NiceDream

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Posts by NiceDream

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  16

  What I don't regret about my experience with JW's

  by tec in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they taught me to think for myself.. yes, you read that right, and no i'm not being sarcastic.

  if i had walked into the church down the street, i might not ever have walked out.

  i'm sure the doctrines are easier to swallow, and the freedoms are greater.

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  NiceDream

  It's great to take something postive from a negative situation.

  Thank you for sharing.
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  3

  Regarding the PBS special on The Mormons previously discussed....

  by lepermessiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i finally got around to watching the entire special - its 4 hours long but very fascinating.. i'm not sure if its been posted on here, but you can watch it online:.

  http://www.pbs.org/mormons/view/.

  if you get a chance - go under part two and watch chapter four entitled "the mission", chapter 6 "dissenters and exiles", and chapter 7 "disciplinary actions" ........those chapters are so freakishly similar to jw's that it sent chills down my spine.. actually, the entire special made me think how similar these religions are - mainly as high control authoritarian groups.

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  NiceDream

  Thank you for posting. I just watched Ch 4 "the Mission" and was shocked to learn how much those kids go through to be missionaries. That would be awful to not have any private time for 2 years. I cried watching the part on them preaching to uninterested ones, I don't want my son to grow up knocking on doors as a Witness like I had to.

  Now I have to watch the rest! It is interesting to see similarities with JWs. I remember listeing to a clip of Mormon sacrament, and it was a discussion between Jehovah and Michael that creeped me out.
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  3

  Beth-Sarim newspaper article pdf

  by bereanbiblestudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  here is a newspaper article about beth-sarim.. http://www.sendspace.com/file/csdyye.

  it speaks of judge james rutherford, but it is about j.f.rutherford and beth sarim.. "before i signed the deed i realized the possibility of some old codger turning up, bright and early declaring he was david" said the judge.

  "but how will you identify king david...." judge rutherford was asked.

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  NiceDream

  Thanks! I love how Rutherford had officers prepared to test the identity of these ancient princes by "divine" authorization.

  I wish they would do something crazy like this today!
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  29

  Am I the only one who thought the GB was 100% correct when they were a JW?

  by NiceDream in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few months ago i began researching my doubts on the internet about the wtbts and i came across a bunch of crazy facts.

  this helped me realize this isn't "the truth.".

  when i was growing up, i believed the society was always right, and we needed to obey what was in the publications.

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  NiceDream

  Thank you COMRADE TITO and TastingFreedom for the Scriptures to read, they are very helpful.
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  16

  Help with a question. Need W-4/1/2010

  by maninthemiddle in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this question is in the now famous 4/15 watchtower in the do you rememebr section.. i want to know what the source article said, because i can hardly agree with this statement as written.

  i am assuming this is in relation to the "translation" of the nwt, but it is misleading to the point of fiction.. can anyone look at the 4/1 watchtower and tell me what is says?.

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  NiceDream

  You're welcome.

  Reading that article actually helped me realize how little is based on fact. Most sentences are just their opinions stated as fact with nothing to back it up.
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  11

  How many times have you read a post here and thought, "Wow, I thought only I felt that way about (insert spiritual/JW activity here)!"

  by Crisis of Conscience in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was inspired by a few different things people said.. one dealt with if you pray(ed) regularly with your husband/wife.

  a few people described how awkward they felt in doing it.

  i felt like that for the longest time!

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  NiceDream

  I always felt like I wasn't good enough, and was shocked to realize a lot of JWs feel that way...even elders! Why does everyone feel so bad? Wasn't Jesus message to be refreshing?

  I also didn't like bothering people on service - waking them up, interrupting their breakfast, or wandering into their backyard because they were gardening. I would be scared if people came into my backyard when I was doing yardwork!

  Also, I wouldn't listen to a Mormon because I felt I had the "truth," so why would I expect them to listen to me when they obviously think they have "the truth?" They probably feel God drew them to their religion, so who am I to say they are wrong?
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  15

  Is Crisis of Conscience a good book for a worldy person to understand JWs?

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. experiences
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  NiceDream

  I like wikipedia for explaining JW beliefs because it lists doctrinal changes and the brief history. Then you can also check out crazy things like Beth Sarim and Russell's pyramid if you feel like it. It's not "apostate" so I found it helpful to start my research there.

  If you want to explain how cultlike it is, I enjoyed Combatting Cult Mind Control as well.

  If the wordly person is Christian, maybe www.carm.org will help show them how the JWs twist the Scriptures and use the Watchtower to teach stuff according to their own doctrine.
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  23

  Me

  by Sighco in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just thought i should share a bit of my story with you all, i'm on this board everyday and can't stop reading.

  i was raised as a witness by my mother and grandmother, dad and gramps weren't witnesses.

  i was baptized at 15, i believed it was the truth but was still pushed into baptism by my mom, she thought it reflected negativly on her as a mother that i wasn't dipped yet.

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  NiceDream

  Welcome!

  I can also relate to being awakened by reading another Bible translation. I was also in tears reading it, and learning how refreshing the words are compared to the NWT. I feel a peace and freedom I never have felt before.

  That's great your wife supports you too!
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  9

  Saw a Therapist yesterday,,,,, interesting

  by man in black in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i da'ed myself two years ago, one of the main reasons was because my mother died and the congregation was more interested in"meeting attendance, and service" than anything else.

  for the first time in 30 years the very conditional friendship offered by the jehovahs witnesses came to the fore, and i was literally blindsided by it.. several months later i attended a grief support group at our local hospital, and boy it was a real godsend for me, i realised that the so called "worldly people' could actually be nice, supportive, and lend a real listening ear.

  the hospital had one of their grief support counselors lead the meeting, and she was really good at what she does.

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  NiceDream

  She sounds really helpful and caring. I'm happy that you're able to talk with her and found a good person to talk to.

  Shunning is so unnatural and unloving. ((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))

  It's also wonderful that you have a therapy dog to bring joy to others and brighten their day.
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  36

  How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?

  by Desilusionnee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  NiceDream

  I was also 19. I figured I was getting to be too old to "ride my parent's coattails" as per info from the platform, plus I wanted to get married one day.

  Ironically, I was told that I couldn't get baptized because I didn't have an average of 10 hours of service per month. I guess my worth and salvation hung on my field service hours.