Posts by ABibleStudent

54

Planning exit, alternative venues to preach?

by Goodstein in

background:.

i've come to the conclusion that many doctrines of the wts are unscriptural after many years of privately disagreeing with some of them but feeling that the society was "mostly right" and still being used by jehovah.

this turning point has happened in the last year or so.

ABibleStudent

Goodstein - Also, the congregation I am in now is mostly educated and super-liberal (would love to share some funny annecdotes, but they might be personally identifiable...) which makes it harder to leave, because they aren't doing anything particularly cultist-like. (I don't think that the WTS is actually a destructive cult except maybe at Bethel; it's sort of in Hassan's gray zone.)

Welcome Goodstein to JWN, It seems like you may have read Steve Hassan's books, but do you fully understand how Steve Hassan uses his BITE model to evaluate an organization? If you answer yes to all of the following four questions about people in your current congregation than you are in a dangerous cult:

Do you feel that you will be shunned (or marked) for giving a talk at your congregation in which you respectfully disagree with the GB?
Do you feel that you will be shunned for reading from "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz or "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones to Leave Controlloing People, Cults and Beleifs" by Steve Hassan to your congregation?
Do you feel that you will be shunned (or marked) for announcing to your congregation that you are a member of JWN, you post on JWN, and you read controversial books (i.e., Raymond Franz's and Steve Hassan's books)?
Do you feel that you will be shunned for accepting a blood transfusion instead of refusing a transfusion and dying?

I am 100% positive that you would not fear being shunned if you did the aforementioned in a mainstream religion. You belong to a DANGEROUS CULT!!

If you want to determine how deeply controlled your father is, invite him to go on father-son vacation at the same time that a convention is being held. If he insists that he must go to the convention instead of spending time with you, you will have your answer about how deeply controlled he is.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

32

I'm so offended by what happened today at the KIngdom Hall!!

by Vienna Angelika in

so today we were late for the meeting as usual.

this is because i take a really bad medication where i literally cannot function in the first part of the day but without it i am even worse.

we got there near the end of the talk and it was in my opinion very anoying.

ABibleStudent

Welcome Vienna Angelika, I'm sorry that you get so sick from your meds and that the your JWs friends feel so little compassion for you.

By the way what are your plans? You wrote that you attend school. Is that high school, vocational school, or college? How many of your friends and family are JWs?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

12

AUSTRALIA: January 11, 2013 - Terms of Reference for Child Abuse Royal Commission

by jwleaks in

letters patent.

elizabeth the second, by the grace of god queen of australia and her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth:.

the honourable justice peter david mcclellan am,.

ABibleStudent

Royal Commission Press Conference held on 01/11/2013 - "The Commission will prepare an interim report by no later than 30 June 2014 so that governments and organisations can start taking action on the Commission's early findings and recommendations."

H'mm the GB should mark 30 June 2014 on their calendars. I hope that Australian fireworks will help JWs celebrate over 100 years of failed WTBTS prophecies and policies. GO AUSSIES!!!!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

61

just support please

by Roberta804 in

i have had to make some very difficult decisions in recent days.

in one way i feel good about takeing care of myself and my mother who is on her dead bed in the room next to me.

mom has live with me since 2005 and started to make her journey to the other side on christmas day.

ABibleStudent

Hi Roberta804, I'm sorry about your mother getting worse and having to deal with disrespectful people at the same time. I feel that you are well within your rights to give respect to people who are respectful to you especially in your own home. Best of wishes for you.

Peace to you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

31

please help

by joyfulfader in

i am posting to ask this group of wonderful people to help my friend who is with me now.

we are discussing her serious doubts and the barriers she is facing as the wife of an elder with small children.

she is desperately looking for help to pull away without causing dissention in her otherwise very good marriage.

ABibleStudent

Hi joyfulfader, Although reading Raymond Franz's books (i.e., "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom") are good books for JWs to see what is wrong with the WTBTS, I do not believe that it is as helpful as learning ways to overcome the BITE control techniques that the WTBTS uses on JWs and recruits.

I would suggest that your friend read Steve Hassen's books ( "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones to Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Organizations"), and visiting Steve Hassan's website, visiting websites like JWfacts, reading threads like 'The BEST way to "wake up" a JW', and suggesting that your friend join JWN to post regularly for emotional support and additional ideas to help her husband awaken. If she owns a Kindle or iPad, she could buy the "Freedom of Mind" (Steve Hassan's latest book) as an e-book on Amazon.com.

Best of Wishes for your friend to leave the WTBTS with her family together.

Peace be with you and your friend and everyone, who you love,

Robert

33

1/15 WT- Guilt, Guilt, and More Guilt ! Black & White Cult Reasoning !

by flipper in

jw
friends

this particular article was discussed or touched on a couple months ago regarding the wt society's statement concerning jw's putting " jehovah above everything else- including the family bond " .

so i won't address those points in this thread, but there are many other points to address where the wt society uses guilt and black & white cult reasoning to control jw's minds with this information from the article titled, " let nothing distance you from jehovah ".

first off in paragraph 5 the wt tries to make people feel guilty looking for work and insists that if you get any job that takes you away from family- it will distance you from jehovah !

ABibleStudent

finally awake - I was always a bit annoyed by the constant harping on the need to be in service every single Saturday morning and after meeting on Sunday. They literally didn't want me to have a single day to myself. I'm not a morning person at all, and the ability to sleep in and not have to get moving and out of the house at least one day a week is vital to my mood and mental well being. Now that I don't attend meetings at all, I get two days per week to do as I please. Sometimes I get up and go places, sometimes I spend the whole weekend in pajamas hanging out with Just Ron

The WTBTS must keep JWs too busy doing anything rather than thinking for themseleves - the WTBTS is a DANGEROUS CULT!!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

29

Is it wrong to stay in?

by confusedteenager in

jw
friends

i feel like, i don't believe in the majority of what the gb teaches, but all of my friends and family are invested in this organization and i feel it would be easier on me to just play the part and continue going through the motions then try to leave right now.

is this taking the coward way out?.

i just feel like i wouldn't have much to look forward if i stepped away..

ABibleStudent

Hi confusedteenager, Put your time to good use while you are still considered a good JW. Get a good education and job, and learn how to help awaken those who you love without getting Df'ed.

I would suggest reading Steve Hassen's books ( "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones to Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Organizations"), and visiting Steve Hassan's website, visiting websites like JWfacts, reading threads like 'The BEST way to "wake up" a JW', and posting regularly on JWN for emotional support and additional ideas. If you own a Kindle, you can buy the "Freedom of Mind" (his latest book) as an e-book on Amazon.com.

The Best of Wishes in making and living with your decision(s).

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

17

Especially for Cedars - My Cunning Plan. Or maybe not

by not bitter in

until the conti case came to light, i was not aware of the extent of child abuse going on in the org.

and i was completely unaware of the jw policies on these matters.

i read their offical policy on child abuse on jw.org and was gob smacked to say the least.

ABibleStudent

Hi not bitter, I agree with other posters about not involving your child in a fake story, but you might be able to use real information and stories to wake up your parents.

Since you use "mum" to describe your mother, does that mean you live in the British Common Wealth? If you do, you should ask your parents what they think about the Royal Commission in Australia that will be investigating organizational practises to protect children. Read the thread "AUSTRALIA: January 11, 2013 - Terms of Reference for Child Abuse Royal Commission". I know of several organizations in the USA that have very stringent child protection policies enforced, such as the Boy Scouts of America, Amateur Athletic Association, and the Civil Air Patrol. Why does the WTBTS follow the two Witness rule instead of encouraging JWs to report crimes to local law enforcement? Since you are a mother and want to protect your child, asking your parents for advice seems logical to open up a conversation that will make them think.

Does the country where you live have a similiar law to America's Megan Law? If it does research JWs in your area to determine if any are labeled as pedophiles and then ask your parents how they feel about a particular JW being classified as a pedophile.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

12

AUSTRALIA: January 11, 2013 - Terms of Reference for Child Abuse Royal Commission

by jwleaks in

letters patent.

elizabeth the second, by the grace of god queen of australia and her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth:.

the honourable justice peter david mcclellan am,.

ABibleStudent

Hortensia - You could not describe what religious institutions do regarding reports of pedophilia as "best practice." It will be very interesting to see "best practice" defined, and then see how institutions like the wtbts respond.
Can you think of any institution that does NOT cover up allegations of child abuse until forced to face the issue? Well, maybe schools and doctors report the problem responsibly nowadays. Can't think of any other institutions that act responsibly in this regard.

Actually several institutions in America (i.e., Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Boy Scouts of America, and Civil Air Patrol to name a few) have policies to notify local law enforcement as soon as possible and/or require finger print background checks. Why doesn't the WTBTS or Catholic Church have the same type of policies to protect children? Because those institutions care more about their institutional image than protecting children.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

12

AUSTRALIA: January 11, 2013 - Terms of Reference for Child Abuse Royal Commission

by jwleaks in

letters patent.

elizabeth the second, by the grace of god queen of australia and her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth:.

the honourable justice peter david mcclellan am,.

ABibleStudent

I wonder if the Commission would like to see the WTBTS's new light (i.e., the WTBTS's BOE Pedophile Protection Letter) and the WTBTS's copyright infringement letter that proves the the BOE letter is legitiment?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert