Posts by strawberry cake

7

Peoples temple cult

by jacethespace in

i just watched a documentary about the peoples temple cult and was suprised to find there is some intresting similarites between there attitude beliefs and the watchtower society.. they began as an ordinary group intrested in morals and god and jim jones gradually manipulated them to the point of murder and suicide.. he would reprimand people in front of the whole congregation playing on peoples fears and guilt to the point where sometimes he would encourage others to hit a " wrongdoer".as he got more control over the people they feared to leave and anyone that spoke about leaving was turned in by there own family, hmm that sounds familar.

jim jones feared some that got out and tried to shield the congregation from bad press which is why around 900 were " encouraged " to leave america and go to guyana to what they called jonestown.he told his members that they couldnt leave and that the world would harm them if they ever left.. at one time he passed around a cup to drink and then told the congregation they had drank poison then after they panicked he told them it wasnt true he was just " testing to see how loyal they would be to him".. when they moved to jonestown they set up there own paradise.they grew there own food and made themselves completly independant from the outside world.they built there own homes and would have no outside information except a loudspeaker which jim jones spoke over and used recorded speechs on even throughout the night.he was telling them that the whole world was coming to turn on them and kill them and take away what they had.. when they said they wanted to leave he would say they were committing " blasphemy" by leaving and they would change there mind.. sadly at the end they encouraged mass suicide and took with them a visiting congressman.. paradise quickly turned into chaos and a nightmare and it got me thinking about the wachtowers utopian dream of paradise on earth.if they watchtower cant get things right now how the hell are they going to be capable of governing the whole planet in " the new system.. this isnt the same documentary but heres a link to one documentary about the peoples temple.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3625536419231928674&q=peoples+temple&total=2133&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4.

strawberry cake

Me and my husband watched it. The way Jim Jones become their God and their bible also the way the people stopped thinking for themselves highlighted for me how cults work....how the Watchtower works....Glad I got out, I hope my 2 sons will come soon.... strawberry cake

36

Hi, First Post

by AuroraB in

jw
friends

hey there.

i'm new to the forums and just had to say hi, and thank you to all of you who've shared your stories which have let me know finally and for sure that i'm not crazy and nowhere near as abnormal as i've been feeling...well, forever, really, but more so over these last few years!!!

i can't tell you what a good feeling that is, but i suspect you already know.

strawberry cake

Hi, I'm glad you are here. It really helps to see that others have come to the same realization and that you can be free of this restrictive and oppressive lifestyle. I have discovered ( in the last 2-3 months)that the idea of the org being a 'spiritual paradise' is an illusion....created by the WTS. I feel relieved that I wised up. Thankfully, my husband did too. So life begins a new...with you in control and with you having the freedom to think, live and act as you please. All the best..Strawberry cake.

9

How many people did you bring into the j.ws & how many to jwd?

by karter in

cant remember how many i brought in , so far 1 to jwd.

strawberry cake

I had to abandon 5 long time and 2 new studies when I wised up.Also JWs I was encouraging. (pioneer assist)It was difficult because I care about these'studies'. I view them like family and I have watched their children grow up and been their 'aunty'. I had to come clean with 3 of my studies..I felt I owed them that. They are continuing with the meetings. At the moment I haven't a clue what my revelations have done to their faith in the WT. I am reluctant to talk any more to them as I am trying to fade quickly and quietly.

2

What do you tell the bible studies?

by strawberry cake in

i had a number of long term bible studies that i passed on to other jws when i stopped ministry.

i found it very hard to explain why i could no longer study with them or support them at the meetings.

i wonder how others managed this situation.

strawberry cake

I had a number of long term bible studies that I passed on to other JWs when I stopped ministry. I found it very hard to explain why I could no longer study with them or support them at the meetings. I wonder how others managed this situation.

19

What do I tell the kids?

by strawberry cake in

i am quickly fading, desperate to leave.

my children, however have been brought up jws and are used to the jw way of life and ethos.

i have told them how i feel.

strawberry cake

Thank you all so much for your caring advice.. xxx Strawberry Cake.

19

What do I tell the kids?

by strawberry cake in

i am quickly fading, desperate to leave.

my children, however have been brought up jws and are used to the jw way of life and ethos.

i have told them how i feel.

strawberry cake

Aged 20, 16 and 12

19

What do I tell the kids?

by strawberry cake in

i am quickly fading, desperate to leave.

my children, however have been brought up jws and are used to the jw way of life and ethos.

i have told them how i feel.

strawberry cake

My oldest is baptized, the younger 2 are publishers. My children are popular in the congregation. Their closest friends are exclusively JWS.

19

What do I tell the kids?

by strawberry cake in

i am quickly fading, desperate to leave.

my children, however have been brought up jws and are used to the jw way of life and ethos.

i have told them how i feel.

strawberry cake

I am quickly fading, desperate to leave. My children, however have been brought up JWs and are used to the JW way of life and ethos. I have told them how I feel. The older ones are continuing with the routine..ministry, talks, meetings. The younger one does what we do..but has friends in the congregation...I would be grateful for advise or experiences to help me deal with this transition.

4

When You Lie...Whose Feelings Are You Trying Save?

by new boy in

i never lied so much as when i was a jehovah's witness.

it started at bethel, when a bethel overseer asked me to agree with his opinion, when i knew it wasn't right....."fear of man"...funny term "fear of man.

" it seems the only time i really had it, is when i was afraid of the "men" in "god's organization.".

strawberry cake

Thanks for your post. I can really identify with what you are saying. Indeed I found myself pretending to agree with things said by the WT because we are expected to rave about how wonderful the faithful and discrete slave are. If the brothers get a wiff that I am not too keen,then I'd be viewed as bad association and a murmurer. So I'd agree with everything. That has changed as now I too feel a compulsion to tell the truth and to be true to myself. I feel that I came to the org because I believed them to have the truth and that they 'told it like it is.'Thats what I wanted...integrity and honesty.. So I now feel unable to say that I agree with the GB and understand the new changes...or agree with the excuse that the brothers are not perfect...or that the GB is still God's channel. I should really fade.... I suppose to avoid being df but I would have to lie when challenged. Id have to have fake 'up building 'conversations about ministry and org/congregation news. I d have to sit through that awful book study..Lie to dear friends. I'm still a Christian so really I shouldn't lie.

10

Too busy being JWs to be Christians!!

by strawberry cake in

some jws are so busy being jws, they have forgotten how to be christians.

the wts obsession with hours has led to the sick, elderly and depressed receiving rare visits because the time can't be counted.

if the wt allowed the time to be counted - i wonder how many visits these ones would suddenly start receiving?

strawberry cake

Some JWs are so busy being JWs, they have forgotten how to be Christians. The WTs obsession with hours has led to the sick, elderly and depressed receiving rare visits because the time can't be counted. If the WT allowed the time to be counted - I wonder how many visits these ones would suddenly start receiving?