Posts by boyzone

73

The "swagger" of the Organization is gone - or is it my imagination?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i am in my early forties.

grew up in the truth.

i remember talks at the assemblies by the governing body in the 80's.

boyzone

I agree Bonafide. Even though its 2 years since I went to a meeting, this attitude was very evident even then. Its probably worse now. To be honest, I wasn't the only one that noticed this. Brothers and sisters used to comment about how tired everyone was or how much sickness there was in the congregation. Everyone seemed to be dealing with huge personal problems that they got very little help for. In fact most were feeling guilty because they couldn't keep up with the theocratic programme because of these problems.

They were spiritually and emotionally tired and it showed. So when the CO visit came round, or the convention, rather than this being a "refreshing provision form Jehovah" it was just another juggling act to be accomodated or another expense to be endured.

Sounds to me as if nothings changed in the last 2 years.

22

my brother said i cant ever meet his baby

by Cordelia in

jw
friends

i started a thread about my dad finding me on facebook but the truth is my brother was on it ive just got a call from him saying i cant have anything to do with facebook or i can have nothing to do withj him or his baby!!!.

i feel so upset ok i was on ex jw sites on there but even gettin rid of then was not enough he said i have to get rid of facebook forever or i cant see him or my nephew#.

i dont know what to do.... my dad is in the middle and not well and old and so sad at the cofrontationtation i feel bad!!!

boyzone

LOL! Password - good advice!!

81

My JW Daughter sends a Letter to us Explaining her Shunning of Me

by flipper in

jw
friends

my wife and i sent my 22 yr.old pioneer witness daughter and her husband a anniversary card and $ 40.00 and flowers the end of april.

my daughter wrote mrs. flipper and me each our own individual letters thanking us initially for the gifts - and then went into detail as to why she has not spoken to me for over a year and shunned me.. keep in mind as i paraphrase some of the highlights to these letters that the only negative thing i have said about the organization to my daughter in 3 years was to show her the ap news release about the child abuse settlements by the wt society .

i'll quote parts of the letter to mrs. flipper first :.

boyzone

You're on the right track here Mr Flip. Its good that she even wrote you a letter establishing communication again. With that small crack in the door you can do much good with this.

Bonafide gives good advice on keeping it light, I'd agree with that, try and keep her in her true personality. She showed that personality at the beginning of her letter then switched to her cult personality to "witness" to you. So I'd recommend trying to get her back into that true personality as much as possible. Perhaps reminisce about some childhood funny she's forgotten or some family holiday you've all fond memories of. (as long as no cult experience is mentioned).

Then she might be reminded that you were a father to her in many wonderful and diverse ways, not just the one that taught her "the truth".

I'm doing this with my dad right now. He's a very hardcore Jdub and has a core of steel running through him whenever the "Truth" is mentioned. You can almost see the switch! Yet when I remind him of the past and his navy days or when my siblings and I were little, he switches back to the kind loving gentle man I remember as my dad. The more I keep him in this personality, the more him and I get along.

My next plan of attack is gonna be "if you wasn't a witness, what would you be doing right now?" I'll bide my time for this question, but once he's in the good personality mode, I might get away with it.

Good luck with your daughter Mr Flip, she sounds a lovely girl and definately worth every effort to get back. Please let us know how things go won't you? x

54

Has Your Personality Changed Since Leaving The Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i have an aquaintance that likes to say, "once an a hole always an a hole".

i guess you could reason that whatever your religious views were, your core is you are who you are.. did your personality change for better or worse when you left the organization?.

boyzone

The change was radical with me and still ongoing. I was a fat, arrogant roly-poly spitfire.

The Org made me hard, black and white, no compromise. Now I'm far more reasonable and relaxed. Much happier and alot less stressed - and 70lb lighter!

And boy! Does all this help the ole confidence, especially when I gotta deal with the shunning every day.

I'm not "there" yet, but I'm alot better. x

22

New member - My story

by allelsefails in

i've been reading for a little while, but really "studying" for a couple of years.

figure i could share my story and listen to what you guys have to say.

i was "born" into jws in 1976. my mother was baptized in 1975.. ouch.

boyzone

HI Allelsefails and welcome!

You've had quite a ride there bro, but you're on the right track for the peace and serenity you desire so much. Please don't give up on faith. I know the Watchtower Society have abused your faith badly, as it has all of us. But don't let that hold you back from feeling the healing love of Jesus. He adds no pain with it, no guilt, no hoops to jump through, its all been paid for by his sacrifice. He says "Come to me all you who are toiling and loaded down and I will refresh you". Nice words, and more importantly, he means them!

Please also be assured that you do not have to be part of the Watchtower Organization to see your brother again!!! Absolutely not. So whatever you do, don't ever feel guilty for leaving this group. Remember what Jesus said? He said those that believe in HIM will live, not those that believe in the Watchtower! They are a high control cult which lays on the guilt so that people will stay. This is not the way christians are supposed to behave,and certainly not the way Jesus taught.

So please stick around and let us help you here. You'll meet people from all sorts of backgrounds, all different opinions and many different experiences. But we all have one thing in common, we've all been burned and scarred by the Watchtower Society. Welcome to freedom! x

44

The cost of going undercover to help family and friends - Is it worth it?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

so all of you that are trying to help your family and friends as a disassociated person, or disfellowshipped, or sort-of-shunned.. what do you think about getting reinstated or reactivated to help them get out?.

the time invested would be two meetings a week, about 6 hours total including driving.

for those on the outside, you would have to get reinstated, so you would need 2-3 months of going to meetings making sure the elders see you and know your intention.. add field service in there.

boyzone

To be honest I see nothing here worth bragging about when witnesses go on doors it is open and honest you maybe critical of them but you have all their wt's to read in front of you their beliefs and doctrines are not hidden. Too use such underhand methods is not something to be proud of.

Th thing is Reniaa, YOU are not allowed to read ALL the WT's and the older beliefs and doctrines you're discouraged from researching in any depth. You're certainly not permitted to understand the significance of the older doctrines and how they go against clear scritpural standards. Your hypocrisy here is appalling.

The witnesses going door to door are NOT open and honest. Don't be silly here girl, your talking to old pro's here, not some wet-behind-the-ears novices. When was the last time you explained the shunning policy to a householder? Or when was the last time you told them upfront that you have to believe the GB were exclusively chosen by God in 1919? Or have you explained about all the shifting doctrines on blood, generation, superior authorities, date-setting etc, pedophile settlements etc. Or do you just give the rosy paradise earth picture. Open and honest?? You are kidding me.

And if you succeed and destroy a person's belief in their God and they are unable to cope with it as I know at least one person on this forum has found out can you live with that? destroying their hope in God? I admire People in other religions more than this because they at least seek to replace faith with another, not self-serving deceit leaving the person without their faith at the end of it.

Utter tripe. Destroying their faith in the Watchtower Society ISN'T destroying thier faith in God. In your mind the Society and God are one and the same, therefore you automatically equate one with the other. Therefore you can't have one without the other. Your remarks get sillier and sillier Reniaa, proving beyond doubt to all reading your words that you are in a mind control cult. Your silliness has done more for showing up the stupidity of the WT Society than probably most of the posts on this forum. Well done honey!

32

Dropping the pounds....

by AK - Jeff in

i have never been fat - exactly.

but i have been overweight most of the past two decades.

lately it has settled around my waistline.. so, i decided to find a way to lose it without falling back into bad eating habits - a lifestyle change.. i have taken a few steps and began earnest effort to start moving the scale southward last monday, so i am 8 days in.. here is what i am doing:.

boyzone

Well done Jeff, keep i up. I lost 70lb recently and feel on top of the world. Now like you I stick mainly to protein fruit and veg with the occassional treat.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water especially if your hungry, it staves off the cravings for a while.

44

The cost of going undercover to help family and friends - Is it worth it?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

so all of you that are trying to help your family and friends as a disassociated person, or disfellowshipped, or sort-of-shunned.. what do you think about getting reinstated or reactivated to help them get out?.

the time invested would be two meetings a week, about 6 hours total including driving.

for those on the outside, you would have to get reinstated, so you would need 2-3 months of going to meetings making sure the elders see you and know your intention.. add field service in there.

boyzone

Very true BF! Just ignore Reniaa, she'll dig up all the excuses in the world to defend the Watchtower's theocratic lying strategy, but hypocritically won't allow you the same strategy to rescue family.

2 sets of scales Reniaa?

sweetheart you need to take the log out your WT eyes before removing the straw from anyone elses.

11

Is it wrong to change your religion flyer

by boyzone in

i typed a flyer on this subject the other day but not sure how to get it to the relevant people.

i could post it to elders but i know it'll be thrown as soon as opened.

i could pin it to the kh door but the hall servant will be the first to see it and throw it before anyone else gets there.

boyzone

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll try laundromats and study homes, that'll be a good start.

10

What should I say next?

by asilentone in

jw
friends

i know one elder that has a habit of saying "let jehovah take care of that" "just wait on jehovah", etc..., what should i say back?

he is pretty good conversation stopper.

i want to change that!

boyzone

The "wait on Jehovah" phrase is so dumb. I just reply with "Don't you really mean "wait on the Organization?"".

(Because that what they DO mean.)