unfortunately, i'm not quite sure what my questions are.
my first post was in the "dating..." forum, if anyone's interested.. the biggest problem i have is my complete ignorance concerning jw's and their beliefs/ practices.
the research i've done has provided only polar opposite views, either jw is the way or it's a cult and it's wrong.
: I've found "watchtower.org" and "watchtower.observer.org" , but they are diametricly opposed in viewpoints. I'd like something a little more objective.
True. Watchtower.org is full of lies and the Watchtower Observer merely exposes them.
Seriously, another good site is www.freeminds.org. It has tons of good stuff for you to consider.
Farkel
i have long believed in separating my personal life from life in the workplace, and rarely discuss matters of a private nature with co-workers.. i work with a woman who has a young daughter (early 20's) who has terminal cancer and probably only weeks left to live.
i've known this woman for a number of years and know her to be sensitive, and compassionate, having a deep faith in god.. i just found out last week that another one of my co-workers is a jw.
i have no intention of "outing" myself to her and she has no idea that she works side-by-side with someone who was disfellowshipped 21 years ago.. my concern is this: today, the jw co-worker approached me and asked me if i know where my other co-worker lives "because i'd like to talk with her about something very important".
If you feel you must warn her Jim, you might want to tell her that you are an ex-JW and JWs are taught that those who leave their religion are scum, possessed by Satan and are to be treated as they were dead, under all any and all circumstances. Since she already knows you are not like that, it should set off a lot of reg flags immediately.
Since she already has a deep faith in God, she's probably quite aware that Jesus hung out with people the Pharisees thought were outcasts and scum, too. In telling her that (if you decided to do so) you could also tell her that you haven't mentioned your JW status to the co-worker because 1) you don't want her to begin to treat you like pond scum, and 2) it could disrupt your work and working relationship with the JW. You are only interested in keeping the peace.
You could explain in detail how JWs are taught by their Brooklyn Masters to deal with people who leave their faith and how it destroys families, marriages and friendships. They treat JWs who ask pesky questions about their religion, or smoke cigarettes exactly like people who are serial killers. No exceptions. It's not that difficult to get in, but can be nearly impossible for many to get out. Once in the JW religion one has NO freedoms, including the freedom to think and question differently from what they think and teach. Did Jesus want his followers to feel hopelessly trapped and blackmailed and extorted into staying his followers?
Then if the dub does call, the mother will have some interesting questions to ask her about how JWs deal with those who leave their faith. Of course, it would also be good to first show some WTS documentation that proves beyond any doubt that what I've said is true. If the dub tries to skirt around the issue or lies about it, your friend will immediately see hypocricy and deceit. If the dub admits it, you friend can see the the JW religion's evil for what it is. Either way, the dub won't likely trap another victim.
Then there's always the message of the "Good News" you co-worker has to offer: 6 million happy JWs stumbling around over 6 BILLION slaughtered non-JWs. That always gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling whenever I think about it. :D)
Farkel
just looking at the chat room at the moment, i counted 16 in the chat room!!.
can we fit anymore in???
.
: This was my first time in ANY chatroom, ever. They were gentle with me.
My apologies for the oversight. I'll work on it!
mililani technology park.
mililani, hawaii 96789. phone: (808) 539-7653 .
mililani technology park.
: So, is it just an assembly hall?
Assembly Hall = Profit Center
Profit Center = Any activity conducted by the WTS (see also "Assembly Hall")
Kingdom Hall (see Profit Center)
Patterson Resort Complex = "Bringing Glory to Jehovah Through Wise Use of Profit Centers"
You get the picture. :)
Farkel
this is my first post in any network such as this.
i have been "lurking" around the "apostate" sites for the last year or so.
i am glad i have!
Welcome to this board. My only suggestion is one you probably already know. Take everything very slowly and don't do anything rash. It is a sad and common mistake for many who've discovered stuff about the WTS they didn't know existed to want to share it with other JWs. As a former elder you must know that oftentimes that can mean disaster.
There are many who've been in your situation who can offer timely advice. I just faded away and was never shunned by my family, so my situation is different from yours.
Again, welcome.
Farkel
i'm curious: how many years were you in before you left?
by left, i mean either df'd and decided not to go back, or da'd, or faded, or even just realized it was a crock but stuck around anyway for family reasons?.
we're told in la-la-land that it's the newly baptized, those who are "spiritually immature" that mostly leave.
eyes_opened,
Are you EWO who used to post on H20?
If you are, is ANYONE posting over there anymore? :)
Farkel
i'm curious: how many years were you in before you left?
by left, i mean either df'd and decided not to go back, or da'd, or faded, or even just realized it was a crock but stuck around anyway for family reasons?.
we're told in la-la-land that it's the newly baptized, those who are "spiritually immature" that mostly leave.
I was in for 24 years, pioneer, book study servant, MS, traveling speaker, assembly parts, the whole nine yards.
In a mere three months some relatively minor things happened that caused me to get out of Watchtower Slavery(tm). Things had been building up for at least a year before that though, and those "minor" things were the straw that broke my dub back.
I walked away, was condemned by everyone including life-long friends. I flipped them all the bird, shunned them and never looked back. Who needs "friends" like that, anyway? That was 29 years ago. Many of them are still utterly braindead WT zombies. I worked for years to reclaim my brain. I'm still working on keeping it tuned up!
Farkel
i hope this is a friendly place, because i could sure use some friends.
this is my first try at posting on a discussion board, though i have been lurking here and at a few others on the same subject for a few weeks now.
about 4 weeks ago i took the plunge and decided to see just what all the mystery and danger of reading "apostate" material was all about.
: Please excuse the newbie dumb questions, but do I do something like that in "Main" or is there someplace else that is better etiquette-wise.
No question is dumb when you don't know the answer. Ask away! And, welcome!
Farkel
i am settling in here after a long stay on anoter site.
well, that's the nice thing with cyberspace.
you can be in two places at one time.. i see many faithful christians here.
Welcome to this board, Bx. You'll find most of the H20 "traitors" here, including me!
Farkel
my dad asked the co about this one.
mat 27:52-53. and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, .
and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
I was told this story from a Bethelite. One time Lyman Swingle was in an elevator with a brother and the brother told him how horrible it was that many of the other Bethelites would use profanity at work. He asked Swingle what he thought about it.
Swingle lowered his head and shook it back and forth and said, "Oh, shit..."
Farkel
