Posts by Red Piller

20

Great Tribulation: Thank God It's Not true

by Red Piller in

i grew up dreading the gt.

armageddon not so much.

i was a pretty good kid so i figured i'd be saved.

Red Piller

Also, when I was a believer, years ago - I mentioned the GT to a missionary. I said that it seemed that JW's in other countries have already experienced it. His comment was: "this country (USA) needs a prolonged period of intense persecution." Even, then, I thought that comment was so twisted. So, to drum up the zeal a little bit, why not have a few brothers and sisters killed, right? Makes sense to me....

20

Great Tribulation: Thank God It's Not true

by Red Piller in

i grew up dreading the gt.

armageddon not so much.

i was a pretty good kid so i figured i'd be saved.

Red Piller

Kudra - you caught my humor, thanks!

Thanks for the replies all. When I say the GT is not true, I meant what we were taught about this scripture from the WT. And Falcon, I agree, I've met some who have made the same comment.

35

Thanks to Those That Went Before Us

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

i want to say thanks to those that have blazed the trail for others to become former jehovah's witnesses.. many were disfellowshipped or disassociated, some stopped going to meetings before "faders" existed.

many had no internet or any way of gathering with others who left the jw's.

later, the likes of randy watters and ray franz gave many a sense of a group conscience with their efforts and writings.

Red Piller

Congrats Jerry from Chicago.

64

Attention Lurkers- the Paradise Resort Bus

by stuckinamovement in

jw
friends

imagine boarding a bus with your family for a long anticipated vacation.

the destination is a place that is promised to be beautiful warm and sunny.

as you are boarding the bus you are given a ticket stub with several paragraph's of fine print.

Red Piller

This was brilliant, SIAM.

50

DO NOT have children in this system!!

by What Now? in

growing up, this is something that my other always told me.

i've had several conversations with older sisters who have said that if they could do things over, they wouldn't have had children.

other couples my own age are horrified at the thought of raising children in "this system".

Red Piller

I know of an elder and wife couple now in their 50's who are childless. They were 2nd generation and rec'd a lot of pressure from parents and the cong to not have kids. They finally decided to try when she was in her mid-forties. All that resulted was one miscarriage. They are good-hearted and generous people. Breaks my heart what this "faith" does to lives.

35

What Is It That Really Troubles the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses?

by orangefatcat in

well i think what worries them the most is that more and more witnesses are becoming free thinkers and that is troubling them, it worries them that thinking freely will cause them to seek answers elsewhere and that is the last thing the gb wants.

they have pulled the reins so tight now how much tighter can they pull before many witnesss crack under their yokes.

what is your thoughts on this matter.. .

Red Piller

The internet. Information is available. Also, if you are df'ed you know are a quick google search away from a many supportive communities and a facebook message away from many friends on the sly. The sting is not what it used to be..

243

Victoria, Australia: Steven Unthank's Press Release: JW's Hierarchy Formally Charged Today With Child Abuse

by AndersonsInfo in

jehovah's witnesses hierarchy charged.

immediate press release: 26 july 2011. link to this press release: http://wp.me/p1g1hc-4o.

worldwide church hierarchy charged with child abuse.

Red Piller

One thing I hope the court keeps in mind is that this cult will cause 1 or 2 strangers will appear at a door. What if a child is at home? What assurance is there that this JW is not a predator?

Also, I've been thinking about the motives behind WT noncompliance.

So, look at it from their point of view. They have potentially 1,000's of MS's and elders who would be interviewed and scrutinized. These ones,even if they are clean in the legal sense, are loose cannons. They are typically under-educated and over-filled with a sense of their own importance and assurance of God's backing. There are a lot attitudes and scandals that are not revealed to outsiders. There is a risk of things coming to light that will engender even more gov't scrutiny and publicity. Remember how JW's are strongly counseled not to talk to the press individually. Everything needs to go through Bethel to control the message. This scenario is a nightmare from a control perspective.

Also, think of the JW brothers, that may be clean, but will be spooked by the whole process. You could have many MS's and elders quit. There is already a shortage in every congregation.

So, I could see why they would hope they could skirt this requirement.

20

Great Tribulation: Thank God It's Not true

by Red Piller in

i grew up dreading the gt.

armageddon not so much.

i was a pretty good kid so i figured i'd be saved.

Red Piller

LWT: Unfortunately, I am still in. But all in due time....It's funny I never feared Armageddon. I figured that even if I displeased God, it'd be over quick. But real-life atrocities, holocausts and wars fed my fear about what the GT would be like. I agree, it's such a relief to not think about this anymore.

Mad Sweeney - I think it's true, also. The constant control and fear-mongering causes your psyche to be in constant fight-or-flight mode. It so harmful and it manifests itself in many ways. I had the occasional panic attack. And right before "awakening," they were happening on the platform. This was odd, since I was always admired for being so at ease in front of the congregation.

20

Great Tribulation: Thank God It's Not true

by Red Piller in

i grew up dreading the gt.

armageddon not so much.

i was a pretty good kid so i figured i'd be saved.

Red Piller

Hi Quarterback, I agree. No one is waking up in the morning with their first priority finding a JW to torture. But, we were told the opposite. That the whole world will align itself against JW's right before Armageddon. And yes it would have affected how we lived. Between seeing other countries in misery like Somalia and being told tales of Zimbabwe in the WT - it was easy to imagine it happening.

It is morbid. And it was indoctrinated. So it is a relief to be free from thinking all of this is going to happen. I realize now that I am an upbeat person. And I like to think of funny and upbeat things. These thoughts were implanted by years of WT studies.

Transhuman, too funny! You were smarter than me!

20

Great Tribulation: Thank God It's Not true

by Red Piller in

i grew up dreading the gt.

armageddon not so much.

i was a pretty good kid so i figured i'd be saved.

Red Piller

I grew up dreading the GT. Armageddon not so much. I was a pretty good kid so I figured I'd be saved. And if I wasn't, it'd be over quick. But, the GT, was another story. Maybe I'd be raped as a male - or be forced to watch as someone I cared for was abused/tortured or killed. What if I caught pnemonia in the concentration camp? I'd be dead in no time.

Crazy fantasies as I lived in one of the safest/stable countries of the world. Even as I am active, for now, it is a relief it is to know I and my family won't be directly targetted by Gog of Magog - yadda yadda yadda.

It's great to simply appreciate the same thing as James Brown: Living in America!