Posts by Fernando

18

Any of you have a hard time finding a job since leaving?

by lilbluekitty in

i was raised as a dub and my mother never pushed me to have a job.

even when i tried to have jobs she woudln't let me because to her pioneering was the only thing i should be doing with my life.

i did graduate high school and attended a community college for a year but i haven't worked in nearly 7 years and with a gap that large i can't find work.

Fernando

Being a Witness involves many job skills.

Hey lilbluekitty!

Yes, life changing events such as leaving a cult often plays havoc with ones job or career (by design).

I agree with Band on the Run's observation above.

If one has gone from being religious (RBNS) to being spiritual (SBNR) here are two examples of how you might outline your experience in a CV:

Experience – Social Change Management, Pastoral Care

1990 – present Spiritual Director & Counsellor (pro bono)

Initially in various religious communities and contexts. From 2000 in various non-religious, non-sectarian, non-denominational contexts and communities.

Then - religious education focussing on external change.
Now - spiritual education focussing on internal change.
Helping children, adolescents, adults and families contemplate the healing, moderating, clarifying, and unifying power of faith and spirituality.

Social Transformation

Various Christian communities. Spiritual counselling & education focussing on internal change. Non-denominational and “multi-faith”. Helping children, adolescents, adults and families contemplate the healing, moderating, clarifying, and unifying power of organic (natural) faith and spirituality. Non-judgemental toward LGBTI (gays), prostitutes, addicts and homeless.

You might consider an entry level position in community Mental Health, AOD Addiction, or aged care as a "support worker" and possibly initially as a volunteer with an organisation that is likely to have (several) openings in the (near) future.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Fellowship (community Mental Health, now many of these worldwide)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_steps

27

What Percentage Of The Billion Hours In Field Service, Was Productive?

by Bubblegum Apotheosis in

i met a doctor and his wife, they are heading near the sudan, they are born again christians and very kind.

i know he spends a month a year.

working for some agency,who help the poor, peform medical attention, with some gospel preaching.

Fernando

Watchtower followers are called "publishers of the good news" (evangelisers). They publish religion instead (proselytisers per Matt 23:15).

I therefore have to say ZERO PERCENT.

63

The 2012 JW Survey is now online!

by cedars in

i'm delighted to announce that the 2012 annual survey has now been launched and is ready to receive your votes!!.

please visit www.jwsurvey.org and give us your votes at the earliest opportunity.

this latest survey is obviously available to all those who voted in last year's survey, as well as to those who have never voted before.. so, what's different?.

Fernando

Hey Cedars!

Just finished the survey.

My gut feel on this project is just screaming GREAT. Awesome job, sincerely to all involved including Juan Viejo2. Great website. Great survey. Stunning for take 2!!! I have to watch this space.

For too long the Watchtower has been able to simply ignore the SILENT MAJORITY. No more! A very hard to ignore PUBLIC voice that I expect the MEDIA will also run with given the success of the "war of words" article and (media liability shielding) strategy - at last!

Finally the Watchtower between a rock and a hard place! The GB can't shut the survey down, and they can't participate or influence, so now they are voiceless - priceless!!!!!!

All strength, power, wisdom, humility and modesty to you and yours as you stare down Goliath and see him shaking with fear.

Like elderelite, I would like an option for those who believe the Watchtower is irreformable and illegitimate (an enemy of God and man).

I just know this is going places we can't yet dare to believe and imagine.

May this go from strength to strength, whilst naked and insane Goliath gets ever weaker and fearful...

30

Are you an Independent Thinker since Exiting JW's - Or Still a Follower ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

my wife and i are finishing reading an excellent book titled " deep healing " by emmett e. miller, m. d. the essence of this book is showing how our mind and body works in synchronicity with our mental health affecting our physical well being.. he also addresses the issue of how " group mentality " or peer pressure can influence seemingly " normal " people to totally ignore reality and allow a " group " of people to coerce them into believing an untruth.

this experiment was conducted in a college by psychology professors .

called the " red hatted thief " it went as follows :.

Fernando

Great opening piece Mr Flipper! We humans sure are vulnerable and behave rather oddly!

Born an independent thinker but at the same time into the Watchtower cult as 3rd generation, consequently developed "Psychological Stockholm Syndrome". Instinctively knew 1914 generation was wrong long before it started hitting the wall.

No longer follow men or their organisations. Have found and follow Jesus alone, through independent study of the full unabridged gospel message (especially according to Paul, and especially Romans 3). Identify as a SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) simple Jesus follower.

16

Another encounter with JW at my door this morning.

by jam in

i posted an encounter with a elder a few months ago.. we had a lengthy conversation.

he knew i was once.

a elder, served where the need was great , etc.

Fernando

Hey jam!

To make it easy on ourselves we let JWs witness to themselves from their own current publications.

We're waiting for an opportunity to tell a door knocker we believe they have a very good article on "legalism" - could they please explain from the heart what is "legalism" - and its opposite - along with examples!

If they take the bait they will end up reading and explaining a summary of ex-GB member Ray Franz' book "In Search of Christian Freedom" from their own Awake magazine (g79 6/8 pp. 27-28). This must be one of the most hated articles in the entire Watchtower library for the Watchtower Pharisees (ruling religious clergy class) and the Watchtower Sanhedrin (GB).

8

Preaching and Those With a "Right Heart Condition"

by thinking_1 in

aka "gullible, unquestioning, and at least somewhat uneducated".

this is one of those lines that really helps out when a jw runs into someone who know what they're talking about.. whether it's the bible, or scientific matters, or anything else where someone thy're talking to doesnt' agree with the teachings of "the slave", and has good reasonable points that they are trying to get across.. by telling the flock, and in turn the flock telling themselves that it's because of the persons "heart condition" and not their inability to accept the poor explanations and reasoning required to think like a jw, it insulates them from hearing too many facts that the teaching can't stand up to.. when they (probably unconsciously) sense that they are losing in a discussion, they can always tell themselves that the other person is unreasonable or has that pesky "bad heart"..

Fernando

Preaching religion = proselytising = sponsored by the "god of religion" (Matt 23:15).

Preaching the full unabridged "good news" = evangelising = sponsored by the "God of Abraham"

Watchtower followers claim to be "publishers of the good news" is false - they publish religion instead (supremacist self-righteousness achieved by following the "right" rules, morals, doctrines/dogma, and knowledge). Whilst more than half the Bible's 152-odd references to the "good news" are by Paul, Watchtower religionists are unable to explain the "good news" according to Paul. This is not a mere accident!

5

Is the FRAMEWORK, WORLDVIEW or CONTEXT a key area of Watchtower deception?

by Fernando in

when the watchtower says something it often speaks from a latent/hidden/covert framework, worldview or context.

this made me think of some questions this morning:.

how important is it to first uncover and understand this framework before responding to the picture being presented?.

Fernando

Thank you Euripides - great comparison and inconsistency between birthdays and passover!

27

They found me! JWS called at long last

by Aussie Oz in

jw
friends

hot day working in the shed when one middle aged and two older ladies pull up outside... out two hop and of course it was obvious...i said,.

''ah, your the millerites!

''...blank looks,.

Fernando

I look forward to being able to ask them to explain "legalism" and its opposite to me. It appears only once in the entire wt library - in an article that reads like a summary of Ray Franz' book "In Search of Christian Freedom".

206

i am a regular pioneer in my cong reading crisis of conscience.here goes...

by MsGrowingGirl20 in

jw
friends

i'm on page 90 right now...the info is definitely new and gives me a totally diff view as to how i used to think of faithful and discreet slave.

i was thoroughly disgusted with the way the brothers handled the oral sex and leadership problem and the insight on the scriptures book...... still have alot of questions though.

Fernando

Welcome MsGrowingGirl20 !

I have discovered that "the truth" is a person, not doctrine or dogma! (John 14:6)

I now identify as SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious), and as a simple Jesus follower.

I have come to the conclusion that the "god of religion" and the "God of Abraham" are enemies.

God speaks to all of us all the time. We simply have to tune in by means of pursuing and yielding to the full unabridged "good news" ABOUT JESUS.

Here is a summary of Ray's second book "In Search of Christian Freedom" - g79 6/8 pp. 27-28 Why the Emphasis on Christian Freedom? This great article denounces the religious practice of trying to attain self-righteousness by means of following the supposedly "right" rules - a practice called "legalism".

9

Bible Edition/Version = question/help please

by mind blown in

from reading many posts i feel confident in asking this question, as i feel many of you are very well read regarding certain topics.

i would like to get a decent version of the bible, however, i don't know which one to get.

it's obsious the wts version is out of the question for me.

Fernando

Some great tips above. One might add another name/website www.bible.cc (tons of translations, features, and commentaries).

Maybe a bit off topic, however the FRAMEWORK within which one reads the Bible makes a tremendous difference.

Religionists read it in a religious framework such that the Bible becomes pro-religion and anti-everything else.

The Bible is a spiritual book which roundly condemns religion/ists (Pharisees) for their self-righteousness and pretentiousness.

The Bible comes alive and is interpreted on the fly (by the Holy Spirit) for any believer who has made a point to uncover and YIELD to the full unabridged gospel message that it contains.

A great starting point is to compare Matt 23 (religion, externalism and self-righteousness) and Rom 3 and 4 (IMPUTED righteousness via faith in the good news about Jesus).

The "good news" is a personal MESSAGE to each of us from the "God of Abraham". There is nothing that the "god of religion" hates more than the full unabridged gospel message. The "god of religion" does however not fear an obfuscated and truncated gospel message.

The Bible refers to the "good news" or gospel around 152 times. More than half these are by Paul.

The Watchtower truncates the "good news of God" down to a single ingredient - the FUTURE restoration of PHYSICAL paradise in FUTURE. They first remove "the good news about Jesus" leaving only the "good news about the Kingdom". Next they truncate the "good news about the Kingdom" to the "message of restoration". Then they truncate the "message of restoration" to the single ingredient mentioned before. In this process the apostate Watchtower religious organisation and its ruling clergy class (Pharisees and Sanhedrin) have deleted at least 29 key ingredients of the gospel message!