AllTimeJeff

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Posts by AllTimeJeff

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  38

  Bible Has Problems, Yet Its One Verse Can Solve All Our Problems!

  by abiather in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  science shows that humans have been living on earth more than 6000 years (contrary to ot chronology).

  again inconsistency is pointed out in nt too which says jesus who did countless good worksincluding control over forces of nature and even death itselfyet people killed him, just like killing the duck that lays golden egg!.

  despite such inconsistencies, a single verse in the bible can solve all our problems: don't call anyone on earth 'father,' because you have only one father, the one in heaven.

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  AllTimeJeff

  I have learned to be skeptical of "one idea" that works for everyone, except for the Golden Rule, because it's harmless and helpful.

  Having "one father" is being a hair away from "one boss". Been there, done that.
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  41

  exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed

  by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  now that enough time has passed and i've moved away, i think i'm overdue to share some of the stories from my fade.

  i've mentioned some of this before, but i think it deserves its own thread.. we all would like to be able to freely ask questions about jw beliefs and get our family and friends to really think about certain questions.

  however, when you're a baptized jw, you really can't ask any good questions or you'll get the "apostate" label slapped on you!

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  AllTimeJeff

  Billy, I really enjoy these posts of yours. I am not this clever. When my give a damn broke, I mentally was flipping everyone off so much I could barely hide my disdain. My last talk as an elder, I caught myself laughingly scoffing at the audience a couple of times. Just because I checked out mentally.

  This is a great resource for people who need to negotiate a fade to be able to talk with out tipping their hands....
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  13

  Humility? Screw Humility.......

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .....said the exiting jw.. this jw saw it all, the games, the politics.

  oh, and how this quality of "humility" was used as an anvil to keep, not just your actions in line, but your thoughts and feelings as well.. the leadership of jw's is an extremely talented bunch.

  they know exactly how to reframe concepts to their own ends.. so, once you have your awakening, and you leave, and you remember how often you were symbolically on your knees all the time, you say "never again!".

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  AllTimeJeff

  DoC, BINGO! In addition to the propaganda, you get fed this ridiculous line every week.... "YHWH wants YOU".

  Same thing as an MS, Elder, Pioneer, Bethelite, Gilead, YOU WERE CHOSEN....

  I used to like that thought. My last conscious memory of this sickening mentality was when Losch said our assignment to Africa was definitely done under Jehovah's supervision.

  6 months later, I laughed my ass off at the thought of THAT!
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  13

  Humility? Screw Humility.......

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .....said the exiting jw.. this jw saw it all, the games, the politics.

  oh, and how this quality of "humility" was used as an anvil to keep, not just your actions in line, but your thoughts and feelings as well.. the leadership of jw's is an extremely talented bunch.

  they know exactly how to reframe concepts to their own ends.. so, once you have your awakening, and you leave, and you remember how often you were symbolically on your knees all the time, you say "never again!".

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  AllTimeJeff

  .....said the exiting JW.

  This JW saw it all, the games, the politics. Oh, and how this quality of "humility" was used as an anvil to keep, not just your actions in line, but your thoughts and feelings as well.

  The leadership of JW's is an extremely talented bunch. They know exactly how to reframe concepts to their own ends.

  So, once you have your awakening, and you leave, and you remember how often you were symbolically on your knees all the time, you say "Never again!"

  Because if that's what humility really is, they can bite me big time!

  But that isn't what humiity is all about. It's easy to say, and even easy to agree with, but the humility that JW's teach to their flock isn't humility at all. Just for the record, here is what humility is defined as:

  "the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people" "freedom from arrogance"

  That's it. There is NOTHING wrong with this. Why? Because whatever you think and decide, it only has to be good for you. I especially take this definition to mean that you can't judge a book by it's cover. Yes, some states of mind and actions ARE better than others, but that doesn't mean that the PERSON is of lesser quality, one way or the other. A good smart, and yes, HUMBLE person, when presented with evidence, can change their mind and their ways... if they're humble. And sometimes, life will humble you, causing you to change a less desireable mindet, even if it takes years.

  So you're smart, successful, good looking, rich, influential. That doesn't mean you're BETTER than me. (although I would be jealous as shit....) And if I am that person, it doesn't mean I am BETTER than you.

  That's the trouble with the whole JW mindest. It encourages people to think that they are better. What other sane reason would you have to stay? Because you are in a better organization, and everyone else is going down.

  So when you leave, sometimes you feel like you have to over compensate. You act confident. (you're totally not) You pretend to know. (It takes time to learn and educate yourself). You have been spiritually and emotionally abused, so you won't allow anyone to "treat you badly". (all they're doing is disagreeing with you).....

  It goes on and on.

  Real humility is a relief, and something I think could help former JW's in their moving on.

  Being humble allows you to acknowledge where you came from, knowing that everyone else isn't better than you, or even ahead of you, just because you were in a cult.

  Being humble allows you to take the good from your JW experience and use it as wisdom, and maybe even for job/career skills.

  Being humble allows you to listen to different points of view without needing to argue (this point was a BIG lesson I needed to learn) It can help you to realize, there are always going to be differences of opinion, so why sweat it?

  Being humble allows you to just BE. After all, it stands to reason, if you aren't better than anyone else, no one else is better than you either. So you don't have to worry.

  Being humble allows you to grow and improve and educate yourself, because you can't do any of those things if you think you are perfect and done where you stand. But this growth and improvement doesn't come from insecurity, it comes from security.

  I could go on. It's a great little study if you want to read up on real humilty. Far from what the GB taught on the matter, true humility, that freedom from arrogance, is a real asset in your post JW life, and can you save a lot of mental and emotional turmoil in the process.
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  27

  In effect the GB says the new testament was only written for the 144k - right?

  by Comatose in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  because if you just read it then its plain that all should partake of the emblems and go to heaven etc.

  they get around that by saying it only applied to those when written who all anointed and then a small group today.

  so they take away the bible for the average witness.

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  AllTimeJeff

  Liverance and Bowens made this comment repeatedly at Gilead. It's a core teaching. it also has as its main benefit to the GB the psychological reinforcement of their authority.

  Logically, this idea isn't worth the can of Alpo it's been packaged in.
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  49

  The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

  i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

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  AllTimeJeff

  Sadly, no one is entitled to anything, ESP in a cult.

  When I realized at Gilead that they go through 56 people per class, and that it is nothing more than a numbers game for the GB, I checked out. I knew not to trust them.

  thankfully, I didn't believe their lies and I feel bad about the ones that did. They got screwed.
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  54

  Hello, its good to be back, seriously!

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the last year or so, the opening lyrics to gloria estefan's "always tomorrow" have been howling at me.. i've been alone inside myself, far too long.

  never really wanted it that way, but i let it happen..... .

  (btw, the message in that song is great for former jw's, if you want to think about the lyrics that way....).

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  AllTimeJeff

  Also, I will get to your very cool PMs soon. Hopefully tomorrow. :)
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  54

  Hello, its good to be back, seriously!

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the last year or so, the opening lyrics to gloria estefan's "always tomorrow" have been howling at me.. i've been alone inside myself, far too long.

  never really wanted it that way, but i let it happen..... .

  (btw, the message in that song is great for former jw's, if you want to think about the lyrics that way....).

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  AllTimeJeff

  Hey everyone. I am honestly touched. Thanks for that. (Besty, I appreciate your great contributions and work in helping people online learn about JWs)

  I am surprised so many people thought I was well adjusted. In some respects, I am. In other areas, I've had to come face to face with the deep wounds that are my own. We all have theM. For whatever reason, I didn't like posting about them. I wish I did. I know I represented myself as strong, and probably there were some days I felt responsible to be strong For you, to say "The Borg doesn't have to beat you." Like somehow, admitting I was in pain was weak, when in fact, the opposite is true. It takes a stronger person to be honest than to ignore the pain.

  Here's the good news. I can now say I used to be a JW, went to Africa, had some bodacious experiences and started life over. That's progress For me. I couldn't even talk about what happened with me for years. It's taken a while in that front.

  For me, and probably most of us, to be able to move on means that we acknowledge there will always be a scar, and wrinkles along the eyes of our soul. But at least, we've lived, and continue to strive.
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  54

  Hello, its good to be back, seriously!

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the last year or so, the opening lyrics to gloria estefan's "always tomorrow" have been howling at me.. i've been alone inside myself, far too long.

  never really wanted it that way, but i let it happen..... .

  (btw, the message in that song is great for former jw's, if you want to think about the lyrics that way....).

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  AllTimeJeff

  Rufus, I PM'd you. You might be having browser issues. Browser compatability is the cause of all the worlds problems out side of JW's....

  OM, in certain respects, I am doing very well. I haven't made friends easily, and that is a big issue with me. So, I don't know how else to address it except with people who will at least understand why. What you said makes sense, and I am grateful that I have made it this far. I am definitely not depressed like I was. Frankly, thats probably the reason why I am back here. I am sort of ready to really live, and that means just being who I am, recognizing where I come from, and stop being so damn judgemental about it all. :)
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  27

  24 hour field service marathon ??

  by gingerbread in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  field service for up to twenty-four hours non-stop.... it's a bit of a fad in our area with pioneers - the twenty somethings especially.

  we've heard from other family members and a jw friend that it's a thing in their part of the country as well.. it sounds like a group decides on a day and then piles into a van or suv to 'work' the territory - 12, 18 and even 24 hours.. anyone else hearing of this?.

  ginger.

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  AllTimeJeff

  We used to start at 5:00 AM. My record I think is a 13 hour day. I'm pretty sure that was the last day of the month. ;)