I virtually was never a willing Witness. I always had a third party or force influence. At best I complied to conditioning. I tried the conform to receive acceptance game but grumpy Witnesses like my parents kept raising the bar.
I was raised a Witness, so I'm used to people not liking me. My church fired me, my family fired me, my doctor fired me, my garbage man even fired me. I'm used to being rejected and sworn at. I actually like swearing. Rejection can be good, it's an impelling motive to seek out new friends.
Basically when I hit a nerve the response from my critics are predictable. They only have three response choices. 1. They can attack me personally; 2. They can question my motives. or 3. They can question my sources.
I'm used to Jehovah's Witnesses swearing at me. No problem. Virtually no Jehovah's Witness sympathizers like me. I'm fine with that too. I don't have a dog in the fight:-)
My posts are on my posting history here. My outlook hasn't changed. I'm basically indifferent toward the Watch Tower Corporations. I haven't personally had any problems with the corporations, all my problems have been with the Witness people I know. I don't dislike every Witness in the world, just the ones I know who have been nasty and mean to me and the people important to me.
The problem I have with the Watch Tower Organization aggregate, is the environment the corporations maintain to nurture the people who advocate against my best interests. By reduction, the Watch Tower Corporation including the Jehovah's Witness people in abstract, are my enemies and I advocate to their detriment. I'm not a Jehovah's Witness sympathizer. I don't automatically fall in love with every Jehovah's Witness that quits associating with the Watch Tower Corporations. I view many as war criminals and I'd personally go after some of them if they ever left the protection of Watch Tower Legal.
I'm not trying to get Witnesses to leave the Watch Tower Corporation organization. I prefer they stay Witnesses.
I'll write some thoughts about Ray Franz. I've never met Ray. I've read two of his books, I've corresponded with him, and I've talked with him on the telephone.
I've written before that I had as many questions after I read Crisis Of Conscience as I had before I read the book . . . just different questions.
Reading the book initially in 1992 was soothing salve on my damaged psyche. Ray answered all the questions I had for the Jehovah's Witnesses that they refused to answer. The book also removed any lingering fear I had of the Jehovah's Witness people. My fear was replaced with contempt. My contempt extends to Witness sympathizers.
The things I like about Ray are: He uses his real name, he supports his story with names, dates, and documentation like the scans of the Mexico bribe scandal, and he's trying to make amends. Ray's on my good guy list because he's proven to me that he's a good guy.
garybuss
JoinedPosts by garybuss
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119
Watchtower is kicking people out again, in the name of LOVE?
by Bethelite Elder inright now at bethel, they are laying off and reassigning again.
if you have cancer or some other illness, you are a liability and it's time to pack.
i remember the night when we had the special talk about there being a great need in the field and some would be sent out.
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garybuss
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garybuss
I admire the Hebrew people for their intelligence, their wit, and for their family values.
I've personally been around the Catholic people a lot more and I admire them in so many ways as well, but especially for their festivals and rituals that bring their families together.
I've been welcomed at so many of their tables. Thank you my friends! -
119
Watchtower is kicking people out again, in the name of LOVE?
by Bethelite Elder inright now at bethel, they are laying off and reassigning again.
if you have cancer or some other illness, you are a liability and it's time to pack.
i remember the night when we had the special talk about there being a great need in the field and some would be sent out.
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garybuss
Hi Cessa
You wrote: "Being very hurt should be all the more reason you shouldn't gloat at my pain."
I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't even know you. This the only post in my life I've ever addressed to Cessa. My future posts here or anywhere are not addressed to you unless your alias is on the top of the post.
Do I understand that you were employed by the Watch Tower Corporation and now you're laid off? Sorry, but I don't feel sorry for ya. You worked for weasels, they're scum. Unless your daddy has BIG bucks or is a Corporation high up, it was predictable they'd screw ya. There's lots more gonna get nailed too.
I know for a fact that if you would have done a search on any library computer since 1995 for "Jehovah's Witnesses" you would have read all the dirty deals your bosses were pulling. Why'd ya stay if ya didn't agree with them?
So ya chose to work for a snake and he bit ya. Your buddies screwed over everybody who ever got in their way. You just got in their way. And it's about money!
I walked away from the Witness people when I was 30. I was broke and in debt. I got a business education, ran a business, invested, worked and planned to get old, get sick, and die. I buried a wife because I followed your Watch Tower buddies' stupid advise. I've been pushed, shoved, snubbed, shunned, cheated in business, and slandered by Jehovah's Witnesses and I'm still shunned by my mother, my son, and my brother.
There's a very good chance that I'm not gonna be in a very good mood about the Jehovah's Witnesses any time soon.
It's okay if you want to be pissed at me. It'll help ya recover quicker than if you stay in sadness. Getting pissed at somebody like me is safe for you, I won't care, and it'll probably get ya talking or posting, and that's the start of a good purge. Professional counseling helped me and quite a few other exiting Jehovah's Witnesses I know. When we have a big setback like you've had, we go into grief and that's good. But there's a progression through the grief cycle and it's not good to get stuck. Our challenges are not unusual. They're called post exit syndrome. They're suffered by almost everyone who was in prison or institutionalized like us. Look on Lady Lee's history. Good stuff there.
I'm very open to helping individuals who ask me. My contact information is on Freeminds. I post using my real name. I'm not open to helping the Watch Tower Corporation or current employees who assist in the crimes being committed in the name of religion on people important to me. I'm on the other side there.
If ya want to get away from the Watch Tower Corporation and away from the Witness people, and I can help, please contact me. -
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I just want this to stop!: Update
by mrsjones5 inon my last topic i talking about how mean and harassing my parents were being and how i had to change the deadbolt on my front door to keep my father out.
well the update is my father didn't carry out his threat.
he never showed and has ceased calling.
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garybuss
Every time I look out for myself and my family, I win. Every time I lower my own boundaries, I lose. From my personal experience, kids are better off without Witness grandparents if the grandparents are like my parents. The Witness grandparents will influence your own children to shun you. That's what mine did.
I wouldn't let my kids within 100 miles of a believing Jehovah's Witness under ANY circumstances. -
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Watchtower is kicking people out again, in the name of LOVE?
by Bethelite Elder inright now at bethel, they are laying off and reassigning again.
if you have cancer or some other illness, you are a liability and it's time to pack.
i remember the night when we had the special talk about there being a great need in the field and some would be sent out.
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garybuss
Every time I dealt with Jehovah's Witness people I got screwed. Gee, what a surprise they're screwing the Bethelites over. Shocker! Who'd have ever seen this coming?
They all worked for the company that worked to split up my family. They got the job done. Gosh, I'm all broken hearted they're getting screwed over. Now ya know how we've been feeling. Don't like it do ya? -
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Class action suit for pain, suffering & discrimination
by lettib74 ini am very interested in filing a class action law suit against the society for pain, suffering and outright discrimination.
i know that my situation is not unique one and i have several people who are interested in joining this suit.
i have contacted a lawyer in hopes to get the ball rolling.
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garybuss
In the United States a suit against the Watch Tower Corporation would be, most likely, dismissed in summary judgement as frivolous and harassing. The plaintiff would receive a HUGE bill for the defendant's legal costs.
If the case got to court I'd side with the Watch Tower because I don't want the shunning policy changed, no way, no how! Witness shunning is the best thing that's ever happened to me. -
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My daughter is getting baptized tomorrow...
by mostlydead inher father is going to her convention, but i'm not.
i know this hurts her and it makes me feel sick on so many different counts.
i have a good reason not to go, it's 2 weeks before graduation and i really don't have time even to be writing this.
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garybuss
I was baptized when I was 12 years old as an consequence of pressure from my parents. My motive was compliance . . . nothing else. It was just like meetings and service. The baptism was just another meeting . . . with a bath.
I see adult children of Witness parents getting baptized by conviction and by commitment. Maybe it's a submission to the subconscious quieting of the voices of cognitive dissonance, a result of years of conditioning, but they're sincere. The same people often exit the group due to social setbacks or rejection.
My point is, in my experience, what got them in, won't keep them in.
In my opinion, one rational parent is a HUGE influence on children. It makes a well paved road for the future. Don't despair. -
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Friday DC Releases
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite inend of morning program, dvd video released: "the wonders of creation reveal god's glory".
end of afternoon program, announced upcoming release of a new songbook: "sing to jehovah".
excuse me while i go barf now.. b the x.
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garybuss
Will the Digital Video Disc be am item used for door to door distributions? Will the Witness people toss them on the ground around my buildings like they do with the Awake! tabloid?
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The Bible or the Watchtower--by request!
by Atlantis inthe bible or the watchtower--by request!
request from researcher: i know i read it somewhere but can't remember exactly where.
wouldn't jehovah want those he trains to be studying his word the bible instead of a watchtower or awake!?
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garybuss
Good job! Thanks!
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Class action suit for pain, suffering & discrimination
by lettib74 ini am very interested in filing a class action law suit against the society for pain, suffering and outright discrimination.
i know that my situation is not unique one and i have several people who are interested in joining this suit.
i have contacted a lawyer in hopes to get the ball rolling.
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garybuss
I plan on sending a "Thank You!" card to the Watch Tower Corporation and to all the Witness people I know who personally chose to snub and shun me and people important to me. I'm damn glad they're gone.