independent_tre

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Posts by independent_tre

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  59

  My first post

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i prayed before i came on here.

  i know that it weird.

  i have been reading here for a long time.

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  independent_tre

  Welcome Bonafide,

  I have been reading here for a long time. Ever since I was studying the 1989 WT and noticed that it was changed in the bound volume. 'Preaching work will be completed in this century' changed to 'preaching work completed in our time.'

  Wow, I'm also new and I knew that the WT flip flopped and later apologized and have misrepresented outside sources. But I did not know they went back and changed WT's for bound/future volumes. Talk about deception....

  Sticking around here, you learn something new everyday....

  One argument I have regularly with my husband is how it is possible for a single organization to "own" the truth. Doesn't truth stand on it's own merit? That is, nobody can own it, and nobody can claim to have it all. Truth stands on it's own. Every action that you take is down the road of truth or it is not.

  JG.. I really like this argument and may use it one day. I never thought of it this way. This is a keeper, thanks!
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  57

  Juts for fun: Stupid reasons why you WON'T leave the JWs

  by outofthebox in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is mine: .

  i have to much money invested in ties and suits, i can't leave!!

  !

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  independent_tre

  ....... because i need to use up the other 94 of 100 plastic name tag holders i bought for the district conventions
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  57

  Juts for fun: Stupid reasons why you WON'T leave the JWs

  by outofthebox in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is mine: .

  i have to much money invested in ties and suits, i can't leave!!

  !

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  independent_tre

  ....MMM, wow I'm old enough to remember the shastas

  Why I won't leave, I'd have a Christmas list longer than my left arm..... I wouldn't have an excuse to get out of birthday parties with my inlaws.....
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  10

  Musings of a fader: July 4 picnic

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been a fader for sometime now.

  yesterday was the first time that i went to a july 4 picnic and fireworks - not that i went to specifically celebrate that day, i just wanted to get out and see people, see life.. i was raised in the truth and because of this i had many preconceived notions and ideas - one of them being that worldly people weren't fit to associate with, that anyone not serving jehovah would only "spoil my useful habits.".

  i wandered around the park and for the first time i just observed people without any pre-existing conditions - there was a lot of activities for children, face painting, candle making and various rides and people dressed up as cartoon characters.

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  independent_tre

  That's something to think about. There are ones at my former congregation whose attitudes and general personality stunk far worse than many of the wordly people I've met. And they do this all the while looking down on everyone that's not a jw.

  But it has been hard to let go of some of the ingrained jw snootie-ness and being judgemental, like everytime I talk to someone with a potty mouth or that's cheating on his/her mate, I automatically jump on guard thinking they are bad association or afraid of being contaminated by "the spirit of the world'.
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  9

  I've seen a whole lot of NEWBS here lately glad to see the new blood...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  welcome all new ones to a breath of fresh air...i lingered in the polluting air of the kingdom hall for 28 years before i steped out for air.....i hope you did not wait that long...

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  independent_tre

  Troggle... what I do is before I hit the 'submit' button, I always do a CTRL + A ( this highlights everything) and a CTRL + C (this copies what you've selected). That way if it disappears into thin air, then the only thing you have to do is a CTRL + V ( paste what you've copied). Long story short, a copy and paste.

  Welcome to all the newbies, including myself.
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  30

  DC Experiences - reality vs. perception

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at a recent dc, an elderly sister was interviewed.

  she recounted how she endured through many years of her husband's opposition, never giving up, until finally he relented.

  eventually, he bacame baptized and joined her in the full-time pioneer work.. end of experience.

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  independent_tre

  I would have been in the audience feeling guilty because I wasn't doing more, more, more.........

  Which to me seems to be the whole point in these experiences, not really to bring praise to Jehovah, but to guilt trip you into feeling like you must give up everything you have going for yourself - job, house, means of living, education, etc. in order to be whole souled. During the DC, they forget to mention that no one can 'earn' everlasting life, no matter how much you give up or how many hours you put in field service. At all the assemblies and meetings I've been to, that little nugget of information is always glossed over.

  It's so crazy what the average jw doesn't know and would never know if they did not know the ones giving these experiences personally. Thanks for the post... really eye-opening, albeit sad.
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  27

  What determined the path you took once you came to your senses?

  by donny in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have been reading a lot of posts over the past few weeks and noticed how some folks have taken the atheist/agnostic path, while others have replaced their zeal for the society into one of another faith.

  what led you to take the path you did?.

  for me, i just began doing a lot of deep thinking and trying to come to the most logical conclusion based on the facts that i had before me.. as a result, i have taken the agnostic path because it makes the most sense to me.

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  independent_tre

  At this point, after much examination of my personal situation, I still believe in the Bible and in Christianity in general. Why? Because I believe that a life led according to Bible principles is a good one. This coming from years of experience not living a Christian life and seeing the devastating results. Even though I learned about the Bible through a clouded jw lens, the basic principles make sense to me and in a lot of ways have caused my life to improve dramatically. Not saying that I'm problem free, just saying that applying biblical principles has helped when dealing with those inevitable problems.

  But this is still very new to me as I have not examined what I really believe happens after death as far as the resurrection, heavenly or earthly existence.

  BTW - isn't that quote in the original post regarding 'testicals and emissions' a figurative one? If read in context of the 23rd chapter, it is really talking about Samaria and Jerusalem and their fate as a result of them 'prostituting' themselves ( again figurative language). Even though this may seem revolting to a casual reader, I believe the language is used as a strong metaphor for their deeds. This reminds me of Jesus' referring to eating his body and drinking his blood. This was revolting to the pharisees and other religious leaders because they took the words as literal. I don't think the Bible needs to be PC (politically correct) because most of the western world needs a watered down version of speech. I think strong, and yes, even revolting language used in the Bible serves a purpose even if the listener is too squeamish to hear it.
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  29

  Hey bethelite monitoring this site

  by Evidently in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i dare ya..........just post and say your're there.......come on, i dare ya, just one post........nothing incriminating, just say "whas up aposties"!!!!!!.

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  independent_tre

  They address some of these issues at Conventions, Assemblies, Etc.At times they say things like:"Apostates are stepping up their efforts.

  Very true, at this past DC, a brother giving a talk made a point of saying,

  "most leave the organization due to their conduct, NOT due to doctrinal issues". He made it a point to mention this again in the closing prayer. Apparently, they've gotten wind of all the doctrinal issues that are causing folks to DA or fade. Also during the baptismal talk, they warned the candidates that people will tell them they are joining a cult.

  Wonder where they got all this info that they felt compelled to address at the district convention.
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  53

  The Friends Ain't So Friendly

  by StAnn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been thinking.

  a lot of posts i read here say things about how the jws are all victims; how people feel so sorry for them; how people believe that the jws they know are really good people who are trapped in a lie.

  then i read a lot of other posts about the cruel things the jws do, like shunning, ignoring df'd people on the side of the road with a flat tire, refusing to be charitable to their fellow humans, delighting at the impending deaths of millions of people, and blaming all of their coldness and heartlessness on the fact that they're just following orders from the gb.

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  independent_tre

  And I also know that he is not alone in this kind of cold, heartless conduct toward DF'd family in dire need.

  StAnn - But isn't that case a bit extreme, or does/did every JW you know/knew behave as cold, calculating individuals that are simply trying to get ahead? In your previous examples, the JWs did not practice shunning knowing or thinking it was dispicable. In fact, they believed that they were doing the right thing. ( where I believe the real problem lies, not in people being inherently evil ) . Many have absolutely nothing to gain by participating in shunning behavior, but everything to lose if they don't. Like so many other R&F witnesses, they are caught between a rock and a hard place and don't know what else to do. Most probably have not been on this site or been enlightened by reading anti-witness material.

  I just don't feel right sitting as judge and jury and condemning folks( as evildoers) when I don't know what's going on in their heads or why they behave in such a way. I'm leaving an organization that instills this type of sweeping condemnation of folks and I have no desire to hold on to that type of good/evil, black/white us vs. them mentality.
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  15

  my story while listening to "the great gig in the sky" by Pink Floyd

  by paranoid android in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  looking back i realize that the way it was handled was probably the best of my experiences with committee meetings.

  at this committee meeting, they asked me if i was disfellowshipped 3 months ago, i couldnt believe that!

  " i asked him why the announcement hadnt been made and he said he didnt know.

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  independent_tre

  Your story almost brings tears to my eyes and I'm so sorry for all you've been through, but nonetheless...a big 'ol WELCOME to you.

  Believe it or not your story helps so many lurkers, new ones and probably even the old schoolers because it helps many feel that they aren't alone and everywhere there are those who are going through this, and everyday there is someone who has the courage (and time) to post his/her experience.

  I wrote my letter of reinstatement which was rejected.

  Everytime I read statements like these, I'm absolutely dumbfounded. Disfellowshipping is such a horrible practice, yet many WT publications make it sound as if its just a matter of unrepentant ones not wanting to 'turn around'. The fact that this incredible power over peoples lives is treated so haphazardly even dysfunctionally is a gross sin and I pray this will come to light in this man-made organization.