Reopened Mind

Joined

• started 14 topics
• posted 453 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Reopened Mind

• 
  22

  Who's Your Favorite Celebrity?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you could ever meet a celebrity, who would you love to see?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  Years ago TotallyADD and I attended a Star Trek convention in West Palm Beach,FL. This was before any Star Trek movies had been made. It had to be combined with a comic book convention because there was so little interest in all things Star Trek. We had the great pleasure of spending the entire afternoon with George Takei who played Sulu on the Original Series. It was George who told us of the upcoming movies featuring the original cast. You can bet we watched eagerly. My favorite ST movie is Star Trek IV the Voyage Home.

  Many years later we met Armin Shimmerman who played Quark on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. This was at the Star Trek Hilton in Las Vegas. We waited in a very long line to meet him. I remember his wife walking through the crowd to apologize for the long wait. Armin took time to talk to each one in turn. So by the time we got to him we had an audience of about five minutes. Another wonderful afternoon.

  These two rank very high on my list of favorite celebrities.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  20

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-04-2011 WT Study (GUIDANCE)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wt material from today's wt will be in black.

  the warning?

  he gives us careful directions.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  Blondie,

  TotallyADD and I are sorry to hear of the death of your close family member and your personal medical emergency. Our deep sympathies to you and your family. We also hope that whatever your medical emergency was that you are on the mend now. Please accept a heartfelt GET WELL SOON .

  We both eagerly await you comments each week as they reinforce our decision to have left this mind controlling cult. I know we don't comment very much, but that is because you have covered the points so thoroughly. You really do make a difference in the lives of people lurking on this board.

  ziddina, love the gorgeous pictures you posted.

  Let me reemphasize what JW GoneBad and ziddina said, "Blondie, you are a gem."

  Thank you, thank you, thank you,

  Reopened Mind
• 
  7

  This should make you smile!

  by coffee_black in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  granddaughter zoey who will be a year on sept. 17th... .

  .

  couldn't resist.... coffee .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  You sure did make me smile.

  Thanks coffee-black.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  46

  I am out (finally) - done with the Witnesses

  by Anony Mous in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi, long time no see.

  i am finally out of the borg.

  had a talk with an elder-friend-family member today who said i should just do it if that's what i want to do, and my wife says if that's what i want to do that she's fine with it.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  Anony Mous,

  Brilliant! You have used the Bible and their own Insight book to prove your points. Having good manners demands treating everyone civily. As sizemik said, "they have no morally or scripturally sound argument to refute you with".

  I don't have reason to be mad at individual witnesses.

  This is a good point to keep in mind. Everyone still in the WT is under the mind control of the governing body. This is why your friend cannot process what you have just said but must take the fall back position of "us verses them". Maybe in time.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  13

  It doesn't seem like 5 years....

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...but 5 years ago today, i made my first post here on jwn.. .

  i was an elder, had a true-believing jw wife and our unbaptized publisher children were beginning to feel pressure from other jws to take the plunge.. .

  amazing how much can happen in 5 trips around the sun.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  Open Mind,

  Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

  How does it feel to have released the bonds of slavery to the WT? Even better you got out with your family.

  I know for me coming out with TotallyADD was the best thing. No contention, no divided household, no worries about being judged by my husband. Now we have the freedom to live our lives by our own choices and to love unconditionally. We have one son totally out and one son with one foot still in. We hope some day he will join us.

  Congratulations for a life well lived.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  22

  Feel like I'm living a lie....

  by mochamint22 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it's been a while since i've posted on the forum but im needing to get how i'm feeling out of my head and out in the open.

  i don't know what's going on with me but sometimes i feel overwhelmingly sad and my eyes well up like i'm going to start crying.

  i'm not thinking about any one particular thing when this happens.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  What country is he going to? If it is a Muslim or third world country you may not have any recourse should the situation suddenly worsen. Don't discount this as a real possibly.

  If there is any any way for you not to go to his country I urge you to not go. If you think he is disrespecting you and your children now it will only increase tenfold when he gets to his home country.

  Please you deserve better. You are a good and loving mother. You can't help your children if you don't help yourself. Consider very seriously what effect this situation is having on your children.

  Do you want your daughter grow up thinking it is normal to be controlled by a man? Or do you want her to develop her own thinking ability and be able to stand up for herself? Mom show her the way.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  22

  Feel like I'm living a lie....

  by mochamint22 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it's been a while since i've posted on the forum but im needing to get how i'm feeling out of my head and out in the open.

  i don't know what's going on with me but sometimes i feel overwhelmingly sad and my eyes well up like i'm going to start crying.

  i'm not thinking about any one particular thing when this happens.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  This man is telling you just like the WT did that there is no one to go away to. Don't you believe him. Once you get out from under his thumb you will begin to think more clearly. You will find there are many good and decent men who would cherish you and your children. Don't jump quickly into another relationship without first getting help for yourself. Don't be afraid to be single. You are not alone. You have your children and you have many friends here on JWN. Keep posting. We are here for you.

  Reoened Mind
• 
  22

  Feel like I'm living a lie....

  by mochamint22 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it's been a while since i've posted on the forum but im needing to get how i'm feeling out of my head and out in the open.

  i don't know what's going on with me but sometimes i feel overwhelmingly sad and my eyes well up like i'm going to start crying.

  i'm not thinking about any one particular thing when this happens.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  Honey this man is abusive. You've already seen how he is a first rate liar. Don't cave in to the pressure to let him come back. He is just crying crocodile tears.

  RUN DON'T WALK TO THE NEAREST WOMEN'S SHELTER AND TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER WITH YOU!!!!!!

  The only way you can stop him from abusing you is to get away from him ASAP.

  I can't imagine what you are going through but I want you to know that I am interested in your welfare. So please listen to those who have been through similar and take their sage advice.

  Reopened Mind

  ps. Your life and your daughter's life depends on getting as far away from this abusive man as possible.
• 
  60

  Society tells us to stop asking questions...

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was just glancing at the back of the october 15th watchtower and the questions from readers.

  the question under discussion is "what should i do when i have a question about something i read in the bible or when i need advice about a personal problem?".

  the article goes on to discuss how we should consult the watch tower publications index among the many 'tools' that have been provided by the faithful and discreet slave whenever we have a question that is not directly discussed in the publications.. one statement really caught my eye, because it's the first time i've ever seen the society actually dissuade people from writing in with questions.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  EVIDENTLY the "faithful and discreet slave" does not have enough food to feed the entire flock.

  Some of us are on special diets and want to be fed the genuine truth.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  15

  RESCUE OPERATION: What did you do to help others Wake-Up?

  by 00DAD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  please share anything--whatever facts, methods, ideas, etc.--that you found successful in helping other family members or friends to "wake-up" and leave jws.

  also, include anythings that you found didn't work or even backfired.

  i'm particularly interested in how you were able to reach family members that initially shunned you out of mis-guided loyalty due to wt indoctrination.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Reopened Mind

  00DAD,

  I can't take all the credit for this but TotallyADD began asking if there had really ocurred a worldwide flood. So I offered to research it for him. When he was satisfied there was no evidence of such a global catastrophe, he started wondering what else might be wrong. This opened the door for me to show him the websites I had found, namely www.freeminds.org, JWN, jwfacts.com. By this time he was not afraid to read "apostate" literature. Having served as an elder for more than 25 years and having been raised a JW, he readily related to what Ray Franz wrote in "Crisis of Conscience". We followed up by reading "Combatting Cult Mind Control" and "Releasing the Bonds" by Steve Hassan. Two excellent books.

  I think the most important thing is to listen closely to the concerns of the person you are trying to help. Ask leading questions a little at a time so the person sees for himself what a hokey religion the JWs is. When I visited a long time friend in the org she was spouting all the familiar catch phrases so I just left her alone. If she's happy with where she is, who am I to make an enemy of her by trying to change her? Although TotallyADD and I have left we are neither DF'd nor DA'd. I know that will make it more difficult for you to reach out to family members still in.

  PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE

  Reopened Mind