Posts by Tornintwo

33

A new member

by Kurteousmaximus in

hi... i am new and after nearly 20 years after being disassociated at 15 i would like to make contact with others who have similar difficulties.

my mother was disfellowshipped shortly after my rebellion and had all ties with both her mother and brother cut and that remains the case.. just really hacked off with not being able to put things in the proper place in my life after all these years.

for the record i don't know if i believe in god but am searching for some peace as i seem to self destruct on a regular basis.. any ideas anyone?.

Tornintwo

Hi KM - so nice to see you here.

I am quite a new member too, (appx 6 months) - I came into the 'troof' at 15 and am leaving 25 years later - I think you got it the right way round.

I raised 2 kids in this stupid religion and it has messed with both their heads, they are feeling the fallout now of not being allowed to be normal, something I regret and both are having issues in one way or another, which I am trying to help them with. So I can really understand how you could still have difficulties now if you didn't deal properly with the cult mind control and the sense of loss when you left way back when.

As you've seen from the other posters - there is great advice and support here, plus some laughs, its so nice to see lively debate when we come from a place where we couldn't question things.

On the faith side, I feel there is a God which gives me comfort and I think Jesus teachings are beautiful & everyone should try to live by them, but I don't feel I have to have all the answers anymore and I am keeping an open mind as I take in info from all sides - I hope that helps a bit.

Welcome and hugs, have a great weekend with your kids x

14

Found Nephew. Sisters incredible reaction.

by umbertoecho in

i won't make this long.

i went out again and found him.

got in through the back door, pushed him to wake up, got him out, fed him, watered him and said he was family and i have a plan.. we talked all day, i let him do what he does, in order not to scare him about the future change that could happen for him.

Tornintwo

You're a wonderful person, sending hugs across the miles, well done finding and helping your nephew, I hope and pray the treatment succeeds.

What self centered narrow minded people the org. breeds.

Lets hope he gets well and becomes a healthy, happy, balanced and educated individual, free from cult guilt and fear

120

The right to shun - wrong?

by Simon in

many people are understandably upset and angry at the notion that jws have the right to shun people.

it seems such an obvious "no brainer" cruel and inhuman thing to do - it must be wrong ... surely?.

of course we look at things from the perspective of those hurt and harmed by shunning.

Tornintwo

Mickey mouse said it all - its the organisational encouragement of shunning, even within families, even shunning of vulnerable young people by close family members - by a CHARITY. This has got to a problem area for any charity watchdog.

65

Introducing...ME

by Heartsafire in

jw
friends

long time lurker here.

i'm a fifth gen born-in baptized jw.

to say i've been struggling with doubts is an understatement.

Tornintwo

dear heartsafire - welcome what a brilliant first post!

Doest it feel great to finally acknowledge those doubts, listen to them and research your way out of the 'guilt laden fog' of WT teachings!

I am new here too, just 6 months since I finally acknowledged my doubts and was brave enough to look at 'Apostate' websites - jwfacts.com has been great for me, it confirmed my own suspicions but opened me up to a lot more inconsistencies too. Also Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom are MUST reads. You will get great advice on here and I agree its so freeing to laugh at the irreverent posts about the GB etc, when we've been so careful for so long about what we should and shouldn't say.

I have a zealous husband too, but thankfully, we are both converts so our parents and extended family are not JWs. I started telling him my doubts by asking him sincere questions about the child abuse cover ups, why only witnesses will survive (1 in 1000) , family shunning, bad treatment of others by 'appointed' ones etc.. etc.. - as I researched I told him more and more (UN, Malawi, false prophecies) and the walls came up, he got very angry/upset and said he can't hear anything more negative about the society. He arranged a shepherding call for me with the C.O. and I managed to come across as sincere and doubting. I've faded fast, now not attending (maybe once a month only) on the positive side, my husband really doesnt want me to get df'd and is committed to protecting me from that. We've had issues over our kids mainly but thats a whole other story.

I feel for those so much who are 2nd generation or more - that is a whole lot of family and community to lose. You will get good advice on here on fading slowly (depression/anxiety excuse works for missing meetings), using sincere questions to get your husband to think and how to sidestep a grilling from the elders.

even if you can't be totally free because of your family - at least your mind is free

lots of love x

36

Child Discipline, new article to address Jackson's Royal Commission testimony

by jwfacts in

i have published a new article at watchtower corporal punishment, as a response to the testimony that geoff jackson gave at the royal commission.

it includes the relevant part of the transcript, along with a string of watchtower quotes to show that what he presented was not accurate, and that watchtower translates rod as a literal implement to hit children with.

.

Tornintwo

Just skimmed so far but as usual looks thorough and brilliant research.

I just want to say thank you, I woke up about 6 months ago and I turned away from other hysterical/ bitter websites before I found yours (recommended on here) which is so balanced, reasonable & logical, it crystalised my doubts and revealed many more inconsistencies about the WTBTS. Thank you for all of your hard work and research allowing me to think clearly again and come out of the guilt laden fog I was in.

i would love to see more from the commission testimony on your site, especially re the infamous 'presumptuous' for which you already have the perfect WT quote on your site:

"Is it presumptuous of Jehovah's Witnesses to point out that they alone have God's backing? Actually, no more so than when the Israelites in Egypt claimed to have God's backing in spite of the Egyptians' belief, or when the first-century Christians claimed to have God's backing to the exclusion of Jewish religionists." Watchtower 2001 Jun 1 p.16

14

Hey you! Murderers you!

by umbertoecho in

hello, people, fellow freaks, thinkers, out-raged ones.

this is about my lovely wonderful brain dead jw sister and her equally piss weak jw husband and how they treat their own son.

my nephew!!.

Tornintwo

Did you find him, can you get him help? I hope and pray you can help him.

i have 2 teenagers and the longer I'm out the more I realize one of the most reprehensible things about this religion is the way they treat their youths, categorized by guilt, judgement, demand for robotic conformity, rejection....all at the time in their lives they need most support and nurturing.

having said that we were jw parents and never beat our kids, what that man did to a 2 year old is abuse out and out, he should be locked up, I dread to think what happened when you weren't there. Once again, hoping and praying you can help your poor nephew.

67

Powerfully heart-wrenching experience by FORMER BETHLITE

by Black Man in

jw
friends

just wanting to post an experience by a former bethelite.

the first part was just published with the other two coming overt the next couple of weeks.

click the link.

Tornintwo

Good experience. Its shocking the way she was treated at bethel. It reaffirms how much this religion is about control and power over women. They do seem like they belonged together and found their peace.

14

Are The Governing Body Anointed?

by freemindfade in

for any lurkers, i just want to put a thought out there for you.

like me maybe during your life as a jw the "thing" that causes someone to know if they are anointed was always a bit of mystery, except to those who claimed they knew.

i had heard it explained to me many ways, and like many things i just said "ok, well thats an answer... i guess".

Tornintwo

Its seeing them up close and personal on the TV and in talks which really confirmed my awakening.

Ray Franz in ISOCF said that the only reason they classed the whole 144000 as the f&d slave and not the small group in NYC doing the writing, was so as not to appear too arrogant. Now I guess they're not bothered about appearing too arrogant as they've happily put themselves on tall pedestals.

For any lurkers out there you have to listen to this talk by Antony Morris III when he talks about how the armageddon dead will be charred flesh like hotdogs roasting on a spit - so Christlike of him! that along with him choosing a zone visit meant to encourage an entire nation to talk about tight pants and spandex, were real eye openers - I am no longer under any illusion that these people are 'christ's brothers' or have any special knowledge.

http://mp3far.net/anthony-morris-the-time-left-is-reduced-how-will-you-use-it-mp3-download.html?search=anthony-morris-the-time-left-is-reduced-how-will-you-use-it-mp3-download.html

138

My Mother Died Two Weeks Ago

by Perry in

jw
friends

none of my jehovah's witness relatives called to tell me or my family.

just found out this morning.

Tornintwo

That's terrible, how can those people call themselves Christian?

Sorry for you and your family.

17

Annulment of baptism for a minor?

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i've seen references to baptism annulment on a few websites, does anyone know if there has ever been a successful annulment of a baptism?.

eg.

a minor claims they didn't understand a key wtbts teaching prior to baptism, is there any realistic chance of annulment?

Tornintwo

I'm talking about a minor baptized less than a year ago. But you are probably right, it would be an uphill struggle, the better option would be to fade gradually.