Posts by Backspacer

6

Was any of you leading a bible study when discovered the truth about the "truth"?

by Desilusionnee in

jw
friends

i ask because i'm confronted to that and i really don't know what to do.

i always pointed out that the bible and not the book we are studying together is god's word, but now i really don't know any farther.. the 2nd problem is that we don't only study the bible she is now a friend of mine, our children are of the same age?

were some of you in the same situation?

Backspacer

I found a woman out in field service who was a friend of mine before I joined up. She readily accepted a bible study which made me very happy because now I could hang out with her again! There was only one catch in that she didn't want to use a book, just the bible. What I learned during that time opened my eyes although the full impact wouldn't hit until years later. Yes I was already starting to have my doubts and brought that to the attention of one of my JW sisters. She said I should end the study as it was becoming spiritual poison for me! Just like that, my old friend was gone.

As to your situation, I don't really know what to tell you. It sounds like you're afraid that you'll lose a friend if you end the study. You could just tell her that you'd like to stop studying but would still like to be friends. This is the beginning of your fade.

53

If I'm so intelligent how did I get drawn in to it all?

by Lozhasleft in

jw
friends

i consider myself an intelligent woman...maybe not strong on the 'common sense' front, but academically i've done pretty well...so...how on earth did i not see through it all when i was studying in the beginning???.

i remember worrying about their 'sales pitching' styles and their arrogance of believing they had the 'truth' ...but still i got involved and became totally immersed in it all.

i feel like i sacrificied our whole family to them, who now shun me.. yesterday, my new son in law, he's a lawyer, asked me how i could have believed it wasnt a cult (topical word this week here) he said he didnt understand how i could have been persuaded to believe it all and trust them with so much and for so many years...... i feel ashamed of myself that i did and that i brought all this upon our family...anyone else relate?.

Backspacer

I'm with ya sister! How did an intelligent woman such as myself get sucked into this was one of the questions I asked myself for a long time.

So many questions about the bible and god, I liked answers. It all sounded so logical in the beginning... well most of it. I do remember one point in the Live Forever book that confused me. "What? God has a physical body? Yes for the Bible tells us at (where ever it was quoted) that if there is a physical body there is also a spiritual one" I remember thinking "no that's not what it says, you got that backwards." When I mentioned it to the sister conducting the study, she came up with some logical explanation that sort of made sense at the time and said we should move on with the study. It will all make sense later. And it did! Ten years later when I was able to start researching things via the public library.

I think OTWO got it right. Intelligent people want answers and it's very appealing to the intellect to provide them. Don't feel ashamed of what happened. It is what it is.

23

Witness movie "Heritage"

by exwhyzee in

jw
friends

does anyone remember seeing the witness movie called "heritage" ?

it was made in the early 60's and they used to show it once a year at the kh when i was a kid.

(with guilty minds, we were secretly glad to see the projector set up in the middle section of the hall because it meant we didn't have to sit through another long boring talk.. even as a little kid i could see the one sided propaganda basicaly showing how empty "worldly" peoples lives were compared to ours and if you were a witness your family life would be idyllic like on "leave it to beaver".

Backspacer

Thinking about it some more since I was not a born-in, I was about 10 when this was being shown. My family was not dysfunctional. We ate dinner together every night. My parents never fought in front of us kids. Mom drank but only a little and Dad never did. Someone was always home when we got home from schoo,l and my parents were pretty supportive and attentive even if they never really understood me. We were raised in a non-religious home but we all turned out fine. It wasn't until I was older that I went searching for answers and found the JW's. Kinda got roped into following it but there's a long story behind that that I won't go into. My generation? Yeah, a little screwed up but whose isn't? And by "generation" I mean the baby boomers. It's not an overlapping generation with my kids. In all, I find this little snippet a little offensive. If I had only known....

23

Witness movie "Heritage"

by exwhyzee in

jw
friends

does anyone remember seeing the witness movie called "heritage" ?

it was made in the early 60's and they used to show it once a year at the kh when i was a kid.

(with guilty minds, we were secretly glad to see the projector set up in the middle section of the hall because it meant we didn't have to sit through another long boring talk.. even as a little kid i could see the one sided propaganda basicaly showing how empty "worldly" peoples lives were compared to ours and if you were a witness your family life would be idyllic like on "leave it to beaver".

Backspacer

Interesting. I wonder where they filmed those kids in the car? Was it a hidden camera out back of the kingdom hall? Nah couldn't be. We all know JW kids are good kids, never drinking, shoplifting, talking back to their parents, smoking pot.... but I digress.

What was up with all the butt swinging and hip shaking in the beginning? Bet some brothers really enjoyed that part! And the "acting" was pretty horrid too. Propaganda. shudder....

25

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 05-30-10 WT Study (ONE FLOCK/SHEPHERD)

by blondie in

jw
friends

remember the point they make here that people were were not born israelites could become israelites as converts or proselytes and were to be treated as brothers.

we will now consider the answer to this question.. comments.

11:25) are all christians included in this new covenant?

Backspacer

Lol sorry for the confusion! Maybe I should change my name now to BitchSheepDog.

The really sad thing about this study is that it's going to sail right over the heads of most of the poor JW's. They will go on believing that the society is right, that they are second class Christians unworthy of Christ's sacrifice, looking forward to some false promises, and striving more and more to be OK. And they will never be ok in the eyes of the GB. Never.

28

How Long Did It Actually Take You To Leave The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i started reading "apostate" books when i was a teen at the library.

it was more curiousity than anything else.

at home, i used to read all the old publications and i'd notice how beliefs had changed.. with ray franz's books that i read clandestinely, i started to realize the truth about "the truth".

Backspacer

3 years. Three... very.... loooonnnnngggggg years. It was painful to say the least but once I left, it felt so much better!

25

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 05-30-10 WT Study (ONE FLOCK/SHEPHERD)

by blondie in

jw
friends

remember the point they make here that people were were not born israelites could become israelites as converts or proselytes and were to be treated as brothers.

we will now consider the answer to this question.. comments.

11:25) are all christians included in this new covenant?

Backspacer

nonanointed are "dogs" which "eat of the crumbs falling from the table of their masters"

Wow. I hardly know how to respond to this. Let's see... not of the anointed class per the WT so now I'm a dog, female= weaker vessel, and the bible was not written for me. Christ's sacrifice has a secondary or lesser meaning for me. I really don't matter so why stay? OH so I can clean up the dead bodies after armageddon. No thanks.

And I'll bet it was a fun study to conduct! Those poor other sheep who just did not understand. Wait a second. Are they considered SheepDogs?

211

Ray Franz has had a stroke

by coffee_black in

jw
friends

just setting the record straight.

there is another thread that notes a claim on wiki that said that ray has died.. he had a stroke yesterday, and is in the hospital.

he is still alive.

Backspacer

This is sad news. I hope he'll recover. If it wasn't for his books, I'd probably still be in that mess.

Thank you Ray for opening my eyes.

25

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 05-30-10 WT Study (ONE FLOCK/SHEPHERD)

by blondie in

jw
friends

remember the point they make here that people were were not born israelites could become israelites as converts or proselytes and were to be treated as brothers.

we will now consider the answer to this question.. comments.

11:25) are all christians included in this new covenant?

Backspacer

WHAT?????? You mean the Bible is not meant for me because I'm not of the anointed? How comforting....

Just another reminder of why I left.

25

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 05-30-10 WT Study (ONE FLOCK/SHEPHERD)

by blondie in

jw
friends

remember the point they make here that people were were not born israelites could become israelites as converts or proselytes and were to be treated as brothers.

we will now consider the answer to this question.. comments.

11:25) are all christians included in this new covenant?

Backspacer

I always look forward to your comments Blondie. Thanks!

What was going through my mind as I was reading this was how hard it was to grasp what exactly the article was trying to say. Referencing ancient Israel and comparing it to Jesus dafoy then comparing it to today. Very confusing. Then I thought, If I was still in and was sitting through this study, I would tell myself this is really deep! Not a light fluffy study (milk) but meaty (solid food). This is the tactic they use to confuse the hell out of the rank and file. If you don't understand, just accept that it is "deep". If you don't understand, it means you are not of the anointed. Only they can really understand it (yes I had people tell me this).

16. Paul also helps us to understand that those with an earthly hope do not partake of the Memorial emblems. He said to anointed Christians: "For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives." (1 Cor. 11:26) When does the Lord 'arrive'? When he comes to take the last of his anointed bride class to their heavenly home. (John 14:2, 3) Clearly, the annual observance of the Lord's Evening Meal is not to continue endlessly. "The remaining ones" of the woman's seed yet on earth will continue to partake of this meal until all of them have received their heavenly reward. (Rev. 12:17) If, though, those who will live forever on earth were entitled to partake of the emblems, then this Memorial meal would need to continue forever.

"Also helps us to understand".... really? Or is it the WT changing the meaning of his words? Said to "anointed Christians".... where does it say that in the scripture? And that last sentence, the logic is totally over my head. And I'm not a stupid person!

Matt 26:26-29 is pretty straightforward. Jesus passed the bread and wine and said "Drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins"

It's all so simple yet the WT makes it sooooooooooooo complicated.