Another class of lurker that might be included is the JW who simply has access to the Internet and just types 'Jehovah Witnesses' into a search engine, probably in search of the Watchtower site...From personal experience, I can say what's on some apostate discussions board can reinforce the feeling of the innocent JW that apostates are demons.
Posts by Gozz
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32What Its All About - Lurkers
by Amazing inits all about lurkers: there are at least three main types of lurkers, 1. a jw with doubts, concerns, feeling that something is wrong with the religion, 2. an ex-jw who is caught between two worlds, and does not feel free yet to live a normal life, 3. a non-jw who is either involved with a jw, or a relative of a jw, or is in the middle of being studied with by the jws.. defining moments: everything we write, say, and do is observed by the lurkers.
in a single moment, or a series of collected comments, we will eventually cause a lurker to have a defining moment ... a point in time where they decide that being a jw is not for them anymore, or that they can stop living between two worlds, or cease studying, and not join the religion.
we may never know who we help, or how many.. flame wars and character attacks: when we get embroiled in these, whether we are the instigator or the brunt of the attacks ... what are we really doing?
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24
How Do You Get Someone Out? (Part 1)
by Mindchild inpart 1. i thought it might be advantageous to discuss effective ways of getting someone out of the borg and to dispel some myths we might be entertaining about beliefs and changing them.
in this thread i was hoping to start a discussion about the sociology of the witness belief system and how this can be used to help people escape from the mental trap they have found themselves in.
the first outside book i ever read about jws was in the late 1970s by james beckford.
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Gozz
Mindchild,
how do you approach a JW (friend, say) who already knows you're an apostate, or that although you're still 'in', you have strong feelings against the teachings of the Society? I'm not sure if this is a widespread experience, but I think many who've been in and found out the deceit in the organization would have, at some point in their walk away, shown someone, somewhere, how they felt; most times the reply (actually, no-reply, silence) leads to outrage.
For instance, over a year ago when I satrted having 'doubts' about certain teachings (well, my mind was pretty much made up about the teaching), I went to my 'mentor', the guy who studied with me; explained to him... His answer was silence. He won't talk about it. Now, I've started talking to him again, hinting him about 'doubts', he's stopped mailing me. He thinks I'm bad association already... So, I think this is about point #3 in the approach you describe. How do you approaach someone with that mindset, and many JWs do have that mindset.
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77
These letters will blow your mind!
by Dogpatch inthese letters will blow your mind!.
it's hard to beleive that one or two small-minded men in the service dept.
could be responsible for thousands of medical emergencies going bad or even death.
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Gozz
Thanks Randy. Thanks.
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77
These letters will blow your mind!
by Dogpatch inthese letters will blow your mind!.
it's hard to beleive that one or two small-minded men in the service dept.
could be responsible for thousands of medical emergencies going bad or even death.
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Gozz
Moreover, whatever one's decision is, this should not prevent him from helping others to understand what has been published by "the faithful and discreet slave" on the subject in the light of the Scriptures.
These guys are worse than one thought!
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27
Bush Pushes King of North
by proplog2 insouth.
north.
south's pushing there is no more said about the king of the south.
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Gozz
That's the only way a prophecy can get true.
Or you could've seen it 'looking' into the future. That's a possibility.
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10
Help me get to the root of the library card issue!
by sunscapes inunited nations .
dear ms. xx,.
the procedure for a library pass is the following: the interested party needs to fill out an application form and supply a letter of recommendation in support of the research.
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Gozz
Are you and I REALLY "joined at the hip", simply because you were so naïve as to give me your credit card number before thoroughly checking me out?
This is what happens all the time, even when preaching. The Society preys on the ignorance of its victims, and this underscores the meaning of morality in JWdom. Deceit is okay if you think you'll achieve some good. There can be no greater evil in religion than those who think it is right to lie for God. If the UN trusted the Society, and things have turned out as the Society would have us believe, the the Wild Beast is mora righteous than the organization that claims to speak for God.
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120
Quality of this Forum
by stevieb1 injust a quick thought - i am a firm believer in freedom of speech etc, but having been on this forum for some time i honestly can't say that i can introduce a doubting jw interested in true christianity to this board.
some of the deep discussions on jw doctrine are excellent, but everything else seems to be nonsense in my opinion.
why can't this site be more like the old www.witnesses.net which seemed to have more spiritual meat rather than backbiting, gossip, and rumour and even obscenity.. sorry for my frank opinion
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Gozz
I get so tired of theists running the poor excuse for an arguement around that you rehash above. It makes me wonder about their ability to think critically! Are you gonna say we are 'bitter' next? That way you'll be conforming to the conditioning even more closely!!
Many people are perhaps obsessed with the idea of finding compellin evidence for belief in God and Scripture. Where then is faith? By attempting to provide proof of the spiritual using alone the logical, it's a road that leads nowhere. That is part of the problem.
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17
The timewaster's guide to field service
by RunningMan inlast week, i posted evidence of the monumental inefficiency of the field service work.
you might be wondering how it is possible for people to put in so many hours, and produce so few results.
well, the answer is really quite simple.
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Gozz
Internet Witnessing - Spend time reading, and thinking to Inernet posts by confirmed apostates, type your post, slowly and carefully, you count time all the time you're reading and posting, plus time spent editing the stuff. Post. Go to two, three other forums, post same stuff multiply time by two or three, save post.... Post next month, count same time...
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7
How do you feel about the people who converted you
by sleepy inhow do you feel about the people who helped convert you into a jehovahs witness?.
are you angery toward them or do you view it as more your fault?.
did they pester you and persist in calling , was it politeness that made you speak to them?.
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Gozz
The guy that studied with me was very sweet,a nd committed. He did his best, as I considered things for five years. Five years and I still made the wrong decision. I don't hold him, or the rest of the Dubs responsible, as TR said, they were doing their job. They're just as misinformed. And when the scales started falling, I went to my JW mentor, now an elder, to discuss what was coming to light about the question of blood; he was sad, but wouldn't discuss it, said something to the effect that it's a sin to be questioning whatever the GB says, there was pain in his eyes... I was the first of his fruits he would say. We still keep in touch, he's sent me mails today... when he knows, it's going to blow him away, the produce of his toil swept away...
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13
When are they the most beautiful?
by ashitaka inmy wife looks her most angelic when she's sleeping.
what about your significant others......what is the most beautiful time of day, or occasion that makes them look astounding, ethereal, beautiful, angelic?.
ashi
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Gozz
When he doesn't know I'm watching and he is playing or reading to our daughter (toddler). He is so loving, and in awe of her.
*sigh* I love that man.
C2F, you write poetry? He sees the you in the toddler. Happy for you for what you've got.