmer of hope that my mother will one day see the light...but sadly I have my doubts.

29

I Feel so alone

by aussie in

jw
friends

hi everyone, well im totally new at this but i thought i would give it a go anyway.so here is my story(short version).

well i have been with my boyfriend for 2yrs now and the last 4months he has started to get back into witnessing.

i have said from day one that i dont want to be one, but i did attend a meeting, memorial and some studys i did this for him to see what it was all about.

Guest with Questions

Welcome Aussie,

Sorry that you feel so down and alone. The above posters know what they are talking about. Some may be bitter but I think they have plenty of reasons, especially if they aren't allowed to communicate with their family members simply because they have chosen a different path.

I have never been one but my parents became witnesses a few years before the 1975 fiasco; that the world was going to end that year. I did question this organization to see if they really were the truth and from all the info I have gathered in the last 10 years or so I have found out they are very far from the truth.

I think it would be a big mistake to pursue this relationship if your boyfriend is intent on going back to this org. He does have the right to choose that path. I think your heartache would be much much greater if you were to stay with him under the circumstances, especially if children were involved.

I think Jgnat is married to a witness. Maybe she could give you advice if you still want to pursue this relationship.

Anyone who has fallen in love can relate and empathize with your dilemma. It's very painful. Hope all goes well for you.