Interesting stuff, it just seems like while the finer details such as specific beliefs and technical things like temple as opposed to KH are different, it would appear that they are pretty similar in a more broad sense. I guess Im also kind of interested in the thought process of a DF'd or DA'd JW compared to that of an ex-mormon. I know that the experience of becoming an ex JW can be devastating. Is that experience similar to that of an ex-mormon? It doesn't appear that leaving either religion is a nice happy mutual disagreement kind of deal. I remember one member on this forum posted a list of their thoughts that they had. I dont remember the thoughts specifically but they included things to the effect of "Jehovah's going to destroy me", etc...there was along list. How does that cognitive aspect compare to that of an ex-mormon? Are the emotional and psychological effects as adverse? I don't know that mormons practice DF-ing or anything similar as a part of their doctrine, if they do then I would imagine it could be the same but Im not sure. Any info?
thraxer68
JoinedPosts by thraxer68
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29
Mormon vs JW experience
by thraxer68 ini was browsing some ex-mormon forums and i noticed that many of the experiences sound similar.
people spoke about brain washing, viewing outsiders as being ignorant of the truth, im not sure if im allowed to copy and paste from other forums, if im not please let me know but here are a couple quotes from ex mormon forums:.
"something i very strongly believe, is that even though everything has crumbled to the ground for me right now, i wouldn't change the fact that i left the church for anything.
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29
Mormon vs JW experience
by thraxer68 ini was browsing some ex-mormon forums and i noticed that many of the experiences sound similar.
people spoke about brain washing, viewing outsiders as being ignorant of the truth, im not sure if im allowed to copy and paste from other forums, if im not please let me know but here are a couple quotes from ex mormon forums:.
"something i very strongly believe, is that even though everything has crumbled to the ground for me right now, i wouldn't change the fact that i left the church for anything.
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thraxer68
I was browsing some ex-mormon forums and I noticed that many of the experiences sound similar. People spoke about brain washing, viewing outsiders as being ignorant of the truth, im not sure if im allowed to copy and paste from other forums, if im not please let me know but here are a couple quotes from ex mormon forums:
"Something I very strongly believe, is that even though everything has crumbled to the ground for me right now, I wouldn't change the fact that I left the church for anything. I know it's the source of my unhappiness, but it's not because I left "the truth" and am bitter about what I've done. No, it's because the church teaches to put religion before family, and that's what mine has done. I'm the odd one out, the outcast, the black sheep(I won't say ugly duckling, because I'm a dashing young fellow
) and it's all thanks to the church's mentality that they come first, and family comes second."and another that I think ALOT of JW's can relate to:
"It's quite funny because the church constantly says how important the family is, but yet when a family member goes inactive or leaves altogether, it's all of a sudden an "us vs. them" attitude..."
"Whenever members of the church say, "Even if the church isn't true, it teaches good things!" I always think to myself, "OF COURSE they teach good things. Would they really garner any new members and retain their current members if they didn't have a front?"
The previous quotes were from one person, Heres one from another person on the same thread:
"Mormonism so clearly destroys families. You MUST conform or else you're out... It's like getting punched in the face, and having the aggressor apologize that you found it hurtful. They aren't even apologizing for what they've done; they are apologizing for how you have reacted."
Is leaving JW's difficult because you are in fact leaving "the truth", the church of God? or is it because you are leaving a controlling religion? It sounds to me like many of the experiences shared on this forum are common of both JW and Mormonism. I would imagine that leaving the church of the ONE TRUE GOD AND CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE would be different than leaving some crazy left field religion like LDS (in JW perception, I disagree with their teachings but this thread is not meant to debate theology). It would appear that having the true HOLY SPIRIT withdrawn from you would be quite a different experience than leaving a church who is not favored by God where you didnt have any Holy Spirit in the first place. However, many of the experiences sound the same. One question I have though is if there has been as much research into brainwashing and mind control in Mormonism as there has been in JW. I thought this would be a good opportunity to gather these quotes onto one thread to demonstrate the similarities between controlling authoritarian religions to show that the whole experience with JW's is fairly common and not unique to "the truth". Perhaps people with more insight and knowledge of both religions might be able to explain the similarities between the Mormon and JW experience more clearly and in depth. Thank you
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Me
by Sighco injust 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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thraxer68
Wow, thats really similar to what im going through right now. The whole realization is kind of a bittersweet experience in my opinion. It makes me happy to know what the bible really says but then sad to reflect on all of the years I bought into all of the falsehood, alot of wasted time and love for a big sham. Keep up reading your bible, this is an important step, im going through the same thing, it takes time but dont quit
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The Model Prayer...
by thraxer68 inso can anybody explain why jesus didnt use yhwh in the lords prayer?
would there have been any good reason not to?
i've noticed that jehovah is used like every 2 seconds in prayer at the kh but jesus didnt use it not once in the model prayer.
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thraxer68
So can anybody explain why Jesus didnt use YHWH in the lords prayer? Would there have been any good reason not to? I've noticed that Jehovah is used like every 2 seconds in prayer at the KH but Jesus didnt use it not once in the model prayer. Im talking specifically about prayer. Not preaching or anything else, just prayer. I have asked a few active witnesses about this but so far I havent gotten any answers...
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Where has your spiritual journey lead you?
by thraxer68 injust curious, to those of you who have left the "truth", where has your spiritual journey lead you?
have you found another religion?
are you not really a religious person?
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thraxer68
Just curious, to those of you who have left the "truth", where has your spiritual journey lead you? Have you found another religion? Are you not really a religious person? Are there any important events or turning points that have lead you to where you are now? IDK, I guess im just curious to know your personal experiences and where that path has lead you or is leading you....
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How do you help a girl having panic attacks?
by Cagefighter ini am so inlove with this woman.... we have been dating for six months and she is finally starting to let me in.
she is the portrait of sweet country feminitiy and i am a masculine little macho but smart and sweet meat head.. she called me the other night having a panic attack.
well she texted b/c she couldn't talk.
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thraxer68
We have been dating for six months and she is finally starting to let me in.
The "heap of issues" assertion may or may not be entirely true, however, focusing on this can prove detrimental to your own psychological well being as well as your relationship, from what it sounds like you really care about her and want the best for her. Get a professional opinion, honestly, this doesnt necessarily mean that your girlfriend has a "heap" of issues. In all honesty, its entirely possible that she just doesnt deal with simple issues in a constructive way. It can literally be the seemingly smallest of issues we deal with on a daily basis that could be causing this. It might be true but it would be extremely difficult to logically deduce that from literally a sliver of biographical information and since we cant know for sure, it would only be damaging for you to think that you may or may not have in some way caused this. Dont focus on what you cant control. Do what you can, all you can do, unless you are qualified to treat anxiety disorders, is be supportive, assure her of your committment to her well being, and encourage her to seek help. Encourage, dont force. There are a million ways we can interpret the words you posted, but this situation requires dealing with the facts and dealing with them is best handled in a therapeutic setting by a qualified professional. It is definitely a treatable condition with a good prognosis, so long as it is treated correctly. And yes, Im sure neither cage fighter nor his girlfriend enjoy any of this, so real advice would be more appropriate
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How do you help a girl having panic attacks?
by Cagefighter ini am so inlove with this woman.... we have been dating for six months and she is finally starting to let me in.
she is the portrait of sweet country feminitiy and i am a masculine little macho but smart and sweet meat head.. she called me the other night having a panic attack.
well she texted b/c she couldn't talk.
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thraxer68
Visualizing a happy place might not do the trick. On your own it might be helpful to determine the nature of the attacks. For example, are they situationally bound or cued? Is there a certain place or thing that triggers the attack? Are the attacks unexpected? Situationally bound attacks may sometimes be indicative of a specific phobia so it would be helpful to determine as best as you can what might be correlated with the attacks but there could be a million reasons why they happen, a professional will know what they are doing, hopefully. You said she is just starting to let you in. Bring all of this stuff up with a therapist, there may be some correlation between the panic attacks and this stage of your relationship with regard to other things, but it is pretty much impossible to "diagnose" anything from the information provided in your post and based on that sliver of information I could be 1,000,000,000% wrong! Along with the physical symptoms, her not being able to talk, shortness of breath, there are probably some things going on in her thought process that are making this alot harder too. Typically people who are experiencing panic attacks experience a feeling of imminent doom. That might be hard for most people to really understand so just let her know you are there for her and continue to be supportive. The fighting might only aggrivate her condition (assuming she has a serious condition, that is to be determined by a qualified professional). Do not take this upon yourself to treat and cure. These are things that licensed professionals deal with because it involves some complexities. I would recommend finding a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders. I know as men we like to fix things when they're broken but some things are just out of our power, I know, I dont like to admit it either! Best of luck to you and yours!
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Honest Question..........
by thraxer68 inwell, first off, iam new to the forum here, i registered maybe a week ago???
sometime around there, but anyway, i do have an honest question.
i guess a little background about me might be helpful and if not, at least therapeutic.
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thraxer68
Wow, didnt think I'd get this many responses. Thanks again for all the suggestions, Im going to head down to my schools library today and research some things. I've also been watching videos of different debates and sermons and things. I guess thats been a problem for me too, I have been frantically trying to find "the truth", I guess it just doesnt work that way and trying to force it has just been nerve wracking. Thanks again everyone.
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Honest Question..........
by thraxer68 inwell, first off, iam new to the forum here, i registered maybe a week ago???
sometime around there, but anyway, i do have an honest question.
i guess a little background about me might be helpful and if not, at least therapeutic.
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thraxer68
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the advice. Yeah, I dont know, it just feels really complicated. I guess when I look at the things that have led me to believe in God and want to serve him, some of the strongest influences have been books and classes that were supposedly of Satan the Devil. I graduated from a private Christian college and in all honesty if I had to attribute the renewal of my faith to any "religion" I would owe it to the baptists. C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity really turned me around too. I just look at what has helped me to want to be close to God and what hasnt and some of the most powerful things have been other religious ideas. Its like I've run into differnt things that all contribute to my faith. Things like preachers on tv, sermons on the radio, my college has an awesome library full of tons of religious works that I've made use of and all of these things collectively have contributed to the building of my faith.I've just found a relationship with God to be a lot less stressful and hostile and peaceful when you take the good from all religions instead of limiting yourself to one and assuming everything else in the world is entirely evil. However, this idea is totally contradictory to the information we receive from the society. It wasn't any talk I heard or any watchtower I read that made me want to have a relationship with God again, I think that has to say something, what tho, Im still not sure. Thanks for the advice tho everyone, keep it coming, im definitely open to anything
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Honest Question..........
by thraxer68 inwell, first off, iam new to the forum here, i registered maybe a week ago???
sometime around there, but anyway, i do have an honest question.
i guess a little background about me might be helpful and if not, at least therapeutic.
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thraxer68
Well, first off, Iam new to the forum here, I registered maybe a week ago??? Sometime around there, but anyway, I do have an honest question. I guess a little background about me might be helpful and if not, at least therapeutic. So I was born and raised a JW. My entire experience with it has, for the most part, been extrmely difficult and largely unfullfilling. I have never had a problem believing in God or the bible, IDK, for some reason I just always knew. Im at a bit of a crossorads. Im at a point where in all honesty I dont want to continue going to meetings or anything. Not because its too strict or too demanding or anything like that, its actually quite the opposite. I want to serve God and live according to his word the bible but there are alot of doctrinal issues that I have tried like crazy to get squared away, you know, 1914, blood transfusions, etc...I dont want to go out and do all of the things that we're told not to but its really hard to stick around and pretend that you're just as into it as everybody else seems to be. I guess my question is, has anybody left the organization and found something better or similar in terms of a relationship with God or the truth about his word? Im really not into the religion anymore because of the results of a lot of research but I dont want to neglect my relationship with God, that is something I have done and will do anything to keep from going back to. I dont want to go out into the world and have sex or celebrate the holidays and stuff, this isnt a rebellion thing, I just really want to know the truth about the bible, and all of it I guess. I know, I picked one heck of a question to get totally stuck on but nevertheless, its here and not going anywhere. Any experiences, help, advice, anything would be greatly appreciated. Also, Im not one for bashing anybody, including people of other faiths so please, I would appreciate it if nobody took this post as an opportunity to do that about the Witnesses. Thank you
) and it's all thanks to the church's mentality that they come first, and family comes second."