I'm a 5 with 6 overtones.
exwhyzee
JoinedPosts by exwhyzee
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57
Where Are You on The Witno Scale?
by tresdecu in1 - still think it's the truth ...came to this site cause danger is your middle name.. 2 - concerned, smoething's amiss but still believe.
3 - 98% sure it's bs, but still go for / with family.
4 - anger / denial, inactive with minimal attendance (ie memorial, spec talk etc).
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4
Has anyone else seen this?
by Pete Zahut inthis video was posted on a coworkers facebook page (non -jw).
a former jw has started a cult in austrailia.
this may have already been posted here but worth watching if you haven't seen it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvw0efmnqtm.
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exwhyzee
Cults....Religions.....if you build one, the people will come.
It seems to me that depressed desperate people ( possibly our parents or grandparents?) were the first ones to get involved in these religion(s) and cults. They spent hours and hours steeping themselves in it until everything sounds beleivable. They get totally caught up in it and they got their children caught up in it. Pretty soon those kids grew up and after all that time, it seemd normal to them and they continued on with it. For others, it meant they had to leave and suffer the consequence of having to start over with no support system and few social skills. The religions that make it, grow and get populated by the children of the original depressed recruits and sometimes the occasional depressed new recruit. Those whose life is going well don't tend to join cults.
I think that's how most religions got started in the first place because let's face it, they're all pretty wierd. JW's are a relatively new religion and some really old ones can claim to know or have relatives who knew the original founders of it. Who knows what Charles Taze Russel and those ones from the early days, were like in real life. If the internet had existed back then, they might have been exposed as the charlatans they really were, before they could have gained enough ground to become stable and take on a life of its own.
Hopefully this guy will have some sort of crack up in a few years or be exposed as a lunatic before too many of those children grow up in that environment.
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46
How would you answer?
by punkofnice ina friend of mine (who is waking up), recently had the elders do a sheep herding visit.. they were browbeating my friend about attending meetings.
my friend has been ill and unable to attend anyway.. what response would you give to this garbage?.
if we were in a house and it was on fire and we couldnt walk we would have to crawl.. an example of a sister with an iron lung was brought up to show that if shes in this condition, we need to examine ourselves.
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exwhyzee
If we were in a house and it was on fire and we couldn’t walk we would have to crawl.
Of course we would but we are not in a house on fire. The figurative house you are referring to has been smouldering for thousands of years. We are talking about someone who is not feeling well enough to attend the meetings all the time.
A n example of a sister with an iron lung was brought up to show that if she’s in this condition, we need to examine ourselves.
The sister may have ended up in an iron lung because she foolishly attended meetings even though she had serious health issues.
My friend apparently needs to pray for Holeeeeee Spirit to give the 'power beyond what is normal'.
No Kingdom Hall would ever be damaged during a storm or earthquake, no Witness would ever be killed while out in service, no witness would ever have a valid reason to miss a meeting,no Witness would ever fail under trial if the Holy Spirit was literally that available.
Going to meetings is not optional but a command. (I have to say I've never heard of it being a 'command' to attend).
Where does the Bible say that it is mandatory to attend a Watchtower study? If Meetings are so important, why don't they have them every night so people have even more opportunities to attend ? Instead, they get rid of the Book Study which we were often scolded from the platform for not attending enough.
We need to look at a divine hand in our life. Eldurr said that he shouldn’t be alive. In so many situations he can see God's hand in his life.
It's easy to say God is directing your life and to attribute ones successes to God when things are mostly going your way. If that Elder gets seriously sick or loses his job or his kids leave the organization, does it mean that God isn't helping him anymore.? You can't have it both ways. If good things happen to you because of God, then it's his fault when bad things happen to you as well. Who says God isn't giving me strength and that I wouldn't be worse off if he weren't already helping me? What about all those JW's who have serious problems to face daily? Has God abandoned them and is helping you instead? What makes you so special? What about all those successful Non JW's who have wonderful lives and are accomplishing remarkable things that benefit millions of people, an who also claim God's hand is directing thier lives?
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38
Reverse Shunning
by exwhyzee insometing happened yesterday that i thought might be noteworty enough to relate to you here.. mrs. eyz and i were invited to my new boss's home for his annual end of summer party.
it's a pretty big deal....his is a name known locally (i'll call him j.r.) a really nice interesting guy who's held a number of high level and politically connected jobs.
there was to be music, dancing, wine and reprotedly lots of well dressed, well educated, well to do and influential people (oh yes...and us) in attendance.. anyway we thought we'd make an occasion out of it and got ourselves spiffed up which involved new outfits and extra mirror time before we left home.
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exwhyzee
Thanks guys, yes, our son is Cancer free. His scans come back clear and they say he should have no further problems.
As you can imagine, as I walked down that aisle in the Home Depot with thier eyes burning into the back of my head, it seemed as though I'd never get to the end of it. You see, when I left the "truth" it was out of sheer hurt and disbelief that such a thing could happen to my family at the hands of people we held in such high regard. Weren't we all prepared to die for one another? Yes...and you don't just shake that mindset off overnight either, at least I didn't but they obviously can do so quite easily, when it suits them.
At first when I encountered JW's I had known, I was my same old self, didn't want to burn any bridges or make things worse than they were. These days I know the full scope of what has been going on for decades in terms of injustices done and damage wrought on entire families all over the world at the hands of these ingnorant misguided men. I've gained the courage of conviction that occurs when ones understanding of a situation is made clear by not only the test of time but with facts and evidence from multiple sources that make any uncertainty one has about a situation fade into the background.
I've come to realize that one of, if not THE hardest things about being an ex JW is that you don't get a chance to tell your story. You have no voice...they dont' want to hear it. THEYhold all the cards, THEY call all the shots...THEYhave all the answers and you are the pitiful sap who has let "the Devil" get to you and has turned his back on Jehovah. You are the one that is on the outside and whose life will soon fall to pieces without them. Won't they be just too glad when you come crawling back?
I had rehearsed that very scene so many times in my head especially when I thougt about how I had been tiptoeing around their feelings whenever I saw some of them. Doing so even though they won't so much as acknowledge that things were handled badly in our situation. Call it pride, call it vanity, but I was glad that they were the grubby ones that day and I was the clean and presentable one who is doing well, heading out for an evening with noteworthy people and that our lives hadn't fallen apart without their little cult and in fact has in most ways gotten better. Most of all, I was glad to turn the tables on them and show them that even here at the Home Depot they aren't the only ones with principals to uphold.
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38
Reverse Shunning
by exwhyzee insometing happened yesterday that i thought might be noteworty enough to relate to you here.. mrs. eyz and i were invited to my new boss's home for his annual end of summer party.
it's a pretty big deal....his is a name known locally (i'll call him j.r.) a really nice interesting guy who's held a number of high level and politically connected jobs.
there was to be music, dancing, wine and reprotedly lots of well dressed, well educated, well to do and influential people (oh yes...and us) in attendance.. anyway we thought we'd make an occasion out of it and got ourselves spiffed up which involved new outfits and extra mirror time before we left home.
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exwhyzee
Someting happened yesterday that I thought might be noteworty enough to relate to you here.
Mrs. EYZ and I were invited to my new Boss's home for his annual end of summer party. It's a pretty big deal....his is a name known locally (I'll call him J.R.) a really nice interesting guy who's held a number of high level and politically connected Jobs. There was to be music, dancing, wine and reprotedly lots of well dressed, well educated, well to do and influential people (oh yes...and us) in attendance.
Anyway we thought we'd make an occasion out of it and got ourselves spiffed up which involved new outfits and extra mirror time before we left home. It was one of those all too rare summer evenings when the planets were aligned just right and time and space came together in such a way that we both felt like a Million Dollars and looked pretty spiffy too (yes, even me).
On the way there, I needed to stop at the Home Depot before they closed so I could pick up some caulk I was going to need the next day for a household project I'm finishing up. From the looks I was getting when I walked in to the door, I could tell I was way too dressed up to be in a hardware store. I was in the paint section reading the label on the tube of caulk I had selected when I noticed in my peripheral vision that some people who had been coming down the asile suddenly stopped in their tracks and were making some abrupt movements. I looked up briefly and saw that they had sort of frozen in place and were looking at me kind of funny. It didn't register with me who they were at first, I figured they were only looking at me, because I was looking at them or perhaps they were just more shoppers admiring my dashing new outfit . (gag)
Anyway a second later it dawned on me that these shoppers were actually some former longtime freinds from the Hall we used to attend. They were with their daughter (20 ish) who is now a Pioneer. This couple were among the many who stopped calling, emailing us or inviting us over after we simply and quietly stopped going to meetings. He is an Elder by the way, and if you remember our story it took three years before any of the Elders or (anyone else) came looking for us after that "perfect storm" of events which caused us to walk away from the organization for good.
These old friends realized that I had recognized them and looked really uncomfortable at the prospect of having to pass by me in the aisle. Maybe it was only because they were kind of grubby and in their yard work clothes and didn't want to see anyone they knew but I really got a sense that it was more about them deciding if they should lower themselves to talk to me, a fallen away JW who deserved to be shunned. As they got closer I glanced their way and smiled but didn't say anything, just continued on reading the label. They were the first to speak and from their tone of voice, body language and knowing them as I do, I sensed that they had decided they'd speak out of Christian politeness but it would have to be a limited conversation since rules are rules and they as JW's are the ones to call the shots in these situations.
They said Hi and asked how Mrs. XYZ was doing. I turned part way toward them still reading the label and here's how the rest of the conversation went. ( It was a brief conversation, I was calm and kind but I still can't beleive I did this)
Me: (in a vague sort of tone while reading the label) Oh...she's really good... she's acutally out in the car waiting for me.....I just needed to pop in here for a minute on our way...I'm going to need this tomorrow. (held up caulk) I'm finishing up the remodel on our house.
Them: Oh...where are you guys headed?
Me: (hesitating, deciding whether or not to continue the conversation) Um...well...we're headed over to my Boss "J.R. So and So's" place for his end of summer party .
Them: Oh...hmmm. (I got this job a few months after we faded...best job I've ever had and I saw that they recognized my bosses name)
Me: (Sigh) Hey... before I go on, I'm assuming you guys are still JW's...right ?
Them: Well yeah (sounding surprised that I'd even ask)
Me: (sigh) Look...we're were old friends and I hate to be this way but no one so much as called or even bothered to see how we were doing once T (our son) was unfairly disfellowshipped and diagnosed with Cancer a few weeks later. You knew about it and yet you and everyone else shunned him and shunned us for helping him and you left us alone to get him through his surgery and chemo. Thank goodness he survived and thank goodness for our worldly coworkers who offered us support.
I understand the JWs reasons for why it happened that way but as long as you contunue to be part an organization that not only condones this kind of treatment of it's members but whose prophecies about the future,since way back in the 1800's have been 100 percent false and who covers up for it's pedophyles and misleads the public about who they really are...
(I started stepping backwards away from them and just before I turned and walked away I said) " I can't in good conscience stand here and have a conversation with you as if there's nothing wrong and as if things are the same between us".
I took my tube of caulk and walked away. I didn't even look back, just went to the cash register and paid. When I got to the car I must have looked dazed because Mrs. XYZ asked me what was wrong. I started the car and drove off . Once we were underway, I told her what I'd done. She gasped and covered he mouth and broke out laughing....we both did. She said "Oh well....too bad for them....you just told it like it is..."
We had a nice normal evening....felt completly at ease with all these supposed high flyers who in reality turned out to be just regular folks. We met a nice couple who are opening a brewery/restaurant in the City and invited us to the opening. They brought Kegs of the different kinds of unusual beers they make, for everyone to sample.
As I stood there that evening looking at all these people having a nice time for themselves, I wondered if any one of them would ever understand the bizarre interaction I had at the Home Depot earlier that evening.
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75
JWs getting "Footloose" at the Kingdom Hall
by AndDontCallMeShirley ini hope no one here get's injured when they see this and their jaw hits the floor:.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=689701664435095&set=vb.100001858044479&type=2&theater.
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exwhyzee
I've told this story before (sorry to be repetitive) but my unbaptized Father lived like a JW and died not taking a blood transfusion about 2 years before the Blood Fractions Ruling was made. He wasn't allowed to be baptized because he wasn't a publisher. He was painfully shy and couldn't ever get the courage to go from door to door try as he may. After he died a horrible death in a modern hospital with every possible means to save him, the Brothers comforted us saying we'd be seeing him again soon in the New System because he died faithful to Jehovah.
We asked if we could have his Memorial at the Kingdom Hall. They said it wouldn't be allowed because he wasn't baptized. I said "So he'll be allowed in Jehovah's New System, but in this system his memorial can't be held held in the Kingdom Hall ? "
His Memorial was held in a rented hall with his JW family and friends in attendance and an Elder giving the talk. When I see this video, although I don't mind that they are having fun, I can't help but feel a little angry at the irony of their rules and how they pick and choose to apply them.
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Did You Ever Get Screwed By A Jehovah's Witness?
by minimus inwitnesses are supposed to be the "most honest people in the world".
most jws i know of do not put business deals in writing.
they simply "trust their brother".
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exwhyzee
I bought a new pickup truck and was about to sell my old Toyota pick up which was only five years old had low miles and in really good shape. Before I even put my old truck for sale, an older JW Sister came to me and told me that her daughter and her husband (newlyweds) were having financial troubles and couldn't afford a vehicle for her daughter so she was depressed, stuck at home and couldn't go in service etc. She said her Son in Law needed a truck like mine and could leave their only car at home for her daughter to use in service if he had it. She asked me if I could help them out and give them a good deal on the truck. I offered to sell it to them for $1,000. (It was worth at least $6,000) they jumped at the deal and I was happy to help them.
A few months later at a get-to-gether, the husband started bragging right in front of me, about how he'd sold the truck to a coworker for $7,000. He had gone out and bought a new jacked up 4x4 truck and used the $7,000 as a down payment. He'd didn't even seem to have a clue about how I might feel about all this. I know technically it was his to sell and it's good that he made a profit on it, but I thought that by practically giving my truck away, I was helping this young couple to keep out of debt when actually what I did was give him a downpayment for another vehicle. Anyway, I just put his behavior down to ignorance of youth but made a mental note not to be so helpful in the future.
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Speculation Fall AGM
by Poztate ina lot of comments have been made about possible big changes at the agm in the fall.. comments range from changes to the blood doctrine or who compose the one hundred and forty four thousand.. my speculation is.... (and if someone else had this kind of thread i am not stealing from you..just never read it).
the door to door as we know it will cease to exist.
the publishing of a monthly public wt and awake will end.. instead each month a tract with different subjects and a redirect to jw.org will come out.
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exwhyzee
I think if the blood issue was dropped there'd be lawsuits from all the families (like mine) who lost someone because of that beleif.
They'd probably have to little by little stop talking about it and make it completely a conscience matter, letting it fizzle into the past on it's own.
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There Goes Jim Garner
by Iown Mylife inone friend of mine who has also passed, just loved rockford files.
feeling saddened today reading about james garner passing on.
goodbye jim - you sexy hunk!
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exwhyzee
Another on of the "Good Guys" is gone....sad.
I always wanted to attend the "James Rockford School of Driving" and learn his pattented reverse spin.
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Seattle Convention Videos
by exwhyzee inthis is the link to the website that was set up for the intl.
convention here in seattle the weekend before last.
we went to dinner in the city with family members afterward and saw a lot of old friends.
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exwhyzee
Thanks for all of your comments guys....It's nice to know that someone "gets" what you are talking about. I think it's human nature to look at the past with rose colored glasses a little bit...at least I know I do sometimes. The grass was greener the sky was bluer. For the most part I realize that 2 minutes into the first talk of the day I'd be zoned out. It was a bad (survival) habbit I developed as a kid during the 8 day 12 hour long assemblies I went to as a kid.
I think Flipper is right....it would be easier to move and start fresh somewhere where there wasn't a JW memory around every corner. I think about doing that, all the time.