now i have always kept to myself discussing and speculating about this with any witness.
i am speaking of the very talented musician prince.
i remember watching the naacp awards one year ages ago and hearing him thank the one true god jehovah and falling off my couch.
Obviously being rich and famous buys you certain liberties that are not afforded ordinary JWs. I am not a big fan but he is obviously very talented. It would be great to get through to someone like that with ttatt but he doesn't strike me as someone who is likely to go there.
He is in his own little paradise.
heyo!.
i'm quite interested in knowing the average age of those of us who use this forum.
i made a quick strawpoll that you can find at the following link: http://strawpoll.me/4340636 just pick an age and click "vote" if you wish to participate.. admins: if this breaks any rules, i apologize in advance..
Sixty here. I used to think it was mostly people my age or at least forty plus, but I have noticed a lot more younger people lately and the survey seems to show a mix of all ages.
I think that's a good thing.
another site posted this photo at an airport.
http://i.imgur.com/zn11h5y.jpg.
do others remember ridiculing the moonies for the exact same thing.. this blogger makes an interesting post:.
With the security pat downs, lines and delays, flying these days is very stressful. When I land I just want to grab my bags and get the heck out of there. I can't imagine stopping to look at religious literature of any kind.
I guess its just a new way of wasting time in the so called "ministry"
how did it go for you?
i have a 50 year reunion coming up and.
i am looking forward to it.. they all know i was a jw, it should be interesting.. i figure we won't have many more (reunions) so i must attend, the last round up..
I've never been to one, but in a way every day is a class reunion for me. I connected up with a guy I was friends with in high school twenty eight years later (through classmates.com). I wouldn't date him back then because he wasn't a JW. He even predicted back then that we would meet up again someday and he was right. I ended up on classmates by accident. I didnt see him listed but left my email. He went there two days later looking for me. We have been happily married for fifteen years now.
He wants to go to his 45 year reunion next year, he was class of '71, I was class if '72. It might be fun even though I probably won't know anybody there.
so, the latest "kids" kingdom melody video is out.. here are some screenshots:.
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yep, that's right, they showed a kid with a teddy bear getting baptized.. here's the video in full for documentation, if you can stomach it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ellrtyj_maq.
This is ridiculous and completely contrary to their previous teachings. They are obviously aware they have the lowest retention rate of any religion, I guess they figure if they can get them young they can then hold them hostage by the threat of shunning. If and when they later decide they do not want to be Jehovah's Witnesses they face losing parents, friends and family. It's obviously a calculated move and truly disgusting. I hope it backfires like many of their other changes.
i see this picture of a clown in a suit and tie hanging on the wall in the salesman's office so i think definitely reminds me of a joho clown.
this nice salesman is sitting at his desk and so i told him his picture makes you think.
he said he would rather be fishing and has a pic on his computer of him fishing in belize.
How strange that anyone would admit to bigamy to a stranger, especially a Jehovah's Witness.
I bought a car last year and while waiting for the paperwork the salesman asked me if I was religious. I thought that odd question in that context and wondered if my JW past still showed, lol. I said used to be in a cult but was no longer religious. He asked "Jehovah's Witness?" . I said yes, how did you know? He said he had a JW girlfriend at one time. It was very strange, most people do not know that Jehovah Witnesses are a cult.
first time, been lurking for years, but i asked my husband who has been studying for 20 plus years if he has ever questioned those that were "teaching" him.
blew my mind.
i ask him all the questions that you have asked yourself, but he will not ask them.
Welcome!
Jehovah Witnesses believe the Watchtower is the sole channel of communication between God and mankind. They have been systematically conditioned, through hours of indoctrination each week, not to question anything. Actually, they must accept every teaching of the Watchtower or be disfellowshipped and shunned. They have been taught to fear former members, whom they call apostates. They have been told we are bitter, angry people who want to destroy the faith of the all JWs.
This is so deeply ingrained that JWs become fearful when exposed to anything critical of the Watchtower. If what they taught was really "the truth" it would hold up to scrutiny, but the logic of this escapes them because of the indoctrination. Most JWs know very little about their beliefs or the history of the organization. They are told the destruction of this system is happening soon and the only way to survive is to become a Jehovah's Witness. They don't know the religion has incorrectly predicted the end many, many times over the last hundred years, and then turns around and pretended it never happened. These dire predictions keep people fearful and compliant.
If you want to help your boyfriend, you need to research cults and how they work. It's very difficult to get an indoctrinated cult member to think and see what has been done to them, but it can be done in some cases. Nobody in a cult thinks they are actually in one, so you have to approach it very, very carefully. Many people recommend Steve Hassan's book, Combating Cult Mind Control. For a short description of cults I like howcultswork.com.
there is a huge difference between been religious and been spiritual.
been religious is about been superior to others in the sight of god.
however, been spiritual is about self awareness, inner peace and unity with the natural world.
I have been ridiculed for saying that I still feel spiritual even though I don't believe in God, but I have been researching and their are other people who feel as I do. Of course you could argue all day about the definition of spirituality, but that is the closest I can come to describing what I feel.
For me, being spiritual means that I spend time every day in meditation and self reflection. I feel connected to other people and with nature. I am happiest when my outward actions match my inner values and I am always seeking balance and peace in my life. I feel that material things are less important than people. Like anyone else I have had my share of life's ups and downs, but I work very hard at keeping an optimistic attitude.
I would never ridicule someone for expressing a belief in God, as I see no point to it. I don't think every one is ready to give up belief in a diety and I do think religion is helpful to some people. Of course I am against any religion that teaches hate.
i've just signed up two days ago, but i've been lurking for about a year and a half.
here's my story if you're interested:.
my parents converted when they were in their first semester of college.
What a great first post. It has been my experience that the young ones that are very spiritually minded and idealistic and who really study the religion are more likely later to eventually become disillusioned and leave. Your search for knowledge would have always eventually led you to the real truth, that this religion is a sham.
I am sorry you were treated so poorly by your family and the religion, but your experience gives me hope because it seems that more and more people are waking up and leaving. Welcome to the forum!
there is a huge difference between been religious and been spiritual.
been religious is about been superior to others in the sight of god.
however, been spiritual is about self awareness, inner peace and unity with the natural world.
Delta wave, I also practice meditation and it has nothing to do with BK or any religion. I always recommend it to ex Jehovah's Witnesses as many of them are dealing with the stress of shunning and the effects of being in a high control religion and meditation is good for dealing with stress and negative emotions.
Unfortunately, manyJWs are afraid to meditate as the Watchtower has emphasized it's use in religious practice. I don't know what they teach currently, but they even used to teach that it could lead to demonic attack, which is ludicrous. I am glad you aren't buying into that and I welcome you to the forum.
