done4good

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Posts by done4good

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  31

  What is / was the first thing(s) you looked forward to doing once you were out for good?

  by SecretHeart11 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of the things that keeps me going is thinking about the things my family and i will be able to do once we are all out, together, and free at last.

  (and we will be out together, i'm staying positive!).

  i soooo look forward to christmas.

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  done4good

  Being able to finally think for myself.

  Everything else just followed naturally.

  d4g
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  21

  Weekends Are Wonderful Since Leaving The Cult

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no silly meetings.

  no wasting time knocking on doors, bothering people.....life is good..

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  done4good

  Yep. I used to dread weekends. Even when I did not go out in FS, (most of the time), I got the guilt trip from the ex...
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  11

  Are JW's Fundamentalist Christians

  by What is Truth? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  top ten signs you're a fundamentalist christian.

  10 - you vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.. .

  9 - you feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the biblical claim that we were created from dirt.. .

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  done4good

  Agree with Phizzy, that not every detail in the list matches perfectly, but the concepts fit well.

  The WT is most definately fundamentalist in the broader sense of the term in modern usage, since fundamentalism is mostly defined as a strict adherence to beliefs, dispite modern understanding of science, history, etc.

  In the more strict sense, Christian Fundamentalism is a very specific American brand of Protestant Christiology that was developed during the 19th century in response to Darwin, Paine, and others that were considered to be undermining traditional Christian beliefs. The WT is somewhat of a hybrid at best when considered in comparison to the strict definition of the term.

  d4g
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  36

  Why JW assemblies NEED to change

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the assemblies would be get better results and get more people to come and be inspired if they were more encouraging.

  instead the assemblies are a giant guilt trip.

  don't go to college, don't get a good job, dont buy things even if you can afford them, don't play violent games, don't flirt.

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  done4good

  I have said this recently on another thread, (concerning shunning), and I will say it again here.

  The WT is a social meme, or organism that has evolved precisely because of very specific attributes that work together and interact with each other, and the environment that they exist in. If any one of these critical attrbutes is removed or changed, the interaction of those parts change. This would likely break the "working" formula the WT has used for the last 135 or so years, and as a result, it would implode in relatively short order. The structure of assemblies is another one of these many required attributes, and will not change.

  What often appears to be the biggest problems for the WT, (such as mind numbing talks, guilt trips, judgmentalism, shunning, etc.), are the very things that have kept it running all of those years. The key difference, is the environment, or society at large, has changed. This presents the biggest threat to the organization in the long run, and will cause its eventual collapse. The best and brightest are the ones filing out, as these ones are a subset of society at large.

  d4g
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  46

  I think my D.O. Is a closet apostate. References Stanford Prison Study and hints he sometimes disagrees with the Branch

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find it odd that the district overseer today made.

  1. zero yes 0 references to the fds in any of his talks.. 2.he also told elders that the brothers worship god and not them.so therefore the elders have no authority to order the friends around.. 3. he also talked about the stanford prison study and said that people who receive authority over others often abuse it.

  4. he mentioned that when he disagrees with the branch (aka the fds) he's learned to just do what they say.

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  done4good

  I have noticed there is a "good cop/bad cop" relationship between DOs and COs. Not sure if that is coming into play here. I would still be careful how you approach any subject with these guys.
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  46

  I think my D.O. Is a closet apostate. References Stanford Prison Study and hints he sometimes disagrees with the Branch

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find it odd that the district overseer today made.

  1. zero yes 0 references to the fds in any of his talks.. 2.he also told elders that the brothers worship god and not them.so therefore the elders have no authority to order the friends around.. 3. he also talked about the stanford prison study and said that people who receive authority over others often abuse it.

  4. he mentioned that when he disagrees with the branch (aka the fds) he's learned to just do what they say.

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  done4good

  I would not say for certain the DO is an apostate in the knowing TTATT sense.

  Many, many people in the organization do not agree with much of what goes on in it, (both what is sanctioned and by more indirect means), and in their more honest moments, might even say so. They are full of cognitive dissonance, and at times do try to resolve that dissonance correctly.

  Dare to point these things out to them, and see how quickly they will attempt to resolve that dissonance by fully invoking the cult persona.

  d4g
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  6

  Article: Why are Millennials less religious? It's not just because of gay marriage

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://theweek.com/article/index/257009/why-are-millennials-less-religious-its-not-just-because-of-gay-marriage.

  why are millennials less religious?

  it's not just because of gay marriage.

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  done4good

  Good post, Barbara.

  A bit off topic from the title of the OP, but I think the general direction of politization of religion, (and yes, even in a fairly liberal state like NJ we see these GOP funded billboards everywhere, mentioning all of the subjects mentioned in the article), is causing not only millenials, but all "normal" people to move away from religion and any group that either supports it or potentially might support it.

  IMO, I think all fundies are running scared of reality, actually. It is not just a problem for the WT.

  d4g
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  32

  Do You Honestly Believe That You Would Have Officially Left The JW Religion If They Didn't Shun You?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i left as an inactive person.

  i pretty much have been left alone by the elders and witnesses, as far as being hounded.. i know of many that either disassociated or got disfellowshipped.. i'm wondering if you think you would have remained a jw, in name only, if the religion (cult) didn't shun and penalize as they do..

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  done4good

  I am not entirely sure this question is relevant to what the JW religion actually "is".

  The JW religion is a social meme with very specific attributes that allow it to exist. One of those principal attributes is the shunning policy. If this were removed, the product that is the JW religion would either not exist, or would be something very different from what we know. The whole of something is not really the sum of its parts, but rather the product of the interaction of those parts, along with the environment it operates within, (society at large).

  I doubt very much I, or most here who have been a JW for any part of adulthood, would have been one long without the shunning policy. As a result, the organization manages to keep members, (therefore exist), because of it.

  d4g
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  15

  Our 10th Wedding Anniversary today.

  by quellycatface in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello everybody peeps.. i got married out of the troof.

  they said it wouldn't last etc.. hasn't been easy.

  my hubs is still my best buddy.. and i ain't a jw no more.

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  done4good

  Congrats QCF!!!

  I was married 10 horrible years to my JW ex...

  Now 7+ (8 years living together), with a wonderful never been a jw girl...Never been happier!

  d4g
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  25

  What did you lose your virginity to JWN? Before or after leaving the JWs?

  by usualusername in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i visited this site about 2 years after leaving?.

  when did you first visit jwn?.

  paul.

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  done4good

  I figured things out on my own. I never would have come to an "apostate" site otherwise. I was out both mentally and physically for about 3 months before I became curious enough to validate my thoughts. That was in 2006.