Posts by Reopened Mind

27

May 15 WT sisters support your husband.....or else!

by hoser in

jw
friends

the new study watchtower page 9 explains how sisters should be happy to be servants to their elder husbands.. "co-operate in financial matters".

"joyful to see her husband active in the congregation".

if he makes a decision you disagree with "she displays a quiet and mild spirit and cooperates with him to make his decision work".

Reopened Mind

I was an elder's wife who did my best to support my husband's decisions. I was a convert not a born-in so tried hard to conform------until I began to realize that perhaps

I had some better ways of looking at things simply because I had a different perspective growing up than he did as a born-in. So for a long time I was content to "wait on

Jehovah" for "new light". I think the breaking point for me was when we moved 800 miles away because he couldn't handle all the noise of the city. So we tried a more

self-sufficient life style and failed miserably. We had to move back and live with his parents with 3 small children in tow. His parents were staunch JWs. From time to time

the WT would publish articles showing appreciation for the hard work and support of the sisters. Eventually I saw that this was lip service only. It was several more years

before I could see that my husband was suffering from mental and emotional issues which I have struggled to understand. I knew that somehow I had to make certain

decisions for the good of our family. This was not easy as it still had to look like he made the decisions. (Everything is about keeping up appearances.) Looking around now

I see that many of the elders, MS, and brothers in general suffer from serious mental conditions. An elder's wife I know divorced her husband because she could no longer

live with him being bipolar. O if only it was acceptable to seek help. But as has been said many times here before the WT doesn't care about its members, only their image.

I am happy to say that now my husband and I are equal partners as we are learning to function this way. This way of viewing each other has lifted a great weight from

our shoulders.

Reopened Mind

30

What are your late night cravings?

by highdose in

jw
friends

currently mine are: peking duck pancakes, a sexy danish guy ( love those danes) and sleep.

yes thats right, have spent 4 nights without sleep,... the old withdrawal symtoms still banging on don't ya know!.

am currently at the point where smashing plates seems like a very refreshing and appropriate activity.

WT Society wants Elders to Conceal Information to Psychiatrists- Elders Bk.

by flipper in

jw
friends

my wife and i have read carefully through chapter 5 of the new elders manual when we do our " personal study " in bed on saturday mornings !

so without further delay , notice this quote from the new elders manual, " there are times when an emotionally distressed christian may seek professional help.

whether a christian or his family pursues treatment from psychiatrists , psychologists, or therapists is a personal decision.

Reopened Mind

I am writing this for my husband TotallyADD because his ritalin has worn off. Back when he was an elder he went to a sister who was a therapist. She helped him to

clear his mind. She really helped him to discover answers to his emotional turmoils he had been carrying around since childhood. (He was raised a Witness.)

She gave him many tools to cope with his anxiety, depression, PTSD, & ADD. He is very grateful to her for clearing his mind so he can see the WT for what it really is---

a mind-controlling cult. One thing that shocked us was that at the beginning of his therapy she gave him a paper to sign which said that if he revealed

anything during the sessions that was a disfelloshipping offense she would expect him to confess to the other elders or she would!!

Reopened Mind

47

What's Your Favorite TV Show Right Now?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i love criminal minds and the newest criminal minds that was showcased last night.

and i love law & order svu!.

Reopened Mind

White Collar

Hot in Cleveland

Star Trek the Next Generation

Star Trek Enterprise

Holmes on Homes

Holmes Inspection

44

28 years young today (I was born Feb 16 1983) HBD to me.

by Joliette in

jw
friends

even if i dont really celebrate it like...i'm suppose to be going out for karokee tonight with a friend, then doing something with another friend on the 26th.

two more years and i'll be the big 3-0. man, how time passes.

just some years ago, i was just a breast fed child running wild!.

Reopened Mind

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLIETTE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

28 years old is a wonderful age. I was deep into the cult back when I was 28 and pregnant with my second child. In a few more days I will be 58.

So happy for you that you woke up early. BTW my second child is now himself 28 and waking up from the cult.

Reopened MIns

19

What Is Truth?

by Reopened Mind in

i was the one at the meetings who had a dictionary or at least a definition written in the margin.

i thought it was important to understand the meaning of words to better comprehend the lesson.

i liked that the writers would throw out words which were not commonly used to help us expand our vocabularies.

Thank you all for your comments. I have only touched on two definitions of "truth", the WT's and the dictionary's. Truth takes on different definitions and connotations depending on who's talking. Evolutionary scientists say that evolution is the truth; creationists say that God created all things; and moderates take the middle ground that God initially created the universe and guided the course of evolution. Belief in something doesn't make it true.

Anyone can write a book and say it's true or divinely inspired, but the proof is in the pudding.

Scientists make a statement and say, "How can I disprove this?"

Religionists make a statement and say, "How can I prove this?"

Reopened Mind (and learning to discern what is likely to be true from what is likely to be false)

24

The Greatest Lesson the Watchtower Ever Taught Me

by jamiebowers in

jw
friends

the greatest lesson that the watchtower has taught me is to give the love that has been taken from me.

our mother shuns my brother and me to the extreme.

just this morning she told me on the phone from her hospital bed that we will have to learn her diagnosis through the grapevine.. she wasn't always like this.

Reopened Mind

She wasn't always like this. Before she became a jw, she was an awesome person and wonderful mother. So, when it was repeated to me that she said she wished she'd never had children, I didn't take it too personally.

Jamie, although my mother was never a Witness, she told me she wished I'd never been born. Yes, it hurt for a while until I realized she was suffering from dementia. You are wise not to take it too personally. It's hard to tell whether it is WT speaking or dementia.

Meeting Junkie No More: Thanks for your experience.

PSacramento:

8 Love never fails.

How true. True unconditional love never fails.

Reopened Mind

19

What Is Truth?

by Reopened Mind in

i was the one at the meetings who had a dictionary or at least a definition written in the margin.

i thought it was important to understand the meaning of words to better comprehend the lesson.

i liked that the writers would throw out words which were not commonly used to help us expand our vocabularies.

Reopened Mind

I was the one at the meetings who had a dictionary or at least a definition written in the margin. I thought it was important to understand the meaning of words to better comprehend the lesson. I liked that the writers would throw out words which were not commonly used to help us expand our vocabularies. (Perhaps these were Barbara Anderson’s articles?) This brings me to asking the question which defines what the WT calls itself.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

The Insight book explains the meaning of the word truth***it-2p.1130Truth***

The Hebrew term ’emeth´, often rendered “truth,” may designate that which is firm, trustworthy, stable, faithful, true, or established as fact. (Ex 18:21; 34:6; De 13:14; 17:4; 22:20; Jos 2:12; 2Ch 18:15; 31:20; Ne 7:2; 9:33; Es 9:30; Ps 15:2; Ec 12:10; Jer 9:5) The Greek word a·le´thei·a stands in contrast with falsehood or unrighteousness and denotes that which conforms to fact or to what is right and proper.

This agrees with the dictionary definition. Truth is defined as (1) the state of being the case: FACT (2) the body of real things, events, and facts: ACTUALITY (3) often capitalized: a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality ( www.merriam-webster.com , Internet 2/3/10)

Yet the way the WT uses the word gives it an entirely different spin. For example the km 12/98 expands on its usage

*** km12/98p.3par.3BuildYourLifeAroundJehovah’sService***

One mother explained how she and her husband successfully reared their two sons to serve Jehovah: “We filled our lives with the truth—going to all the conventions, preparing for and attending the meetings, and making field service a regular part of our lives.” Her husband added: “The truth is not part of our life, it is our life. Everything else revolves around it.”

The first book I studied with JW was “The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life” (1968). Essentially their “truth” is outlined in this book.

It is common among Jehovah’s Witness to hear such expressions as “I’ve been in the Truth X number of years” or “Is your husband in the Truth?” or “How did you come into the Truth”? So to a Jehovah’s Witness “Truth” means “The entire body of Christian [Watchtower] teachings” (g9810/22p.12HowCanIMaketheTruthMyOwn?) To put it more succinctly being “in the Truth” means being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

If what is taught is truly the “truth”, then there would be no need for updates or changes. But that is never the case. If God (or Jehovah) is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful), then any religion or organization he chooses to use to bring his message to humankind should be absolutely factual from the very beginning. The Watchtower Society bills itself as the “Truth”. Has this been the case? From my own experience of more than 37 years as an active Witness I say a loud NO.

For details of Watchtower’s changing “truths” see www.jwfacts.com .

I still like to know what words mean. But changing the meaning of words to advance an agenda is dishonest and deceitful.

Reopened Mind

43

Insulting Terms used by the WashTowel

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

loading the language is a propogandist tactic to trigger a reaction in the mind.

a prime example is the word 'apostate'!.

i have been called 'spiritually weak' for quitting field service, meetings etc.. how would you respond (without swearing or giving a punch up the hooter), if you were called this?.

Reopened Mind

The term "worldly" is hugely insulting and prejudicial to anyone who is not a JW.

Reopened Mind

217

Feb. 15th WT - WT Society says DFed Ones are Lawless- Just Like Demons

by flipper in

jw
friends

i would assume that some or a good number of us here as normal humans in this society - consider " lawless " actions to include murder , robbery, extortion, rape, child abuse, war , terrorism, etc.

the wt society has their own definition of what's considered " lawless ".

anything that's considered a disfellowshipping offense in the jehovah's witnesses is now considered " lawless ".

Reopened Mind

So I find in this that the WT society is doing what ALL cults do by requiring members to NOT have contact with former members of their cult by use of fear and guilt tactics . Bottom line is the WT society doesn't want JW's being influenced by TRUTHFUL information that DFed or DAed people may bring to them. so they scare rank and file JW's $hitless thinking these DFed ones are " lawless " or " evil".

This article screams

PARANOIA

Paranoia -- a psychosis marked by delusions and irrational suspicion

Reopened Mind