Posts by jst2laws

13

My horrible encounter with the JC machine

by jesussaves in

i'm new here, allow me to introduce myself.

i am a 27 year old married mother of three.

i was also a third generation jw.

jst2laws

Hello JS,

Thanks for sharing your story. I saw your comments to Smolderingwick on her thread. You two have some things in common. We all have some things in common. Your experience as a youth in the organization sounded like so many other young people I have known. It seems the good ones, the honest ones, get treated the worst while the others just keep living double lives.

I started fading about 9 months ago. I have been dealing with some depression but that is anticipated. That is one of the reasons I come here, support, to give and to receive. I’m sure you will receive the same. You’re a new poster and great you started out introducing yourself with your experience.

I am glad you have not lost faith in everything. Please keep pursuing your spiritual needs and up building association.

Jst2laws

20

How could I have believed it all? - response

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

the "blame the victim" thinking that ex-members experience is common among all victims of trauma.

in fact we live in a society that is filled with this mentality.

and we were a part of an organization that reinforced this thinking every time they blamed the rank and file for the borg's mistakes.. the effective use of mind control techniques is not dependent on a person intelligence.

jst2laws

AlanF,

Quote: "Over the years certain changes in WTS doctrine or policy were announced on the Net days or weeks in advance of the official WTS announcement, which embarassed the Society no end."

Because of the internet we are the most informed JW/XJW's in the world. I am constantly gaurded in my contact with Witnesses not just for what I might say that is contrary, but because of what I know that I'm not supposed to know. For months now I have had to act dumb as "elder" friends convey points they learned at KM school. I had the whole thing before they even went. During the last year and and a half I raised suspicion too often by calling the secretary to see if we had received 'such and such' letter yet. To this day more XJW's then Jw's know that taking blood is no long an official disfellowshipping' offense. Even some Elders do not yet understand the changes.

Yes we are well informed now. It must be scary for the GB. If only we could find inoffensive ways to get more loyal Jdubs to look.

Jst2laws

20

How could I have believed it all? - response

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

the "blame the victim" thinking that ex-members experience is common among all victims of trauma.

in fact we live in a society that is filled with this mentality.

and we were a part of an organization that reinforced this thinking every time they blamed the rank and file for the borg's mistakes.. the effective use of mind control techniques is not dependent on a person intelligence.

jst2laws

Lady Lee,

I liked your post.

Quote:“We may be at a vulnerable point in our lives. We may be searching for something better or different. We may be simply not paying attention or questioning the validity of what we are being told. We may also innocently believe it when we are told that those answers will be explained later.”

You remind me of “True Believer” by Eric Hoffer. Recently finished it and highly recommend it.

Quote: “Remember one of the mind control techniques is information control. And the Borg is a master at using all forms of information control to both get their members and maintain the ones they have.”

This is the hard nut to crack. While the internet is available, a loyal JW will not look until they are once again “searching for something better” as you mention above. This will not happen until they reach a point of frustration or discontent that erodes their loyalty.

It appears that simply having information available has had its affect in the US and Europe. But I suspect the level of intellectual frustrations is also high in these lands. Which comes first? Personally I was discontent for decades, but the internet gave me the opportunity to discreetly indulge my disloyal curiosity.
Good of you to emphasize that we are the victims and we did nothing wrong. Thanks for the thoughts.

Jst2laws

61

What was the JW breaking point 4 U?

by ashitaka in

jw
friends

we have a thread that asks why we became jw's, so i became curious as to why some of us have left.

what was the last straw for you?.

mine was the treatment of my wife.

jst2laws

Rem,

Quote: “My first and last public talk was the "You Will Reap What You Sow" outline and I went into how we should not be like the Judiazers who made so many rules. I went into beards, blood trasfusions, voting. I had a couple meetings with the elders afterward because my talk upset a few of them - they thought it sounded apostate."

That talk got me in trouble for over 15 years. Like you I got away with it by backing up my comments with WT Quotes. I got to where I would hold the WT up during the talk and read from it, anticipating a hassle.

Many guys who gave that talk didn’t even understand the Judaizer part. My outline evolved to where I spent most of the 45 minutes on the “over scrupulous” versus freedom in Christ.

Mine was a long slow process of leaving. Getting on the internet and discovering people there who I could relate to more than the brothers at the hall was probably the breaker.
Jst2laws

2

Need Help In St. Louis Mo, USA

by jst2laws in

jw
friends

i need help for a friend.

he is in the midwest and very much alone.

i flew to st louis missouri last summer to visit.

jst2laws

Karen,
Thanks for the response. I checked your Web site and you say:

"The lifesaver for me and many others was finding a place to meet others that have gone through the same turmoil when leaving the witnesses."

This is exactly what he is going through. I only wish you were right there in the St. Louis area. I will pass on your E-mail and Web site, but what he needs most is really nearby friends he could meet with more directly.

Glad to see you are there for others. Keep up the good work.

Jst2laws

2

Need Help In St. Louis Mo, USA

by jst2laws in

jw
friends

i need help for a friend.

he is in the midwest and very much alone.

i flew to st louis missouri last summer to visit.

jst2laws

I need help for a friend. He is in the Midwest and very much alone.

I flew to ST Louis Missouri last summer to visit. He was at Lambert Airport to meet me. We drove around a while talking and ended up walking along the Missouri River in St Charles for hours. He says he has no one to talk to but me. I have told him there must be a network of X’s in his area but he has no idea of how to contact them.

He is not comfortable with the ‘internet thang’ but would like to find local friends he can talk to. With a history as a heavy in his area but now a suspected ‘apostate’, not yet DF’d and with much to loose family wise he must be cautious.

Is there anyone near who could be of support?

Jst2laws

65

Amazing's Triumph - Mixed Feelings

by Perry in

jw
friends

amazing wrote:.

"i was able to get my wife and children out, and this led to my son-in-law and a close friend leaving at the same time.

so, i am among the more fortunate in that my immediate family, and non-jw friends and relatives were all there with me as i exited.

jst2laws

Hello Perry,

Excellent discussion. Your initial post was a model of how to differ respectfully. This approach has truly stimulated an intelligent discussion drawing out many of my favorite poster.

I too would like to see more on how to help family and close friends. Perhaps a web site devoted to it would help some. I fear; however, by the time a frustrated and exiting JW were to find this information too much damage would have already occurred. Still would be worth the effort. Perhaps advertising and links from sites as this would catch the attention of some lurkers. I have some ideas but will save them for later.

I understand your feelings, Perry. You have expressed yourself well.

Jst2laws

16

Part 10: The Last CO Visit & Demise of Elder A

by Amazing in

part 10: the last co visit & demise of elder a. .

the phone rings its elder a: brother amazing, the co is visiting, and will be out on shepherding calls.

when we left the room, elder a walked up and asked what our meeting was about.

jst2laws

Hey Amazing,

Your words stimulate the imagination. I felt like I was in that 'back room' again myself.

I too no the feeling of reaching the point of having decided to leave while still serving as an elder. With little or nothing to loose anymore what an opertunity to step forward and push the issues.

Can't waite to here the rest of the story

Jst2laws

25

Part 6 a/b: Last Pub Talk - Memorial Saga

by Amazing in

part 6(a): last public talk the memorial saga .

[note: now things really get interesting.

this is a longer post, but it needs to be said because the events get more and more bizarre!

jst2laws

Amazing,

I have been checking here regular just for the latest installment. I have lost your e-mail address in a recent hard drive change. Please e-mail me.

Jst2laws

22

young brothers expelled from B/bethel in early 70s

by singsongboi in

jw
friends

i am interested in the following incident(s)..... ........the witch-hunt at brooklyn bethel in the early seventies when dozens of bethel boys were disfellowshipped after learning of their midnight trysts in the sauna in brooklyn bethel...... if anyone can provide more detail i would be grateful!!!

!

jst2laws

Hello singsongboi

I was there. It started with a young man who was a male nurse who specialized off duty in massages for the young bethelites. Yes, the story told was that it got too personal far too often. A young man in the electric shop was offended and reported the brother. This was not his only victim. Then the witch hunt started. Most of what the Bethel family got was what Knorr grossed us with at the breakfast table.

You can not have a mostly male institution without some problems. They just like to think they can. Shortly after that they brought in a lot of sisters and married couples, but this had its problems too. I suspect there were a lot of good guys thrown out unjustly during that period. But maybe that was, in the long run, a good thing for them.

Jst2laws