Posts by ABibleStudent

6

daughter questions me about mothers day!

by Truthexplorer in

jw
friends

my daughter came home from school and said they are doing some cards at school for mother's day and asked me if that was ok. i looked and just smiled and said darlin, just make a lovely mothers day card and make sure to put lots of love from dad on it too .

ABibleStudent

Touché Truthexplorer!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

27

I have made my decision

by Brother Mike in

i'm sure most of you have read bits and pieces of my story throughout the last year being on this site.

i've decided as a human being, and as an adult, i'm going to make the decision on whether to stay with the jw religion or leave it.

i of course have many doubts about the organization which has lead me to do research.

ABibleStudent

Congratulations Brother Mike on critically thinking for yourself. May the rest of your life be exciting and filled with wonder and happiness.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

19

Preparing for my next visit from my Elderette - Who (or what) is the Faithful & Discreet Slave, and why do JW's worship and follow a slave?

by Faithful Witness in

she is coming tomorrow afternoon, and i do plan to have a coherent mind and much better concentration this time.

i was suffering from hypoglycemia last time she made a surprise visit, and i was foggy and literally could not comprehend a simple sentence i was reading.

our plans are to discuss the topic of the fds.

ABibleStudent

Hi Faithful Witness, What do you think of the following counter arguments:

Faithful Witness - she is going to talk again about the analogy of a "jigsaw puzzle," and trynig to get a specific piece to fit just right. "It looks like it's the right piece, and it actually fits, but when I looked at it closer, I realized it was the wrong piece." I don't see her coming to a conclusion on this analogy, but merely using it as a method to confuse me.

Your jigsaw puzzles analogy can be used to solve problems using the scientific method of making systematic observations, measurements, and experiments, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses to determine if an hypothesis fits the facts/observations. Even an incorrect hypothesis can lead to the truth.

Have you heard of the problem-solving principle of Ockham's razor - all things being equal the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions is usually the correct one? More complicated solutions may ultimately prove correct, but—in the absence of certainty—the fewer assumptions that are made, the better.

Faithful Witness - "each person has to come to their own conclusion about what they believe..."

I totally agree with you about each person must come to their own conclusions about what they believe. If I decide to become baptized as a JW, how would other JWs treat me if I change my mind and no longer believe that the WTBTS is "God's sole channel" or tell other JWs that the Watchtower is wrong about what they teach? [Have a copy of the "When Someone We Love Leaves Jehovah", 15 July 2011 Watchtower (Study Edition), page 30-32] Would you shun your children if they no longer believe that the WTBTS is "God's sole channel'? (pause wait for your elderette to respond) Don't you feel that shunning people or not associating with them just because they believe differently than you is contrary to God's two greatist commandments?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

19

Preparing for my next visit from my Elderette - Who (or what) is the Faithful & Discreet Slave, and why do JW's worship and follow a slave?

by Faithful Witness in

she is coming tomorrow afternoon, and i do plan to have a coherent mind and much better concentration this time.

i was suffering from hypoglycemia last time she made a surprise visit, and i was foggy and literally could not comprehend a simple sentence i was reading.

our plans are to discuss the topic of the fds.

ABibleStudent

Congratulations Faithful Witness about caring enough to help the elderette to critically think for herself!!

If your elderette is anything like the brother who was willing to "Study the Bible" with me, be prepared for her to skip around and read verses of scriptures and not an entire paragraph nor an entire chapter. Rember she has an agenda to recruit you into the WTBTS and not to just share ideas and opinions about what is written in the Bible. Be prepared for her to change subjects and to use thought-stopping platitudes when she is feeling cognitive dissonance. When your elderette says thought-stopping platitudes, view it as an opportunity to strip away a layer of BITE control by asking her simple questions to overcome her though-stopping platitudes like the ones suggested in the thread As a JW, What statements made you "stop thinking?".

If you haven't read the thread exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed by Billy the Ex-Bethelite, please do. With JWs it may be more important how a simple question is phrased verses what you ask to get past a JW's cult persona.

Your elderate will probably start off with either Mt 24:45 or a scripture in John to prove that Christians need an organization to guide them. Here are some potential counter arguments:

Why did Jesus Christ say that the first and greatist commandment is " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and did not mention anything about an organization nor a religion in Mt 22:34-40? How can I love an organization when Jesus Christ said to love God with "ALL" my heart, soul, and mind? When scriptures appear confusing, shouldn't we follow Jesus Christ's teachings in Mt 22:34-40 and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirt like most Christians do, rather than believe in writtings by men about how to interpret the Bible?
Why does Jesus Christ use the past tense in Mt 24:45? Does that mean that God already selected the FDS ~ 2000 years ago, or was Jesus Christ giving a warning to religious leaders in Mt 24:45-51? Most christians who read Mt 21:28 through Mt 24 interpret them as mostly parables to teach christians how to behave in harmony with Mt 22:34-40 and warn them of potential consequences.
Ask your elderette simple questions that start with "How should I respond to a christian who would say that interpretation is not in harmony with Jesus Christ's teachings and God's two greatist commandments?"

Best of wishes for you and think about how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes to empower your elderette's authentic persona to become stronger and critically think for herself.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

P.S. - If you have a smartphone, it might be beneficial to have a saved link to Steve Hassan's How Big is the Phenomenon of Undue Influence? (2:01) video to help your elderette to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy conversations. Your elderette shouldn't want to bring reproach on the WTBS by acting like a dangerous cult member to non-JWs.

14

Ex-Jehovah's Witness success story

by Watchtower-Free in

this was just posted to facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/xjwrg3/10152073176825835/?comment_id=10152073536380835&notif_t=group_comment_reply.

by christina jones.

ABibleStudent

Thanks for sharing Watchtower-Free. I wish that more JWs would learn such a simple lesson as that little girl about how to critically think for themselves.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

7

Jehovah's Witnesses want to put up a semi-permenent literature stand in this town

by Watchtower-Free in

jehovah's witnesses want to put up a semi-permenent .

literature stand in this town.

if you wish send them a message about what jws are really about.

ABibleStudent

IMHO it is better to let the WTBTS set-up semi-permanent propaganda stand(s). It is a lot easier to politely plant seeds of doubts in JWs as they guard their stand then chase after JWs in D2D FS. I would definately talk with local merchants to help educate them, as well as ask them to place Posters with QR codes to www.jwfacts.com and www.freedomofmind.com in their windows.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

18

A letter from my Mom

by ateograciasadios in

jw
friends

friends,.

i have seen several posts like the following, and never thought i would have to write one myself, but here we go: my dear mom is forcing me to make a move... one that i have been really avoiding as much as possible.

she wrote me an email today, and here i am giving you an idea of its contents.

ABibleStudent

Welcome ateograciasadios, I'm sorry that your mother's cult persona is trying to emotionally coerce you to behaving as a JW.

I would write your mother the following note to politely confront her and to find out what she is implying, because she did not write that she will be shunning you:

Dear Mom,

I'm very confused by your last letter to me where you wrote, "I will have to arrive to the inevitable conclusion that you have left Him, which means you are also leaving me." Mom, I love you unconditionally and have no plans leaving you. Are you planning on leaving me? What are you trying to tell me? Also, who is brother Brown?

I will call you (insert a time).

I'm (insert what you are doing or what you want to write her).

Love,

Pease be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

67

I have an honest question!

by FL_Panthers in

jw
friends

it's with regards to disfellowshipping.. is disfellowshipping a legal procedure?

like is there something i can use to prevent this from happening to me if it does happen.. no jokes about me being a bad little boy.

i need honest answers to this.

ABibleStudent

FL_Panthers - The only thing I am worried about is my relationship with my rents. I have a feeling that if I fade they wont speak to me again. Armageddon doesn't really come in my mind in my day to day life. So you could say that I'm a witness for the wrong reason.

Hi FL_Panthers, If you are afraid that your parents will shun you if you are Df'ed, how do you feel they will treat you if they know you are inactive?

Start making your plan to fade. Your first step should be to vent your frustrations about the WTBTS/JWs on JWN and your second step should be to independently research the WTBTS to either confirm that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult or that the WTBTS is the sole "True Religion". Once you have convinced yourself of what the WTBTS is, then you can make more decisive decisions. In the mean time as long as JWs do not suspect your true feelings, there are no adverse consequences for you. JWN members will treat you respectfully as long as you reciprocate. JWs will not if you will not blindly follow the WTBTS.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

24

What is definition of a true friend, once outside the cult?

by suavojr in

jw
friends

after leaving the cult of jw's or waking up to ttatt, it is a struggle to trust people again.

i am personally starting from scratch although i am still in.

each moment i spend with my current jw friends, i know they are all smiles and loving towards me because of my good status with the wt.. outside a cult you still find fake people and it is also a struggle to find true friends and it is even worst when we've been hit hard from people we used to trust and care for.. .

ABibleStudent

Hi suavojr, Your JW phobias are showing.

Take your time - there is no rush. Do activities that you enjoy where you can meet non-JWs. Have conversations with people, ask them questions, tell them a little about yourself, and share experiences with each other. Eventually you will either feel a mutual interest or not. It takes time to build healthy and unconditional relationships. Conditional relationships are easier to make and break.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

36

...WBT$/JW Preaching at the Door with a Cell Phone?!...

by OUTLAW in

........................ ........................will jw`s be using their cell phone or tablet.. ...............to show a wbt$ video to people in the field service?!!...

........................... .................................... .. .......................................click the link below:.

................................................... http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19681.

ABibleStudent

If BITE control depends on emotional attachment to JWs, won't more reliance on technology and less on social interaction backfire on the WTBTS? I hope so!

If JWs start showing me propaganda via the internet on a smartphone/tablet, I am planning to take out my smart phone and show them videos of Steve Hassan or "ApostateChick". I hope someone creates powerful, less than 2 minute videos to reverse witness to JWs, so that I can reverse witness better.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert