SnakesInTheTower

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Posts by SnakesInTheTower

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  4

  This is the kind of thing that keeps JWs from looking into important matters

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/respond-to-accusations/.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I could only listen to 20 seconds of that before my anxiety levels kicked in.

  And to think I practiced reading like that in hopes of one day going to Bethel to do that!

  ***shudder***

  Snakes
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  70

  The Reasons for Cart Witnessing

  by Simon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  whatever we think of it, you have to admit that it's quite "genius".. the door to door ministry as done in western developed countries where the jw quirky religion has probably reached their saturation level was a complete and utter waste of time in terms of the effort expended to recruit people.. at the same time, it was rarely something that anyone enjoyed which led to people being labelled as inactive, being pressured to doing more and maybe ultimately deciding jwism wasn't for them and leaving.. there was also the issue that many jws are actually pretty bad at knowing and articulating their beliefs so were pretty incapable of getting any meaningful message across.. they solved all this with the cart witnessing.

  the real point isn't to recruit, it's to make life easier for jws.

  now they can stand and chat with their friend, have a coffee, not talk to anyone or make eye contact and still act as a walking billboard for jw.org.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I am a medical courier. Any time I see literatrash in a lobby, waiting room, etc., I feign interest if anyone is looking, just grab it if no one is paying attention, ..... then practice recycling.....right into the shredder.

  Snakes
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  58

  Do You Ever Wonder Where Certain Posters Are?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do people simply leave because the site has given them what they wanted?

  are they now infrequent lurkers?.

  did they go back to the watchtower?.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I remember meeting a bunch of folks at an Apostafest in 2008 in Toronto. Some I still see here and on FB. Others I lost touch with. One poster was Eclipse. Met them in person at the fest. Nice person. Met Dagney there too. Few others.

  I still talk to some through FB. Funny, on FB, I know real names but cannot figure out who their screen names are here, but our "mutual friends" are all from JWD. Shrugs.

  Just glad I can pop in here from time to time. Mom still a dub.

  Snakes (Rich)
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  16

  Can we ever get our loved ones out?

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a post on another thread got me to thinking and writing.. should we even be trying to get our loved ones out of jehovah's witnesses?.

  when a person truly believes in their belief system, or even if they don't but have held to that system for a long time, there is nothing we can say that will move them from that system.. why?

  perhaps pride.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  A post on another thread got me to thinking and writing.

  Should we even be trying to get our loved ones out of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  When a person truly believes in their belief system, or even if they don't but have held to that system for a long time, there is NOTHING we can say that will move them from that system.

  Why? Perhaps pride. Perhaps fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of social isolation.

  For an older JW such as my mom, I suspect this is the case. She was baptized in 1970, at the height of the 1975 fearmongering. Two JW special pioneers came to her door in Juneau, Alaska. She lived in a small apartment, with two little boys, me age 3, and my younger brother who was a newborn. My dad was in the Coast Guard, so mom was by herself a LOT. Age 26, no cable, no internet back then. Phone service to talk to family long distance would have been prohibitively expensive. Maybe a neighbor to talk to, but that was it.

  So to be offered to have adult company for an hour or more a week, talking about deep topics, was probably, in my mom's eyes, a relief. My mom studied with that couple multiple times a week for hours each time. Not just the old Truth book. But the Babylon the Great book. She rapidly progressed and went to the Kingdom Hall which, conveniently for her since she did not drive, was right down the street. Her social circle widened, and she was baptized. Now she had purpose.

  My dad soon joined her. An unwise decision for his career and their finances, but he left the military (technically Department of Transportation back then). They moved back to his hometown in the lower 48 in the midwest and was baptized in 1971.

  I will shorten this for now, but it provides the motivating factor of why my 75 year old mom remains a JW. My dad died in 1994, short of his 60th birthday. She was just shy of 51, a year younger than I am now.

  She remarries out of the Truth, moves to Florida, new instant circle of JW friends, just add Watchtower. Her husband eventually retires, they move to a rural town in southern Alabama. New Kingdom Hall, new instant circle of JW friends, just add Watchtower again.

  Here is the rub. Even if she knows in her heart it is all BS, if she left now, she would be back where she started: 1970, all alone, this time no little kids to care for, just a husband who is disabled, but for now somewhat active. But no other human interaction. Cable, internet, and cheap phone calls to family go only so far. Learning to build genuine friendships, when for nearly 50 years all you had to do for friends was have the commonality of Watchtower to have instant circles of friends, would be nearly impossible.

  All of that to say, it would be extremely cruel on my part to in any way discourage my 75 year old mom from staying the couse, faithful to the end, even if that faith in my eyes is misplaced. It gives her purpose.

  When my mom regular pioneered last year for the first time, and got to go to pioneer school, she was excited and exhausted. I encouraged her to only keep doing it if she still enjoyed it and it did not ruin her health. She did it for one year, then stopped this past September. Now, she and my stepdad vacation, at timeshares unfortunately, but at least they can while their health holds.

  I consider myself fortunate. I still have somewhat of a relationship with my mom. I see her once a year. We talk on the phone periodically. I am rebuilding and reconnecting with her non JW family, whom we were basically isolated from for decades. I spent 2 hours on the phone with her sister, my aunt, yesterday. I look forward to calling my cousin and getting to know him.

  I left the clutches of Watchtower in 2007. I haven't set foot in a Kingdom Hall since August of that year. I served that organization, and I thought God, from my baptism in 1983 at age 16, until I was removed as an elder in December 2006. I had been deeply involved, as a regular pioneer, MS, elder, MTS graduate, Assembly Hall volunteer, Regional Building volunteer, temp at Bethel, Patient Visitation Group, and other activities. All of that cost me education, careers, financial stability, genuine love, happiness.

  Yet, do you think anyone could have convinced me then that it was all BS? I had doubts in 1991 over chronology doctrines, and again in 1995 over the Generation teaching, along with abuse from within by those who were jealous of my success in the Organization, and prevented or delayed many of the goals I had set for myself

  I now have a loving non JW wife. We have been together 9 years, married 7. I adopted her son, now 17, a couple of years ago. Graduating high school this month, a semester early. His whole life ahead of him, I envy where he is in life.

  I did go back to college, while still an elder, got two Associates degrees. Finished after I left Watchtower. My career path is different than my education, but it was my first college course, in Ethics, that finally broke me free of that organization.

  NOT someone from the ex JW community, though this forum has been a lifeline. It took a college professor, who had no idea of my religious background, to influence my thinking. We never know what will break through to our loved ones still trapped inside.

  NEVER GIVE UP. BE THERE FOR THEM WHEN THEY ARE READY. Because unlike Watchtower, out here, there are no instant friends.

  Snakesinthetower (Rich, of the "Patiently waiting for mom to wake up" Sheep Class)
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  36

  Faders Needing a Great One Liner

  by Solzhenitsyn in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so our family fade is well under way.

  we changed congregations as regular attenders and left in good standing with those giving hugs and kisses simply knowing we "needed a change".

  we moved to a neighboring congregation that is out of our original region knowing we would see no one and the two boe's wouldn't really have immediate dealings.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I am not capable of ONE line. Except for an occasional bump into someone, I rarely run into any dubs. They know not to stop at my house. I also changed congos in 2007.

  I faded just as you did. I was only 10 miles from my old Congo, but another state, circuit, etc. I am sure at some point they exchanged speakers, seen each other at the assembly hall, etc. Maybe the "Have you seen Brother Snakes" question came up. The answer is to "leave sleeping Snakes alone, as to not get BIT."

  I only care because my 75 yr old JW mom is still alive, out of state. After she dies, hopefully no time soon, I won't care about JW anything.

  Oh, I haven't moved in 20 years, so it's not like ai am hiding.

  Snakesinthetower

  
  
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  7

  A Cat's Last Emily (Emily's Last Cat)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a cat's last emily (emily's last cat) __________.

  lifting her elbow up off of her cat.

  emily whispered, .

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  SnakesInTheTower

  Terry, that really is beautiful writing.

  Snakes (Rich...only dreams of being a writer)
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  3

  The Fun I Could Of Had

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think back on all the missed opportunities i could had not being a jehovah's witness.

  however, now i'm thinking about all the fun i could of had if i had been a pimo and had fun in that position.

  the possibilities are endless.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I think the reason the local yokel elduhs leave me alone after 11 years out is ....

  ....because they think I am nuts.

  I am pretty certain they are relieved I am no longer an elduh and a pain in their collective fat asses.

  I put the word out a few years ago to the then PO to leave me be ...shit don't stink unless you stir it.

  I think he spread the word.. no one stops by here anymore....LOL. He is about 88 now, not PO anymore. Good ol boy.

  Snakesinthetower (of the "don't mess with me and I won't mess with you" Sheep Class)
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  43

  After watching A&E Leah Remini on Jehovah Witnesses I am going to stop hiding behind my Avatar

  by Still Totally ADD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just got done watching this program and what impress me the most was the bravery of those x-witnesses to sit there on national tv and tell everyone how the wt.

  cult affected them.

  no hidden faces, no avatar names and no disguise.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I haven't finished watching the show, but I hope my JW mom watches it. She is 75 and 48 years a dub, I still think she will shun me if I am DF. Let them.

  I outed myself long ago here....I remain....

  Snakesinthetower (aka Richard Bailey....)

  And ps to any local elders......and I know some of you lurk here.....

  remember my promise if you EVER DF me while my mom is alive....good luck preaching in this town. Leave sleeping dogs lie. After she dies, I could care less. LOL
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  31

  Role Call!

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  how many here have been active here on this site in the the last seven days?.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I check on from time to time, and my 75 year old mom is stil a dub. If not for that, I may have moved on from all things Borg...except so many nice folks here.

  I checked in today because of the news about FHN dying.

  Snakes
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  32

  Conventions, Kingdom Halls, Relief Funds, and Other Financial Scams and Schemes of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  a few seconds ago this hit the net todayhttp://jwvictims.org/conventions-kingdom-halls-relief-funds-and-other-financial-scams-and-schemes-of-jehovahs-witnesses/.

  conventions, kingdom halls, relief funds, and other financial scams and schemes of jehovahs witnesses.

  jehovahs witnesses often note that at their meetings (like church services), they dont pass a collection plate.

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  SnakesInTheTower

  I used to be the one to go buy toilet paper for the local kingdom hall along with the other janitorial supplies.

  I had an elder get mad that I "wasted" money buying 2 ply instead of commercial grade 1ply.

  You better believe I bought what we needed. ASSembly hall bought BS commercial grade.

  You cant even use a Washtowel magazine as a substitute anymore. Glad I am not there anymore.

  Snakes...of the freedom Sheep class.