StephaneLaliberte

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Posts by StephaneLaliberte

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  21

  Two JWs visited

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just had two female jws visit, one in their 30s and the other about 20. .

  they invited me to their convention to learn about jesus, they said it is three days long but i don't need to attend every day and she highlighted one session at 11.15am where i could learn about jesus.. i said to her that i wouldn't be interested in attending the convention because i believed what a man called rutherford said about religion being a snare and a racket.

  they wanted to know who this rutherford guy was and after explaining knew who i was talking about.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  When I was 16 or so, going door to door, I used the traditional

  "Good morning sir, I'm taking advantage of this sunny day to talk with my neighbours today about..."

  At which point he stopped me and said:

  "No! You're not here to talk, you're here to preach. Let's be honest here, you expect to teach me things and you don't really expect to learn anything from me."

  Though I got around his argument in an instant, his words never left my mind: he was right, I had no respect for what people believed, the why, and the how it compared to my own beliefs. From that day on, I started to be open minded. Through the years, the gap between what the organization thought and what I believed grew slowly but surely. 20 years later, I left with my wife and kids.

  I can sincerely tell you that what this man told me that morning in field service had everything to do with it.

  So what you did just there, even if they dismiss it, it will slowly make its way to their heart until one day, they will act on it.
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  61

  Today's Special Day Assembly Expenses and the $10,499 Deficit. Silent Majority?

  by Tenacious in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  today i attended a one-day assembly in my hometown.

  i knew when it came time to read the afternoon expenses that it would be an incredibly high and ridiculous amount that was nowhere near the real expenses for that day.

  sure enough, after lunch came the announcement.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Yeah, I always thought it was funny when there was a lack of funds at an assembly, they would carry that deficit to the next assembly. But when there was too much, they would automatically send the difference to the society.
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  7

  JW do alot of bad... and we are all collectively responsible for this!

  by StephaneLaliberte in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i know someone who was working for an elder.

  when she got disfellowshipped, he gave her two weeks noticed and paid for one... she didn't bring that sob to court as it was her own father.

  that happened about a months ago.. another example is that me and my family have become inactive.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I know someone who was working for an elder. When she got disfellowshipped, he gave her two weeks noticed and paid for one... She didn't bring that SOB to court as it was her own father. That happened about a months ago.

  Another example is that me and my family have become inactive. Rather then simply telling my friends and others as to why I have left, I have faded out for fear of loosing my family. I have another friend who has done the same thing recently as well.

  A member of my family has tried to commit suicide this year. One of the major factor was the fact that she has left the witnesses, lost all her friends, a good portion of the family, and that, while simply becoming inactive!

  The problem that I see here is that we were all quiet about these things. None of the "rank and file"s know about these stories and the watchtower appears clean. Why? Because we are all so afraid of loosing our families.

  One additional reason is that we know full well that these stories could appear small to active members who will easily dismiss them away as the "odd" events. But if we were ALL doing it, then, they would realize that these things happen everywhere, all the time. These are not the exceptions but the very life of JW who claim they give more love than pain.

  Right now, I feel that it is not yet my time to hold this fight; I don't even know if I ever will. F**k.. they have my family! The only thing that I know is that while we are not prepared to make such sacrifice, we are all collectively responsible for letting this cult thrive.
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  38

  The Greatest Paradox

  by Perry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  now that i have been a born again christian for 10 years, i see things that just boggles my mind.

  like this: we all spent untold hours in the field service telling people (mostly christians) about the paradise earth.

  that was the reason we were at their door.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  What really made me leave the watchtower (and most religion for that matter) is: How is that going to change your everyday life?

  Whether you believe you will go to haven or to a Paradis earth, or that the tribulation is near or far... how is that going to translate in you being a good person?

  JWs and other religion put such a strong emphasis on these teachings that they forget that being a Christian is all about showing love to God and one another. If a catholic or a JW or a second day adventist shows love throughout his life, than, why would God condemn that person simply because he was wrong about God's plan?
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  50

  The Heartless JW

  by babygirl30 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  soooo...i have recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and am scared out of my mind.

  in a weak moment, i called my parents and my mom answered.

  i start crying as i tell her about my disease, and this woman says to me:.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Does your condition require immediate assistance? Does your mother or father hold any privileges (regular pioneer, ministerial servant or elder)? If so, I would advise calling the local body of elder of their congregation and letting them know about your situation; than ask them if they endorse this type of response... If they do not, they should counsel (even discipline) your parents. If they do nothing about it, politely tell them that you will contact the local branch.

  They probably won't want that type of heat and will give a "pass" to your parents who will be happy to help you. If your parents are not happy about that.. then sorry, sometimes, people don't need religion to stop loving their own children. Sometimes, they actually use religion as an excuse for becoming self obsessed.
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  12

  Kingdom hall in a church complex

  by StephaneLaliberte in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  check out this kingdom hall right in a church complex!!

  google map!

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Check out this Kingdom hall right in a church complex!! Google map!
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  59

  What does your baptism mean to you now?

  by GiftsinMen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was baptised on 1st sept 1990, 25years ago today.

  it is still a date with deep meaning for me.

  i never dedicated my life to serving any man or any organisation, this was my choice - as a grown adult - to serve my god through jesus christ.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  This action was a very personal choice between good and evil. I choose "good". I was too young at the time to understand that the JW would try to appropriate this entirely as becoming a member of their cult... to me, that's not what it was truly about. It was the day I decided to be a good person in front of everyone who attended.

  Weather now I actually believe in JW or even God himself, all this is irrelevant as it does not change the fact that I have not come back on my choice to do good.
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  86

  WHAT ARE YOUR MOST VIVID, ODD, or FUNNY Memories of Conventions and Assemblies of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by Balaamsass in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  share with us memories of the bizarre, funny, strange, what you hated, what you miss...we all have them.

  (question..why the big to do between terms- convention and assembly .

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  StephaneLaliberte

  This short story happened right about the time they changed the instructions to say that we had to bring our own lunches in unlabelled backs and that we should not go out for lunch.
  
  While I was doing attendance, I got thirsty, saw a vending machine, and as I looked for change in my pocket, there was a bother who told me we weren't supposed to buy anything from the vending machine; he was making a big deal out of it. I told him: Do you see a sign? Is it out of order? Nope... no sign, and its working... how about I make sure of that... than I put change in the machine, got my drink and said: Sure enough, it is working!

  Next day, there was a big yellow tape around that very machine. The following years though, they dropped the ban.
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  86

  WHAT ARE YOUR MOST VIVID, ODD, or FUNNY Memories of Conventions and Assemblies of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by Balaamsass in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  share with us memories of the bizarre, funny, strange, what you hated, what you miss...we all have them.

  (question..why the big to do between terms- convention and assembly .

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  StephaneLaliberte

  When I was a kid, my dad was doing security around the center stage, right in the middle of the Olympic stadium in Montreal. You know, one of those BIG assemblies. He was very proud, and so was I. So I kept an eye on him from time to time with my binoculars. And of course, sometime, in the afternoon, my dad was sleeping, right there, on the corner of the centre stage. I thought it was funny. The funny thing is that among everyone in attendance, I think I was the only one who noticed. :)
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  18

  Something odd about how Watchtower portrays prayer versus how JWs actually pray.

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  watchtower literature often depicts individuals praying with their hands clasped together or kneeling on the ground in their bedroom.. but i don't recall ever seeing a jw praying like that.

  i have never seen a jw praying in a kneeling position or with hands clasped together.

  have you?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I used to pray hands collapsed on my knees in my room often when I was in. However, this used to be for the "serious" prayers. You know, not the mechanical ones I would end up saying most of the times.