as i was exiting the society back in 1992, the elders were frantically trying to reason with me and kept saying that i was trying to run ahead of jehovah or running ahead of the organization?
just what does that entail?.
or they would tell me to "wait on jehovah" and eventually some of my beliefs/issues will be in line with the truth.
"Don't run ahead of Jehovah" is right up there with "Where else would we go?" Neither makes sense from a rational point of view.
Both are thought blockers designed to keep followers in the organization when they start to notice things that don't add up.
readers of this forum will recognize where most of the guidelines in my field guide to bad religion originate.
my blog is getting kind of popular with alternate religion/atheist/agnostic types, so i'll probably be writing more like this.
feedback always appreciated.. .
That's great. Thanks for sharing.
anyone here been twice dunked?
thrice dunked?.
it's unlikely any of you sane people here were baptised more than once but i knew a few who were.
I knew a woman who was raised a JW and baptized as a young child. When she grew up she married a non-JW and lived a totally "worldly" life, celebrating holidays, joining another church, etc. Many years later, after her children had grown, she became a JW again. The elders decided she should be rebaptized because, obviously, the first one didn't take.
Sadly, her adult children and grandchildren joined the WT, too. One of her daughters is married to my brother. Even with this experience in their family, they still refuse to have anything to do with me since I left. I find this somewhat hypocritical on their part.
man am i glad to finally be able to register!!.
i've been a lurker here for several months, well the old forum is where my lurking began.. i am very lucky.
i was able to fade without being hunted down.
Welcome and thanks for sharing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l6pq3iuerk&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc4oroawdus&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8zcz-eabi8&feature=channel_page memorial night is fast approaching.
our 5th annual demonstration will be held in front of the kingdom hall on bridge lane in wilmington mass.
u.s.a.on thursday april 9,2009. demonstrations on memorial night are very effective in reaching people who may be considering becoming a jehovah's witness.
Wow. Thanks for posting this!
an interesting essay by an ex-jw named shawn holland.
check it out.. .
bangalore.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
i was dfed for 3 years and could not get back in for the life of me.
(long story one elder from my committee even held onto my letter and didnt give it to the other elders for 6 weeks) my current wife who i was dfed for back in the day (a few years ago) found out that i was text messaging and calling one of her friends (another sister in the hall) and she is very upset.
instead of handling it like a family she "eldered up" and i got pulled into the back room with 2 elders.
It sounds to me like your wife is using the elders as a substitute for marriage counseling. You might try explaining to her that this cannot work because they are not trained in that area and are limited in their functioning to matters of judicial concern and religious loyalty. A good marriage counselor may help clear things up in your marriage and eliminate the need to involve the elders.
I agree that the elders were out of line sharing your personal info with others. You could bring that up with them, but I don't know if it would help or hurt your situation.
Your desire to stay connected to your family is totally understandable. Many here, including me, have lost members of our families because we left the WT. Maybe a fade would work for you. It is usually more desirable than DAing or getting DFd if you want to maintain contact with JW family. There are some on this board who continue to associate with the WT while knowing that they are not "the truth." They do this for various reasons, including to keep their family intact. This may work for you, or not. Only you can decide what's best for you.
As far as cults are concerned, the WT defines a cult as a group that follows a human leader. This is a very self-serving definition on their part. It also does not address the fact that they started as a group that followed Charles T Russell. Others would define a cult as an organization that uses manipulative practices to attract and maintain membership, and employs certain techniques that limit and control their members' thinking ability. By this definition, the WT is a cult. You can explore this possibility further by reading books on cults written by mental health experts, such as Steven Hassan's "Combatting Cult Mind Control."
Best wishes to you and your wife.
right now i am filled with burning hatred towards the wbts.
not just to what it has done to me and my family but to people all over the world.
i want to see nothing but the governing body exposed as the charlatans that they are and for all to see the great evil that is the wbts.
I agree, it's not easy. I'm not there yet either.
IMO the best thing to do is to use that energy to expose the WT for what it is and help protect as many as possible from it.
i found his talk at http://www.jwforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=1704.
here is a part of his talk.
is he indicating that we should pray for gb so that jehovah god would open their eyes?.
Wow, donny, what a great story. I hope that made them think.
it's nearly 16 years to the day when you made your appearence.
i'll never forget the day i first met you.
i was in my final year of high school, mid terms were looming and mum was heavily pregnant with you.
Wow, what a great letter for a tough situation. Best wishes to you and your brother.
