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AllTimeJeff
JoinedPosts by AllTimeJeff
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Why Can't I Be a Jehovah's Witness?
by AllTimeJeff inthis is from my blog that i write when i feel like it.
superstitions antidote.. .
saturday, december 27, 2008why can't i be a jehovah's witness?in reflecting on my time as a jw, one thing that elders and circuit overseers would frequently say is: "we aren't like other religions.
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Why Can't I Be a Jehovah's Witness?
by AllTimeJeff inthis is from my blog that i write when i feel like it.
superstitions antidote.. .
saturday, december 27, 2008why can't i be a jehovah's witness?in reflecting on my time as a jw, one thing that elders and circuit overseers would frequently say is: "we aren't like other religions.
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AllTimeJeff
This is from my blog that I write when I feel like it. Its called Superstitions Antidote.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Why Can't I Be a Jehovah's Witness?
In reflecting on my time as a JW , one thing that elders and Circuit Overseers would frequently say is: "We aren't like other religions. You can walk into Catholic or Baptist Church and become a member pretty quickly. But for us ( JW's ) you have to study first and get the accurate knowledge of John 17:3"
This is another attempt to put on a great front to a dubious method of Jehovah's Witness recruitment. Indoctrination.
Since I resigned my membership as a JW , I find it funny how so not true it is that you can walk into any church and become a member. JW's would like for you to believe that most churches are the Dollar General store equivalent of religion, cheap and easy. That simply isn't true. I will allow that there are many religions that simply ask if one has accepted Christ and are born again, but there are just as many churches, if not more, that would like for you to know a little something about them before you join.
JW's have a more cynical goal though. Because they have such amazing beliefs regarding the prophetic value of the bible, (i.e. most prophetic characters from Noah to Abraham to David to Solomon and Hezekiah all point to the modern day structure and hierarchy of Jehovah's Witnesses), it is necessary to prep the prospective JW with the soft stuff first.
JW's have books designated for study with new prospects. Here is a list
1969: The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life
1982: You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth
1995: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life
2005: What Does the Bible Really Teach?
These books contain nothing of the very controversial prophetic view of JW's . It skims over and gives the greatest, one sided impression of such controversial teachings as blood based medicine and disfellowshipping /excommunication. It starts almost immediately with the thought that friends and family will be against you for studying the bible. (even though you aren't studying the bible, you are studying JW theology with cherry picked scriptures to back up the theology.)
During this "study" (i.e. Indoctrination!) the prospect is encouraged to attend all the meetings of JW's , where they are trained to basically "love bomb" new ones. New ones are impressed with how much attention they get, and just as equally miffed when, after baptism, interest in them and their problems fade. But it feels good in the mean time.
Of course, the goal for this indoctrination is for you to be able to parrot the basics of JW theology, agree that you want to be a JW , and get baptized. This takes several months or more. It changes after that, because now that you are baptized, you have them as the authority. You can no longer research their bible exegesis, you can no longer even have the private thought that you disagree with JW's on any subject, under pain of disfellowshipping and shunning.
For many, the more you learn, the less you like, but if you get baptized, its a little late to call them out on it and avoid the heartache that frequently occurs for associating with and promoting this group.
So if you want to be a Jehovah's Witness, be sure to study thoroughly, and on your own terms. If they have the truth as they claim, then the truth will stand on its own merits, and not on the merits of propaganda designed to bait and switch you into a lifelong, mafia like commitment. -
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Jehovah's Witnesses a religion with nothing to celebrate
by eyeslice inthis is a re-hash of a post i made a few years back when i had only just 'left'.
but as time has gone by i have become even more convinced that the witnesses are, how can i put this, a fairly miserable lot.
it seems to me that what separates humans from other animals is our culture and traditions.
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AllTimeJeff
The funny thing is, Christmas was always my favorite time of the year, even in the borg. I fed off the fumes of other peoples happiness....
I remember that we were instructed around the holidays each year during the Service Meeting to have a demo and remind the congo what to say when someone says those satanic words to you: "Merry Christmas!"
I hope you all can hear my eyeballs rolling. When I was alone, I didn't say thank you. I said "You too!"
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What Little Rebellious Things Did You Do When Still A JW?
by Seeker4 inwhere there little things that you did just to express yourself and feel like you weren't just some robot clog in a machine?
i was thinking of stuff i did over the years: .
read whatever books i wanted, even apostate ones over the years.
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AllTimeJeff
Seeker
I did watch an R rated movie on occasion. Snuck in a South Park episode. Toward the last few years, I watched whatever the hell I wanted. My conscience didn't bother me a bit!
I threw away a few albums, esp Queens Greatest Hits!!! (what a d-bag I was) I still need to buy that again.
This does raise a thought in my head that I hadn't crystalized, but as I look back, I picked and chose what I believed and practiced out of the WT. I was in the habit of disregarding what I considered to be sometimes petty rules that were ridiculous.
The GB and their minion writers have become experts at saying that they "aren't making any rules" and that "your conscience should make the call" while sending letters to elders making de facto rules and saying that if your conscience isn't "bible trained" (i,e, GB trained) then you really shouldn't follow your conscience.
Because of that, if there was a typical gray area comment from the borg, I would know who the "SR's" were in my congo and be sure that they never got a whiff of what I did. Like I answered to them anyway.
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Jehovah's Witnessees and the Truth vs the Lie
by AllTimeJeff inthere are several places on the internet where the hypocrisy of jehovah's witnesses is on full display.
what i am about to write is not new, but it is on my mind, so i thought i would write about it.
(disclaimer, i am an agnostic writing this, using the bible against jw lies.
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AllTimeJeff
Billy
Great post! I too was struck as I was leaving about how Pharasaical (sp) the JW's actually are. Their strategy is simple, organize from the OT, then take a NT verse that fits best to give it the label of Christian, and voila! JW theology.
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Jehovah's Witnessees and the Truth vs the Lie
by AllTimeJeff inthere are several places on the internet where the hypocrisy of jehovah's witnesses is on full display.
what i am about to write is not new, but it is on my mind, so i thought i would write about it.
(disclaimer, i am an agnostic writing this, using the bible against jw lies.
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AllTimeJeff
crazycate
I don't have it in my WT library for that reason (I need an updated one!) but the thrust of the Quetion box was that the GB does not endorse private groups for study of any material. In essence, they are enforcing the ban of personal bible study that you can read about in Crisis of Conscience. I know there is a link to it somewhere on JWD....
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Recently Received Wacky JW Spam re: UN Destroying Religion
by Olin Moyles Ghost ini recently received the following email.
i don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for the sender.
it looks like i'm not the first person on this board to receive this email (see http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/166981/1.ashx).
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AllTimeJeff
Welcome to the recycle bin. This first hit the rounds after the Knowledge book was released in 95.....
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The Similarities of The Charles Manson Cult and The Watchtower Society Cult
by Homerovah the Almighty ini just watched this video on you-tube and was shocked when an ex-member, a woman , who was once a part of his following /family.
stated that they were told by manson that armageddon was eminent that the members should be preparing for it, it kind of flipped a switch when i heard this so i thought .
i'd post it just so you folks could have a look,.
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AllTimeJeff
Aww..is Homer lonely on xmas? Nothing better to do than start yet another ridiculous anti-JW/anti Bible rant on here? Where's Marge and the kids? Go and have some more donuts to cheer yourself up.
You know, I appreciate the opportunity to read things like this, and i encourage others to do so.
Having lost a brother to this cult, as well as my first marriage, I can definitely say with experience that this cult is dangerous in its own way. Not in a Manson way certainly, but most cults do have similarities, even if theology and certain methodology differs.
Few cults are as murderous as Mansons. Few cults are as cynical and insincere in their approach to bible study and bible use as Jehovah's Witnesses. Personally, I think that comparing different cults will help promote understanding of the real dangers of all cults, including the ones we know best, Jehovah's Witnesses.
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Jehovah's Witnesses a religion with nothing to celebrate
by eyeslice inthis is a re-hash of a post i made a few years back when i had only just 'left'.
but as time has gone by i have become even more convinced that the witnesses are, how can i put this, a fairly miserable lot.
it seems to me that what separates humans from other animals is our culture and traditions.
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AllTimeJeff
After celebrating my first Christmas with my new family, I feel moved first of all to second eyeslices excellent post. I love the title, it sums it up quite well.
Contrary to what we are fed by the borg, here is what Christmas is about for many.
It is a tradition that started religiously, gives what is likely an incorrect traditional date for Jesus birth (biblically speaking) and had evolved in the USA as a time where friends and family can get together, share time and gifts with one another, and reaffirm the common bonds of love and friendship.
JW's don't want humans "glorified" period. There can be only one group, and that is the Governing Body. Anything else, if it makes you happy, may also take you away from their control. (did I mention its all about control and authority?)
Many who leave JW's at some point realize that they need to do what everyone else does, make Christmas, your idea of god, or lack therof, you own. We all need to do the work, think it through, and definitely make lemonade with the lemons we were handed.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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Those silly 5min sister assignments...
by Newborn injust a stupid show -off and charade.
personally i never used the material in my talks in real life and i always felt quite uncomfortable coz it was just a pretentious show and my biggest concern was that my skirt would not be too short when i sat down on the platform and that i would go over time so the bell would ring.
then on top i had to be counseled by the school minister who did much worse than me...my god.
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AllTimeJeff
These demonstrations are painful. To think that you would apply what you learn talking in front of a contregation full of people to your ministry is nonesense.