Posts by hybridous

12

Miney under the table and retirement

by road to nowhere in

i know several older retired witnesses who comolain abiut how little social security pays.

all of them made more than i ever did but were self employed.

they fudged the amount t they reported on taxes and thought they would never get old.

hybridous

I am one of those who was burned because I believed at the time that JWs had "the truth" and I lived accordingly - as if the end of the world were imminent and billions of lives were at stake. Did you ever believe it?

Magnum - I was born-in but left as a teenager, so the years I most fervently 'believed' were the pre-teen years; not too many life-altering decisions (sans baptism) being made then.

As a teenager, I started asking myself just HOW MUCH I was personally convinced of this belief set, and HOW MUCH I was going along with what my parents/grandparents wanted...

There were plenty of examples around the Kingdom Hall of devout JWs who spent their lives in service to the 'religion' at great cost to themselves. I saw very sincere people forego children, homes, & even the smallest sliver of financial security in deference to what the WT asked of them.

Growing up rather poor exposed me to the reality that it wasn't really the blessing it was made out to be, and I couldn't see myself being happy to scratch out a living for whatever decades I had left to my life. I live in a relatively affluent area, and I could plainly see the comforts that a decent career brought and I wanted those comforts for myself and my future children - no apologies offered. Not everyone who was financially successful spent all their time lusting after every dollar - that was just more WT nonsense.

Once I stepped off the JW hamster wheel, I had more time to spend doing what I wanted! Some of this time was spent in professional pursuits, and some was not, but either way, it was now my choice to exercise.

Those of you who did get 'burned' by the Tower's advice can now do the most good by using your experiences, telling others, and helping to starve the WT Cult of future support - I applaud your efforts!

12

Miney under the table and retirement

by road to nowhere in

i know several older retired witnesses who comolain abiut how little social security pays.

all of them made more than i ever did but were self employed.

they fudged the amount t they reported on taxes and thought they would never get old.

hybridous

The greatest irony is that those who have most diligently adhered to the WTs advice over the decades, regarding matters of education, marriage & children, career, saving for retirement, etc....

These are the ones most BURNED by the WTs faulty predictions about the end of the world. Their obedience and devotion has earned them a S-O-L situation whereby they must navigate years in a world they were never prepared for because they were told they would never see it.

Believing that Jesus coming in on a white horse is going to bail you out of a bad situation is the basis for all sorts of bad life decisions.

32

What the Heck are they talking about in todays meeting 7-19-20 Wife in full on cult mode

by goingthruthemotions in

so what the heck are they brainwashing today in the meeting or what ever.

she is in full on cult mode talking about the end of the world.

she asked me to listen to a couple of talks and i respectfully declined.

hybridous

Demonstrating unconditional love, as her God and organization never will, can go a long way in healing your relationship.

VH7, this is incredibly kind, and long-sighted. I wish I didn't find it so daunting....

i wish they'd make another prediction just so there could be a nail in the old coffin (hopefully..)

Yes! I do wonder about the medium-to-longer term effects of the Covid fear-mongering (as it applies to the WT Religion). If they bet too hard on Armageddon proceeding from this current pestilence, and things subside and return to normal, perhaps the burn-out/exhaustion will sap the zealotry from another batch of devotees.

Another instance of the short-term and long-term goals of the WT Religion being at odds with each other. I am keenly interested in seeing which narrative dominates.

59

Guns...Are You For or Against Legally Owning Them?

by minimus in

jw
friends

there is a surge going on of people buying guns, especially first time buyers.

with talk of police defunding and rioting in the neighborhoods, some people want to protect themselves.. do you support owning and using a gun if needed?.

hybridous

2nd amendment was created specifically to allow the citizens of the USA to have a revolution. Never intended as a way to protect life and property, that was just a bonus benefit of having the right to overthrow the government if the citizens felt that was in order.

Are these concerns not ONE and the SAME?

Should you be compelled to over throw the government, one would assume that it was not fulfilling its role as far as protecting life & property....

What other circumstances can be imagined that one would endure, where life and property were in jeopardy but revolution was somehow NOT on the table...?

80

Quit Quietly now more than ever

by gone for good in

the amazing exoneration of info sekta in swiss court has finally reinforced the proper way to exit an abusive cult.. never write a letter of disassociation.

- no need to invoke shepherding or judicial action from elders.

make a written, dated statement of your free-will choice to have abandoned the jw religion - secure this document with a friend -a trusted friend (not the jw kind).

hybridous

Most (I would assert ALL) of the shunning is not really voluntary reaction by individuals but rather is the result of the industrial level coercion from the ecclesiastical chain overhead -bullying to be blunt.

This is a false dichotomy. The bullying and voluntary actions are not mutually exclusive.

The bullying is present, but individual JWs still have to CHOOSE to follow the religious commands. Individual JWs are responsible for their actions.

Don't let individual JWs off the hook for the role they play in abuse. Without their willingness to shun, the 'ecclesiastical chain overhead' has no power at all.

49

Unique Words and Expressions Of Jehovah’s Witnesses

by minimus in

jw
friends

system of things comes to mind.

what does that mean to anyone not a jw?.

how long have you been in the truth?

hybridous

Practical.
Buying a car? Is it practical?
Clothes? Practical?
Job? Practical?
Housing? Practical?
The list goes on and on.

Wearing a suit to a Zoom meeting in your own kitchen or living room?

Practical?!

Eschewing a solid education and career to Pious-Sneer, knock on doors full-time, build no savings and rely on the generosity of others for mere sustenance?

Practical?

Yeah - funny that how 'practical' considerations go right out the window when the Organization wants you to be IM-practical...

49

Unique Words and Expressions Of Jehovah’s Witnesses

by minimus in

jw
friends

system of things comes to mind.

what does that mean to anyone not a jw?.

how long have you been in the truth?

hybridous

'Make the TRUTH your OWN!'

Although, to be fair, this was more prevalent when I was a kid in the 1980s. I took it to mean that a person should independently verify the JW religion's teaching to a level of the believer's personal satisfaction.

Me, taking this advice, and tryin' like hell to 'make the truth my own', led directly to my current state of being on the outside of the religion, and unlikely to ever return.

No wonder then, that the phrase 'Make the Truth your own', has become scarce in more recent decades. They don't really want that independent verification going on...

21

Have You Lost Any “Friends” Because Of Your Political Views?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i have lost a couple of fb friends.

i have had conversations with many of my friends regarding politics and since we generally view politics in the same way, there is little dissension.

however i do have some friends that don’t see things properly, my way, and i still like them.🤗lol....i know of some families that have stopped talking to each other because of something as stupid as political differences..

hybridous

However I do have some friends that don’t see things properly, my way, and I still like them.🤗lol....I know of some families that have stopped talking to each other because of something as stupid as political differences.

21

Have You Lost Any “Friends” Because Of Your Political Views?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i have lost a couple of fb friends.

i have had conversations with many of my friends regarding politics and since we generally view politics in the same way, there is little dissension.

however i do have some friends that don’t see things properly, my way, and i still like them.🤗lol....i know of some families that have stopped talking to each other because of something as stupid as political differences..

hybridous

Does that mean, with all due respect, that only those who don't view things your way are not viewing things "properly?"

Do you know anyone who holds views they themselves would deem IM-proper?

20

This Cult sucks, I loath it. I don't understand Why my wife will not leave

by goingthruthemotions in

i loath this cult!!!!!!!!!!

why won't she leave?.

she knows about the australian royal commision, the united nations, failed prediction dates etc...., i have crisis of consciene and she know, it is visiable that she could see the book everyday.

hybridous

Because she's in it for emotional reasons, not intellectual ones. Often fear is what keeps people stuck. It's not like your wife is some unique case. It happens all the time. People lived through 1975 and stayed.

This is the brutal truth of the situation. I heard a great quote once...to paraphrase:

'You can't REASON people out of beliefs that they didn't REASON themselves into in the first place!'

This is exactly why when you enter battle with a JW – full frontal assault, armed with relevant facts and sound logic…it doesn’t budge them. The weapons of reason and evidence are only meaningful on a different battlefield – and it’s not where the minds of true JW believers reside.

The only response you can have, is to disconnect yourself (as much as possible), from the outcome. If we have expectations that other people see, and feel, and do as we would prefer, we set ourselves up for frustration and disappointment. We can't control others. They don't meet our expectations. They let us down.

It is a terrible irony that when dealing with JW family, we must emotionally segregate ourselves (partially) from those we care for. But this is the truth of the matter. It is only within that narrow slice of emotional segregation that we (on the outside) are able to sustainably exist and deal with them. Any lack of precise balance will compel you into delusion beside her (unlikely!), until you find it insufferable, and then forcibly rejected for your lack of participation in such delusion.

It is within that narrow slice that we can live. It is burdensome – but less so than living as a true-believer in an abusive cult. So, you’ve got THAT going for you. Within that narrow slice you can strike a balance, catch your breath, and still be in a relationship with your wife.

I wish you the best going forward. Let us know how things go for you.