i have put together a video - growing up a jehovah's witness 1960 -2010. it aims to show the things a witnesses would be taught as they age over those decades.
it is 15 minutes long.
this is my first attempt at a video and it took a while to work out how to use final cut, so please feel free to make suggestions if anything should be changed.
Hi jwfacts, great video to help converts understand what they may be getting into by becoming witnesses. i agree with Mickey mouse that the difference between the written quotes and audio quotes is distracting. I liked the topics, including the images from the watchtower and Awake!, and the music background.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
ok, quick run down of my situation.. .
1. i am not religious.
my now-fiance was raised jw but left the religion about 10 years ago.. 2. we started dating last march, i got pregnant within two weeks.
Junebug_11 - . . . He says that he's open-minded and not brainwashed and has done research....and yet will not explore other religions with me, since JW is "the truth".
I know that we're not supposed to try to change our partner (since it never works), but I really feel like I had the rug pulled out from under me on this one. I feel like he really sprung it all on me, after it was too late to leave (since it was after the birth of our child and 9 months together!).
Welcome Junebug_11 and thank you for your introduction. JW's often use platitudes like "I read all of the Bible", "I read other Bibles besides the NWT", "JW's are not perfect", "I am open minded and have researched my faith", etc. When your f iancée says that he has researched his faith ask him what kind of research has he done? He will probably say he read WTBTS literature, so then ask him if he reads non-approved WTBTS literature like "Crisis of Conscience" and "Combatting Cult Mind Control"? It is very important to recognize when your f iancée is saying platitudes and asking him questions so that he realizes what he is doing.
Also, It sounds like you have some doubts about the stability and/or integrity of your f iancée . Unlike your feelings about not changing your f iancée , your f iancée will try to convert you when ever he can. JWs are a male-chauvinistic organization and twist the headship scripture to dominate and control women. You should go with your f iancée to a therapist so that you can ask some very tough questions that other members of this forum have written about. It is better to spend a month or more going to a therapist to help you and your f iancée discuss these difficult issues before marriage, than to regret marrying your f iancée and/or getting a divorce.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
partydelights - . . . Start dating with your wife again. . . .
Hi itsibitsybrainbutbigenoughtosmellarat. I like partydelights' ideas especially about start dating your wife again! You are very lucky to have left the WTBTS with your wife. Start spending time with each other and rediscover what you love about each other. When you were a JW you may have been so busy that you lost touch with each other.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
alreet geezaz!
;p. a sweet old lady from my old hall has baited to a nice email i sent, which is good and bad, as you can see in my posts here http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/211809/1/study-conductor-challenge-plus-hello i quite like the people at my old study hall, so i wanted to free a few minds from there.. but on the other hand i didn't want ruin a nice old ladys whole lifes beliefs.
i'm stuck in a conundrum.
Black Sheep - No. Don't do anything to trip opposer/apostate flags. Information that impresses you, might just scare her off at this point. Save that for much later.
Ask questions based on what she shows you and tells you. That way, you don't have to bring anything new to the table.
She has to realise that she is teaching you a load of crap by doing her own research to answer your questions. Don't do it for her.
Hi educatingMyself. I agree with Black Sheep. Spend time with the lady and learn from your experience without the expectation to free her mind. If JWs are not spending enough time with her, she may enjoy the experience. I am kind of curious how the changes in JW doctrine from "1914: the Generation that will not Pass" to "Overlapping Generations" would have changed the lady's retirement plans. If the Apocalypse may not happen for another 100 years, would she have done things differently?
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
hello everyone,.
also hello bethel, you can tell your superiors there is another one that no longer accepts your authority.. right now, i just want to say hello.. i think everyone understand what is to wake up to reality.. .
.
Welcome johny5. What is your story? Are you a fan of the Matrix?
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
dear all,.
i'm new here and this is my first post.
i hope to introduce myself in order to gain more friends online.. to begin, i'm middleage and has just left wt with my family intact (praise god for that).
partydelights - Today, I try to join online forums (including this one) to get myself on the "Internet Highway" so as to travel as quickly as possible away from WT ligerings. For those who wish to know more about me, you can read what PartyDelights post on Yahoo! R&S.
Welcome partydelights and thank you for your introduction. You are very lucky to escape with your family intact and now you have the rest of your life to enjoy them free from the WTBTS. Since you sound like you have left the WTBTS and have plenty of doubts about it representing Our Father, I won't recommend that you read Raymond Franz's books (e.g., "Crisis of Conscience") and I will recommend that you read Steve Hassan's books (e.g., "Combatting Cult Mind Control") to learn how to overcome residual effects of WTBTS indoctrination.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
i am looking for a like minded female jw for friendship and more..
Welcome mwild20. What else are you looking for? If you are looking for a female JW, you would have better luck at a KH than on this forum. Sixty-percent of JWs are female, so KH's are a "target rich environment" for you.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
the older i get, the more i see that the collective intelligence of people isn't too high.
i lump myself in on that.. when i first left, i was so conflicted.
do i try to help others by bringing down the wtbts?
Hi AllTimeJeff, I am glad that you are in a good place now. If you want to lighten up, do something that a kid would do, go to the park and play in the grass or on the swings. Although I spend way too much time on this forum, I also go have fun riding a bicycle, playing tennis, riding a motorcycle, talking with friends, laughing, etc.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
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in another thread i wrote: i didn't left the jw's and don't plan to do so.
Lazarus - When I would decide to disassociate from JWs, the consequences would be quite clear. I would lose my relationship with family and friends. Maybe even contact. The price to pay would be not only high for me, my beloved family and friends would suffer due to my decision too. Some of them more then they could bear.
Further consequences could be necessity to relocate, depression, counseling and more.
When I look at what I would gain leaving JWs, it appears to me not a quarter as good than the losses I would suffer. Therefore I will do what is best for me, namely stay a JW.
. . . .
Consider careful which decision will be the best for you. Make a list with all pro and cons. Weight every entry. Put them in the pair of balances. Examine which side outweighs the other. Do what is best for you.
P.S.: Hate to write in English language.
Hi Lazarus, you stated what your cons were for leaving the WTBTS, but you did not state what your pros were for leaving. What do you feel would be pros for leaving the WTBTS? How has the WTBTS' doctrine changes affected your life (i.e., "1914 the generature that will not pass" to "Overlapping Generations" How far away from retirement are you? Will you have sufficient assets to live a comfortable life in retirement? If you spent less time serving the WTBTS would you have more time to study to get a better job, and make more money? Do you need a more reliable car? Would you like to take a nice relaxing vacation? Do you like to travel? Do you like to feely discuss your opinions with others in person, instead of through the JWN?
From your post it seems that you have doubts about WTBTS' doctrines and that you are staying in the WTBTS because of how other people would treat you. If you disagree with WTBTS' doctrines, how can you demonstrate your displeasure (i.e., stop donating, not doing field service, not reading WTBTS literature during Bible Studies, reading the Bible without reading WTBTS literature, etc.) with the WTBTS. If you always live your life for others and ignor your feelings, the consequence is that eventually you will regret living.
P.s. - If you hate writing in English, have you asked Simon to start a new forum for your native language or have you used the free translation services on http://www.freetranslation.com/ to reduce your frustrations? Just because you don't like something does not mean that you do not have the power to change your situation.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
i haven't been inside a kingdom hall in years.
i wasn't df'd or da'd, just faded away...so to speak.
but i haven't been totally free from the clutches of this organization because my husband is in it.
Welcome lilypadaz and thank you for your introduction. Have you read Steve Hassan's books (e.g., "Combatting Cult Mind Control") and Raymond Franz's books (e.g., "Crisis of Conscience")? Steve Hassan's books will help you deal with JWs in cult mode. Raymond Franz's books will help you to ask your husband questions that will hopefully get your husband to question the WTBTS doctrines. It is better to ask your husband questions than confront your husband, until your husband has doubts.
By the way Lilypadaz with the WTBTS' changes in doctrines from the "1914 the Generation that will not pass" to the "Overlapping Generation", is your husband trying to actively build up your retirement assets? If the WTBTS' doctrine changes the timing of the Apocalypse to be sometime between now and 2114, won't you and your husband need to build-up your retirement assets so that you are not destitute during your retirement? Talking about your retirement planning should be a family matter more than a spiritual matter, and may make your husband question the WTBTS' doctrinal changes.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
ABibleStudent
