Posts by Driving Force

15

Help, suggestion for Mother Day.

by James Mixon in

jw
friends

ex jw we are not so great in gift giving, we don't have a lot of experience.

lol.

mother day always confuse me, why should i give my wife a gift, she is not my.

Driving Force

Tell her you love her.

My mother died 10 years ago, in the 18 years previous I never honored her on her birthday, Christmas or Mothers Day, due to bOrg indoctrination. Now I know ttatt it hurts me, that I never did.

Tell her you love her.

35

behind the curtain: literature offer for the month

by Magnum in

i was an extremely sincere, zealous pioneer.

i really cared about the people in the field.

i thought their lives were in danger.

Driving Force

If I can remember rightly from my time as literature servant, all publications produced before 1986 should be removed from stock in the congregation and be destroyed.

16

Are Jehovah`s Witnesses a CULT?

by Driving Force in

steven hassen is a well known name for many, if you do not know him google can help.

this information is certainly not new, but as almost every exjw has deep affection and concern for active jws it is certainly my wish and i hope the wish of other exjws that any active jw considers this information.

this information cannot be deemed as apostate, it is just stating the opinion of someone who has spent much of his adult life in helping people to realize what a cult is.

Driving Force

Steven Hassen is a well known name for many, if you do not know him google can help. This information is certainly not new, but as almost every exJW has deep affection and concern for active JWs it is certainly my wish and I hope the wish of other exJWs that any active JW considers this information. This information cannot be deemed as Apostate, it is just stating the opinion of someone who has spent much of his adult life in helping people to realize what a Cult is

Here is his BITE model to determine if a group can be classified as a CULT.

Behavior

Information

Thought Control

Emotions

Behavior

· Regulation of individual's physical reality, for example, what clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears

· Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals

· Individualism discouraged; "group think" prevails

· Rigid rules and regulations

· Need for obedience and dependency

Information

· Use of deception

Deliberately holding back information
Distorting information to make it more "acceptable"
Outright lying

· Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged

Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
Critical information
Former members
Keep members so busy they don't have time to think and check things out.

· Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines

Information is not freely accessible
Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
Leadership decides who "needs to know" what and when

· Spying and reporting on other members

· Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda

Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, and other media
Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources

· Confession

Thought Control

· Need to internalize the group's doctrine as "Truth"

· Black and White thinking - Good vs. Evil, us vs. them, inside vs. outside

· Use of "loaded" language (for example, "thought-terminating clichés"). Words are the tools we use to think with. These "special" words constrict rather than expand understanding, and can even stop thoughts altogether. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous "buzz words."

· Only "good" and "proper" thoughts are encouraged.

· No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate

· No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful

Emotions

· Make the person feel that if there are ever any problems, it is always their fault, never the leader's or the group's.

Excessive use of guilt
Excessive use of fear

Fear of thinking independently
Fear of the "outside" world
Fear of enemies
Fear of losing one's "salvation"
Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by group
Fear of disapproval

· Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about ever leaving the group or even questioning the leader's authority. The person under mind control cannot visualize a positive, fulfilled future without being in the group.

No happiness or fulfilment outside of the group
Terrible consequences will take place if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc.
Shunning of leave takers; fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family
Never a legitimate reason to leave. From the group's perspective, people who leave are "weak," "undisciplined," "unspiritual," "worldly," "brainwashed by family or counselor," or "seduced by money, sex, rock and roll."

More information on Mind Control can be obtained from:

http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/fear-cult-mind-control.php

and

https://freedomofmind.com//

3

relief or despair

by zeb in

jw
friends

i have been building and had a large body of information on shunning, quotes with sources, documents, eg conti case and so many others.. this computer was being difficult and after many $$$ i have it back and most of these vital files are wiped.. despair as i had intended to collate and make a report for the royal commission here in australia about institutional child abuse but a twisted relief that this crushing most difficult plan is now taken from me.

i feel so badly cheated.. the computer people mentioned so many 'corrupted files'.. pass the white pills please.

its a bastard when you care..

Driving Force

zeb

If you want to invest a little money, there are people who can recover the information even if the HDD has been formatted.

Corrupted files does not necessarily mean the information is lost, don't give up. The computer people you went too were obviously not so good.

72

Specific Comments By R&F About May Broadcast

by freemindfade in

i know there are many posts discussing the may money requesting televangalism...er... broadcast i mean!

but i wanted to start one where anyone can put what they have heard any non-exjw, non-apostate witnesses say good or bad about the broadcast.

i don't see how it can't rattle followers... but then again i might be surprised how they can twist things (2+2=5).

Driving Force

TheListener

If my wife had watched it she hasn't said anything. But I expect her stubborness to prove me wrong about my fading would prevent her from sharing anything about her feelings about it with me.

Precisely the problem I have with my wife.

28

May tv broadcast

by New day in

somebody on another thread suggested that those still in could express their opinions on steven lett's performance.

i am still in and i was shocked, dismayed and saddened by it.

i became a witness over 30 yrs ago and the issue of donations was a non-issue for so many years.. now, it is a huge one for the org.

Driving Force

Do they really take us for morons?

Unfortunately they do, it took me 28 years to realize that.

31

They're Making it Impossible to Fade

by DarioKehl in

for those of you who have already faded due to family still being in, have you noticed how the noose is tightening?.

if it's not memorial, it's special day assembly.

if it's not that, it's convention or the special talk.

Driving Force

Well I destroyed my Blood Card about 6 weeks ago.
Due to the indoctrination, I cringe at the idea of having a blood transfusion, but I have decided in the event that I may need one, I will allow myself to be given one, I do not intend to have myself offered as a sacrifice on the GB's alter of sacrifice.

2

"Jehovah's Perfect Justice" ? ?

by stuckinarut2 in

this is a great clip!.

funny and thought provoking...... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ziwuiq2yk.

.

Driving Force

Just thought I would add a comment.

This is thought provoking as struckinarut2 said.

13

Germany Branch Visit May 10 by Mark Sanderson

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

this saturday is the branch visit of mark sanderson in the selters german bethel.. there will be a video streaming for all the congs.. some of you might have heard branch visit talks of sanderson.. will there be something special or controversial?.

i am not sure if i should attend even if it's just for noting or recording some controversial stuff.

would be hard though, 3 hours of wasted time.

Driving Force

loony Lett

I like it.

53

Ties at the Kingdom Hall

by CloseTheDoor in

couple of weeks ago an elder took a young man aside and crawled all over him after the tms for wearing a "skinny" tie.

it was one of those 2 inch wide ties.

nothing bright or scandalous about.

Driving Force

Deviating slightly. There was a sister in my congregation who would wear skirts from time to time which were just above the knee. This sister was quite tall and I know from my wife that she had difficulty finding skirts that were just below the knee. She was never talked to about this until she had a part in the tms, and as soon as she came into the hall on this evening the tms elder told her she could not do her part because her skirt was too short. It was less than an inch above the knee. This sister broke into tears, left the hall and went home.

Some time later when the CO changed the new CO's wife always wore skirts which were and inch are two above the knee. The elders did not like that, but none tried to talk to the COs wife about it.