Posts by AllTimeJeff

36

In Your Opinion Do Today's Elders Recognize That The Religion Is BS?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i always wondered that while i was in especially when i was an elder.

i recognize that some people,elders included are brain-dead.

but do you think that the average older today knows it's all nonsense?

AllTimeJeff

I think that this question illustrates that beliefs are more important than facts. My JW elder experience taught me that elders accepted their "appointment" for different reasons. Some were going to be loyal to the SS Russell/Rutherford/Knorr no matter what bearing. Others wanted to help people. Some thought they were worshiping ~~Jehovah~~ Jesus. Others just wanted to reach their goal....

To me, what tests most elders are the pedophilia cases. You have to be totally bought in to support the GB bullshit on that. And yet, some sincerely believed that is what YHWH wanted. Sooo, their bullshit tolerance was clearly higher.

I think the average elder is below average, but, having said that, it just depends if you are looking for the nonsense. If you aren't, you won't see it. If you are willing to be honest to even a small extent, you can see it. I have no idea to tell who sees what or how they interpret it.

My gut tells me that if you're a youngish elder, there is a fair amount of ego involved. If you're older, there is a fair amount of time involved. For both, a certain amount of nonsense would likely be tolerated...

26

I feel like I'm losing my religion/faith

by christina1111 in

i'm a baptized jw...been baptized for 8 years...and throughout the years i've been baptized i see "hypocrisy" so to speak in the religion...when you're new and not baptized that's when the jws want to invite you to every gathering they have, they want to appear like they're your best friend...they want to help you out when needed and so forth...however, once you're baptized you go to the elders for help they don't help you....all they do is gather you around the office...have bibles in hand and so forth...they give you articles as well, instead of physically helping you out....but yet when you weren't baptized they would physically help you out and not throw scriptures and articles in your face.

also when you ask for help and so forth with the bros/sisters they want to throw the "each one must carry his/her own load" scripture at you.....but yet what happened to the scripture of taking care of widows and people who are orphans?.

it's not just one congregation...throughout the 8 years i've been baptized i've been through many kingdom halls...many towns...many states...when i was inactive for awhile i even pretended to not be baptized and just play dumb when the witnesses came to my door...they're much nicer to you when you're not baptized then when you are baptized...why is that?.

AllTimeJeff

I don't like to refer to my past too much, but in this case, I will.

I was in Gilead class 119. Born in. Lost my family I loved while I was in, then, when I discovered as an elder that what was taught and how people were treated didn't match up, I was shunned. I left of my own accord. I wasn't kicked out. I decided to start anew based on what I saw and what I learned....

I have no agenda. It's been 10 years. Your decisions are your own. Having said that, I absolutely empathize with what you are seeing right now. The decisions are never just logical, they are also emotional, and they do cover all things spiritual.

Towards the end, after Gilead and when I came back from Cameroon, I would go knock on a door, and when it seemed appropriate, I would ask the householder what they thought. And I just listened. It was refreshing. I thanked them for sharing.

My one thought for you is that whatever reasons you see and you think are good enough. JW's are conditioned to look for "the truth". Maybe you're looking for a reason, someone else's reason, and maybe that is your thing. If your thing is to do it your way, that is just as valid. When I talked with people at their doors before I left, I was impressed with how developed most people's "think for yourself" muscle was compared to mine. 10 years later, my own thoughts, what I am, is the only truly unique thing I can offer the world. It's the only thing any of us can offer.

JW's unwittingly (or wittingly) took away your ability to feel good about being yourself. Think about that. You are an individual. Except to JW's. Whatever your first name was, they replaced it with "Sister"...

Be you. Feel good. That doesn't mean to do whatever you want, but deep down, you already know your own mind and who you are. Explore that. Being you and finding you is much more important a pursuit than figuring out why JW's are the way they are.... IMO

491

What is your opinion of the news media?

by minimus in

to me they have an agenda and they really don't care about professional journalism.

most are untrustworthy and that's a shame.

AllTimeJeff

Thanks minimus. As are you....

491

What is your opinion of the news media?

by minimus in

to me they have an agenda and they really don't care about professional journalism.

most are untrustworthy and that's a shame.

AllTimeJeff

Having an agenda is different from out and out lying. Trump lies. A lot. I have eyes. But his press conferences are not for my type.They are red meat for the angry mob that got him electorally elected.

I haven't read this thread, however, I will hazzard my opinion. There is no such thing as a "non-biased" reporter. We all have our biases.

Most reporters until the dawn of the Fox News age stated that it was their professional responsibility to keep their politics out of their stories as much as possible.

The above is possible when one sticks to facts.

We have morphed into an age where beliefs are being sold as more important than facts.

I reject that because that is a premise cults like JW's thrive on. Don't consider "their" point of view. By all means, when presented with a point of view that disagrees or fundamentally proves your beliefs wrong, act like it is smeared with Ebola juice and run away, still clinging to your precious beliefs.

I think the traditional media of CNN and the evening news have made the mistake of being more sensationalist than previous generations. That doesn't mean what they were saying about government and elections were wrong.

Trump is wrong. The media as a whole doesn't lie. Trump has lied all his life. The biggest lie this metro NY dwellilng billionaire ever pulled off was getting red-state middle America to believe that he cared about them. Other than their votes that is...

74

This site should be called Anti-Jehovahs-Witnesses Cry-babies

by the-Question in

so, you left because of a bad example(s).. why all the whining?

nothing better to do with your time?.

you at least know far more about the bible than any church-goer?.

AllTimeJeff

Does someone smell a troll?

Wipe that troll off your shoes before you walk on the carpet....

Don't feed the trolls

Seriously, if you want to view the people who left JW's and come here as "cry babies", I honestly don't care. You mean nothing to me. Have fun posting in your parents basement btw. Don't forget to shower this week.

23

Another Burnt Out Elder

by Spoletta in

young elder(mid-thirties) in my congregation stepped down last night.

nicest guy, with two lovely kids, a great supportive wife.. it got to be too much, as the other elders are practically useless, let him do all the hard work, while they did all the "important" stuff.

literally ran him ragged.. he's still in good standing, gave the final prayer.

AllTimeJeff

Giving the final prayer let's everyone know he wasn't removed. Still doing that I see. Yuck.

Pay attention. Some elders can't take it. Others know they are trapped and feel they can't leave. So they step down. This young elder might very well know TTATT. Most elders get an opportunity to see the rot, so I hold out hope that he saw something he can no longer support, at least as an elder.

23

Book study this week...more trumpeting over the organzations greatness

by NikL in

jw
friends

you know, there are some studies that are painful to sit through because of the blatant lies or bull shite spewing from the platform.

then there are those that seem to have no reason for even taking place.. such was the case for last nights congregation bible study.. all it did was talk about how many books and magazines have been published over the years and "aren't we wonderful that we print so much stuff"?

this is a study into important biblical things?

AllTimeJeff

It is disturbing when one realizes that the entire goal of the GB is to prop up their own power. So, one day it's a questionable biblical application. The next, it's about how many pages they've printed in the iPad age. Yep. They get it....

23

Was Ray Franz Playing The Long Game?

by rory-ks in

jw
friends

i'm just making my way through crisis of conscience for the second time and once again i am struck by the presentation of such detailed records.

letters are shown in full - copies of letters from the branch, and to the branch.

reports are quoted vebatim.

AllTimeJeff

I bow to Blondie's comments. However the Borg documented it for thier delusional file, they were looking to be rid of him.

I was a child when it all went down but I remember it well in the congregation I was in. I personally doubt that he had much to spur this on other than it was in front of him at the time, and like many, he was just trying to be helpful and make sense of it all while it was happening

23

Was Ray Franz Playing The Long Game?

by rory-ks in

jw
friends

i'm just making my way through crisis of conscience for the second time and once again i am struck by the presentation of such detailed records.

letters are shown in full - copies of letters from the branch, and to the branch.

reports are quoted vebatim.

AllTimeJeff

It's always a fun pass time to wonder about things like that. I generally take him at his word from CoC.

I don't think he was playing a long game. I think he pushed in 1979 real hard, was found out, and was pushed out in 1980. The GB of the time was probably naive to not think Ray Franz would have documents with him. Remember, at first, he wasn't disfellowshipped. He was shipped down to Alabama and disfellowshipped a year later.

13

undeserved kindness vs. grace

by nowwhat? in

undeserved kindness means- you puny humans are irredemable and worthless, but because i am such a benevolent and magnanimous god.

i give you a way for salvation.

but you better keep working day in and day out for the rest of your miserable lives and perhaps i'll save you on my day of wrath.

AllTimeJeff

From the aspect of JW leadership, any word or phrase that can control will be used.

This thread brought to mind something I use to think about while pioneering. (aka riding in the back of a minivan for 5 hours a day). At my worst, before life taught me differently, I recall being annoyed at those grace filled, "forgiven" Christians I'd run into. Though I am not a believer, I can now totally dig why those people reacted that way to a controlling, controlled JW showing up at their door. I certainly think it is more mentally healthy, if you are going to be a theist, to have a dogma that is more freeing and affirming of the human spirit.

Not that it matters much to me anymore, but, i like grace. It's also a great U2 song. ;)