Crisis of Conscience

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Posts by Crisis of Conscience

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  69

  Did you ever think you'd stop being one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by sandy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm sure this question has been asked before .

  i've come a long way in my thinking.

  a very long way!

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  Crisis of Conscience

  I'm glad this thread was ressurrected.

  In a short, plain, and simple answer - NO.

  As I type this, a memory comes to mind. I was 19 years old and attending pioneer school. I had very strong feelings for my now wife, who also attended at the time. We just knew we were going to marry each other. And with having that in mind, as well as being filled with zeal because of the school, we discussed the great opportunity offered to us to serve in a distant land as missionaries. The truth seemed so real at the time. Nothing could stop Jehovah's blessing for our spiritual desires.

  Shortly after this I was accepted to Bethel. And despite some of the negative things I observed while there, I still believed this was the truth. I spent the next 10 years being extremely active, regular pioneering again - twice, serving as a ministerial servant, reaching out for more responsibility, and constantly encouraging others around me to do the same.

  I never, NEVER, believed I would find myself in the position I am today. But once I reached the point of burn out from all my activity, doubts bubbled to the surface. And as Jeremiah (I think) in the Bible said, I'll paraphrase, "it proved to be like a burning feeling in my bones (or something like that, LOL)." I HAD to do research. It was then I realized something just isn't right.

  It's been a somewhat rough, I would guess, almost 2 years. But suffice it to say, I wouldn't change it. Now I have found a peace I NEVER had before, even as an extremely active witness in the past. True I am still "in" for the time being. But I keep setting goals and accomplishing them.

  At the moment, I'm having no regrets. I believe it's because I'm taking steps to keep my sanity in this life transition, by means of therapy.

  My wife struggles with my decisions, and has even asked when I plan on stopping going to meetings or why I even attend currently. She's right. It's only a matter of time. But I think I haven't quit altogether yet for that very reason in topic, because I never imagined myself NOT being a JW.

  CoC
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  9

  Another religion using Watchtower judicial methods?

  by donuthole in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw this on reddit this morning.

  not sure who the religious group is but if you change just a couple of words (church to congregation) it reads like a jw letter - the kind you get when they are wanting to get you into a jc or disfellowship you absentia.

  it's weird how similar these high-control/judgment groups really are.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  JW's or not, reading something like this makes me sick....... absolutely sick.
  For men to think that they have this much power over people continually confirms to me that religion is a farce and that fear is a great tactic for control.
  Thanks for the pic of the letter.

  CoC
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  26

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 01-16-11 WT Study (BAPTISM)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  1, 2. for you to be successful as you grow toward.

  trail, you might want to take along a. map and a compass.

  a reliable map and a compass.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  pirata said - Why did I get baptized?

  As a young teen, my mom, with all good intentions, kept asking me "what is holding you back from getting baptized?" I kept answering "I don't know".

  Finally, I got baptized because it was the "right thing to do". I considered it "positive peer pressure". And I felt good about the praise I got in the congregation about my spiritual progress, good talks, etc.

  This is my story, word for word, with the exception of it not being my physical mom, but rather my "spiritual parents."

  I would never say that I was forced to do it. It was MY decision. MY decision because I too felt that I had positive peer pressure, and that it was the right thing to do. Only that as a teenager, you just can't understand the gravity of a lifelong and life altering decision.

  It's interesting, I just had a conversation recently with a sister I know that was just absolutely sure that her daughter was ready for baptism. She spoke about how mature she seemed and how sure of the truth she was at a young age.

  So I bravely asked if she thought her daughter was ready for marriage at that young age (I think she said 12)?

  Of course the sister responded NO. So I proceeded with asking then how she could be so sure her daughter was ready for baptism or even understood the seriousness of it. She said she just KNEW she was.

  Ah, you have to love the blindness and the double standards. Thanks for another great review, blondie .

  CoC
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  30

  LURKERS: Is JW the only true religion? Here is my personal research!

  by mentallyfree31 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are jehovah's witnesses the only religion teaching the truth?.

  the statement that only jehovah's witnesses are teaching the truth is an extraordinary claim.

  such a claim would require extraordinary evidence.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  Many thanks for this excellent post.
  It's such a shame that reading things like this make so much sense to those of the conscious class and yet is alien talk to those mentally enslaved to "the one true religion."
  One can only hope that more people will wake up.
  Lurkers - Pay attention and make moves!!

  CoC
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  39

  4/15/11 Watchtower--quote on ministerial servants

  by sd-7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so did anyone notice the statement on page 11, paragraph 11?

  "if a brother has been baptized at least one year and to a reasonable degree meets the scriptural qualifications fo rministerial servants outlined at 1 timothy 3:8-13, he can be recommended for appointment.

  " i thought paul specifically warned against appointing a "newly converted man"?

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  Crisis of Conscience

  I was a 'young lad' when appointed, 2 years shy from 20 years old. And I had been baptized just slightly over a year. Also, I am not a born in.
  So this isn't really something new, although I don't ever recall seeing it highlighted like this or in a publication/magazine.
  But it definitely varies by both region and congregation.
  I must admit, it does sound desperate.

  CoC
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  22

  Ladies, what men's cologne makes you melt?

  by sacolton in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would like to know what colognes for men really turn you on.

  .

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  Crisis of Conscience

  Curve by Claiborne is my favorite. And my wife loves it!!

  
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  77

  I told my daughter I was leaving "the truth" this weekend.

  by whathappened in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  last week, i told you i was going to tell my daughter that i was leaving the truth this weekend and you all gave me sound advice.

  but, i cannot keep a secret this heavy from the person i love most on this earth, my only daughter, who is beautiful inside and out.. well, i have always had an open and honest relationship with my daughter, and i guess it paid off.

  this weekend i visited my daughter (who lives in another state) and i told her i was leaving "the truth.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  whathappened, WOW! That is great to hear! You are a brave soul I must say. I hope everything works out for you. It seems that it will.

  I loved how you laid things out for her, and obviously through research, for yourself. It's amazing how logical you made everything sound, and yet sad that not everybody reacts the way your daughter did. Blind faith is strong, very strong.

  While my wife is quite aware of my feelings, there is still much I have not shared with her. You have taken a BIG step in this regard towards your family. If God is aware of this and truly cares, I ask for his blessing on your behalf. I am truly happy at the current result.

  Best wishes.

  CoC
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  51

  "The FDS has lovingly given us time"

  by Crisis of Conscience in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  boy am i tired of hearing this one.

  yes folks, i heard it at the meeting this week...again.

  the sm included a local needs part and this was the subject - family worship night.. apparently, regarding fwn, that time was never, nor now is, ours.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  BTTT
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  37

  Attention Born in Lurkers

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you feel that something has changed within god's organization?

  have you noticed that in the past several years there has been a more authoritarian spirit displayed in the publications and from the platform?

  i am in the beginning stages of a fade away and wanted to express my thoughts.

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  Crisis of Conscience

  Thank you for contributing this tread stuckinamovement . Excellent.

  Just doing what I can to BTTT this.
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  57

  Attention Lurkers- Consider the effectiveness of your lifesaving work

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hypothetical scenario.

  you are a city manager in a major metropolitan city with a population of 3,000,000.. .

  if the governing body was truly convinced themselves of the impending disaster and the fact that the end is imminent would they not focus their efforts in spreading the message through effective means such as telephone, television, internet, social networks etc?

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  Crisis of Conscience

  Excellent analogy! Marking for future use. Thanks stuckinamovement !