Robert7

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Posts by Robert7

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  37

  I can't bring myself to say the phrase "the Truth" anymore....

  by stillstuckcruz in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i used to be able to say the term "the truth" with no issue.

  that was whether i was speaking to jw's or not.

  now all i can say is the "witnesses"(catching myself before saying 'witlesses').

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  Robert7

  I agree. I never call it that. Depending on how sarcastic I am at the time and who I'm talking to, I either call it "The Faith" or "The Cult".
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  5

  How much are the financial crises played up at meetings nowadays?

  by Robert7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i haven't been to a meeting in years... and with the us and european financial crises in play, i would imagine the jws would be all over this as the sign that "we're so close to the end"... that this system is ready to collapse.. for those of you going to meetings, is there much talk abou it... what about amongst people in conversation?

  what are they saying?.

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  Robert7

  I surprised they're not playing it up more. I can see the typical JW thinking the economic system is about to collapse and armageddon will start. Maybe the WTS knows better than to speculate too much.
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  5

  How much are the financial crises played up at meetings nowadays?

  by Robert7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i haven't been to a meeting in years... and with the us and european financial crises in play, i would imagine the jws would be all over this as the sign that "we're so close to the end"... that this system is ready to collapse.. for those of you going to meetings, is there much talk abou it... what about amongst people in conversation?

  what are they saying?.

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  Robert7

  I haven't been to a meeting in years... and with the US and European financial crises in play, I would imagine the JWs would be all over this as the sign that "we're so close to the end"... That this system is ready to collapse.

  For those of you going to meetings, is there much talk abou it... what about amongst people in conversation? What are they saying?
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  85

  What is the stupidest comment you ever heard at a meeting?

  by 3rdgen in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  a very reliable friend told me this: the bro was commenting on what was "unacceptable" conduct in the bedroom between married persons.

  needless to say, he had everyone's attention.

  he went on to say "we must avoid perversions such as oral and annual sex.

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  Robert7

  "Seven million people can't be wrong"

  This shows how deluded they really are! With this line of reasoning, 1.5 BILLION muslims can't be wrong... 1 BILLION Hindus can't be wrong...
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  85

  What is the stupidest comment you ever heard at a meeting?

  by 3rdgen in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  a very reliable friend told me this: the bro was commenting on what was "unacceptable" conduct in the bedroom between married persons.

  needless to say, he had everyone's attention.

  he went on to say "we must avoid perversions such as oral and annual sex.

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  Robert7

  "Everything said on the platform is like it is said from Jehovah"

  Said by a prominent elder's wife. This set off a huge red flag for me. Even when I was in, I knew better than to believe that.
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  41

  Inactive, yet shunned!

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my dad (49) (who was an elder for 10 year and hasnt been to the meetings now since april when i stopped going) sent a message to a younger unbaptised brother (19) in my congregation to see if they would like to get together and jam on their guitars.

  the younger brother responded that he would like to but since my dad hasnt been to the meetings in a long time he feels its innapropriate.. needless to say my dad was a little pi**ed but at the same time he cant understand how he is also now being shunned despite the fact that he isnt even disfellowshipped.

  why do these people show such conditional love when jesus taught the absolute opposite?.

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  Robert7

  This is my life completely. I am inactive but not DF'd. All my 'friends' left me a while ago, and even my mom treats me as DF'd, meaning avoiding all unnecessary contact with me. It sucks.
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  141

  "Theocratic Warfare" and the Annual Report

  by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  one of the things i certainly noticed as a jw, and even during the time i was in bethel, was the complexities of reporting "truth.".

  beginning with an observation on a personal level, i consider myself an honest person.

  but something happened along the way, beginning when i pioneered.

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  Robert7

  I have to agree with the observations Billy made. I myself never was an Elder or MS, but I can give two examples of 'number fudging'

  - I used to have book study at my house. The elder was so obsessive with numbers, and trying to be over 100%, he would count our baby, even when he was under 1 year old, and even if he was upstairs not attending due to being sick (also counted myself or my wife who weren't attending due to taking care of the baby). I recall on at least one occasion he counted our cat! It was weird because we'd tell him how can we have 100% attendance even with people missing. He was not trying to lie at all, and was actually very sincere about it. He was just all wrapped up in the numbers game, image and perception.

  - We would all get automated 4-hour credit and 1 bible study for 'studying with your kids'. I always counted the 4 hours and the study, even though I almost never actually studied with them. I could not go out in service in a month and have 4 hours in, enough to keep the elders off my case. This is easily justified, because the society gave us that credit. I know many people who took advantage of this.

  I think it all comes down to justifying all this in your head, and this is true with religion (and life) in general. We all justify things. For example for most of us, including JWs, think it's ok to drive 5-10 mph over the speed limit although it's technically illegal. Also, how can factfinder be upset about some number fudging, but as a JW was ok with the fact that 7 billion people will be brutally killed by our loving god soon?
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  42

  Did YOU Change In Your Personality After You Left The Organization?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we knock a lot of things about the witnesses.

  i wonder if we're really all that much different in our personalities as exjws.. .

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  Robert7

  To me, not much. I came in at 19, and I always believed in being true to myself, and my personality didn't change all that much. I did change some behaviors, like I didn't swear, but otherwise I just acted like myself. That's probably why I didn't fit into the cult-like culture amongst the JWs. It also made leaving that much easier!
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  46

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-11-2011 WT Study (CLEAR WARNINGS)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (b) from where do false teachers often come, and.

  false teachers are like dried-up.

  about false teachers.

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  Robert7

  I hate articles like this. There are so many loaded thoughts that continue to brainwash the JWs

  • Leaving the WT = following Satan
  • Anything negative about the WT = false stories. There is never legitimately anything negative to say about the WTS.
  • Those who left have nothing else to do but pull others away
  • Those who left are unhappy, miserable, and spiritually unfulfilled. Gosh, "mentally diseased".
  • The only reason to leave the WT is either personal flaws (doing what we want, 'anything goes') or because of Satan and his false stories
  • There is no other reason someone would leave. For example, I personally am atheist, so I don't believe anything false. I just don't believe. Not believing is very different than believing false teachings.

  This is SO over the top. I hope if anything this will make people think "if this is the truth, why is it so easy to be sidetracked?". I have to admit, the more the WTS talked about apostates and all that, the more it did open my eyes.
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  14

  "Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life"

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i recieved a letter from my jw friend a few days ago who encouraged me to return to the organisation.

  she quoted the following scripture, and although i think its a great one, the jw view of it is twisted.. lord, whom shall we go away to?

  (john 6:66-69) this is the one organization he is using" (wt 75, 9/1, p.531).

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  Robert7

  What a loaded scripture and interpretation. There are so many assumptions in the JW interpretation of this quote:

  - It assumes that JW's are the only faith that have believe in an everlasting life

  - It assumes that JW's are that one chosen faith, because by default there is no where else to go

  - It assumes that there is actually somewhere to go in the first place, or maybe better put, it assumes there actually is a 'truth' out there, from a religion standpoint.

  Obviously this scripture alone can make it very hard for many leaving the JW faith, especially those like myself who no longer believe in a creator, knowing that there is no other faith to go to. My take is that we truly don't know what happens to us when we die, and unless proven otherwise I believe we're just asleep, just like we were before we were born. It's ok to not have all the answers, and it's ok to question everything and research and learn. Science does a good job of this. Religion not so much.