OnTheWayOut

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Posts by OnTheWayOut

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  23

  Facing up to the reality of the world

  by purrpurr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since becoming atheist i have been paying more attention to world events and issues.

  this is giving me some worry's when i see what's going on.

  as a jw i could just dismiss stuff saying "armageddon is coming, jehovah will look after us" etc etc now of course i can't do that.

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  OnTheWayOut

  I say Whatcha gunna do? I am concerned. The correct response is to become involved in your own way. You can choose to become a doomsday prepper if you want. My personal choice is to enjoy people in my life and calculate that the oil and the U..S. dollar will probably be around the rest of my life.
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  20

  Why some smart people believe the JWs/Bible

  by jws in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i consider myself smart.

  go ahead, laugh.

  i have a sense of humor too.. but i grew up a jw and also believed in the bible.

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  OnTheWayOut

  I like the thoughts behind this thread.
  I also consider myself smart. I have a sense of humor too. I will occasionally wonder how I could be so "stupid" to be tricked into the cult. But in reality, I know what happened in my case and I also know that intelligence is not the most relevant thing that gets people there.

  And growing up JW adds a whole other level to the conversation.

  Like you, I had an issue or two, but believed the JWs had the right religion. My doubts grew and grew and I was never burned by the religion, wasn't DF'ed or taken for money, nobody in my family was a pedophile victim or otherwise victimized by WTS. One day, the problems with the religion overwhelmed me and I discovered, among other things- Ray Franz's book. Like you, I hung onto the Bible, but less time- not for a few years, expecting I could find a relationship with God without the JWs. And like you, now I believe in neither.

  Not that you need my opinion, but I say you were "born a JW and [your] parents told [you] this is the true religion" so forgive yourself for not knowing better.

  I have read the Steve Hassan books and learned how cults work. For a born-in, it may be as you say, and it definitely is as you say in your own case- you had "the truth" and there was no need to look around. There are definitely groups out there that tell you what you want to (or need to) hear and take advantage of you.

  While I had a childhood exposure to the JW religion, I converted as an adult and have a completely different experience, so it may have been easier for me to eventually decide that something stinks inside the Watchtower organization.

  I envy anyone that could not really care about religion. I am sure it will help you to put this all behind you quicker. But if not, or because of family, don't kick yourself. It's okay.
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  28

  Did you know WTBTS applied for Holocaust compensation?

  by umbertoecho in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  did you know that the wtbts applied for these compensation funds?

  i had no idea and if this has already been addressed then so be it.

  i find it interesting due to the fact that so much is made of the jws being in camps during ww2 and nothing else is expressed about the other millions who died in these camps.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Wait, so the fund would go to the WT or to the heirs of the family? If the WT is fighting for the heirs then that is a noble cause but it looks like they would also like a portion for their "education work".

  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!

  It doesn't really need much thought. Do you suppose WT would ever fight for money for someone else?
  
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  6

  Mexico could make North America the world leader in oil production.

  by James Mixon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone have info why this have not been explored.

  mexico has reserves of.

  oil estimated by industry analysts at 60 billion to 120 billion barrels in the.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Is it "Mexico's" oil if it's deepwater gulf? I mean, isn't it international and the oil companies are getting around to taking it?
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  22

  Damn.....totally not diggin this....

  by brandnew in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, im gonna try makin this as short as i can, cuz im still pissed.. my father is elderly, needs me to drive him to meetings.

  it takes 30 minutes to drive there, so i stay for the meeting, i dress in slacks and a nice shirt ..in respect for pops.

  going back home , would be pissing in the wind.....i would just have to turn around 20 minutes after getting there.. well elders asked me to the back room, and said im doing a good job taking care of my father, and that it looks like im well on my way to getting reinstated soon....wtf???.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Just to be clear to you, Brandnew, it is not as simple as that TO US.

  You don't want back in, but you sit through the meetings. You say it's because you would be wasting time driving home, but then you add that you don't trust these guys alone with Pops.

  Here's how I see it:
  You respect Pops enough to take him to his silly meeting. You respect him enough to not make a scene or embarrass him by under-dressing. You want him there as short as possible and are willing to suffer the meeting to accommodate your desire on that. You distrust the elders enough to cause you to sit through the meeting with him and keep an eye on him.

  So I suppose that Pops is getting what he wants because of your respect. I would feel free to tell the elders the whole truth- "I am here to keep an eye on Pops, that is all. Why? Because he can't afford to let you guys talk him out of more money and land."

  Well if it were me, I would dress down more, but that's me. I would also look into removing Pops' ability to give away land and money and take over his finances. But I am coming off some hard lessons dealing with a disabled sister that kind of sours me on that.
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  36

  Family Reuinion and Being Disfellowshipped (sorry...but it's long)

  by babygirl30 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it has been a long looong time since i posted on here, but never ceased reading all the posts and keeping up on the changes that have been going on!

  but it just seems that now i have a need to get something off my chest, and this is the one place that will most definitely understand the topic at hand.

  i have been disfellowshipped for about 8yrs now, and have dealt with the 'consequences' of that decision: all my so-called friends in the org left and i was also abandoned by my own family.

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  OnTheWayOut

  I am glad you connected with family. Your parents long to talk to you but the stupid cult rules stand in their way. They apply rules to your sister that they wish they could apply to you. Were it me, I would reach out occasionally by inviting them to life events, sending photos of life events when they didn't attend, continually reaching out to the rest of the family.

  Let the JW part of the family look bad on their own. Don't defend your parents, but remind family that it is the stupid cult rules that makes them that way. "Just try to forgive them. As screwed up as it is, I would welcome them back into my life if they put aside the JW rules." That's what I would say.
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  29

  To DA or not to DA, that is the question?

  by dubstepped in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  let me preface this by saying that i don't expect anyone here to make my decision for me.

  i do however note that like the bible says, in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom, and this is a huge decision, so i wanted to put it out there for discussion.

  i really appreciate your words of wisdom, as this affects not just me but my wife also, as we find ourselves in the same boat.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Your choice is a tough one. DA'ing would be a personal declaration of your rejection of the religion and would mean quite a bit to you. But you've worked carefully to achieve your current status.

  People typically fade and avoid DA just for family. Some try to retain friends also.

  Despite your family shunning you, you make this statement:
  "I feel that DA'ing puts up a wall, another barrier that prevents family from waking up and reaching out to us. As of now, they could more easily reason that they could talk to us. If we DA they really face a whole other level of difficulty in reaching out."

  If it were me, I would stick with my faded status and reach out to family slowly at opportune times like weddings and funerals and any times when non-JW family invites us and JW family to the same gatherings. DA is for life and many situations may come up in the rest of your life- illnesses, births, deaths, joys, tragedies.
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  22

  Damn.....totally not diggin this....

  by brandnew in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, im gonna try makin this as short as i can, cuz im still pissed.. my father is elderly, needs me to drive him to meetings.

  it takes 30 minutes to drive there, so i stay for the meeting, i dress in slacks and a nice shirt ..in respect for pops.

  going back home , would be pissing in the wind.....i would just have to turn around 20 minutes after getting there.. well elders asked me to the back room, and said im doing a good job taking care of my father, and that it looks like im well on my way to getting reinstated soon....wtf???.

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  OnTheWayOut

  You are such a good son (or daughter). No, they cannot force a reinstatement on you. They are just trying to get you to request one. If it were me, I would tell Pops he's got to text you if he's ready to leave early and I would go to Starbucks or run errands.
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  27

  Use of first names at the KH

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  have you ever noticed that know one uses first names at the kh?

  it is how are you brother jones?

  how are you sister smith?

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  OnTheWayOut

  I suppose that it's different for a "worldly" man who enters the Kingdom Hall and eventually becomes a brother. As a study, I called adults by their first name and it stuck with me after becoming a "brother." Oh, there were those elderly ones who got called Brother Smith or Sister Harris, but it never seemed right to me.

  I would be at a door with a nervous sister who would say at a door, "Hello, my name is Sheila and this is Brother OTWO." It must have screamed "CULT" to the woman at the door.
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  57

  Shall I go to the meeting? Would you?

  by KateWild in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi guys,.

  i might go to the meeting.

  i stopped going in my heart properly in nov 2013, but i went to a couple of meetings to support a love one that was df'd and tried to teach them a little ttatt.. now another df'd loved one is coming to see me today and will likely encourage me to try and get ri'd, and i want to support her.

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  OnTheWayOut

  NO, I would not go back for the sake of those seeking reinstatement. If I cannot get TTATT to them outside the Kingdom Hall, I can't see how going to the Kingdom Hall would make a difference. There, they will be shunned and I would either sit with them and be shunned or sit elsewhere and have to join in on the shunning of them.

  FORGET IT!

  Edited to add:

  And letting anyone know, "I'm just here to support 'Suzy.'" will just hurt 'Suzy' on her reinstatement. She's hanging out with the likes of you, someone who is not regular and not intending to be regular. If 'Suzy' wants to be reinstated, she can't be your friend inside the Kingdom Hall.