Posts by ambersun

16

Running into a brick wall- conversations without logic

by Joey Jo-Jo in

i had this experience with a family member, lets say you say something against the witnesses doctronic and they dont say anything back, you ask them why are you not replying and they say "well you dont believe in us anymore".. what should i say back, something that wont offend them but goes straight to the point, you see they dont want to use their brains, they just want to listen at their halls about the end and apostates and how special they are and how false the rest of the world is and how they are the only true religion that follow the commandment to preach.

but it does not matter what i say, doesn't matter how big it is it seems to have the reverse effect, it was alot easier before but now a conversation comes which they dont like they shun my conversation, yet they show me love, they dont touch whats the big issue, the big problem which is communication, and they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen, like preaching is only for people who like what they hear.

im babling on but you get the idea.. .

ambersun

they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen

I can also relate to this. We completed our fade over 20 years ago but only recently my BIL asked my husband if he was going to start going back to the meetings any time soon and seemed unable to understand why the answer was "no" and how we can be genuinely happy living without 'The Truth'.

On the plus side, and it is a BIG plus, at least all our JW relatives are lovely, warm hearted people who have not shunned us, so we can be very grateful for that. Our hearts go out to the poor souls who have not been so lucky and have lost all family contact. Just thinking about that helps us to cope with the inevitable WT speak that invides the conversations whenever we are with them.

16

Running into a brick wall- conversations without logic

by Joey Jo-Jo in

i had this experience with a family member, lets say you say something against the witnesses doctronic and they dont say anything back, you ask them why are you not replying and they say "well you dont believe in us anymore".. what should i say back, something that wont offend them but goes straight to the point, you see they dont want to use their brains, they just want to listen at their halls about the end and apostates and how special they are and how false the rest of the world is and how they are the only true religion that follow the commandment to preach.

but it does not matter what i say, doesn't matter how big it is it seems to have the reverse effect, it was alot easier before but now a conversation comes which they dont like they shun my conversation, yet they show me love, they dont touch whats the big issue, the big problem which is communication, and they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen, like preaching is only for people who like what they hear.

im babling on but you get the idea.. .

ambersun

"well you dont believe in us anymore".

Joey, believe me I fully understand your frustration. It is almost impossible to have a healthy debate with a JW who is of the us and we mentality as they are totally unable to think as individuals, only as part of the rank and file as a whole, the way they have been trained to think, therefore not believing in us is the same as not believing in the WTS and its teachings.

Believe me, I know this first hand as most of my family are JWs. Usually they will only answer in terms of us and we. Any question designed to lead to a healthy debate between two reasonably intelligent individuals will just result in a we don't do this, or we don't celebrate that or I have even had one relative say "Ambersun, you know jolly well what the answer is, as you used to be one of us". End of discussion (sigh)

26

My wife and I are lonely....I know too bad....

by itsibitsybrainbutbigenoughtosmellarat in

jw
friends

ambersun

Even as a couple, it was a lonely start when we suddenly found ourselves apparently friendless.

We started by contacting non JW family whom we rarely saw other than at weddings and funerals, and began visiting them and inviting them to visit us, so we were able to develop a close relationship for the first time in our lives. That was a very joyful time!

Then we began making friends of our OWN choosing instead of those who were deemed "suitable company" as was the case during our growing up years in the organisation. Once our children started joining in normal activities at school, we quickly became friends with other parents, and even "worldly" people in the neighbourhood we would only say hello to in passing suddenly became friends when we let our guard down! Also, persuing our hobbies and joining clubs brought more friends. Within a few years we had a rich circle of friends and family that we would never have thought possible, and have never looked back.

22

Bros before ... on the watchtower CD

by bohm in

jw
friends

below are the average occurances of specific words plottet as a function of year for the watchtower.

the occurences has been normalized such that for instance an occurance of 0.1 correspond to the given word being used an average of 0.1 times per page in the watchtower for that year.

(a page is assumed to contain 3000 characters).. any good ideas?

ambersun

Yes bohm, sorry I forgot to say, these graphs are amazing, thank you!

22

Bros before ... on the watchtower CD

by bohm in

jw
friends

below are the average occurances of specific words plottet as a function of year for the watchtower.

the occurences has been normalized such that for instance an occurance of 0.1 correspond to the given word being used an average of 0.1 times per page in the watchtower for that year.

(a page is assumed to contain 3000 characters).. any good ideas?

ambersun

In the 70's they de-emphasized the word ministry in favor of the word service. Our Kingdom Ministry became Our Kingdom Service. Prior to this time all JW's were said to be "ordained ministers."

Yes, 'ministry' became a dirty word for some reason, and did not appear in any of the publications as far as I can remember, the word 'service' being used instead. I remember Our Kingdom Ministry being changed to Our Kingdom Service and wondering why. There was no proper explanation in my opinion and I found it all rather irritating. I was pioneering at that time and I remember being verbally corrected whenever I said I was going out "on the ministry" someone would say "don't you mean you are going out in field service?" Then, as we know, it all reverted back again.

29

"In this system of things"

by Sour Grapes in

it just drives me freakin crazy when my wife and.

her friends say things like "well, in this system of things.

we will never be caught up in our work at home.

ambersun

The JWs I know usually add the word 'wicked', i.e. "not long now until this wicked system of things is over- roll on the New System". Of course, this means they all continue to put their lives on hold until the New System comes, sacrificing their personal dreams and ambitions for the sake of peddling WT literature and attending brain washing sessions meetings.

Another word that really grates on my nerves as it is so derogatory is "worldly". Everyone is either a "brother/sister in The Truth" or "worldly". I recently overheard a JW talking about his employees. They were all either "in the Truth" or "worldly" and I don't think he realised how ridiculous it sounded. Very sad.

8

"it may delay! but it will not be late!!"

by highdose in

jw
friends

so declared a jw to me recently.

it was the begining of the classic jw guilt trip.

it was the answer in responce to me pointing out that she had spent her whole life as a jw wasting it away, telling scores of people over the years that armardegon was coming soon, telling her children they wouldn't make it to school because the new system would be here before then, seeing them grow, graduate and have children of their own, still the years tick on with no promised armargedon and slaughter of billions in sight?.

ambersun

Unfortunately most JWs do not stop and reason things out for themselves which is a shame as a simple online check indicates that the verbs are basically interchangeable.

TO DELAY

to put off to a later time;

defer (tr) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain (intr) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate (intr) to linger; dawdle

TO BE LATE

the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed

the interval between one event and another; lull; interlude Coming, occurring, or remaining after the correct, usual, or expected time; delayed: The bus is late. See Synonyms at tardy. Beginning after or continuing past the usual or expected hour: a late breakfast; a late meeting.

Occurring at an advanced hour

Conclusion: If something is delayed, it is flippin' LATE!!!!!!

8

Great Video -Some Swearing

by cantleave in

jw
friends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i225vcs3x0g&feature=related.

ambersun

Thanks cantleave, it gave me a good laugh and there are quite a few valid points that I had not thought about before, such as the lack of oxygen and freezing temperatures when the ark was apparently floating around at over 29,000 feet.

28

I think an undercover apostate was sitting near me at the meeting this afternoon

by hoser in

jw
friends

this brother was sitting near me today at the hall and when the public speaker started talking about the signs of the last days this guy started whispering something to his wife and kind of mocking the speaker in a quiet voice.

his wife looked really pissed off.. i've suspected this guy before by some of the stuff he's said and done and some of the #3 talks hes given he's gone off the assigned topic quite a bit.. during the wt study i was doing mics and i happened to walk by him several times.

his wt was on the floor and his bible was opened to topic for conversation at the end of the bible at the last days part.. a little while later his wife gave him the look and said something to him and he picked up his unprepared wt and followed along.. hoser.

ambersun

His wife looked really pissed off.

Just tread carefully. Even if he is feeling against it at the moment, it could always backfire if he has a bout of cognitive dissonance and jumps back into it.

I agree with the other posts, you must tread very carefully or you could end up with egg on your face. How well do you know the pissed off wife? Maybe, if you get the chance to chat to her after the meetings, you could do a bit of undercover detective work. She might say something that could give you a better idea of what is going on here, without putting yourself in a vulnerable position.

35

Those sweltering assemblies!

by highdose in

jw
friends

anyone from the uk remember the assemblies at twickenham?

cytrstal place?

gillingham?.

ambersun

Dear Ambersun, you weren't supposed to roll around on the cinder paths !!

Lol wobble I think it was quite hot and very dry as I can remember the cinders blowing up in black clouds round our ankles as we walked along, and I do remember spending a lot of time walking about. I can't remember actually rolling around in it but I have always been rather clumsy and accident prone so I probably tripped up and landed flat on my face at least once during the day!