Designer Stubble

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Posts by Designer Stubble

• 
  53

  I dropped TTATT to some door knockers today

  by TheStumbler in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  two jws came to my door today and i dropped a few truths bombs on them.

  i thought i'd share my account of how the conversation went.. .

  i was in the yard doing some weeding when two gentlemen walked through the gate.

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  Designer Stubble

  Thanks for sharing. Excellent story.
• 
  15

  Change of mindset.

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been a witness for a long time and still serve as an elder.

  there have been a lot of changes to deal with in the last six months or so since i stumbled on this site due to questions i had about all the recent changes in understanding published in the wt.

  many posters here talk about a cult personality and a real personality.

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  Designer Stubble

  See how much you recognize:

  Freedom of Mind (by Steven Hassan)

  CULT: Tightly controlled, high-pressure social environment. Limit access to outside information (Page 3)

  Some religious cults have “An elite group that claims to know the real meaning of Scripture” (Page 4)

  They rail on about how all the other Churches are dead and unscriptural (Page 7)

  Threatening Prophecies (Page 12)

  “Love” depends on meeting expectations and goals (Page 13)

  Demand for purity: Establishing impossible standards for performance, thereby creating an environment of guilt and shame. No matter how hard a person tries, he always falls short, feels bad and works even harder. (Page 17)

  Sacred Science: The belief that the group’s dogma is absolutely scientifically and morally true, with no room for questions or alternative viewpoints (Page 17)

  Dispensing of existence: The belief that people in group have the right to exist and all ex-members and critics or dissidents do not (Page 17)

  Cult control is a social process that encourages obedience and conformity. It discourages autonomy and individuality. The group’s dogma becomes the person’s only concern (Page 19)

  Thought Reform: Create a tightly controlled system with a closed system of logic, wherein dissenters feel their questioning indicates something inherently wrong with them (Page 20)

  Behavior Control (Page 22)

  • Dictate with whom the member lives and associates

  • Restrict leisure and entertainment

  • Encourage group-think (not stumbling others)

  • Impose rigid rules & regulations

  Information Control (Page 23)

  • Discourage access to non-cult sources of information

    • Internet, Critical Information, Former Members, Keep members busy

  • Outsider versus insider doctrines

  • Encourage spying on other members

  • Extensive use of cult-generated information, including magazines and other media

    • Misquotations, statements from non-cult sources taken out of context

  • Unethical use of confession

  Thought Control (Page 24)

  • Members required to internalize the groups doctrine as “the truth”

  • Instill Black and White thinking

  • Good versus Evil; Us versus Them

  • No critical questions about leaders, doctrine or policy allowed

  • Alternative belief systems viewed as evil

  Emotional Control (Page 25)

  • Make the person feel that problems are their own fault – never the leader or group

  • Excessive use of guilt – You are not living up to your potential

  • Excessive use of fear

  • Fear of the outside world

  • Fear of losing one’s salvation

  • Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by the group

  • Phobia indoctrination

    • No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group

    • Terrible consequences if you leave

    • Shunning of those who leave, fear of being rejected by friends and family

    • Never a legitimate reason to leave; Those who leave are weak, unspiritual, worldly or seduced by sex
• 
  61

  My Special Assembly Day was yesterday. Here are the lowlites.

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the assembly overall was basically all about doing more, not wasting your youth (a waste being anything but pioneering) and bashing apostates.

  well without further ado... .

  talk- the voice of jehovah is powerful.

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  Designer Stubble

  So no teachings on cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, following in Jesus footsteps, loving your neighbor, caring for the sisck, elderly and fatherless boy, nothing about developing Christlike compassion, acting as a true Christian.

  The spiritual health is measured by works, FS-report, underlined WT and more... What a CULT!
• 
  61

  My Special Assembly Day was yesterday. Here are the lowlites.

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the assembly overall was basically all about doing more, not wasting your youth (a waste being anything but pioneering) and bashing apostates.

  well without further ado... .

  talk- the voice of jehovah is powerful.

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  Designer Stubble

  Same old, same old...

  You never do enough, Apostates are sawing the legs of their chairs and experiences shared that cannot be confirmed and are highly likely fabricated.

  Same shit, different day
• 
  41

  Discussion with some elders

  by GoUnion in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello everyone just wanted to relate a situation that occurred a few days ago.

  so i have quit going to meetings for a few months now based on some issues i have with the explanations of current doctrines.

  my wife is none too happy with this but over the last few months we have had some date nights and have tentitively agreed to disagree.

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  Designer Stubble

  When I exited, I was also able to have open discussion with the elders and even read a part directly from CoC for them. It was this quote:

  "I did not doubt or question that God would give his guidance to these men if it was sincerely sought (I felt that some of the decisions made, particularly in earlier years, had been good decisions, compassionate decisions), but I certainly did not think it was automatic; It was always conditional, contingent on certain factors. So my included the statement that I believed such guidance always was governed by the extent to which God's Word was adhered to; that to that extent God grants his guidance or withdraws it. (I think that that is true for any individual or any collective group of people, whoever they are)." They still did think that God only used one organization - theirs...but the discussion was surprisingly open. It can happen (this is in the Netherlands).
• 
  44

  Newcomers to TTATT: Beware of "New Study Mode"!

  by Londo111 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  weve all heard it.

  a person starts studying with jehovahs witnesses and love what they are learning so much that they cant stop talking about it.

  bubbling with enthusiasm, they spill everything they are learning with their friends and family...or anybody who will listen.

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  Designer Stubble

  Great post. I like to compare it with a game of Chess - strategic moves all the way. Take your time!
• 
  37

  Shared some TTATT with my wife and now she wants us to have a weekly personal bible study

  by suavojr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is the situation.... a young 19 year old in our congo had a fallout with his parents because of all the restrictions and jw dogma and moved out of the house last wednesday.. to make the story short, the parents went running to the elders and what was the comfort?.

  coe said: i saw that coming!

  your son never reached out to get baptized.. then the other elder said: don't worry, you still have one left that will be saved.

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  Designer Stubble

  Might as well start with Genesis :
  
  Genesis
  
  GENESIS 34:13 Shechem had premarital sex with Jacob’s daughter Dinah, which angered Jacob’s sons. Shechem and his father, Hamor, agreed to circumcision for the men in the city in order for Shechem to marry Dinah and make Jacob’s other daughters eligible for the men of the city. Three days later, while the men were still enduring the pain of circumcision, Jacob’s sons attacked the unsuspecting city, killing Shechem and Hamor with swords, looting the city, seizing the flocks, herds, possessions and wealth, plundering the houses and carrying off their women and children.
  
  GENESIS 6 & 7 Unhappy with the wickedness of man, God killed every living thing on the planet except Noah’s family. Men, women, infants and animals drowned in unimaginable terror and agony.
  
  GENESIS 19:6- In Sodom, Lot’s home was assaulted by a homosexual mob seeking to have relations with two angels. Lot volunteered his virgin daughters to the crowd, saying "you can do what you like with them" as long as the guests are left alone. After offering his children to be raped, Lot was then appointed by God as worthy of rescue from Sodom’s destruction.
  
  GENESIS 19:26: God, still unfazed by the proposed rape of Lot’s virgin daughters, turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt for the heinous crime of looking over her shoulder.
  
  GENESIS 38: 8-10 – Onan was instructed by Judah to lay with his brother’s wife to produce offspring for his brother (who was put to death by God for wickedness). Onan slept with his brother’s wife but "spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother" (NIV). God found this wicked, so God killed him.

  http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/page/bible-atrocities
• 
  11

  New Light to be released on the 100th anniversary of 1914

  by smiddy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  with further study and meditation , the holy spirit has guided the governing body to the evident reality that the year 1914 was a symbolic enthronement of jesus christ to his heavenly kingship .

  jehovahs witnesses worlwide rejoice at this new understanding , empowering them to be even more determined to spread these pearls of truth to those moaning and groaning in this wicked system of things.

  rom.8:22. some have wondered , even had doubts about the ever increasing numbers who now seem to be partaking of the wine and emblems at the lords evening meal ( memmorial ) celebration held annually .. we are pleased to announce that this too has been clarified by holy spirit , with study and meditation , and we can now announce that the 144000 is in fact a symbolic number and not to be taken as a literal number as previously thought .. we , the g.b.

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  Designer Stubble

  This new light shows how close to the end we must be...

  Jehovah is really refining his organization

  The FDS/GB is really spirit driven and that they share this new light only confirms we have the one true religion.

  Other churches would never admit they had it wrong

  Perfect organization, lead by imperfect humans

  Yes, responses will be along that line.
• 
  107

  Will firing the DOs be the first step to a new Watchtower?

  by Juan Viejo2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  against my better judgement, i've decided to share the following as a response to guy pierce passing and the announcement of the elimination of district overseers later this year.. late in january (2014) i got an email from one of my contacts (a fader) who served at bethel for several years, but is no longer at wt hq.

  he still has a lot of close contacts within the service department and in other departments at patterson and knows people in all of the ny offices.

  i kept this email set aside on a flash drive and haven't shared it with anyone - figuring i'd publish an article about it later this year when i had more time to do it right.

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  Designer Stubble

  I took the liberty to share the over on JWR as well.

  http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19633

  We too have speculated for some time that a next change would be a symbolic 144.000 as literal is no longer sustainable.

  The old timers being sent away the way described is hard on certainly not Christian.

  Thanks for sharing this valuable information and thanks to your friend.
• 
  63

  Thanks WTBS for changing the Kingdom Songs, you freed me!

  by StephaneLaliberte in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  yesterday, i saw a picture of a family signing kingdom melodies together.

  it made me realize a fact that i am somewhat ashamed to admit:.

  for over a decade, i have been aware of the false prophecies, the deceptive statements, the lack of scriptural support for many core practices and other issues with the witnesses.

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  Designer Stubble

  The New Songbook should be titled: Sing praises to the Governing Body. Four songs directly sing praises to them. These are quoted below.
  
  Song 11, second verse:

  Your slave, your steward here on earth,
  Proclaims your greatness and your worth,
  Feeds us with nourishment when due,
  Thus strengthens us your will to do.

  Song 43, second verse:

  Stay awake, and keep your senses,
  Always ready to obey.
  Stay alert to Christ’s direction
  Through his faithful slave today.
  Heed the counsel of the older men ,
  Who protect his sheep and truth defend.

  Song 84, second verse:

  Oh, what help Jehovah God gave
  When he sent the faithful wise slave ,
  With whom we serve with joy,
  Our powers employ,
  That meek ones we might help to save.
  Those in need can easily tell
  When we love them ever so well.
  So if widows and orphans should ask you,
  Then readily say: “I want to.”

  Song 116, second verse:

  Our Lord has appointed a trustworthy slave,
  Through whom He gives food in due season .
  The light of the truth has grown brighter with time,
  Appealing to heart and to reason.
  Our path ever clearer, our steps ever firm,
  We walk in the brightness of day.
  All thanks to Jehovah, the Source of all truth,
  We most gratefully walk in his way.