LisaRose

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Posts by LisaRose

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  34

  Belief in God Can Be Turned Off Like a Light Switch

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  researchers in york used magnetic stimulation to target an area of the brain called the medial frontal cortex in a group of volunteers.

  a control group received a sham treatment.. both groups were asked to think about death.

  the group who experienced the magnetic energy reported 32.8% less belief in angels, god and heaven.. when faced with difficult challenges people often take refuge in ideology.

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  LisaRose

  I think we are just scratching the surface of understanding human behavior and how our brain functions. It's a very exciting time, new discoveries are made every day, we know so much more than we did even ten or twenty years ago.
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  27

  This is for all JW's out there...

  by Divergent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  sorry to be so blunt, but you only have yourself to blame if you realize something is wrong but allow your cognitive dissonance to kick in.

  if you are confronted with facts which are reported by reliable sources which are hard to dispute and deny, and you choose to dismiss these as "apostate lies" rather than looking at these from an objective point of view, it's your fault and you deserve the consequences of willful ignorance!.

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  LisaRose

  I have mixed feeling about the OP. Yes, we are all responsible for the decisions we make, but the Watchtower lies about their history and practices. They use their understanding of human behavior to manipulate and control their members. Are victims responsible for being victimized? Maybe, to an extent, but the majority of the responsibility lies with the Watchtower.

  I look back at my time as a JW and, probably like all of us, wonder what I could have done differently to prevent wasting thirty years in a soul sucking cult.

  I was thirteen when my parents and I started a bible study, I was much influenced by my much older sister, who I adored, and who became a JW before me. I loved the idea of a paradise earth, I was naive and took many things at face value. The Watchtower seemed to have all the answers in a troubled world. I researched at the library, but little information was there (obviously pre internet) that might have helped me, and of course I was told not to listen to "bitter apostates".

  From that point its just like anyone else, meetings reinforce your beliefs, you have no reason to question things, you get busy with raising a family and making a living. It was not until my forties that I started learning critical thinking skills, and also had some difficult circumstances that caused me to start to question things. Once I did, I quickly lost my faith, I walked away and didn't look back, I didn't even find JWN or other JW critical sites, I just knew that the Watchtower wasn't what they claimed.

  So, did I deserve what I got? I don't know, maybe to a certain extent. But I feel the majority of the blame goes to the leaders of this religion, that lied, that hid their history, that used mind control techniques to keep people ignorant and enslaved.

  
  
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  44

  If there is anything to bible prophecy, keep an eye out on Israel

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what will be the end game whether in a few years, our lifetime, or hundreds + years from now.

  bible prophecy did say israel / jews would be scattered then eventually brought back.

  russell was declaring that and it was believed before being changed shortly before it happened.

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  LisaRose

  Meh.
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  20

  How many of us are 'perfectionists'?

  by FayeDunaway in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i made a medium level mistake at work today, and when i make mistakes it really shakes me up and takes me a long time to recover.

  it completely rattles me, makes me feel awful about myself.

  my mind keeps going back to the mistake reliving how i could have let it happen.

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  LisaRose

  I set very high expectations for myself, not in everything, but more in my professional life, and I am devastated when I fail. I realised this is very unhealthy so I am working hard to overcome it, but it is difficult. I never thought about it, but I think it could very well be at least partially the Watchtower thinking. Everything is so black and white, years of faithful service means nothing is you miss a meeting. No excuses, no allowances for difficult circumstances. It's sick.

  I work very hard at finding that work/life balance, it's not easy.

  
  
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  101

  My mom passed away yesterday....

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thank you all for your sincere encouragement during these last few weeks.

  finally, she is at peace.

  i was with her , holding her hand when she died.

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  LisaRose

  I am so sorry for your loss.

  Lisa 🌹
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  27

  My experience with a Judicial Committee, when in my early 20's

  by Dunedain in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i joined this wonderful site, only a few weeks ago, although i have been away from the borg, for almost 20 years.

  i didnt introduce myself, on a personal level, but i jumped right in, commenting, making threads, and just immersing myself in this community.

  what a time, indeed, to be here, its almost as if i was "called" here, because the week i lurked, and joined, was when all this recent stuff came out.

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  LisaRose

  Belated welcome and thanks for sharing your story. You were treated very horribly by those elders, they were totally in the wrong. What is incredible is that had you been an elder and it was found out by the elder body that you had done something similar, you would have been allowed to continue as an elder with no one in the congregation the wiser. They reason that the fact an elder wasn't found out for a number of years and he continued his elder duties was proof God had forgiven him and he was repentant. Total double standard. By all biblical rules you showed repentance by changing your conduct.

  But no matter, their harsh, unloving and unchristian attitude woke you up, so it was all for the best. The Watchtower is its own worst enemy, they are diving people away and hooray for that.

  Lisa 🌹
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  13

  Same sex attraction, as a behaviour can be predicted.

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being ever ready to note information that demonstrates christian idiocy in general and jw idiocy in particular, i was interested in news of this particular research that has been doing the rounds of science oriented news sources this week.. christianity in general and jwism in particular, have viciously persecuted same sex attracted people, thus demonstrating their peculiar hypocrisy.

  most christians (the jw brand and other brands) squeal like a speared pig when they suffer any treatment that they call persecution, but are always willing to persecute same sex attracted people (and anyone else that stands outside their narrow-minded vision of the world).. most same sex attracted people will testify that their romantic attraction to the same sex was not a clear cut choice, but was something they grew up with.

  (gay by nature).

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  LisaRose

  This is very interesting. It's amazing they can predict with that much accuracy based on only one study, genetics is so fascinating. I wonder if further studies will allow them to get even more accurate or if there will always be some unknown factor that affects the outcome.

  So much for the idea that homosexuality is some kind of choice. Of course most gay people did not need a study to know that, but it's nice to have proof.
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  22

  Pagan Origins

  by Illuminated in

  1. social
  2. current

  why are jw's not allowed to do certain things because they have "pagan origins", yet the very same roof over their head and the the food they place into their mouth is purchased through money with pagan origins on it?

  pagan symbolism is all over money.

  so if the wt leaders are so against paganism, why are they insisting "jehovah's" earthly organization needs pagan money to sustain itself, yet disfellowshipping members if they cross the line into paganism?.

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  LisaRose

  I'm not defending the WTS, far, far from it, but there are just some things that cannot be avoided like money without causing a significant hardship.

  So, the Watchtower chooses to allow some things with pagan origins, but condemns other things, completely based on convenience. What is the justification for that? Why do they get to make those distinctions, but not others? It's completely arbitrary and they know it, but they still condemn all other religions for drawing the line in a different place.

  I am not saying they are wrong for using money, I am saying they are being ridiculous for making any of these things an issue, and hypocritical for pretending they are being so pure, when the ignore the origins of a practice when it suits them.
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  32

  Bethel Status Update - Insider Information

  by thedepressedsoul in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have some updates and new information on the downsizing in bethel.

  25% of all bethelites around the world will be sent home.

  in the us over 1,000 will be sent home.

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  LisaRose

  . I was told it was at a rate of 2 per day just in the US. They are all being told they will be "reassigned" into the preaching work.

  "reassigned" = kicked out with nothing. Unless their living expenses are still being covered and they are sent to a certain area, they are not being reassigned, they are being laid off with no severance and no unemployment benefits.

  That is their reward for years of volunteer slavery.
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  44

  Who Qualifies for TTATT?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i first learn ttatt i started telling every one.

  ttatt will not help him, it will destroy him.

  all his family are jws.

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  LisaRose

  I don't think it's a matter of who qualifies to learn tatt, but who is capable of learning it. If a person is not ready to admit they are possibly in the wrong religion, then nothing you say is going to convince them.

  You can only try and hope for the best.