Posts by LisaRose

65

Short stay

by midnight in

after much research and prayer i am returning to being a jehovah's witness i can find nothing that eliminates them from being god's directed people , in the end they will reach the end of there journey despite mistakes and errors just like the israelites entered the promised land , thanks for your input and all the best on your personal journey ☺.

midnight..

LisaRose

Well thanks for your kind replies and advice , the little voice has started already 😟 I just find it odd how it's wrong to ask certain questions at the kingdom hall and certain topics are taboo this raises my suspicion once again .

Yes, it's a huge red flag when you are not allowed to ask questions. Think about it, if what Jehovah's Witnesses believe is "The Truth", what are they so afraid of?Truth, real truth, stands up to challenge, it is only lies that are exposed by scrutiny.

I was shocked when I left the religion and found out how much I had been told was exaggerations, half truths and outright lies. In particular the chronology, the 607 date for the fall of Jerusalem. No reputable bible scholar believes Jerusalem fell in 607, yet it's the basis for much of their teachings, that the last days started in 1914, and that the end must be close because of that. I had also been led to believe that because of this chronology Charles Taze Russel predicted the last days would start in 1914, that this proved he was being directed by God. The truth is that he thought he already was in the last days, and the end would be in 1914, that Jesus would return then. It was only later, when the world didn't end that they came up with the notion of an "invisible return" by Christ.

Don't stop asking questions.

130

Not a sympathizer

by Richard Oliver in

i think everyone here is under the impression that i am a watchtower sympathizer, i am not.

i just like facts and when people say things, which are their opinions but that facts point out as not being true, than that is when i get so motivated to make a comment.

i have read posts here, listened to six screens and read jwsurvey and seen things that people say, which are opinion, but pass them off as fact.. there are legitimate things that people on here and former jws have concerns over without manipulating what is said or trying to pass off opinion as a fact.

LisaRose

I agree that some in the ex JW community are too ready to believe negative things about the Watchtower. Is that so surprising? We are a group of people who have been hurt by an organization, it's very easy to fall into the trap of confirmation bias. Of course Jehovah's Witnesses are generally guiltly of believing negative but untrue things about people of other religions. It's common human behavior.

Should we be more careful about believing every crazy thing we read about the Watchtower? Sure. But I have seen many times where people came here and posted negative things about the organization where people did question it and rightly so. It's a tough crowd, they do challenge things.

As far as the organization being high control, I have to say I believe that to be true, in fact I believe they are the other "C" word, cult. I was a JW for thirty years, and of course during that time I didn't think I was in a cult, but then who in a cult believes they are in a cult? No one, it's the nature of the beast. I have now been out for seventeen years. I have learned so much in that time, read some of the books by Steve Hassan, read a lot of stories here. One of my favorite sources is howcultswork.com. Though not a definitive source, it presents the information in a succinct format. So many things they talk about apply to the religion, time control, relationship control, reporting structure, exclusivism, etc. I know many JWs and even ex JWs don't want to think they are or were in a cult, it's a hard things to admit, because it make us feel stupid, that we were so bamboozled. It was hard for me, but I had to admit it was true. But a thing isn't untrue because it's hard to accept, anymore than every bad thing about the Watchtower are true just because we don't like them.

Your might want to stick around and tell us when we are believing rubbish, maybe you can help us be better. Then again, maybe you can learn something yourself.

Lisa 🌹

23

Marking Talks are back!?!?! - New Name!

by thedepressedsoul in

when i was younger i used to hear about "marking talks" given in the past.

i believe they stopped in the 80's or 90's.

basically, if someone wasn't baptized or doing something unrepentant, they would get a "marking talk" and be treated the same as a df person.

LisaRose

Where in the bible does is say the elders should publicly humiliate someone who is doing something they don't like?

14

How to believe you deserve to relax

by rebel8 in

jw
friends

i was brainwashed to believe you generally shouldn't relax much.. demons can enter you if you meditate or even relax your brain too much for one second.

always be on guard.. scriptures criticizing laziness were repeated often.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/laziness "be kind to yourself" and all that.. you need to strenuously exert yourself for jehoopla and you're worthless if you don't.. most forms of fun were extinguished.

LisaRose

Yes. Watchtower induced guilt over enjoying normal things is hard to overcome. I think I would be a little bit that way anyway, the cult just made me worse. I struggle with health issues that are the inevitable result of years of stress. My brain just never shuts down.

I practice meditation and find that it helps me a lot, along with regular exercise.

52

You wake up one morning and see

by A Believer in

jw
friends

the un has banned religion.

what are you're thoughts?.

also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.

LisaRose

It makes me embarrassed that I ever believed the UN was going to ban religion, I don't think it can or will happen.

18

Thread Post View Is Stuck At 10 & Can't Be Changed!

by Divergent in

i browse this site on mobile and noticed that the thread post view is now stuck at 10. previously, i could set it at 20 and it stays that way, but now if i set it at 20, it goes back to 10 again the moment i click on another topic.

i hope that you can look into this as it is extremely irritating for me to keep having to change it.

i want to view as many posts as possible in one page!

LisaRose

I have the same problem on my Kindle. I can reset from 10 to 20, but it goes back to ten every time, it's very annoying.

57

Jehovah's Witness / ex-JW Suicide Rate?

by Simon in

it's no secret that both remaining a jw or leaving the wts can take a toll on mental health.

some will suffer from depression and ultimately some will have thoughts of suicide and a few will succumb to those.. but i don't recall ever seeing any hard stats or studies on it though.

i'm sure we all know of some people who have committed suicide but i don't know if, because you may have loose association with a much larger pool of people through the religion, that this only seems higher or maybe not be actually higher than the general population.. what i mean is, you go to a kh here there maybe 100-150 people, you attend circuit and district conventions with many tens of thousands - if any one person commits suicide then you likely hear about it and it becomes part of the anecdotal 'evidence' that is then put forward as a fact that there is a higher rate ... but is there?.

LisaRose

I think it's impossible to know if the suicide rate is higher among Jehovah's Witnesses. I personally knew of quite a few, more than six, including a family member who attempted, which seems high, but anecdotal accounts don't equal actual statistics, as we all know.

The things they do that might tend to contribute to a higher suicide rate

All or nothing, black or white thinking, you are either "whole souled" for Jehovah or bird food at Armageddon.
Disfellowshipping policies that cut people off from family and friends
Distrust of psychological counseling
Policy of discouraging higher education and the cascading effect of lack of job opportunities, less access to health care and stress due to lower incomes.

Things which might mitigate the above:

Social support as long as you are not disfellowshiped.
Psychological boost because of believing you have all the answers and won't be affected by the world's problems.
Belief that suicide is a sin and will prevent you from a resurrection.

It's hard for me to see how they couldn't have a higher than average suicide rate, but I can't really say I'm impartial on the topic.

41

Can Trump Be Forced To Take A Psychological Exam To Prove His Mental Fitness (Narcissistic Pernsonality Disorder) A Mater Of National Secrui

by Brokeback Watchtower in

i'm think with the president having the ability to use nuclear weapons the need for a psychological exam should be a must for world safety because of the very real damage an easily offended narcissist could do if in a narcissistic rage he had access to nuclear weapons.

since he has clearly shown he has all 100% of the signs that he is one,, surely he can be impeached over this even in conservative run house and senate.

i think the united states owes the world that precaution to not let a mad man have access to nuclear weapons.

LisaRose

I find it incredible that such a shallow, deeply flawed person person was able to get elected. I loathe this man on a deep, visceral level, he is everything I despise. He lacks critical thinking skills and makes decisions based on emotions. He lies constantly and takes responsibility for nothing. The thought of such a thin skinned, self absorbed, dishonest and stupid narcissist having the nuclear codes scares me to death. It's like a horrible nightmare that just doesn't end.

I finally had to just disengage and not think about it much anymore. I am watching less news reports these days. I was a news junkie but everything I read just made me more depressed. Hopefully more rational people will keep him from doing too much harm, but in any case there is nothing much I can do about it, so there is little point in worrying about it.

What little I can do to stop this man I will do. My husband and I decided to start contributing a monthly amount to organizations that will hopefully be able to mitigate some of the damage we see coming. When and if Trump and Congress start implementing their ideas I will attend protests, depending on the issue.

Because Trump doesnt believe in climate change we are donating to the Sierra Club. The science for Global climate change is solid. The oceans are going to rise, but by how much will be determined by what we do now.

Because Trump is anti abortion and will do away with ACA, we will donnate to Planned Parenthood. It's just incredible to me that right wingers think a fertilized egg, with no consciousness, is so precious it must be saved at all costs, but are willing to let living, breathing people die due to lack of health care. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Because Trump hates the media and loves to spread lies and disinformation we are donating to Public Radio, and we also subscribe to the Washington Post. A free press is more important than ever. The Post has done many good articles on Trump, especially the one they did on Trumps charitable giving, or rather his lack of charitable giving, despite his bragging otherwise.

We are still considering several other organizations, but it's a start. Once taxes start getting cut we plan to increase our monthly allotment for charity .

46

Mom died, How and When I found out

by 3rdgen in

hi friends,.

it's been awhile since i've been talkative.

thought i'd give you an account of my latest family dysfunction.. a brief backstory is that i am an only child whose parents were born in jw's.

LisaRose

I am sorry you had such a horrible mother and that those people were so uncaring to have told you about it like that.

You can be at peace knowing that you did all you could and that your poo flinging mother is also finally at peace.Lisa🌹

84

Girls are unpredictable, materialist, and use us, men, as a toy - Part 2

by will-be-apostate in

well here am i, a couple of years passed since my original post (link here), somewhat less mysoginistic, more open to relationships, heartbroken again.

this is an official "fuck my life" thread.. being chased by the elders makes one arrive at the conclusion that there is nothing better than not being chased by the elders.

i had a pre-jc meeting a week ago.

LisaRose

Wow. You jump into bed with a woman you just met at a party and it doesn't end well, so that makes all women unpredictable and materialistic. Are you kidding?

If you don't want an unpredictable and materialistic woman, don't jump into bed with a woman you just met at a party. Predictable and non materialistic women don't hit up men they just met at a party.