Posts by Crisis of Conscience

21

"The Disfellowshipped Are Dead To Us"

by dontplaceliterature in

i had a conversation with a friend previously mentioned on this forum.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/private/206541/1/dinner-with-one-of-my-best-and-most-liberal-jw-friends.

we were speaking about a mutual friend who was disfellowshipped, and i mentioned that i missed them and wondered if they were okay because it wasn't like disfellowshipped people were dead to us...and he immediately responded "oh yes they are!".

this is really out of his character to say.

Crisis of Conscience

OMG!! Regarding the angels, I heard the exact thing at the convention that I attended dontplaceliterature.

I remember the brother saying explicitly that, and I quote, "The decision was already made in heaven", regarding the disfellowshipped persons outcome.

And I too felt my blood boil. First thought after I heard that, BULL$h!+!

I tried to be calm when I brought this up to my wife. I mentioned how the elders do at times wrongly make the decision to disfellowship someone, as is brought out in the elder handbook.

Is the GB now attributing mistakes and imperfection to the angels, for a wrong decision made, supposedly, in heaven?

Evidently!

CoC

32

Still Amazed to Have Escaped

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

i escaped the wt more than three years ago.

yet, even today, i'm still amazed, surprised and thankful that i got out.

it's easy for me to imagine having never getting the information i needed to make a clean break.

Crisis of Conscience

I believe there should be a continual effort to bump this thread for lurkers and newbies. Excellent, LWT!

Newbies/lurkers. What you have read thus far is exactly how many of you are/have feeling/felt. It's not a lie. Address your feelings and seek help to be released from the bonds of mind control.

For myself, while I still do attend the meetings semi-regulary in hopes of aiding my wife to wake up, I am completely mentally disconnected. I have even reached the point where I have been able to admit to my wife that I no longer fear the future without the org and that I no longer find the JWs important or that they have the truth. (Still kind of get the blank stare for that.)

The struggle is only to walk away because of the loss you can take socially. But I am being procactive in making an effort to build relationships outside of the org. It seems to be looking up as I am very sociable and have never had trouble making friends. I still have to consider my wife but she isn't a hardcore JW mentally, she just isn't ready to think for herself in all aspects.

While I have not escaped physically, it really is amazing how much progess I feel I have made since I woke up about 3 years ago. The crutch of the holy spirit guiding God's org despite countless mistakes and politics are what woke me up. I read Crisis of Conscience and Combatting Cult Mind Control and have spent countless hours on this site, as well as visited regularly with a therapist, which undoubtedly helped in releasing me mentally.

But I especially want to thank those who share their experiences here, for that is truly where I got my courage to make moves like resign as a MS, stop the ministry, etc. No more JW tasks for salvation.

And I especially thank those that are/were straight forward in sharing their experience without acting like every aspect of the WTS was miserable. It's not the people, it's the leadership and what it does to the people.

I hope I didn't get to far off topic but thank you for the help everyone has given here whether they realize it or not.

CoC

103

My life ... and how JWD came to be - Part 5

by Simon in

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 1. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 2. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 3. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 4. i swear, i thought it was only a couple of years at most since i wrote part 4 of "my life and how jwd came to be".

i re-read it after someone posted to it and brought it back on active topics and it was kind of prophetic in a way ... well, i had the 5 years part right if nothing else:.

it would be nice to visit the site (or whatever one is around then) in 5 years time to let people know how we're doing and find only a few of the same people still around.

Crisis of Conscience

Well said Simon.
And as I posted on part 4 before remembering to read part 5, THANK YOU for this site and your obvious efforts.

CoC

79

My life ... and how JWD came to be - Part 4

by Simon in

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 1 .

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 2 .

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 3

Crisis of Conscience

I'm glad this thread got bumped recently. So now I'm doing my part for those that haven't gotten a chance to read a little history on Simon, the creator of this site, and why he formed the site.
Read all 4 parts of the story if you get a chance.

Simon, thank you for a wonderful site that has been a great help for me and no doubt for many others.

CoC

16

I'm Not Spiritual

by FrankWTower in

jw
friends

i remember listening and thinking about other people and how spiritual they are.

some jw's eat, sleep and breathe watchtower.

and i used to think, "why can't i be like them?

Crisis of Conscience

You make a good point TotallyADD. I believe there is some truth to that, as guilt was a motivation for me, especially when something said touched emotions.

CoC

41

Opinion-Is This Clear Evidence that Jehovah's Holy Spirit is with The Watchtower?

by DavinciCodeBreaker in

jw
friends

i was having a discussion with an aquaintance about if there was evidence that the watchtower has jehovah's holy spirit.

he said, "given the fact that no other organization has won more supreme court cases than jehovah's witnesses to protect their religious freedom in north america and abroad is unrefutable evidence of jehovah's blessing by means of his holy spirit".. your thoughts?.

Crisis of Conscience

LOL @ Simon 17! How true!

As far as the JW's loosing court battles, even if they end up winning in the long run, want to know the creative explanation I was given for it?
I'm going to say it anyway. (Barf alert)

Drum roll please

The reason the JWs loose court cases at times is because Jehovah is reminding the brothers/lawyers to have humility because winning is not in their power or abilities but rather from him.

WTH!!! Yes, that's what I was told! (Sorry, I'm posting from my phone and don't have the WTH emoticon face.)

Yes folks, that explanation is proof positive the JWs have Jehovah's spirit, or do they? LOL

CoC

16

I'm Not Spiritual

by FrankWTower in

jw
friends

i remember listening and thinking about other people and how spiritual they are.

some jw's eat, sleep and breathe watchtower.

and i used to think, "why can't i be like them?

Crisis of Conscience

Interesting thread Frank. While I currently don't feel interested in spirituality, many times in the past I found myself wondering and asking myself why I couldn't be like those "strong" ones. I mean even certain "worldly" people had that same zeal. I didn't.

No matter what I seemed to try, I never, just as you expressed it, ate, slept, and breathed the "truth".

Perhaps it was never really in my heart.

And amazingly enough, I shared the same feelings as leavingwt while I served at Bethel.

Yet now I actually feel at peace.

CoC

90

Best way to step down from being a servant

by RayPublisher in

hey i'm wondering if anyone can give some good advice on how to step down in the safest way.. i have served as an ms for a number of years, but can't do it anymore.

i know too much i want to fade in the future when i get some family things straightened out.

i can't move right now so that's out unfortunately.. what should i tell the body?

Crisis of Conscience

Nice job Ray!

CoC

61

How Many on JWNet are still JWs?

by RayPublisher in

i've been wondering about this for some time.

if there are 60,000+ registered users on here, what percentage are actual non-dfed or non-daed witnesses?

if it was 1/3, that would be over 20,000 active/inactive witnesses that post and read these pages- and that's huge.

Crisis of Conscience

Still in and attending meetings. No door to door sales anymore.
Amazingly enough, still haven't lost the microphone passing "privilege" as well as the occasional reading for the CB study. But the axe has to be dropping soon.
What's taking so long? LOL

CoC

63

Jehovah's Witnesses are not a CULT ...

by Fatfreek in

according to 30% of the following definitions.

that leaves 70% that show quite the opposite.

so -- are they a cult?

Crisis of Conscience

DING! DING! After reading the definitions on page 1 as well as reading Combatting Cult Mind Control in full, the winner by unanimous decision..........JW's ARE A CULT!!

CoC