Interesting thread. I also added it on JWR and got some great responses.
http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19884
Designer Stubble
JoinedPosts by Designer Stubble
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42
Just noticed something else that proves the Bible is made up.
by BU2B inexodus 9 then the lord said to moses, go to pharaoh and say to him, this is what the lord, the god of the hebrews, says: let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3the hand of the lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the fieldon your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.
4but the lord will make a distinction between the livestock of israel and that of egypt, so that no animal belonging to the israelites will die.?.
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Designer Stubble
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of our daughters."
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36
Anyone going to the memorial this year?
by Pyramid God ini was invited by my parents, and even though i have nothing but contempt for this religion, things have been good in our relationship so i was considering going just to appease them.
anyone else?.
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Designer Stubble
No, we kindly declided the invite earlier today. Makes five years of non-observing
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46
How long did you know TTATT while attending the meetings?
by Iamallcool ini did not know anything about ttatt while attending the meetings.. .
ttatt=the truth about the truth..
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Designer Stubble
Nine months - from DC2008 until memorial 2009. Enough time to do prayerful reading & research of all facts and leave together as a family with wife and kids. Was not easy, but worth it...
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I'm postponing my JW elderette and her BS session again
by Faithful Witness ini really do have more important things to do this week, so i am postponing my elderette again.
she has not yet contacted me for her "topic of discussion" for the week.
i know she wants time to prepare her speech and presentation.
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I dropped TTATT to some door knockers today
by TheStumbler intwo 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.
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Change of mindset.
by thedog1 ini 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
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61
My Special Assembly Day was yesterday. Here are the lowlites.
by BU2B inthe 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!
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My Special Assembly Day was yesterday. Here are the lowlites.
by BU2B inthe 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
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41
Discussion with some elders
by GoUnion inhello 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).
