Posts by LisaRose

42

My dog just died.

by panhandlegirl in

i just buried my beloved poddle, little brother.

he died suddenly.

i know to most people that is not an important event.

I am so sorry for your loss. While I don't equate the life of a pet to that of a human, I have had several "fur children" through the years, they become such a part of your life that losing them is very hard. I had a big husky mix girl that lived to age fourteen and a dainty tuxedo cat that died at seventeen, that's a lot of years shared, I felt the loss deeply, I held them both as they were euthanized.

My current cat is a dilute tortie named Lizzie. She makes me laugh out loud at least once a day, I don't know what I would do without her. This week I was missing a tube of cortisone cream, so I looked under the bed and found it, as well as two boxes of Kleenex that had also gone missing. I knew Lizzie did it because one of the boxes was shoved up in the box springs. Why Kleenex, and how she managed to get it up there I have no idea. She has been known to find things, but usually she brings her treasures to share/show off, obviously she was keeping these to herself, the little thief. I guess that also explains the missing box of cat nip.

28

Be effective or people will die

by Odrade in

my husband and i have been out of the org for quite some time, but still find that old ideas and values come up and bite us on the ass.. lately, i've been plagued by an increase in the frequency and severity of my nightmares (which have always been an issue,) so i've begun to dream journal.

in just a few days, this realization cropped up.

i can't save people.. i've been blogging again recently.

LisaRose

Glad to hear you are doing better. I do think there is value in talking about how leaving a cult/high control religion can affect you, even years later. Some people can walk away and have no problems, but everyone is different, and its not your fault if you still struggle with feelings of guilt or still have fears or issues. Talking about it can help, so can writing or journaling about it.

I thought I had escaped with no problems but after moving from an area with few witnesses to one where they cover the territories every month, I was surprised that I became nervous when talking to them. It just show how deep rooted these fears can be, you know it's not logical, but logic these fears are n a deep level where logic doesn't matter.

37

Why is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?

by james_woods in

jw
friends

this was inspired by terry's thread.... it is something that raises many questions about the jw belief system.. .

for one thing - the bible certainly explains all the details of the christ birth.

it certainly does not tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc.

LisaRose

The Watchtower logic for using the name Jehovah is that even though they know it's not the proper pronunciation of YHWH, is that it's the name that is widely accepted and it's better to use the wrong name than no name at all. So.... since we don't know when Jesus was born, why do we not use December 25th, since its widely accepted, and it's better to celebrate the birth of Christ on the wrong day than not to celebrate it at all?

7

Of Pain, Growth, Change, and Moving Forward

by SnarlingRaven in

jw
friends

"did you not in your discontentment make supplication to the great void, and to the darkness, to bring forth the mighty storm that lays waste to all that stales and stagnates?

did you not climb the treacherous mountain to witness the melting of snow?

do not peals of blinding light illuminate your face?

LisaRose

Well I quite like it.

Change is hard. It's like jumping into a cold lake on a hot summer day, it's a shock, it feels very uncomfortable at first, and you wish you hadn't, but pretty soon it gets easier and then it's wonderful.

28

Be effective or people will die

by Odrade in

my husband and i have been out of the org for quite some time, but still find that old ideas and values come up and bite us on the ass.. lately, i've been plagued by an increase in the frequency and severity of my nightmares (which have always been an issue,) so i've begun to dream journal.

in just a few days, this realization cropped up.

i can't save people.. i've been blogging again recently.

LisaRose

I think being in a cult affects every one in a different way, some people are just more likely to be damaged by the experience. My daughter obsessed about being put in a concentration camp as a child, thanks to the experiences in the yearbook. While it's not good for anyone, some people are just more vulnerable.

I just got through reading a novel about a Mormon family with four children and what happens when the youngest daughter dies. It's very good, the culture of the Mormons is so similar to the JWs, it felt very familiar. The writer was a Mormon until age thirty, so it's was very true to how a belief system like that affects people.

You could see how the same teachings affect the different children in different ways based on age and personality. The oldest boy never bought into the faith, he struggles with having to pretend he believes he will see his sister again. The youngest boy had trouble accepting the death because he has been taught people can be resurrected and doesn't really understand that it can't happen right now. The older daughter worries excessively about making a mistake and not being worthy of the celestial kingdom and see her sister. The mother, who doesn't have a strong belief, goes into a deep depression and the father, a bishop, struggles with being there for his family while still doing his church work, and everyone feels guilty for what happened. The book is called a song for Issy Bradly by Carys Brady.

13

Jehovah's Trumpet - Dangers of Superstition

by cofty in

the latest blast of "jehovah's trumpet" warns us about the irrational nature of common superstitions.... the article then goes on to provide counsel on the dangers of the domonic attacks that often result from unwisely purchasing second-hand objects.

the risk is demonstrated by recounting the real-life story of poor sister lemming and her new ministry bag.. genius satire as always!

please take some time to read the community comments.. .

LisaRose

I love this site, my favorite is the one where the sisters put a hanky on their head out in service because the five year old boy with them was baptized. The satire is so well done, not over the top, just enough to illustrate the absurd nature of Watchtower beliefs.

102

Bill Cosby - too much smoke for no fire?

by Simon in

it seems like the list of people who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault is growing every day.

i'm skeptical of single accusations but the number of people and the similar stories seem overwhelming now.. it's not a conviction but to the court of public opinion ... guilty?.

.

LisaRose

I think this shows he had an interest in using drugs to get women to have sex. I remember at the time thinking it was funny, I really just thought he was joking, but in light of the allegations it seems chilling.

"Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?'

'No, tell me about it.'
Well there's this girl Crazy Mary, you put some in her drink man, she, 'Haaaaaaaaaaaaah.'
Oh yeah, that's really groovy man, Spanish fly is groovy, yeah.
From then on, any time you see a girl: 'Wish I had some Spanish fly.'
Go to a party see five girls standing alone: 'Boy if I had a whole jug of Spanish fly, I'd light that corner up over there. HAAAAAAH.'"

102

Bill Cosby - too much smoke for no fire?

by Simon in

it seems like the list of people who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault is growing every day.

i'm skeptical of single accusations but the number of people and the similar stories seem overwhelming now.. it's not a conviction but to the court of public opinion ... guilty?.

.

LisaRose

I remember the Spanish fly routine, that rumor is true. At this point there is very little doubt in my mind, too many women with the sane story, too many others confirming details, and no real denial from anyone.

17

Sick, sick, sick - Elder-Missionary gets off.

by berrygerry in

.

LisaRose

He put his hands down her pants just to warm them?

Yeah, sounds legit.

31

I tripped into a JW literature cart

by diana netherton in

i wasn't looking where i put my feet, and i almost took the cart out!

anyway, i stopped and chatted with the people for a bit.

three women and a man -- an elder and his wife.

LisaRose

Yes, I agree, being rude doesn't help anything, it just confirms their brainwashing that apostates are all evil and bitter. I have talked to many JWs that have come by my house, even when I explicitly state that I am an apostate they continue to talk with me, because I am polite. Nothing much you can say in any encounter will shake them, but if you are rude it gets their back up and causes the cult programing to kick in.

I was reading recently about the amygdala, the primitive part of the brain. This part of your brain is activated when you are in a stressful situation, and it responds much faster than the part of your brain that controls higher level functioning. If you hear gunshots for example, your pulse rate will increase and adrenaline will course through your body and you wil be running away before your higher level brain can determine if the danger is real or not. Obviously this is an evolutionary advantage, as it helps you to run from an immediate threat.

I think what happens with Jehovah's Witnesses is that they have been so thoroughly conditioned to fear apostates that if they are in a situation with someone that is acting in a hostile way, the primitive part of their brain takes over and they become very uncomfortable and afraid. The logical part of the brain is not in control, so nothing you then say will sink in. This is true even if they have doubts themselves, because it takes time being away from the meetings for that fear conditioning to go away.