Posts by ABibleStudent

13

Debating JW's

by will brooks in

hi,.

i'm new in this forum and it seems from a quick recce that jw's give this site a miss?

is there a site that jw's use - other than their official one which is restricted to active jw's?.

Welcome will brooks, Debatting JWs is like banging your head against a wall. You will get frustrated and angry. Instead try to help JWs to critically think for themselves and not blindly follow the WTBTS's leaders.

Have you thought about doing the following?

Learn how to ask simple questions like Billy the Ex-Bethelite did in the thread exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed. Also, ask simple questions to learn more about what a JW's authentic persona so that you can learn to turn-off and on the cult persona.
Learn how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes that JWs use, like why do JWs feel that the WTBTS has the "Truth". Does that mean that other religions are teaching falsehoods? What proof can they show you that the WTBTS is teaching the "Truth"? Don't accept general answers. Ask for specific proof. Let JWs search for their proof from reputable sources that are independent from the WTBTS

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

24

should i marry and have a child with my partner

by stevepill in

hi, iv'e been a regular observer on this site for a while and would be very grateful for input from witnessess and non-witnessess.

ti widll try keep it brief to avoid too much reading!.

background:.

ABibleStudent

Hi Steve, DON'T get married to your partner until you are convinced that she can critically think for herself!

You can help your partner to critically think for herself either slowly or fast. Slower takes a lot of time and fast might end your relationship. Have you read information by cult-exit counselors like Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"), visited his website at www.freedomofmind.com, and/or watched his FREE videos on his website?

If you want to help your partner think for herself, have you tried doing the following:

Ask your partner how the both of you would raise your children. Raising children in the WTBTS would limit their opportunities in life and might cause them emotional issues.
Learn how to ask simple questions like Billy the Ex-Bethelite did in the thread exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed. Also, ask simple questions to learn more about what a your partner's authentic persona loves to do.
Learn how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes that JWs use, like why does she feel that the WTBTS has the "Truth". Does that mean that other religions are teaching falsehoods? What proof does she have that the WTBTS is teaching the "Truth"? Don't accept general answers. Ask for specific proof.
Encourage your partner to independently research subjects she is interested in using the internet. Once she learns how to search the internet and feel comfortable doing it, she may start searching the internet about WTBTS topics.
Encourage your partner to do fun, time-consuming, non-WTBTS activites/hobbies that she loves and where she can meet more non-JWs.

Choose wisely!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

16

Sport Motorcycle riding anyone?

by SpeedRacer in

just curious to see how many on here like to carve up roads.

if so what type of bike and where do you ride.. 1987 yamaha fj1200.

1986 yamaha fj1200.

ABibleStudent

2003 Suzuki SV650S - Great for commutting on crowded freeways, or riding along the beaches or through the mountains. Currently have ridden more than 54,000 miles on it.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

5

Controlling emotions when it come to JW's

by SpeedRacer in

jw
friends

wow i have a lot of anger hidden inside for the jw organization.

just had a conversation with a good friend and jw coworker.

j has 2 sisters that are disfellowshipped and he has been working on getting reinstated himself.

ABibleStudent

Hi SpeedRacer, It is ok to feel angry and frustrated when talking with a JW. If you want to control your feelings when talking with JWs, change your objective from them agreeing with you and leaving the WTBTS to learning how to critically think for themselves. Let them critically evaluate whether they want to be a JW or not.

If you want to help JWs critically think for themselves, have you considered doing the following:

Read information by cult-exit counselors, like Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"), visiting his website www.freedomofmind.com, and watching his videos on his website.
Learn how to ask simple questions like Billy the Ex-Bethelite did in the thread exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed. Also, ask simple questions to learn more about what a JW's authentic persona loves to do.
Learn how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes that JWs use,
Encourage JWs to independently research subjects they are interested using the internet. Once they learn how to search the internet and feel comfortable doing it, they may start searching the internet about WTBTS topics.
Encourage JWs to do fun, time-consuming, non-WTBTS activites/hobbies that they love and where they can meet more non-JWs.

Best of wishes helping JWs to critically think for themselves.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

17

My evening at the pub - how many ex-JW's do you think there are?

by berrygerry in

so i'm having a pint and talking to the owner and his gf.. she's talking about her line of work - leads to my family history - and that my wife is in a strange religion.. the owner snorts, and says very disdainfully that his ex was a jehovah's witness.

i said bingo.. then the barmaid pipes in about her grandma and all of her aunts and uncles were witnesses, and were all out.

but the grandma has witness siblings, so went back after 20 years.

ABibleStudent

Hi berrygerry, I displayed a graph in the thread No wonder they hate apostates!! (1) - Jehovahs-Witness.Net that estimated that there were ~ 2 million exJWs world-wide in 2010. Even though ~ 2 million JWs may have left the WTBTS, there are too many who have not overcome the WTBTS's mind manipulation and still feel that the WTBTS does have the "Truth" and/or are still adversely affected by the WTBTS's mind manipulation.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

31

My neighbor is a return visit. Should I say something?

by Zoos in

jw
friends

i stayed home sick from work the other day and noticed a car group pull up to my neighbor's house.

she's a stay-at-home mom.

i decided it was time to retrieve something from my truck to see if i could recognize the visiting sisters.

ABibleStudent

Hi Zoos, At the very least ask your neighbor how much she knows about the WTBTS and that www.jwfacts.com is a balanced source of information.

According to Steven Hassan, he would not have joined the Moonies if he had been told by his rabbi that the Unification Church was a dangerous cult or told the truth about the Unification Church's doctrines witin a week of being invited to a meeting.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

26

The TRUE story of a Pedophile

by Tech49 in

this is a true experience that i thought i would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area.

it is a real experience, nothing made up here.. a younger couple moved into our kh, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our kh).

they seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way.

ABibleStudent

I guess this story will never be retold at a convention. Thanks for sharing so that JW visitors will be warned about how elders will protect their children from pedophiles.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

11

Need help talking with my JW mom who's now willing to "listen" to what we have to say...

by 2pink in

my husband and i (both born in jws--entire extended families all still in excpet for my sister) left the church 5 years ago.

i literally woke up one day and realized it wasn't the "truth".

i did not fade, i just left and told my family i didn't believe it anymore.

ABibleStudent

Hi 2pink, Have you asked your mother, "What would cause her to believe that the WTBTS is not God's sole channel to "True Christians" and does not teach Bible truths?" Once you know what will cause your mother to critically think for herself, then help her to independently research the WTBTS and its doctrines - DO NOT do research for her.

One Bible scripture that the WTBTS misquotes and it teaches to JWs as a thought-stopping platitude is in John 6:60-70. Simon Peter's rhetorical answer to Jesus Christ's question is to lead Christians to Jesus Christ and not to a place nor an organization. Also, if Jesus Christ believed in shunning disciples who stopped following him, why didn't he tell the remaining 12 disciples to shun those disciples who left?

Have you read any information by cult-exit counselors like Steven Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"), visited his website www.freedomofmind.com, and/or watched his FREE videos on his website?

Best of wishes helping your mother to critically think for herself.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

19

Any stock market investors here?

by EndofMysteries in

jw
friends

if so, i was just wondering if there are any books or steps (classes, etc) you took or recommend to really learn it.

and for what you recommend, what exactly do you do?

(long term, short, daytrade, calls, sell high buy low, buy low sell high, etc).

ABibleStudent

Hi EndofMysteries, By opening an account and depositing $500 at TDAmeritrade www.tdameritrade.com, you will be able to download ThinkorSwim software. With the ThinkorSwim software you will be able to listen to trading chats by professional traders as well as using PaperMoney and OnDemand features to practice trading with virtual money. Don't do any day trading until you have practised trading using PaperMoney or OnDemand for at least 1 year.

Best of Wishes.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

11

The conflict of living in a divided home is finally getting to me - 8 years later - advice please

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

to cut my long story short, having left the religion in 2006, my marriage with 2 young kids involved went through a fairly difficult time.

for a few years.

as i rebelled against the belief system i was astonished that having pointed out reasonable & logical objections, my wife just stood by the religion.

ABibleStudent

Hi jambon1, I'm sorry about how you feel.

Since you cannot change what your wife believes, have you thought about going to a counselor to help you deal with your feeings and coping with your situation? If your wife wasn't a JW, you and your wife had major fights, and she did not want to see a counselor, what would you do? I was faced with that choice once, and I wish that I had gone to a counselor sooner. Don't waste your time being miserable.

If you changed your objective from getting your wife and family out of the WTBTS to helping your wife and family critically think for themselves, would that help you feel better? How would you feel if you could get your wife involved in fun, time-consuming, non-WTBTS activities/hobbies that you both love and would help you both to meet more non-JWs friends? Have you tried to learn how to overcome your wife using thought-stopping platitudes and cult speak? Instead of showing your wife what is wrong with the WTBTS, have you tried asking her simple questions and encouraged her to critically think for herself and do her own independent research?

Best of wishes for feeling better soon.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert