Cicatrix

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Posts by Cicatrix

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  62

  The Worst Thing You Ever Did As A Jehovah's Witness

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what's the worst thing you did as a jw?.......for me, it was to help other persons come to love the "organization".

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  Cicatrix

  Believing the elder who told me that I was going to doom my children to death in Armageddon if I didn't stay in the organisation.

  Not trusting my gut instinct to leave the org a year after I was baptised, and staying in for fifteen very long years.
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  57

  What musical groups or songs were bad according to JWs?

  by Victorian sky in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what songs or groups were you forbidden to listen to as a jw?

  were any specifically mentioned from the platform or were you counseled not to listen to a certain song?

  for me it was the entire def leopard hysteria album - bad heavy metal told it was demonic, i listened to it in secret, silk's "freak me" - a virgin listening to a song about hot sex?

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  Cicatrix

  Just before we bailed, my daughter was constantly being counseled for listening to the band Creed. She was told that she shouldn't listen to them because they are a Christian band. She started carrying an article from a magazine in which the members of Creed stated that they were not a Christian band.

  Being as I'm the one who bought her her first Creed album, she was allowed to keep them. I love the song "What IF":)
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  207

  Jehovah's Witnesses Are Under Mind Control

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you were to tell a witness that they were "brainwashed" or that they were "under mind control", they certainly would not rationally accept it.the reason is because witnesses cannot distinguish between mind control and "obeying the faithful and discreet slave".

  it is only after a person stops exposing himself to the subtle mind controlling tactics of the watchtower that a person can see how thoroughly duped they are in their beliefs.

  how might you be able to tell that you are no longer your own person, able to make your own decisions in your life?

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  Cicatrix

  ............Any other proofs that JW's are mind controlled???

  When faced with a person who says they are being brainwashed, they say stuff like "Well, if learning by repetition not to do things like steal and commit adultery is brainwashing, then I want my brain that clean." .. and all the while they are so anxious about not breaking any of the thousands of little rules- like not wearing their skirt past their knees or watching Smurfs on tv- that it is making them literally sick, until they wake up one day and realize that they don't have to attend five meetings a week to keep from becoming a thief and an adulterer, because it was never anything they intended to do all along.

  Yep, that was me folks. LOL
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  207

  Jehovah's Witnesses Are Under Mind Control

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you were to tell a witness that they were "brainwashed" or that they were "under mind control", they certainly would not rationally accept it.the reason is because witnesses cannot distinguish between mind control and "obeying the faithful and discreet slave".

  it is only after a person stops exposing himself to the subtle mind controlling tactics of the watchtower that a person can see how thoroughly duped they are in their beliefs.

  how might you be able to tell that you are no longer your own person, able to make your own decisions in your life?

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  Cicatrix

  ............Any other proofs that JW's are mind controlled???
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  207

  Jehovah's Witnesses Are Under Mind Control

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you were to tell a witness that they were "brainwashed" or that they were "under mind control", they certainly would not rationally accept it.the reason is because witnesses cannot distinguish between mind control and "obeying the faithful and discreet slave".

  it is only after a person stops exposing himself to the subtle mind controlling tactics of the watchtower that a person can see how thoroughly duped they are in their beliefs.

  how might you be able to tell that you are no longer your own person, able to make your own decisions in your life?

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  Cicatrix

  Ubiquitous-

  So then why was my mother told by two elders that she would NEVER be baptised if she talked to me after I disassociated myself?

  That doesn't seem very gray to me.
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  9

  How to Eders influence you?

  by UpAndAtom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am not a jw (never have been)... and am curious by the "10 hrs" i see posted from time to time.. does an elder pull you aside and say, "i see you've only done 9 hours, so i will revoke your status of ____?

  " do they actually have an scripture reason for insisting on logging hours?

  they must have some kind of reason that makes sence, otherwise you could just turn around and say, "two hours is enough - it's the quality, not the quantity" or can't you talk like this to an elder?

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  Cicatrix

  The printed protocol is that there is no "official" hourly requirement, that ten hours is just what the average Witness manages, and that it indicates spiritual health to put in at least that many hours (but of course the more you go out, the better). However,in reality, Witnesses are judged by the number of hours they spend in service. Field service time is often used when elders decide whether or not a person is fit for baptism or other priviledges. Some events that Witnesses participate in, such as attending a "quick built Kingdom Hall event" require that the Witness be of "good spiritual standing", which translates to attending all five meetings a week, commenting at said meetings, and going out in service at least ten hours a month.There are many families who won't associate on a social level with other families who don't put in ten hours a month.

  Unfortunately, this unofficial protocol creates a class system and allows some elders to use their position of power to prevent persons with whom they have differences from being considered members of "good spiritual standing". A person may be held back from being baptised simply because they are not putting in ten hours of field service a month. Oftentimes, issues such as health, age, and the need to earn a living to support one's family aren't even taken into consideration, because- according to the upper eschalon at Bethel who are supported by 'voluntary' donations- "Jehovah will provide for his faithful followers"-leaving the unspoken impression that those who aren't faring well are obviously not doing enough in Jehovah's service to warrant his care. In fact, people with health problems that are not deemed "legitimate" by the congregation (ie-they are not easily discerned by outward appearances) are often made examples of when they cannot make the congregation hourly requirement.Oh, it is all done on an "anonymous" level in the local needs talks, but one usually knows which families go out on a regular basis and which ones do not.

  Some scriptural admonitions I've heard used as justification are "exert yourself vigorously", and the fact that the nation of Israel recorded things such as geneologies and the materials used in the building of the temple, so naturally, it would be expected that they also kept a careful record of their service time.
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  31

  I'm **so** glad I won't be in 'the new system'

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  because i hate gardening !!!.

  after many, many weeks or months of hard labour, clearing away 3 or 4 skips worth of rubble from paths, sheds and greenhouses, digging over soil and leveling it we finally layed our turf today!.

  i am knackered and don't even have any beer in the house .

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  Cicatrix

  What a beautiful lawn, Simon and Angharad!

  Ironically, we are working on adding an attached greenhouse so I can expand our garden and reduce our lawn size. We are pouring the cement this afternoon, in fact. But then, I'm an advocate of low maintenance gardening-I weed until the plants are well established, then I don't weed anymore.It looks messy, but it works out pretty well, as the bugs tend to be attracted to the weeds instead of my plants (with the exception of potatoes, and I solved that problem-I don't grow potatoes.They're too cheap to bother with the hassle).Next year, I hope to install an irrigation system, then I'll just have to turn on a faucet to water,too.

  As far as the mowing goes, if I had my way, we would just "naturalize" our two acre lawn,but I have four boys with a thing for mowing, not to mention a father-in-law with a brand new wide-deck ride-on mower, so I don't have to touch the lawn, hehe. The thing is, if I "lived forever in Paradise," none of them would be there, being the "worldly" people they are, and I would have to mow my lawn myself, lol.

  And as far as the vacuum goes, I'm tellin' you-wood floors are the way to go!I had to vacuum constantly when I was a kid, and I hated it. When we moved into our house, we ripped out all the carpeting as soon as we could and replaced it with wood.
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  50

  What did you hope for just to avoid Saturday witnessing?

  by BLISSISIGNORANCE in

  1. social
  2. family

  last night we had a hell of a storm here.

  there was thunder, lightning, pouring rain and wind.

  personally i love stormy nights, cuddled up to hubby in a warm bed.

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  Cicatrix

  I always hoped to be assigned to the car group of a certain brother who hated kids. When he was assigned to take my brood of kids and me out, he would just go home. Then we could, too:)

  I also liked getting assigned with the brother who took seriously the admonition to make service fun for kids. He would take out territories at the edge of our area and drive nice and slow to get there.One time, his wife decided that the kids needed a break. She bought them chocolate ice cream cones. It was ninety degrees, and you would be amazed how far a four year old and a six year old can spread chocolate ice cream. We were all coated and had to quit early so they could change before afternoon service. Her husband wouldn't hesitate to stop and watch any wildlife we came across, and if there was a trout stream in the territory, we would of course have to stop there so he could test it out with the pole that he always kept in the trunk.They are in the circuit work now:)
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  38

  Do You Enjoy Being "Part of the World"???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since before a witness gets baptized, they are told to "be no part of this world".

  that is beaten into everyone's head.

  now that you're not a jw or are on the way out, how does being part of the "world" feel?

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  Cicatrix

  Yes, I very much enjoy being worldly-wise. I feel as if I am looking at the world through the eyes of a child, and since I started studying with the JWs and was baptised in my teens, I probably am.

  Setfreefinally,

  I've thought about your question myself. In the Gospels, Jesus goes to neighborhood wedding celebrations, eats with sinners, and staunchly defends his understanding of his faith, among other activities. If you consider the text to be no part of the world, and the fact that his followers are commanded to follow his steps closely, the WT admonition to be no part of the world seems to go beyond what is written. Yes, they reason that JWs can't partake in the things that Jesus did because we aren't perfect like him. But, why then do the scriptures say to follow Jesus' steps closely and mention all of these activities that he partook of?

  When Jesus' disciples asked him about some things that they couldn't understand, Jesus just told them that it wasn't time for them to come to an understanding. He didn't go through a long explanation of information that they didn't need. So why would the Gospels include Jesus' interaction with non-Christians if his followers were forbidden from partaking in the same activites.

  In Webster's dictionary, the number one definition for worldly is "of or limited to this world; temporal or secular." Perhaps Jesus was warning his followers not to get so wrapped up in day-to-day activities that they neglect their spirituality.
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  88

  I am so angry I am sick to my stomach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  by Ravyn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just had a jw come to my door and i had to threaten her to get her to leave!

  i told the woman right off i was 'apostate' and had no intention of changing it.

  she kept asking me personal questions which i told her were none of her business and she said she would have the elders come by and i told her that if they came by the better be wearing bullet proof vests!

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  Cicatrix

  {{{{Ravyn}}}}

  I hear what you're feeling. The elder that started a witch hunt against me- who presided over the trial by which it was determined that my not being a submissive enough wife was the cause of my husband hitting me, and who, I suspect, due to some delicately placed questions, has recently told unbelieving family members of his who my family is friends with, about the abuse (they, fortunately,are not under the dub spell to believe everything that comes out of the mouth of an elder as being gospel. In fact, they seem to have made it a point to socialize with us even more)-now arrives at my door on a regular basis to peddle his magazines and schmuck it up with the unbaptised members of my household.He must case the place first, because he always comes when I'm not home. This guy wouldn't give my family members so much as the time of day before I left, even when I asked that someone take my kids under their "spiritual wing"-GAG GAG. I can't believe I ever thought that way!!!

  The kids just stare at him dumbly, then throw the offers in the trash. One less set of magazines out there to screw with anyone else's heads. And they do a great job of educating their friends at school about what really goes on behind the tower, lol.I believe they refer to dubs as Shirt Nazis.

  There are days when I'd like to shoot Sanctimonious Elder, too. But he isn't worth spending the rest of my life in prison over. I just put all that venom into writing stories starring him as the evil protagonist. My writing teachers at school just love those stories, and it gives me such satisfaction to know that all that venom is being put to good use-hehe.

  In the meantime, thanks for reminding me about pioneer zealotry. I was contacted by an old Jw friend who doesn't have a clue I disassociated myself. She wrote this nice chatty letter saying that she just took up the full time pioneer work again. Your experience reminded me what she used to be like at the doors. I am so NOT going to write her, lol.Although I may do what one poster suggested and send her a Ouija board:)