Here are two links to another very helpful site. If you are comfortable, please post your own story there too.
http://p196.ezboard.com/fexjehovahswitnessforumfrm14
http://p196.ezboard.com/Helping-and-Discussion-Board-for-ExJWs/fexjehovahswitnessforumfrm18
Posts by Vinny
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22New to the site
by Christy.taylor inhey everyone, i am new to this site.
my great grandmother was a witness and i was in the truth in my young childhood.
my mother is disfellowshipped and i am currently studying with my husband, who knew nothing about the truth but had been very good at studying and has great knowledge about the bible.
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Vinny
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22
New to the site
by Christy.taylor inhey everyone, i am new to this site.
my great grandmother was a witness and i was in the truth in my young childhood.
my mother is disfellowshipped and i am currently studying with my husband, who knew nothing about the truth but had been very good at studying and has great knowledge about the bible.
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Vinny
http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?boardID=28082&discussionID=547437
Here is a great thread for you to read. Has bible studies, JW's and several God-fearing EX JW's. You will clearly see what's what from that one thread.
Get some pocorn/snacks/drinks and a comfy chair though...
All the best,
Vinny (aka amhungry) -
61
IF YOU TALK TO THE MEDIA ON BLOOD, FOCUS/GET THIS POINT IN
by skeeter1 ini've read alot of stories on the sextuplets, and it's great to have the media reporting 'bad' light on the no-blood policy & jws in general.
but, we need to ramp it up.
the media is missing the big story - the fraction lie.
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Vinny
Gill said:..."Vinny! Gary is talking sense. It is still a matter of 'degree' of what 'fractions' JWs will take but MANY especially of the older ones will take NO blood products no matter what the WTBTS. I can only go by experience of our JW relatives and their friends. They find it very easy to tick all the boxes that say NO on the NO BLOOD forms."
****Who, what, where said that ALL JW's take fractions??? Now YOU are making no sense here. Where did anybody on this thread suggest that "ALL" JW's take anything?
Here is what Gary said, I'll paste it for you:
"Do you have any proof that Witnesses are taking fractions? I don't. I AM seeing them refusing all blood treatment including the use of fractions. I recently heard of one Witness I personally know refuse dialysis. If you have proof that Witnesses are taking fractions, please publish the proof so we all can make use of it. Making a claim without backing doesn't help my credibility nor does it help the case."
and
"o, I'm supposed to go on record saying I am quoting an anonymous poster called "Skeeter" on an Internet bulletin board who has the proof but isn't willing to disclose it?"
and....
"Where is your proof the Jehovah's Witness people take blood fractions? Do you have any? Or is it just your opinion they take blood? Because I don't have any proof at all that they willingly do in fact take blood fractions. I'm aware of the Watch Tower produced articles that say fractions are a conscience item, and I have no problem quoting these articles. But I do have a problem saying Witness people do accept the blood fractions, because I have seen no proof that the Witness aggregate willingly receives blood treatment. None! I am personally aware of Witness people refusing such treatment as well as refusing dialysis after the conscience articles came out."
and
"Do you have proof that Witnesses are taking blood fractions? Or are you guessing they are, based on the chocolate milk proof? " (say what??)....
and this real winner
"I'm not aware of any Witnesses willingly taking blood fraction treatment. I can say they may, and they can, but I can't say they "do".
**** So perhaps now you can see the real issues here Gill, rather than putting your own spin/interpretation on something that was never stated nor even implied. Gary, finds it "irresponsible" to make the statement that JW's DO accept blood fractions solely because he had never heard of one taking them. This is some out in left field kind of weird stuff here.
I don't "personally" know of ANYBODY that has ever bought a pair of AIR Jordan's $250 shoes. Nor have I ever seen a pair in my life on somebody else. Guess Nike hasn't sold one single pair of them darn things... eh?
Fractions have been allowed since hemophiliacs needed them well back in the 70s and even before then.
6.5 million JW's have the option to accept certain kinds of blood fractions today and for decades now. The GB allows it.
But Gary thinks it "irresponsible" to make the statement that JW's DO accept fractions since he does not "personally" know of any JW's that have accepted them.
Say what? -
61
IF YOU TALK TO THE MEDIA ON BLOOD, FOCUS/GET THIS POINT IN
by skeeter1 ini've read alot of stories on the sextuplets, and it's great to have the media reporting 'bad' light on the no-blood policy & jws in general.
but, we need to ramp it up.
the media is missing the big story - the fraction lie.
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Vinny
Sorry Gary, but your reasoning on this thread is just plain stupid. You sound like a JW to me. How stubborn and embarrassing to read your replies to skeeter. If there are 6.5 million JW's globally, and if fractions ARE CLEARLY PERMISSIBLE (and have been for years), then where in the heck do you get this, "I need proof, name, date size of shoe" kind of crap?
Seriously, your credibilty went down to about.... zero for that nonsense.
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Brother prince...
by thebiggestlie inhehe prince just performed bob dylan's classic "all along the watchtower" at the super bowl halftime show.
you think he was counting his time.
if he performs next year how many rv's would that be?
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Vinny
What was the deal with his Aunt Jemima head covering look?
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22
The Watchtower Official Page of Hypocrisy
by Vinny inthis link is directly from the "official" watchtower website.
it's a short reading.
now, imagine somebody trying to apply this very same advice to their own jehovah's witness faith.
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Vinny
You are all welcome. I agree with many of you; I simply cannot believe a page like this actually exists either. The degree of hypocrisy in that one page is mind-boggling. Why would the Creator of the universe, the All-Wise, All Powerful Maker of All life as we know it, use one organization, exclusively, that has to resort to such underhanded, deceitful tactics as this?
Jesus condemned the pharisees and religious leaders for their two-faced, double standard, hypocritical tactics. Yet today, God would use an organization, as His own, that does this very same thing Jesus condemned?
Simply Not Possible! -
32
A quick question:
by Vinny ini disassociated one year ago.
no meetings, no memorial no nothing since then.
there was one jw young man that talked to me continuously and who also lived right next door, 25 yrs old, a best friend of my step-son, (we all fished on my boat at least a half dozen times together).
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Vinny
Okay, I went... and I am glad I went because it proved to me that I should NEVER go back again!
I saw over 400 people that I have known for nine years or more at that funeral. NONE of them would even say a hello. I simply disassociated less than one year ago, without committing any sin in the process. (I just elected to formally leave the faith rather than be handcuffed by them... I have NO regrets about that decision). I am walking right there with my wife, holding her hand (she has simply faded away), and numerous people would stop to hug her, thank her for coming and cry with her. Yet it was as if I was not even there at all, though I am RIGHT THERE. My 20 year old son, who was disfellowshipped several years ago and was also with us, and was also shunned entirely. He was Df'd at only 16, just months after his own mother (my first wife over 18 years ago) committed suicide with gun in mouth minutes after talking with us on the phone. He has since rebounded from that extremely difficult, minor-rebellious time (with NO help from the cong since was also shunned entirely since that point), but has rebounded very nicely with a good paying, very stable job, by getting married one year ago and by finding emotional support from myself as well as other NON-JW friends. There was nothing even close to warmth at this JW funeral for him either. He LOOKED depressed just sitting there.
Additionally, the talk was a disaster. Perhaps 2 minutes total was about Luke (the now deceased kid), while the other 30 minutes was the generic JW indoctrination attempts. It was embarrassingly obvious. Our non JW neighbor was also there and commented on just how little was mentioned of the PERSON she went there to remember. My step-daughter (still active JW... just returned from 6 mos in Europe yesterday), also thought the talk stank. That's because it did stink. The PO that gave the talk has no kids and is an organizational-man. By the book.
So, in a nutshell, you go to a JW funeral, get shunned the entire time, get to listen to some pompous, heartless elder do the boring, repetitive JW outline and then get sent home. You see all of the other politics involved in the process like the begging Ministerial Servants kissing up to the elders. The young kids all dressed up in suits/dresses, looking like their parents, doing what the parents command, so that these same parents get to look like good little obedient JW's. I went for Luke, though of course, he is now dead.
Unless my own family is the one that has died and being used as the JW indoctrination carrot, I am staying home. A lesson learned...
Many thanks for all of your contributions!! -
32
A quick question:
by Vinny ini disassociated one year ago.
no meetings, no memorial no nothing since then.
there was one jw young man that talked to me continuously and who also lived right next door, 25 yrs old, a best friend of my step-son, (we all fished on my boat at least a half dozen times together).
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Vinny
Thanks for ALL of your comments and opinions. I really do NOT want to step foot in the Kingdom Hall this soon. I do not want to have to see all of these very same people that have shunned be every single day. (I live on an island, trust me, you see the same people everywhere... and they all do the "shun thing" very well). I do not want to hear another generic, boring funeral talk either. Etc. etc. etc.....
But I am going anyway. Luke deserves it. He was a great kid. The only person that did not treat my like some leper. It starts in 45 minutes.
Better find my tie... -
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Watchtower Society Embarrassments.
by Vinny in" {ga jul 14 1926 644} .
" {ga jul 24 1929 702} .
" {awak jun 22 1982 25}?
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Vinny
List of abbreviations used for Watchtower publications referred to :
ALL publications are by The Watchtower Bible And Tract Society(Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses)
HERA N.H.Barbour & C.T.Russell (asst. editor): Herald Of the Morning magazine, 1876-79 (see WT Jan 1 1994 20)
OMLR C.T.Russell: Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return, 1877 (claimed 1873 in WT Jan 1 1949 6, YEAR 1975 36, CENT 4, HIS2 47, etc.)
HOTW N.H.Barbour & C.T.Russell: Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World, 1877 (in the Watchtower Publications Index)
THRE Three Worlds Tract, 1877
FOOD Food for Thinking Christians 1881, 1884
DPOA C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures I - The (Divine) Plan of the Ages, 1886, 1891, 1895, 1898, 1901-20, 1923-7
TIAH C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures II - The Time Is At Hand, 1888-9, 1891, 1895, 1898, 1901-20, 1923-7
TKIC C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures III - Thy Kingdom Come,
1891, 1895, 1898, 1901-20, 1923-7
BATT C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures IV - Battle of Armageddon (till 1910, The Day of Vengeance), 1897, 1904-20, 1923-5, 1927
EVOL The Bible versus The Evolution Theory, 1898
ABGM C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures V - The At-One-Ment Between God and Man 1888-9, 1891, 1895, 1898, 1901-20, 1923-7
TSBS C.T.Russell: Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices, 1899, 1908, 1911, 1915-6, 1919-20
POEM Poems of Dawn, 1902, 1912
TNCR C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures VI - The New Creation,1904-20, 1923-7
DHMB G.W.Siebert: Daily Heavenly Manna and Birthday Record, 1905, 1907
LAWY J.F.Rutherford: Man's Salvation From a Lawyer's Viewpoint, 1906
TWAI M.F.Russell: The Twain One, 1906
TGOK M.F.Russell: This Gospel of the Kingdom, 1906
MFBA G.W.Siebert: My friends, Their Birthdays and autographs, 1907
BBTM Berean Bible Teacher's Manual, 1907-8
BSM C.J.Woodworth: Bible Student's Manual, 1909
WSSS What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism?, 1909
OUTL Outlines, 1909
PHOT Scenario of the Photo-Drama of Creation, 1914
GCHP God's Chosen People, 1915-6
TFIM C.J.Woodworth & G.H.Fisher suprvsd J.F.Rutherford: Studies in the
Scriptures VII - The Finished Mystery 'The Posthumous work of Pastor Russell', 1917-20, 1924, 1926-7
[N.B. The above Studies in the Scriptures (books also called 'The Millennial Dawn' till 1904) are referred to in CENT 6 as Bible truths,see CENT and WT Aug 1 1971 468 for proof they are WTBTS publications]
PRSS Pastor Russell's Sermons, 1917
BERE Berean Bible Helps, 1917
MILL THE Millennium of Revelation, 19??
DOTL The Day of the Lord, 19??
CLTD J.F.Rutherford: Can the Living Talk With the Dead?, 1920
MLND J.F.Rutherford: Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920
TWTD J.F.Rutherford: Talking With the Dead, 1920
THOG J.F.Rutherford: The Harp of God, 1921, 1924-8, 1937, 1940
LAOD Announcing the Laodicean Messenger - Life - Works: Character Advertisement, about Charles Taze Russell, 1923
TWTP W.E.Van Amberg: The Way To Paradise, 1924
COMF J.F.Rutherford: Comfort For The Jews, 1925
DELI J.F.Rutherford: Deliverance, 1926
CREA J.F.Rutherford: Creation, 1927, 1939
REST J.F.Rutherford: Restoration, 1927
GOVT J.F.Rutherford: Government, 1928
PROS J.F.Rutherford: Prosperity Sure, 1928
RECO J.F.Rutherford: Reconciliation, 1928, 1937
LIFE J.F.Rutherford: Life, 1929
PROP J.F.Rutherford: Prophecy, 1929
OLOR J.F.Rutherford: Our Lord's Return, 1929
LIT1 J.F.Rutherford: Light, Book 1, 1930
LIT2 J.F.Rutherford: Light, Book 2, 1930
VIN1 J.F.Rutherford: Vindication, Vol 1, 1931
VIN2 J.F.Rutherford: Vindication, Vol 2, 1932
VIN3 J.F.Rutherford: Vindication, Vol 3, 1932
PRES J.F.Rutherford: Preservation, 1932
WHAT J.F.Rutherford: What is Truth?, 1932
JEHO J.F.Rutherford: Jehovah, 1934
UNWN J.F.Rutherford: Universal War Near, 1935
RICH J.F.Rutherford: Riches, 1936
ARMA J.F.Rutherford: Armageddon the Greatest Battle of all Time, 1937
ENEM J.F.Rutherford: Enemies, 1937
FATF J.F.Rutherford: Face the Facts, 1938
SALV J.F.Rutherford: Salvation, 1939
RELI J.F.Rutherford: Religion, 1940
CHIL J.F.Rutherford: Children, 1941
TNWD The New World, 1942
TMYF The Truth Shall Make you Free, 1943, 1953
KIAH The Kingdom Is at Hand, 1944
MEEK The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth, 1945
TAKP Theocratic Aid to Kingdom Publishers, 1945
EEGW Equipped for Every Good Work, 1946
LGBT Let God Be True, 1946, 1952
TMEL This Means Everlasting Life, 1950
WRDM What Has Religion Done For Mankind?, 1951
NHNE New Heavens And A New Earth, 1953
MSAT Make Sure of All Things (Hold Fast to What Is Fine), 1953, 1957, 1965
QTBM Qualified To Be Ministers, 1955, 1967
YMSA You May survive Armageddon Into God's New World, 1955
BOPW Branch Office Procedure of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1958
PLPR From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, 1958
YWBD Your Will Be Done on Earth, 1958
HIS1 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959
KMSC Kingdom Ministry School Course, 1960, 1972,
BMLG Blood, Medicine, and the Law of God, 1961
LYNS Let Your Name Be Sanctified, 1961
ASII All Scripture is inspired of God and Beneficial, 1963, 1983, 1990
BABY Babylon the Great Has Fallen! God's Kingdom Rules!, 1963, 1981
IGTL Things In Which It Is Impossible for God To Lie, 1965
LEIF Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, 1966
DMGH Did Man Get Here (Life - How Did It Get Here) - By Evolution Or By Creation?, 1967, 1985
YWLF Your Word Is a Lamp to My Foot, 1967
TLEL The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968, 1981 (omitting
1975 references, some without mentioning they are 1981 revisions)
AIDA Aid to Bible Understanding A - Exodus, 1969
BRWG Is the Bible Really the Word of God?, 1969
APTY The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years, 1969
TFMG Then Is Finished the Mystery Of God, 1969
TNSK The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah - How?, 1971
AIDB Aid to Bible Understanding, 1971
LIST Listening to the Great Teacher, 1971
THEO Theocratic Ministry School Guidebook, 1971, 1992
ORGA Organization for Kingdom-Preaching and Disciple-Making, 1972
PRTM Paradise Restored to Mankind - By Theocracy, 1972
CONC Comprehensive Concordance of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, 1973
GKTY Frederick Franz: God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years has Approached, 1973
TPAS True Peace and Security - From What Source? (How Can You Find It?), 1973, 1986
GEPT God's Eternal Purpose Now Triumphing For Man's Good, 1974
ITLA Is This Life All There Is?, 1974
MSWD Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand, 1975
GNMH Good News to Make You Happy, 1976
SPIR Holy Spirit - The Force Behind the Coming New Order!, 1976
GBOI Your Youth - Getting the Best Out of It, 1976
LDHP Life Does Have a Purpose, 1977
SIIW Shining as Illuminators In the World, 1977, 1989
OIWG Our Incoming World Government - God's Kingdom, 1977
JWQB Jehovah's Witnesses and the Question of Blood, 1977
MFLH Making Your Family Life Happy, 1978
MBBS My Book of Bible Stories, 1978
CBWL Choosing The Best Way Of Life, 1979
COLJ Commentary on the Letter of James, 1979
HAPP Happiness - How To Find It, 1980
LYKC Let Your Kingdom Come, 1981
YCLF You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, 1982, 1989
OAOM Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, 1983, 1989
SCHO School and Jehovah's Witnesses, 1983
GBOM Organization Manual, 1983
UWTG United in Worship of the Only True God, 1983
CENT Centennial of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1984
SURV Survival Into a New Earth, 1984
RFTS Reasoning From The Scriptures, 1985, 1989
WSPP Worldwide Security Under the 'Prince of Peace', 1986
UDGW Jehovah's Witnesses: Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide, 1986
REVE Revelation - Its Great Climax is at Hand!, 1988
INS1 Insight On the Scriptures Vol 1 Aaron to Jehoshua, 1988
INS2 Insight On the Scriptures Vol 2 Jehovah to Zuzim, 1988
QYPA Questions Young People Ask - Answers That Work, 1989
GWOM The Bible - God's Word Or Man's?, 1989
BSYF How Can Blood Save Your Life, 1990
MSFG Mankind's Search for God, 1990
GMEL The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991
CUST Direct and Cross-Examination Questions in Child Custody Cases, 1991
PAYF Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock, 1991
HIS2 Jehovah's Witnesses, Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993
KLEF Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, 1995 {YCLF replacement)
SOFH The Secret of Family Happiness, 1996
WT The Watchtower
WR Watchtower Reprints
ZWT Zion's WatchTower [later renamed The Watchtower]
AWAK Awake!
GA The Golden Age [later renamed Awake!]
YEAR WTBTS Yearbook
INF Informant
MESS The Messenger
CONS Consolation
KMIN (Our) Kingdom Ministry
Other Books Recommended and Sold by WTBTS:
J.H.Paton: Day Dawn, 1880, 1882, 1890
M.R.Bond: Thy Word Is Truth, 1905
J.Edgar: Where Are the Dead?, 1908
M.Edgar: The Great Pyramid and the Bible, 1912, 1915
M.Edgar: The Pyramid Portrayal of Creation, 1912
J. & M.Edgar: Great Pyramid Passages Vol I, 1912
J. & M.Edgar: Great Pyramid Passages Vol II, 1913
The Divine Plan and the Great Pyramid, 1913
The Divine Plan of the Ages As Shown In the Great Pyramid, 1915
J.G.Smith: Angels and Women (Spiritism), 1924 -
22
The Watchtower Official Page of Hypocrisy
by Vinny inthis link is directly from the "official" watchtower website.
it's a short reading.
now, imagine somebody trying to apply this very same advice to their own jehovah's witness faith.
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Vinny
Thanks TopHat for the link.
What's so great about the net, is that people everywhere are now finding out about these kinds of things. I have seen one after another quit their bible study solely due to information that was found on, or shared through the internet. Information that was unavailable back in 1987 when I first started my JW journey. True, the average rank and file JW will not even look at it, if even from their own website. But slowly and surely this kind of information is breaking through the walls put up and around these people.
And THAT can only be a good thing!