Posts by mindmelda

42

Do You Think The Organization Is Corrupt?

by minimus in

jw
friends

many witnesses regard the organization as their "mother".

whatever "mother" says is what we do.

"mother knows best!".

mindmelda

I think the average Witness believes there were a few rare incidents of child abuse among some "bad Witnesses" and it was quickly and lovingly handled by the WTS reps. Voila, problem all gone, the wonderful GB solves everything for us, have some more Koolaid.

I have to say, it was really shocking to me the first time I read the depth and scope of it a few years ago. But, Witnesses are a perfect set up for pedophiles and other abusers. The mind control is already in place, so these predators just walk in and take advantage of what's already there, a perfect set up to have total control over a child. It's amazing there wasn't MORE of it going on.

But, you have to go to outside sources to find out that they paid out all that money to victims. It wasn't exactly published in the Watchtower. :/

13

gays in your congregation...?

by Albert Einstein in

jw
friends

according statistics, there should be in every congregation about 4 gays.. my experience is, that some decided to live a "normal" life and get married and you hardly noticed them.. but there are some types, who, from how they speak and behave, are absolutely obvious gays.

did you have them in your congo?

how did your congregation treat them?.

mindmelda

Its' one of the saddest things about the religion to me that people can't be themselves in it, regardless of what they are. Those who are heterosexual suffer under needless sexual micro managing, too.

But, yes, it was one of the first things that got me out of the JW mindset, the needless homophobia, pretending homosexuality doesn't exist among Witnesses and this ridiculous "don't ask don't tell" that goes on.

How can you be a "non practicing homosexual"? It's the most ridiculous nitpicking assine thing I ever heard. And they condemn Catholic priests for enforcing celibacy? Isn't this the same thing, forcing someone to be celibate simply because of his normal sexual attractions?

The six scriptures used in the Bible to condemn homosexuality do not address a Christian homosexual couple who want to have a committed and loving relationship. They only address matters like prostitution, rape, sexual predation and other socially unacceptable, "unlawful" behavior that is homosexual in nature.

If the JWs really studied their scriptures as they claim to, they'd find that out too. The information is out there, just look for it.

10

Now... How do I stop thinking about this...

by marketman in

jw
friends

ok... this is marketman (a.k.a ptucker) and you have all been very helpful in your previous postings.

now, maybe someone can give me some advice on how to stop thinking about jw doctrines, jehovah, and everything else associated with this situation.. i wake up thinking about it... i go to sleep thinking about it... i thought this was it... i thought this was the spiritual direction i needed even though i am questioning every aspect of it now.

yesterday i went to a bible service at another church and i enjoyed it a lot but i kept thinking "what if this is wrong... what if jehovah is the answer..." i need to stop thinking about it... can anyone provide insight on how some of you mustered through.

mindmelda

I have the same problem, if it's any consolation. The Witness programming went on for most of my life over 30 years. I figure it's inevitable it will try to re-surface for quite a while.

Intellectually, I know their basic doctrine is unsupportable, but I find myself replaying it when I'm not really being attentive to my thoughts, or I start to meditate/pray when I'm upset and lots of "jehovahbabble" comes out and I'm like, "Ew, where is THAT coming from?"

It's okay to address "Jehovah", unless it has too many connotations to JW weirdness. Witnesses don't own the name "Jehovah" as much as they'd love to get it copyrighted so that every time someone utters it, they get a dollar, and it's been in Christian religion as one of the names of God since the beginning. So, I had to quit recoiling every time I hear it or say it. Like anything it only has the power one gives it.

We have to keep deprogramming ourselves, I think it's a process, not something that happens all at once. One thing that helps me is to write and read something truly inspirational. The way I feel when I do that does a lot to reassure me I'm not doing anything "evil". It feels right.

Everytime I do or think something that would make JWs point and scream like a pod person, and I don't get struck down by their scary version of God, I know it's one less day that fear has a hold on me. It's a great feeling. It's freedom.

42

Do You Think The Organization Is Corrupt?

by minimus in

jw
friends

many witnesses regard the organization as their "mother".

whatever "mother" says is what we do.

"mother knows best!".

mindmelda

If you're asking if they are doing and teaching the things they do while deliberately knowing they're wrong or unsupportable, it's hard to say.

Since we are not privy to the thoughts of the GB and so few other Witnesses know them personally, you can't really know if they're sitting up there rubbing their hands together going, "Bwhahahaha" like Dr. Evil.

But, intentional or not, the damage is the same. People are being damaged by what they teach and they're profiting from it. That's corrupt.

Don't you think that many cult leaders drink their own Koolaid? I think they do, it's easier to do what they do out of delusion. Self delusion is a huge part of it, I think.

36

Friends, Study Partners, and then GONE...

by ptucker8357 in

jw
friends

about a year and 12 ago, after much conversation with a jw co-worker, we began a formal study.

we studied religiously (no pun intended) almost every week unless i was on business travel or there was a sickness or other item that precluded us from getting together.. .

during that process, we became very strong, close friends... at least that is what i thought was happening.

mindmelda

How truly sad. I'm a "lapsed" Witness and have had the same experience of a Witness who really pours on the love to get you back into the fold and then when you don't respond or even if you do, the love in stops or eases up.

Even if you'd responded to this intense attention, the minute he thought you were "in" he'd had gone on to someone else.

I've seen this happen over and over again in my 36 year association with Witnesses. Bible studies are conducted, the teacher and student get very close, and then it's time to move on to another Bible study and love them into the religion too.

The student either progresses or the friendship is withheld, or if they do progress, they're given over to the congregation and told to "widen out" and get their love from all the others and get involved in "kingdom activity" namely the work of converting others, that will fill the void. In some congregations there's enough social activity and friendly individuals to take over, but in some congregations, the person often suffers from severe love withdrawals at this point and drops out...it's just not there any more for them. If it happens after baptism, they eventually either fade away, or get disfellowshipped for some behavior the WTS disapproves of.

The Witnesses who do this are totally unaware that they're acting in a cultish manner. It's been used by everyone from Jim Jones to Charles Manson to the Moonies to get people into the cult, the LOVE BOMB.

It especially works on the lonely, the depressed and the frustrated, but it works on nearly everyone who gives them any response, period, at least, for a while. Witnesses are told to look for those who are "sighing and groaning" (taken from a misapplied Bible verse) and that is who "needs the truth".

29

Lovebombing =Pats on the back for me going back to Meetings...I want to punch someone!!!!

by Witness 007 in

after being away for 3 years i have agreed to attend some meetings with my wife who is suffering depression.

she has no friends except witnesses.

every meeting i get pats.......pats on the back during the damn meeting, elders and servants patting me on the back, mouthing "hello" giving me the thumbs up.....the last elder who did it, i almost stood up and punched him....i invented love bombing and they dare use it on me...me!

mindmelda

I went back to two meetings when I moved to Houston about 6 months ago, mostly out of loneliness and, also, a Witness I'd known 20 years ago started "love-bombing" me because she found out I was back here through my JW parents.

Yeah, I got the love for about 2 weeks, but when I didn't respond as programmed to some of it, I quickly got put back on "ignore".

She sends me occasional forwarded emails she sends to the rest of her email list, and these little "cheer up" online cards because she believes my problem is "just depression" (I told her I went to a therapist, but not what I discussed with him) but the few times I called just to talk, to be friends, she was too busy. She's one of these super Witnesses who works, pioneers and homeschools her kids, she barely has time to turn around twice.

I have "worldly" friends who are busy too, but they take the time to talk to me. And I get genuine love and encouragment from them, not WTS prescribed love bombings.

Don't get me wrong, I think some of the love bombing is sincere enough, they really think it's what you need to get back to the bliss of drinking their koolaid, that'll fix it all. Then they can go back to treating you as usual, which is like dirt or to be pitied if you don't become SuperWitness.

My problem was never that much with other Witnesses, so love bombing was enjoyable (I love hugs as much as anyone!and am quite a touchy feely sort), but it never worked for me. Of course, that's all YOUR fault in Witnessland. Nothing is wrong, nothing is wrong...except half of any given congregation is suffering from "depression".

12

Why did they put magazines in my door?

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

i come home from work yesterday evening and i was already in a foul mood from having a very unproductive day (which was followed by an even worse day today...not good when one is commission only).

i open my screen door and what do i find rolled up in my door knob?

you guessed it.... current (may 09) "public" edition of the wacktower and asleep!

mindmelda

My non-religious best friend who lives on 10 acres of private property with "No Trespassing" signs doesn't get visits from JWs, but they send her stuff through the mail.

She gives me what I think is a fairly accurate reaction to the average non-religious person to getting religious magazines in the mail, which is somewhere between puzzlement and aggravation.

"If I wanted to find out more about their religion, I'd go investigate it on the internet, or just ask one, I know who they are in my neighborhood and where their Kingdom Hall is."

I really believe most of the placements go unread for the most part. People might find an occasional article that looks readable in the Awake on a non-religious topic, but I see a lot of people making fun of the magazine's message, which they find odd, and it's art work, which they find stiff, plastic or also just "odd".

47

Were you afraid to go to a bar?

by rebel8 in

someone who shall remain nameless (*cough*snowbird*cough) mentioned she has never been to a bar.. this shocks me.. i was remembering how terrified i was of going to a bar when i was exiting the mother ship.

i was looking for the lightning bolts to get me.

and it was a big nothing really.

mindmelda

LOL.. I worked as a bartender briefly when I was doing restaurant work many years ago, and I was a JW then.

It was a fairly classy joint, no one seemed to care except my mom, so I didn't tell her.

I made good tips, fun job.

12

get a load of this

by mouthy in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi26y4ds6-k.

mindmelda

I had a Rhogam injection, a blood fraction to prevent RH neg reaction from mother to infant, with all 4 of my pregnancies and with one miscarriage. The first two times, even though it wasn't exactly WTS policy yet to allow it, I had the injection. This was in 1988 and then in 1990 the first two times. (Interestingly, I had a sister for a midwife the first pregnancy and she didn't know I'd gotten it at the hospital, and then she surprised me by offering to give it to me after the delivery. She cared more about my subsequent pregnancies than the rules! Which made me think a lot of her, she was also an elder's wife. I think she offered it under the table to other Witnesses too, bless her heart!)

I just figured it was my business. I'm RH negative, and my husband is positive, which creates an increasingly dangerous medical situation for each successive child born for massive antibody reaction, which is in extreme cases, fatal to the fetus.

Since I'm 0 negative, I get asked a LOT to donate blood, as I'm what used to be called a universal donor (my blood is naturally more "neutral", and can be given to more different people in an emergency, as it lacks most of the reactive factors other people have).

It's also somewhat rarer...the vast majority of people are RH pos. Only 7.7% of the population have O neg blood. AB neg is the rarest, and I have an aunt who has that. She was a nurse and donated regularly for that reason.

I used to refuse to donate but I don't think it would bother me now...just hasn't come up.

10

WTS are tax evaders!!

by 1914BS in

we all know that the watchtower bible and tract societies corporations pay no property tax or income taxes on donations from the kingdom halls.. yet they condemn other corporations for being tax evaders .

look at this rubbish from their own web site.

payers, avoiders, and evadersmost people will at least begrudgingly acknowledge the benefits that taxes bring to their community.

mindmelda

I think charities should be exempt, but it may come to be that some day, countries will realize how much money they could bring in to a troubled world economy by taxing religions, even at a lower rate or only for certain things.