Reopened Mind

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Posts by Reopened Mind

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  9

  Too funny!! Had to share.

  by Guest with Questions in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evwlmvyqmu4.

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  Reopened Mind

  Loved it. Thanks for sharing.

  Reopened Mind
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  78

  May 22, 1969 Awake! promises "you will never grow old" - Creative Writing

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the year is 1969. faithful followers of the watchtower society are gearing up for the imminent end of the system of things just as they had been for the previous ninety years.

  a young witness named andrew is trying to decide what to do with his life.

  andrew is a smart kid and he has an entire lifetime ahead of him.

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  Reopened Mind

  (((((((((((((((((PublishingCult)))))))))))))))))))))))))

  I can't begin to know your pain or your brother's pain. Thank you for sharing. Your brother obviously strived to do what he was taught was the "right thing". What a waste of potentially productive life!

  Reopened Mind
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  96

  April 15th WT - WT Society says " Obeying Us is Same as Obeying God "

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a non-study article in the witness only version of the april 15th titled " do you discern the evidence of god's guidance ?

  " essentially in this article the alleged " faithful slave " is telling witnesses that to be approved to survive armageddon- they will have to recognize the " faithful & discreet slave's " authority in their lives.. notice these direct quotes from pg.

  4 , " jesus christ is the assigned leader of the congregation.

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  Reopened Mind

  "Do You Discern the Evidence of God's Guidance?" WHAT EVIDENCE? Even a cursory reading of their history taken from their own writings shows that God cannot possibly be the guiding force behind the Watchtower. The evidence shows a changing date for the destruction of the world. (If they spoke for God they would know if and when). The evidence shows a changing of their blood policy. (Surely God would have given them the correct understanding from the beginning since lives are involved.) They had a hard time deciding if God and Jesus were the superior authorities or the governments were the superior authorities. The term "generation" has morphed into a definition that is not recognizable by the writer of any dictionary.

  I was in the WT for more than 38 years and have personally witnessed all of the above changes. It is truly amazing how we all swallowed the "new light" explanation.

  MIND CONTROL IS A VERY VERY POWERFUL TOOL! We should not underestimate it.

  OUTLAW your cartoon is so accurate.

  Reopened Mind
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  8

  A Better Attitude And World View

  by EmptyInside in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've changed a lot in the last year or so.

  maybe some for the good,and some not so good.

  but,looking back, i didn't like myself as a witness.. it turns me off when i hear about the judgmental comments an older pioneer sister made.

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  Reopened Mind

  EmptyInside: I can totally relate to what you have said. I have come to hate the term "worldly" since it is very divisive and judgemental. Now I simply refer to the person as an individual or say nonJW if there is a need to distinguish. At the same time I avoid emotional labels to Witnnesses who are still in the Organization. I know that they, like I once was, are completely mind controlled.

  Looking way back even before I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses I remember my grandmother referring to Communists disparagingly because they were "Godless Atheists". I told her that they were people just like us who loved their families and wanted what was best for them. Being a super fundamentalist she just couldn't hear it. I can see now that I became just like her in many ways when I was a JW. As an aside she did tell me that JWs were the false prophet.

  I could never accept that God was going to destroy the majority of people because they didn't respond or didn't even hear the message we carried. How could they make a life and death decision when they hadn't had a chance to gain the knowledge they needed? Where was the love? Where was the justice? Where was the wisdom? Why didn't he use his power to save people rather than destroy them?

  I am also learning to have more empathy.

  It is important to remember the past to learn from it but not dwelling on it so much that we can't move forward.

  Reopened Mind, another work in progress
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  21

  To our fading and in-suffering friends, status report please

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you're still in for the sake of others, how's it going?

  what specific plan are you working on to get your loved ones out so you can leave, too?

  how is that plan progressing?

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  Reopened Mind

  My husband and I are in the processing of fading. We bought a home and a business in another state and will be completely out when we move in the spring. We have been going to that area for the last three years and have made some nonJW friends there. We will have to let them know of our JW past but will save that for when we get there permanently.

  While still here I have reconnected with my cousin and her husband. They know we were Witnesses and have changed our beliefs. They were especially surprised at the severity of JW shunning practices for what their church wouldn't even bat an eye at. We have been celebrating Christmas and birthdays with them.

  My husband stepped down as an elder at the end of last year. He had words with the CoBOE a few weeks back and hasn't been back to the hall since. I have only been to a meeting twice in the last three years. He laments that no one has visited or called to see how we are but personally I am glad we are being left alone.

  I have many JW friends here with whom I am friends on facebook. There are also JWs who I have friended from other areas. I haven't decided how I am going to handle that when we make a clean break. Any advice on how to handle that would be appreciated.

  Our oldest son is out. However our youngest son lives near his fanatical JW in-laws with his wife and two small children. He wants to leave but for now he is trapped. It is for their sakes that we are being extra cautious.

  Reopened Mind
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  80

  What Doctrines or JW Views Did You Not Find Too Believable?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the thought that a loving creator would violently destroy anyone not belonging to the jehovah's witness religion including billions of babies seemed just not right.. the fact that you could recieve some "acceptable" blood components but could not donate those same lifesaving yourself seemed strange.

  you could recieve a blood fraction but you couldn't give it.. any others you can think of?

  ?.

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  Reopened Mind

  Never could accept that qualifications for positions were limited strictly to males. It seemed counterproductive to me to exclude more than 50% of the congregation just because they were sisters. When I asked I was told it was because women were more emotional than men. I saw many men, both MS and elders, who were emotional but this did not disqualify them. I was a better reader than any brother I knew yet because I was not the right gender I could not publicly read the Watchtower or read at the book study. When I learned that Barbara Anderson had written many of the articles, I thought, "How hypocritical!" A sister could write an article (teaching) but could not read it in public (simply being a messanger). Now that I know what really went on amongst elders, I am relieved that I didn't qualify. It was a good old boys club and the good old boys didn't want to give up any of their power to us lowly women.

  Reopened Mind
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  55

  Longtime lurker - first post

  by applehippie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  been listening for quite a while to the many conversations found here on this forum.

  i'm a good listener as my friends will tell you.. i am a born in jw, inactive for at least 2 years now.

  i originally joined this forum to find out what my husband was "up to".

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  Reopened Mind

  Hello Applehippie and welcome to the forum. Did I see correctly that you registered in Jan. '06 and just now made your first post? I found this site and others in Jan '07 after reading an article in our local paper on JWs and blood. I thought I was a longtime lurker before I signed up last year.

  Though not a born-in like yourself I too thought the kingdom hall and being a good witness was a protection. In pioneer school we were told that married sisters had three layers of protection---our husband, Jesus, and Jehovah. Now I see this "protection" is like the fox guarding the hen house. I personally did not experience physical abuse from my husband. However because of his ADD, PTSD, and frequent bouts of depression he was very moody and prone to making rash decisions. He eventually sought help and we now have an enviable marriage. On the 23rd of this month we will be celebrating our 37th anniversary. I cannot imagine life without him and am glad we made it through the tough times. He is the poster on this board known as TotallyADD. Like Flipper I too am curious who your husband is on this board.

  Reopened Mind
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  40

  Here's one more free mind...

  by Pika_Chu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey, here's one more free mind.

  i've been researching and reading posts here and finally decided to join.

  i have to say i'm grateful for this site.

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  Reopened Mind

  Great to have you here Pika_Chu. I too would like to hear your story when you're ready.

  By the way how did you choose Pika_Chu and could give us some insight on what it means?

  Reopened Mind
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  36

  Networking with Jehovahs Witnesses or people who are bible studieing

  by flowerpower123 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am a 32 old woman live in the netherlands.

  like to make friends all over the world...brothers and sisters.

  always nice when you come to holland , or when i come to your country.

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  Reopened Mind

  Hello Flowerpower123 and

  WELCOME TO THE FORUM

  Please stick around. You will really learn a lot but you need to keep an open mind.

  You might also like to check out www.jwfacts.com.

  Reopened Mind
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  179

  Were you 'alive in '75' and how was that year for you?

  by punkofnice in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was a junior borgite in 1975. i remeber looking at the calendar at work in october and thinking: 'armageddon isn't here yet.....and it doesn't feel like it will be here anytime soon either!'.

  i was surprised that jehovah hadn't obeyed the superior command to bring the big 'a' as instructed to him by fred franz.

  how dare god disobey the jw leader!!!!!.

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  Reopened Mind

  Flipper

  TOTALLY ADD- I find it interesting that your sons in law ( I imagine they are what ? 25 to 40 yrs.of age possibly ? ) can say that 1975 " was not as

  big a deal as it was made out to be " . Incredible. Well- they just have been told different by current WT society publications or leaders

  My husband TotallyADD did not mean sons-in-law. He meant our daughter-in-law's parents. They are our age, mid fifties, so were definitely alive in '75. Sorry for the misunderstanding but this is what ADD does to one. ADD stands for Attention Deficit Syndrome.

  Reopened Mind