Posts by Driving Force

31

German Branch visit talk Mark Sanderson (Parents; don't hinder young children to get baptized)

by Daniel1555 in

jw
friends

the video streaming of the german branch visit program was excrutiating 3.5 hours long.. i just went to see the last 45 min (part of mark sandersons talk).. i think sanderson is quite a sympathetic speaker and he kind of made a loving impression.. he didn't mention controversial stuff (except for one thing i will come to soon).

he mostly talked about how to find joy, even when life is not easy, and how much the gb loves the rank and file.. one point seemed soooo important to him.

parents and children.

Driving Force

Daniel.

Thankyou very much that you took time to watch this and express some of the information. I am still licking my wounds due to the years of indoctrination I endured and could not face listening.

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

Maybe we are missing something here. Lett's abysmal performance may have been deliberate for one of the following two reasons:

1. Because he is an undercover apostate and just wants to help people get out

or

2. Because the GB really do want the hangers-on and those with doubts to leave, this will allow them to better assess how many KH they can sell-off to move the money into other projects

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

JA

We never went to such an extreme, it was just the stock in the KH we had to destroy.

11

Attention Lurkers- what the org is really doing

by stuckinamovement in

jw
friends

the message has changed dramatically from the good news of the kingdom and imitation of jesus to the following:.

1. keep your eye simple and try to find a low paying part time job so you can pioneer.

such jobs might be janitorial or house cleaning, yard care, etc.

Driving Force

7

Waking up from the JW dream... The biggest loss for me, was the idea of justice.

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

being a jw you're able to ignore bad things to some level.

it's the lazy way of saying, "jehovah will deal with it soon".

but when i loss my faith, the biggest gut wrench was the idea that true justice was just an illusion.

Driving Force

Since I stopped taking the JW religion seriously I have started observing the people around me when I am out. The world is full of wonderful people, there are of course some not so wonderful people as well.

But on the whole I see more happiness then I ever saw in the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

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.