Posts by journey-on

11

My Great-Grandmother Died This Morning

by TheClarinetist in

jw
friends

she's been really bad for quite a while, and passed away in her sleep.

she lived to be a ripe old age, and even got to meet some of her great-great grandchildren (not mine... i don't have any kids), which is not something that can be said for a lot of people.

she loved music, and took organ lessons for many of the last years of her life, something that we really connected on, despite the fact that she was a, for lack of a better word, crazy jw that pioneered for years after she wasn't able to attend meetings in person.. from what i understand, the majority of people people never meet their great-grandparents, and for that i should consider myself lucky, but still i'll miss her.

journey-on

So sorry for your loss. But, what a blessing to have really known her! I remember one set of my great-grandparents, but they passed when I was a very young child. It would have been great to talk to them as an adult.

This past Spring, I was on a business trip and stopped for some lunch. There was a teenager in the booth across from me "interviewing" an older woman that looked to be about 90. The girl had a recorder and was asking the woman questions about her life. It touched my heart to see the older woman become so animated when she began to describe something that happened in her youth.

8

Question about "The Kingdom"

by TimothyT in

we have just come back from our second visit to the baptist church.

again, it was fabulous.

since being disfellowshipped, i have only wanted two things: a place to be accepted and a place where i can have good upbuilding bible instruction and discussion.

journey-on

TT...

Luke 17: 21 says: "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Now the witnesses always translated 'within you" as 'in your midst' so that it would fit in with their doctrine. But, even their own Interlinear translation says "inside you"!!

What is a kingdom? Most will tell you it is a government, but a kingdom is the domain over which a ruler governs. Christ said his laws are written in your heart! That is the domain over which he governs (if you are in the body of Christ). This also goes along with the scripture that informs us that your body is God's temple.

25

The Meetings Really Suck Lately

by Pika_Chu in

jw
friends

warning.....profanity ahead...wimps may want to leave this page.... perhaps it's stupid bringing this up when all you guys are up to speed with how the gb is full of shit anyway, but i just feel like complaining about it.

the borg is royally fucked up, and we need to call them out on it.. all the talks are about armageddon being close, closer than ever, etc.

you know, the usual crap...we've all heard a thousand times...puke puke.... then there's the added factor that everyone in my congo is actually convinced that they cannot miss even a single meeting.

journey-on

Pika_Chu....I have no advice. You are so very young, still living at home, and have a deep love for your family.

The WTS keeps people like you chained for years by the threat of losing your family. It is truly a sick cult disguised as a religion of love.

Are you baptized? If not, you have a chance of holding on to your family. If you are, then prepare for a rocky road ahead as you try to feel your way through the obstacles standing in the way of freedom. Don't give up on prayer like many tend to do. Religion, especially cultish groups, are the culprit, so don't allow it to steal away your connection to the Divine.

34

I went to my first Hypnotist show last night. I was amazed at how much it was like JWs

by life is to short in

ok i was a born in and never watched or touched anything to do with hypnotist's as we are told to avoid them at all costs and i always followed all the rules to the letter.. so yesterday we have the county fair going on and they have this hypnotist show so i went to it.

the hypnotist called up about 15 people on stage and tried to put them under.

about five of them he just could not put them under so that left about ten people on stage.. of those ten the hypnotist could do almost anything to them, it looked like it was staged expect one of the young women had been sitting right by me and her friends were right next to me, so it did seem legit.. the hypnotist had them fall asleep and when they were in that state he would tell them that when they woke up they would react to key words he had said to them or when he touched his face a cretin way.. it sort of freaked me out because it was like how i was in the religion.

journey-on

Wow! I didn't realize Andy Griffith played in such powerful dramas. I just always thought he was the "Opie's dad" kind of character actor.

The feel of power for the sheer sake of wielding it is surely a driving force. I can't help but think the real power behind the real organization has ulterior motives, however.

Just look at the near worship of the GB, their word over that of Christ, the heavy burdens requiring the counting of time spent peddling their printed material, the ass-numbing meetings, the strict attention to interpretation of doctrine, the carrot-dangling-in-front-of-the-horse kind of pull, the hypocrisy like sending their own to higher universities to become attorneys while encourage the r & f to forego higher education, just reeks of dishonesty. The entire chapter 23 of Matthew could be directly thrown at them.

34

I went to my first Hypnotist show last night. I was amazed at how much it was like JWs

by life is to short in

ok i was a born in and never watched or touched anything to do with hypnotist's as we are told to avoid them at all costs and i always followed all the rules to the letter.. so yesterday we have the county fair going on and they have this hypnotist show so i went to it.

the hypnotist called up about 15 people on stage and tried to put them under.

about five of them he just could not put them under so that left about ten people on stage.. of those ten the hypnotist could do almost anything to them, it looked like it was staged expect one of the young women had been sitting right by me and her friends were right next to me, so it did seem legit.. the hypnotist had them fall asleep and when they were in that state he would tell them that when they woke up they would react to key words he had said to them or when he touched his face a cretin way.. it sort of freaked me out because it was like how i was in the religion.

journey-on

Come on its all about control.
But, why? Do you think it is strictly about money? Do the leaders behind the curtain do this to keep the free labor going to build the buildings that they eventually sell and make profits on? To keep the rank and file donating money, stocks, real estate, etc. To keep them including them in their wills? To keep the thousands of congregations as ready built-in buyers of printed materials? Or, is there a deeper more spiritually sinister reason.

34

I went to my first Hypnotist show last night. I was amazed at how much it was like JWs

by life is to short in

ok i was a born in and never watched or touched anything to do with hypnotist's as we are told to avoid them at all costs and i always followed all the rules to the letter.. so yesterday we have the county fair going on and they have this hypnotist show so i went to it.

the hypnotist called up about 15 people on stage and tried to put them under.

about five of them he just could not put them under so that left about ten people on stage.. of those ten the hypnotist could do almost anything to them, it looked like it was staged expect one of the young women had been sitting right by me and her friends were right next to me, so it did seem legit.. the hypnotist had them fall asleep and when they were in that state he would tell them that when they woke up they would react to key words he had said to them or when he touched his face a cretin way.. it sort of freaked me out because it was like how i was in the religion.

journey-on

darth frosty....very thought-provoking stuff. Indeed, everybody associated with JWs or even thinking about it should read this.

LITS.....It always seemed strange to me how they use about a dozen trigger scriptures to blanket cover everything. It doesn't matter what argument or objection you bring up, a JW will spout almost verbatim the same words. Those particular scriptures are like the hypnotic key words that have been programmed to trigger their brains to close down to the real consciousness of Christ. Matt. 23: 13

Now, if it is intentional, why do you think this is done? Christ spoke out many times against the scribes and Pharisees and their methods to control the people. Scribes copied and interpreted scriptural texts and the Pharisees tended to be self-righteous fanatics that narrowly interpreted parts of The Law while neglecting the weightier matters like justice, faith, and mercy.

Sound like anybody we know?

34

I went to my first Hypnotist show last night. I was amazed at how much it was like JWs

by life is to short in

ok i was a born in and never watched or touched anything to do with hypnotist's as we are told to avoid them at all costs and i always followed all the rules to the letter.. so yesterday we have the county fair going on and they have this hypnotist show so i went to it.

the hypnotist called up about 15 people on stage and tried to put them under.

about five of them he just could not put them under so that left about ten people on stage.. of those ten the hypnotist could do almost anything to them, it looked like it was staged expect one of the young women had been sitting right by me and her friends were right next to me, so it did seem legit.. the hypnotist had them fall asleep and when they were in that state he would tell them that when they woke up they would react to key words he had said to them or when he touched his face a cretin way.. it sort of freaked me out because it was like how i was in the religion.

journey-on

This is a true story. At the behest of an elderly sister, I went to a few meetings at the KH about three or four years ago. Truly, it felt like being in the movie, the Stepford Wives.

I was near the front, and when I turned and looked around, people seemed mesmerized. The PO was actually sleeping and bobbing his head!!

Now, I wonder what REALLY goes on at those elder schools and secret meetings "by invitation only". Are some of the meetings intentionally set up to bore you to sleep or at least, a semi-stupor?

I have always said, I think the witnesses are programmed, if not down right brainwashed. There is definitely, imo, some hypnotic induction techniques in play.

8

Biblical question re: John 10: 1-7

by journey-on in

jw
friends

i find this scripture interesting, yet confusing.

aguest has referred to it many times.

(hopefully, you will respond to my question, shelby.).

journey-on

Thank you, Shelby. I appreciate you taking time to address this (the greatest of love and peace to you as well). I have a deep interest in Jaheshua's parables and find it odd that his disciples did not seem to grasp a lot of them. He was constantly having to reiterate and explain. I think there are deeper esoteric "instructions" hidden in the symbology and these chosen disciples were being trained to decipher them; and perhaps, knowing they were being groomed for something deeper, struggled at times to get to that level.

The Hebrew letter 'daleth' is the symbol for door or gate.....the meaning is "an entrance to the inner light, to Knowledge and Wisdom, to order and structure, and to a new foundation on which new life can be built". I find this description of the door or gateway very fitting, don't you?

Thank you again for taking time to elaborate. You, too, Inkie and Vanerhoven.

26

What age should you get baptized?

by newcomer1982 in

as from today i am disfellowshipped.

my parents cant talk to me and alot of issues have arisen which i have mentioned in my other posts.

i got baptized at 14 and i think it is way to young to make such a decision which will affect your whole life.

journey-on

It's almost criminal what they are doing with children in that organization.
I totally agree. That's why I think there might be some legal recourse due to the severe ramifications should the child later break the "contract" as it is laid out with language that binds them to the organization.
Also, they love to point to the example of Jesus discoursing in the temple at the age of twelve as proof that young children have the ability to be dedicated. The thing is, he didn't get baptized till the age of 30 and even then, he did not have to dedicate himself to an organized religion.

15

Does your conscience ever hurt you for........

by journey-on in

jw
friends

.....bringing someone into the organization of jehovah's witnesses?

personally, i had several bible studies, but thankfully, never got any of them all the way to baptism.

my conscience is clear..

journey-on

I have a JW friend, elder's wife, nearing 60 who was raised in it, has been zealous all her life, has been in parts at assemblies, has never been inactive, and has conducted dozens of Bible studies over the years. Not one....Zero....Nada.....has she ever brought into the cult. I know several like that. Yet, even today when I talk to her, she tells me that the organization is growing by leaps and bounds. She tells me they are building new KHs all over the place.

Who/where is the growth coming from?