Reopened Mind

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Posts by Reopened Mind

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  30

  Bit of Good News

  by LouBelle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some of you know i've been down in the dark dumps.

  i haven't had employment for 10 months now.

  there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

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  Reopened Mind

  All the best to you LouBelle in your new job. Your enthusiasm will carry you far.

  Reopened Mind
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  8

  How did your kids react when you left the organization? How did you break it to them?

  by Christ Alone in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did your kids resist your leaving the organization?

  how did you get your kids to understand the need to leave?

  did they react well?.

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  Reopened Mind

  I didn't have to deal with this when my boys were young and still living at home. Both were married and had children of their own when my husband and I woke up. And both were JWs when they married. By the time we told them we left the organization, the oldest had already quit attending meetings. He said he had known for a long time the elders were not directed by holy spirit and began questioning other things as well. The youngest son and his wife are very tech savvy and had been looking at sites on the internet by the time we told them. However, because of his wife's fanatical parents they are slowly fading. It will be interesting to see how they will handle breaking it to their 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son.

  Reopened Mind
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  630

  SAD news about OOMPA......

  by redredrose in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  our friend, oompa, has passed away.

  just recieved the news a couple of hours ago, and have almost no details.

  it happened today or yesterday, he took his own life.

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  Reopened Mind

  TotallyADD & I send our deepest sympathies.

  Reopened Mind
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  55

  Hassan's New Book: Chapter 2- What is Destructive Social Influence ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Reopened Mind

  Thanks Flipper, I enjoy your reviews.

  One quote especially struck a chord: "Even people who are born into cults have an authentic self that makes it possible to rescue people from cults many years, even decades after they join." My husband, TotallyADD was born into the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses; he did not "join" unless one considers baptism as joining. He was inculcated, pressured, coerced, threatened, from the time he was born. Still, underneath it all, in his mid fifties he began to awaken and began getting in touch with his authentic personalty. It has been quite a journey for both of us. Having lost his childhood to the cult, he wanted to experience celebrating Christmas, our birthdays, and other holidays. The joy that was lost to him before is immeasurable. He has taken an interest in politics. (I suspect it was there all along.) He registered to vote and plans to vote for the first time in this year's presidential election. We have explored some Protestant churches together. Last week we went to a Unitarian Universalist church. We both found this congregation open and welcoming.

  For me it was easier as I was agnostic before I joined the cult in my teens, and I have returned to my agnostic, atheist, secular humanist way of thinking.

  Even though we met while in the cult, married while in the cult, raised children while in the cult, we are surprisingly compatible in our way or thinking despite our vastly different upbringing.

  And Flipper, best of luck in reaching your JW family.

  Reopened Mind
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  23

  University/Informing Elders/Elders Reactions/No longer pioneer

  by MsGrowingGirl20 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  university is going really good!

  i'm meeting alot of different people.

  friends are so much easier to make here with 'worldly ' people.

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  Reopened Mind

  MsGrowingGirl20,

  One step at a time girl, one step at a time. And a hearty CONGRATULATIONS for waking up at a young age.

  Many years ago when I was your age we had the cliche; today is the first day of the rest of your life.

  You may not know now what you want to do with the rest of your life but you have plenty of time to figure it out. You are learning to think for yourself for the first time in your life. Take advantage of it! Work hard, enjoy your new friends including us here. If you haven't already, please read Steve Hassan's books "Combatting Cult Mind Control" and "Releasing the Bonds". They will help you to recognize the fear and guilt tactics the WTS is trying to use on you. The fear of Armegeddon is a classic example.

  When my husband and I first started waking up we were hesitant to tell each other. It was such a relief to realize he was thinking of leaving like I was. We began sharing our research and thoughts with each other. I also remember the first time we divulged our JW past to someone. How would this person react? What would this person think of us? Our story just started spilling out and we had some wonderfully sympathetic listeners. It helped us to have even closer friends because they could understand us better. I understand your trepidation on opening up to someone. Still don't be afraid to open up to someone you feel you can trust.

  Again, one step at a time and you will go far.

  Reopened Mind
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  15

  Message from a JW. Does this sound Christian?

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sent a message to a very good jw friend who must be about 20 now.

  here is the message:.

  "hiya.

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  Reopened Mind

  Tim T,

  Your friend was not really your friend. He was a friend of a corporation. Now that you no longer are a part of that corporation he is showing where his true loyalty lies. You are so lucky to have escaped the prison of a mind-controlling cult at a young age. Unfortunately your friend is still behind bars. You replied without malice or judgment. He deserves your pity but not your friendship. Keep looking forward and make real friends.

  Reopened Mind
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  18

  Exposing a JW to the definition of cults - good idea?

  by NeverKnew in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  first, i am not a jw and never was.

  i ran into an old friend who had been "baptized" who "encouraged" me to consider looking into the faith he had become a part of (born-in).

  i figured, "hey... maybe i'll learn something i've never known.

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  Reopened Mind

  NeverKnew,

  Fully indoctrinated JWs have different definitions of words than than others. Back in the day when I was in field service and someone would call us a cult, I would say, "Of course we are not a cult! We don't follow a man, we follow Jesus Christ. He is our head, not a man." I had no idea what the real definition of word cult was. Like Outlaw said if the WTBTS says they are not a cult, then JWs think they are not a cult. No other definitions are relevent.

  Reopened Mind
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  21

  When You Were A Witness Did You Ever Celebrate A Birthday or Holidays?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i knew some families that celebrated "family day" on christmas eve or some time around the holiday.. i don't know of too many witnesses that actually celebrated but kinda came close....haha.

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  Reopened Mind

  I never could understand why celebrating wedding anniversaries was OK, but celebrating birthdays was taboo. You only have one birthday, the rest are "anniversaries".

  Reopened Mind
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  14

  I got sick message from my brother :/

  by Kaiser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at first i must apologize my english, im not native speaker.. .

  during the last two years i ve been studying without watchtower publications and it really opened my eyes.. i think i made a mistake to tell my findings about the "truth" to my brother.. here s the translation of email i got from him.... .

  "howdyhau you gay*****, i have confessed all my sins and im trying to get rid of them.

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  Reopened Mind

  Kaiser,

  First of all your English is just fine. I think everyone understands exactly what you are saying.

  Secondly, WELCOME!! You will find support here.

  Thirdly, your brother is TOXIC. Run, don't walk, away from that relationship as fast as you can.

  And lastly, we would like to hear your story.

  Reopened Mind
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  7

  Demos at convention

  by lostinthought in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i have made it through two days of the district convention, i half heartily payed attention during it (whoever evented smart phones is a genius!

  ) anyway i noticed the parts were pretty dummed down this year, especially the demos...and there were a lot of them they all were very unrealistic and over dramatized.

  even the speakers parts were pretty dumb and scripted.

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  Reopened Mind

  I have given an experience or 2 at conventions and assemblies. There is a core of truth to the experience, that's why I was asked in the first place. However at rehearsal I was always asked to empahsize a phrase or add certain comments to bring my experience in line with the theme of the assembly or the brother's talk. Everyone's experiences were punched up to portray what the speaker wanted. And I assume what the Society's instructions were.

  Reopened Mind