when I first started having doubts i used the word shunning and my jw husband said sarcastically "shunning?, we don't SHUN anyone, thats an apostate word" hmmm now his CD must be on high alert
Tornintwo
JoinedPosts by Tornintwo
-
12
"Shunning" - now a Watchtower word?
by slimboyfat ini know jws have long used the word "shun" in a general sense, as in "shun what is bad".
but i think they have long avoided using the word in relation to disfellowshipping.
in external media or literature wherever the word "shunning" was used in a piece about jws it was usually a good indication it was critical of watchtower and not a neutral or supportive commentary.
-
-
-
2
Hardline or more mainstream.... I think we now have the answer!
by Tornintwo inthis latest convention with the shunning and bunker videos shows the organisation getting more and more extreme and more cultish.. i think for the last few years they have wavered between the softer more mainstream, loving version of christianity (last year's jesus convention for example) and a harder line, there were even posters on here optimistically suggesting they might relax the shunning rules.
whoever it is on the gb who has the harder stance has clearly won out (my guesses lett and morris!).
i am sure i am not the only one breathing a sigh of relief, "phew, we got out in time".
-
-
Tornintwo
This latest convention with the shunning and bunker videos shows the organisation getting more and more extreme and more cultish.
I think for the last few years they have wavered between the softer more mainstream, loving version of Christianity (last year's Jesus convention for example) and a harder line, there were even posters on here optimistically suggesting they might RELAX the shunning rules. Whoever it is on the GB who has the harder stance has clearly won out (my guesses Lett and Morris!).
I am sure I am not the only one breathing a sigh of relief, "phew, we got out in time". It would be funny if it wasn't so dangerous especially to the young ones in the organisation.
I predict responses of the rank and file JWs in 3 camps. 1. uberdub and/or fragile mental state will LAP it up, rejoice in the hardening message and anticipate the judgement to come! 2. average dub, will clap and emote how wonderful it is but be secretly very confused and a bit freaked out 3. more intelligent questioning minds will question, get on the internet and wake up.
But watchtower only wants the core hardliners remaining. They will probably provoke persecution with their more extremist views, then they will use it as "evidence" "look, just as prophesied we are being persecuted!" resulting in the uberdubs increasing their unquestioning loyalty. In reality we HOPE that charity commissions and regulators will be forced to take action to protect the minors who are going to be chucked out of home, cut off from all contact with their families and that will be where the long awaited persecution comes.
Scary, crazy madness...
-
15
Green Burial
by Xanthippe inso my cousin gave up her fight against bowel cancer a couple of weeks ago.
yesterday was the funeral.
i haven't experienced a green burial before.
-
-
Tornintwo
What a strong woman to go through all that and leave a beautiful legacy for her loved ones to remember. It was very moving to read the experience. Thank you
In the context of exiting the cult, it makes me realize how much of humanity the jws miss learning from with their blinkered, isolationist and rule bound policies.
-
42
"Just don't overthink the truth"
by stuckinarut2 inso after almost a year of complete inactivity and non attendance, i ran into a nice brother from the local congregation.. after some nice chit-chat, he says "we really miss you and your family...etc...you were always the kind and supportive one, the approachable and encouraging one in the congregation.
your absence has confused so many".
i thanked him and said "oh no, no individual has stumbled us.
-
-
Tornintwo
Yeah I was told I was thinking too much too and that if I had doubts and niggles I should "put them in a drawer and close it". I.e. Put your brain on the shelf! Naughty independent intellectual reasoning!
-
23
My thoughts on the shunning part at the convention
by stuckinamovement inthe wts has gone off the rails and is "unrepentantly" hateful.
they are blatantly requiring mothers and fathers to disown/hate their own children that they have loved and cared for since birth simply because they don't comply with the orgs demands.
how is this love?
-
-
Tornintwo
The shunning video is extreme indeed.
It could be a good thing tho, it was an article on shunning that started my awakening, it said that parents shouldn't use email to stay in touch with df'd children and I was like "why on earth not?", it was the start of my research, I remember thinking, nothing would ever stop me from communicating with my children. Now they are saying don't even answer a phone call, which for all you know could be an emergency, hopefully there are some caring parents In the audience thinking 'what is going on?', I mean, what happened " necessary family business"?
Just watched Cedars rebuttal video on jwsurvey and thought it was pretty good....
-
46
Updates to Public Talk Outlines 2 & 3
by wifibandit inwill you be a survivor of the last days?.
serving with jehovah’s unified organization.
move ahead with jehovah’s unified organization.
-
-
Tornintwo
Some become critical, saying that Jehovah does not have an organization
May say that loving one’s fellowman is what really counts or that having a personal relationship with God is the really important thing or even that personally reading the Bible is sufficient (rs 326-8)
Those who adopt such viewpoints are like Satan
Wow, really?!?! That's so nice, so loving and Christian. You conscientiously leave an organisation that you believe to be corrupt, hierarchical, self serving and harmful to sincere individuals , to worship God in your own way and that makes you like Satan!!Unbe-f-ing-lievable!
-
48
Circuit Overseer Guidelines (tg-E) October 2015
by wifibandit incircuit overseer guidelines (tg-e) october 2015. http://bit.ly/1utgizt.
-
-
Tornintwo
OMG speaker ratings.....secret meetings of the chosen few to establish the speaker ratings.....unbelievable!! No, of course there's no hierarchy in this wonderful loving organisation, we are all equal -
30
Some thoughts on guilt.
by New day inhad an interesting conversation with my wife recently.
she struggles with physical, emotional and psychological problems which have often caused her to miss meetings.
she mentioned how she is equally tortured by guilt if she misses meetings and ministry, and severe stress if she does them.
-
-
Tornintwo
Counselling helped me more than meds, I had a lovely understanding counsellor, what helped the most is I could say anything to her without being judged for what I was saying which helped me sort my head out, whereas I had to be very guarded when speaking to any witnesses, including my husband, to not sound negative to the witness way of life and to my non believing family to not turn them against the witness religion that I loved. A fresh outside voice might also get through to her that she is putting herself under too much pressure, the witnesses are not so much against counselling now, maybe you can get away with suggesting it. -
241
Another generation....
by joey jojo init has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?
the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.
the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.
-
-
Tornintwo
I came in to the org. around 1990, we had a big influx then where I lived, we were all fired up with the generation will not pass away teaching. Firmly believed that the end was imminent and would come before the year 2000. I remember my study conductor telling me at 17, that she would be surprised if I reached 25, in fact she would be surprised if I reached 20 before Armageddon came. The gulf war came and we all thought it was a prelude to the end....
what astounds me now is the power of the mind control, just a few short years later they were changing this teaching and we lapped it up, content to be guided by the chosen ones into leaving our precious doctrines behind. Why did so few question? Honestly now I'm over the f.o.g it's mind control element of this religion which amazes me, it's fascinating and scary.
-
54
So... Are they done printing the number of partakers?
by thedepressedsoul induring the wt study yesterday i had a confused look on my face the whole meeting.
more of a, wtf, face.
one paragraph says, "therefore,the number of partakers does not accurately indicate the number of anointed ones left on earth.".
-
-
Tornintwo
Explaining the JW memorial: only the anointed can partake at the memorial - but some who do partake won't be actually proper anointed ones - they are just mentally unstable - but we don't know who is really anointed and who is mentally unstable - but we can't judge anyone - and they aren't allowed to talk about it much... I mean what the???
What a laughable 'Christian' religion. We used to deride the traditional churches but at least at this time of year their services talk about love, mercy, forgiveness, thanksgiving ...the jws are having to sit and study more and more convoluted explanations of strange manmade doctrines, to try to make it all fit.
...and as for this labeling of certain ones as mentally unstable! Just awful, so now we've got a situation where people's sincerity, motives and even their sanity is questioned, what a judgemental, horrible group.
Is no one sitting there thinking, 'how do we know that Stephen Lett or Anthony Morris Jr aren't mentally unstable'?!?!! They certainly sound a bit odd talking about tight pants and apostate driven lies!