i ask you this because i saw a lot of hypocrisy in the org but i still have sometime this old fear of armageddon with a feeling a culpability.
should i do some research on my own about all the lies of the wbts?
what did you do to find a goal in your life?
SS wrote:
<The suspence of not knowing the conclusion of you 'ho theos' study is unbearable. Care to share? >
I am still waiting for the reply from the deity. Should be coming any day now.
SS wrote:
<As well, how did the zerostrian thing go? Or would you like to suspend exprssion on that?>
Whatz *zerostrain*? You writing to me? I don't even eat vegetables. . . .
gb
i ask you this because i saw a lot of hypocrisy in the org but i still have sometime this old fear of armageddon with a feeling a culpability.
should i do some research on my own about all the lies of the wbts?
what did you do to find a goal in your life?
Hi Nicolas
I was a believing walkaway for almost 20 years. I ended up making a study of every JW doctrine, principle and practice. I virtually challenged my own essential core beliefs. I ended the study after I studied theism itself.
gb
have you worn a suit since you left the org of jehovahs witnesses?.
i havent.
what am i going to do with all my shirts ties and suits ?
It took years to be comfortable wearing a tie. I do wear suits often now for business. I prefer a sport coat and slacks rather than a suit though. I do not think any group would be very happy if they tried to force me to dress in any style. The dress style did not bother me as much as the JW enforcement of the dress codes.
gb
can someone here tell me what the current policy is in jw conventions in terms of inviting the public.
is the public invited only for the special talk on sunday or can they come in at any time?
if a memeber of the public does come into the assembly hall, are they escorted or kept under surveillance the entire time or just a short while?
My big run in with Witness district convention security was at Bismark North Dakota in 1975. I was belly pushed away from a perfectly good candy vending machine by two zealous attendants enforcing the crayon lettered *Out Of Order* sign. The official responsible was Duane Matz from Sioux Falls. When I asked the security officers to being him to me, he declined. Gee!!! Wonder why. . . . .
This is the same assembly where I witnesses a little girl being terribly abused by her apparent father in the delegate seating and witnessed by a few hundred Jehovah's Witnesses plus the attendants. None of them stepped in to help her but I did.
Beating a child at assembly is okay but dropping a dime on a Tootsie Roll is a mortal sin.
Glad to be out of that element.
gb
does fear control you?.
about 2 weeks ago my old parent visit our families for some days.
during the visit i told my parents about the un case and showed them also a letter from our national jw office about the case mention the library excuse.
It might be fear. It might just be the realization that as Witnesses we live(d) in a conditional society where everybody is dispensable. Bravery still does not take the sting out of rejection for me. The Witnesses seem to often see their rejection as conditional. As conditional as their acceptance. Looks to me like many victims of their rejection take the rejection more permanently than the Witnesses may intend to give it.
The Witnesses use a form of magical think when they imagine we will be attracted to them if they reject us. They are taught by the Corporation that we will fall apart like a two dollar suitcase in the rain if they reject us, and we will come crawling back to them, begging for Corporate protection from their god Jehovah and Armageddon. Instead we become irate and rational and objective and pissed off.
Fear of the free exchange of ideas might just be a sign that there is something wrong with the system.
well, i'm finally reading coc, and i must tell you that despite already being an ex-dub i was *shocked*.
the thing that got me was the gb's apparently unselfconsciously acting above all the rules that they would apply so harshly to everyone else.
maybe i'm naive, but i didn't expect that level of hypocrisy.. so what did you find most shocking in coc?
The report that shocked me the most in Ray's book was his effort to not leave. I still can not understand why he would have wanted to remain a part of the Watch Tower Corporation after what he had gone through and in spite of things he knew. In all his writing I have never read his explanation for wanting to remain a part of the Watch Tower Corporation.
The most shocking thing I have ever seen the Corporation do is cover a perfectly good, stocked, working candy vending machine with paper, and hand write <Out Of Order> on it. Then employ two attendants to belly push me and my 3 year old son away from it.
I am glad Ray wrote the reports but I have contempt for the Corporation he fought to stay a part of.
control religion and you control the people.
the way to control religion is to control the sacred writings.
the easiest way to control the sacred writings is to write the sacred writings and declare them inspired or divinely directed.
SS
You wrote: <Have you checked out the avesta (zerostrian). Parts of the apocalypse of john (revelation) are copied out of it almost word for word. No kidding.>
No I have not. Please tell me more. Thanks. gb
control religion and you control the people.
the way to control religion is to control the sacred writings.
the easiest way to control the sacred writings is to write the sacred writings and declare them inspired or divinely directed.
Hi SaintSatan
Yes the influence of the Hebrew people runs deep and strong. Their writings have influenced generations of prophets. I am a revenant reader of their history and a fan of their intelligence and honesty.
I did read the Koran and to me, it carries the same message as the Hebrew as well as the Christian Bible. There are many wise scriptures in the Koran as well as the Christian and the Hebrew Bibles. I am getting less fussy about where wisdom comes from I guess.
An interesting point for me is the reference to <The Bible> as if there is just one accepted Bible. The books excluded from the Christian Bible make excellent reading for me. In one story the woman who touched Jesus' diapers was healed. Think of a religion based on that scripture.
Happy week to you.
control religion and you control the people.
the way to control religion is to control the sacred writings.
the easiest way to control the sacred writings is to write the sacred writings and declare them inspired or divinely directed.
Hi Sirona
You wrote: <Does that mean we should reject ALL religion? NO, in my opinion. >
I am glad you have found something that makes your life better. I do enjoy the food at the churches and attend food functions when invited. To reject all religion for me would involve rejecting some good food. Not a good idea for me.
To James.
I could have written; all religion ( that I am aware of) is about control.
Thanks for replying.
To CPiolo
Yes. To get a person to submit to information is the key. Then all a guru has to do is control the information. I am aware of some forms of government that have done just that. Thanks. Hope you have a good week.
To Mum,
Action has worked wonders to ward off my feelings of helplessness. Of all the things in my life I have had to accept, reality has been among the hardest. Best wishes to you.
control religion and you control the people.
the way to control religion is to control the sacred writings.
the easiest way to control the sacred writings is to write the sacred writings and declare them inspired or divinely directed.
Thanks James
Another interesting thing I have observed is control by offer of resolution. If religion wants to control a neurotic, they just find out what that the fears are and offer solutions. Example: fear of financial insecurity - the guru simply promises a soon to arrive new world where the worthy will be rich. To be seen as <worthy> a disciple serves the guru now. Service translates to book purchases, donations, and free labor on building projects the guru holds title to.
A big offer of resolution is the offer of justice. The guru learns the disciple's resentments and shows the disciple how the focus of her resentment will be killed at Armageddon by the same deity using the guru as a channeler. If the disciple is faithful to the teachings of the guru she will get to prevail over those she resents. She works for the guru for the promise of revenge.
Many work for free for their guru to quiet their fears of the reality of death (mortality). If the disciple works hard enough, long enough and ignores enough errors and failures and abuses she will survive Armageddon and live in happiness forever without ever dying (immortality).
It is easy to see why disciples have a difficult time thinking about looking for a replacement when they consider leaving their guru's group. They are trying to replace a guru with direct access to the deity and they are trying to replace a promise of revenge, wealth, power, prestige, health, happiness, and immortality.
They are forced to look at another guru group as a replacement because no respectable group makes all those promises. A few are forced to look at reality.
