i'm inviting former jws to file a class suit against the watchtower for psychological, sociological, physical, intellectual, biological and financial damages.
a. psychological damage:.
1. followers are made to believe that the christian bible is the sole and exclusive word of god.
I believe there are laws that protect the mentally ill against people or companies that would exploit them. sammieswife.
Now that is interesting...the WTS creates an environment that exploits the mentally ill, or that produces or aggravates mental illness...
if the police say such and such a thing, do you tend to automatically believe it?
I've known three kinds of cops: those I'm related to ("evil" comes to mind), those I've had as neighbors (wonderful people) and those that I have interacted with in some official capacity (ranging from officious to dedicated).
The amount of trust depends on the circumstance...
or perhaps your partner has?
how did you deal with it?
the following is part of an article called 'the danger of emotional affairs - betrayal of trust'.
I don't buy it as it is presented.
No one person will (or should) fill all of your needs. Pretending your partner is the only one you can be close with or share intimacies with is a harsh taskmaster that can breeg desperation and suffocation. There's a line between partnership and fusing.
It is a healthy thing to have someone in your life that you can share certain aspects of your partnership with.
What is the dividing point between "ok" and "not ok"? I would agree that lying to your partner is a sign of trouble, true. Absent of that, people should have many relationships of varying intimacy.
Too much of the material here feels a little too WTS controlling.
hello.. my parents converted to jehovah's witnesses when they were pretty much newlyweds and raised their children as such.
i was 100% in it until a series of events happened to me as a young adult that ultimately led to my deciding it's simply not worth it.
i haven't had a relationship that could pass for normal with my jw family ever since.
It's always a challenge to decide to be who others expect or demand, or to be ourselves. Following the rules of "mother church" might give some a sense of satisfaction or safety, but declaring your own truth can be a spiritual awakening.
I think that's a good reason to break away - despite the pain.
sound familiar?.
this question was recently asked for the children in my congregation to answer.
i was kind of amused and disturbed at the same time by their responses.. .
Lore: You are my latest hero!
...were between the ages of 10 and 15 in 1975; and looking back on your life how did that effect you?
I, too, was 14/15 in '75. The effect it had on me was, "Oh, that's gonna be interesting - another prophecy. Will it be as true as past prophecies, or as impossible to prove (e.g., Christ's presence)?"
I never believed. I felt bad for the people that were getting so psyched up for it, putting important life activities on hold. I felt bad for the people that felt disappointed.
I was very angry that the WTS didn't apologize for getting hopes up, but instead made things worse by explaining things away with the "Eve delay" thing - and then people got back in line again, though some with a glint of suspicion in their eyes.
I felt like I was one of the few people with my feet on the ground in a tide of zealotry - preach! Armageddon! Preach! Last Days! Preach!
Noting the pussyfooting around the issue in PUBLISHED material made me doubtful. Not believing in 1975, I didn't tell people that Armageddon was coming when out in field service. I did say, as I believed, that the world was in bad shape and that no one could fix it but God. Do householders give any credence to a teenage kid on their doorstep telling them about the end of the world?
And every time I was at the Hall there was this grand expectation that finally, it was going to happen.
The 1975 expectation didn't have much impact on my notions of God or the Bible; it was probably one of the big issues in forming my opinion that the WTS was les by a group of crafty, crazy old men, though.
and petrified... i just recently became a pioneer and always had nagging questions in the back of my mind.
so, i decided that when i have get a study i would research all the questions as i go along so as to prove everything in the truth... i got 4 studies in about 2 months.
all was fine, until i reached i think chapter 6 in the bible teach book about the resurrection.
Welcome Cognac: All that's necessary for now is to realize you have questions. You will likely either get the answers you need, or continue to have doubts. It will become more clear what to do next as the shock wears off...
a hell of alot more patient than me.
if only i had his power balanced with justice, wisdom and above all else love.. no more rapes, no more murder, no more suffering.
no more child abuse.. but who do i think i am to question him.. ff.
But who do i think i am to question him.
If you, a creation of His, have no right to question Him, then who does? And who else can? Shouldn't there be an ongoing dialogue between a Father and His children?
We are slaves to sin...you (and me) are perversions...lying hypocrits
It scares me to see how Perry perceives himself and those around him.
How do you determine right from wrong? This is the ultimate question for man.
The answer is right in front of us - by looking in the eyes of those we touch. There can't be a better, more pragmatic answer.
The way I see it is that either God could do away with his laws, thereby forfeiting his Godship
If He binds Himself to "laws" with devestating consequences, He has forfeited his Godship.
Where people go wrong is by putting God on trial. He is infinite, and unique... not like us ...a "First Cause". Our understanding is by necessity limited.
Then we cannot fathom anything useful about Him and cannot judge Him "good". Or, He is not the God described by typical Christianity.
common issues in post-cult recovery .
sense of purposelessness, of being disconnected.
they left a group that had a powerful purpose and intense drive; they miss the peak experiences produced from the intensity and the group dynamics.. depression.. grieving for other group members, for a sense of loss in their life.. guilt.
Thank you, Maddie - quite a reminder that we're not alone...
i'm inviting former jws to file a class suit against the watchtower for psychological, sociological, physical, intellectual, biological and financial damages.
a. psychological damage:.
1. followers are made to believe that the christian bible is the sole and exclusive word of god.
I'm not familier with laws in all lands...and i apologize for raining on anyone's parade...but:
If you were raied in a cult, you may have a cause of action against your parents. Your parents were responsible for your treatment as a child. If they permitted illegal treatment as your guardians, or perpetrated illegal treatment, you may find you have a cause of action against those guardians.
If you experience illegal loss due to leaving the cult, you may have a cause of action against the cult. Sadly, in the US, such cases for unlawful loss of affection or familial ties (due to shunning) have not met with success.
Unfortunately, the things listed read to me as actionable items, I don't see what laws were broken. Perhaps that just means better laws ae needed.
