Posts by Giordano

15

I realize that this is kind of personal, but

by stillin in

jw
friends

what does being a "spiritual person" mean to you?

the religion would have had us to believe that our place in the organization is definitive of that.

or how often we pray.

Giordano

A 'spiritual person' to me is a person who can be aware of those things that you can actually hear, see, taste or recognize especially when there is something special going on.

A sunrise or sunset that is wildly different from the norm Is a "hey come look at this" moment.

Whatever it is one realizes it was always there but you just didn't see it or hear it.

Smell plays a role as well. A baking pie or cake can trigger a reaction. That evergreen Christmas tree can cause a spiritual reaction as memories of past celebrations flood in.

It's like a door opening up or a window letting in the smell or sight of something that triggers a response.

It can be a collective moment like fireworks, a stilling of the crowd as everyone watches the spectacle. Or a music performance.

Being a spiritual person has nothing to do with religion....... though religion has always claimed it.

It's a special moment when you see or hear something....... that allows you to get beyond yourself.

16

The reactive mind vs the thoughtful mind...

by RayoFlight2014 in

jw
friends

a thought came to me as i was posting on another topic.

my reactionary mind, responding to watchtower's cruel and hostile treatment of genuine truthseekers who can no longer reconcile with watchtower's narrative was, " may the collapse begin".. but then my thoughts turned to how that would affect my parents and siblings who are blissfully oblivious with their collective heads in the sand.

all their hopes and future joy has been postponed for decades awaiting paradise while fighting off the black dog that is depression.

Giordano

Eric Hoffer wrote in his book....... The True Believer:

"All active mass movements strive, therefore, to interpose a fact-proof screen between the faithful and the realities of the world. ...by claiming that the ultimate and absolute truth is already embodied in their doctrine and that there is no truth nor certitude outside it. ...To rely on the evidence of senses and of reason is heresy and treason. It is startling to realize how much unbelief is necessary to make belief possible.

What we know as blind faith is sustained by innumerable unbelief's."

It is dangerous to believe in illusions. Putting your life in the hands of a Publishing and Real Estate holding corporation keeps the illusion.......... alive and well.

21

What can a therapist really do?

by Thetruthhurts in

hi all, i've not read the forums for awhile as i've been trying to move on with my life but i'm back and posting for the first time feeling like i cant get a grip.

so i'm wondering for those of you that have seen a therapist and say that it truly helps, what can be accomplished?

i'm just really skeptical, but starting to feel desperate.

Giordano

This is not just a problem for the JW's who want to leave......a heck of a lot of people are trying to get distance from their high control religion....shake off the gilt.....create more down time and distance.

Here is an excellent place to look into. It's free and you can read the information on line.

Check it out: Religious Trauma Theory

http://journeyfree.org/rts/rts-its-time-to-recognize-it/;

Therapists have no real appropriate diagnosis in their manual. Even in the commonly used list of psychological stressors, amidst all the change and loss and disruption, there is no mention of losing one’s religion. Yet it can be the biggest crisis ever faced. This is important for therapists to be aware of because people are leaving the ranks of traditional religious groups in record numbers1 and they are reporting real suffering.

17

I finally did it

by paradiseseeker in

jw
friends

it's done.. during the last month i've been talking with my closest friends about leaving the org and yesterday i finally talked with my parents.. it's been almost 5 months after i said that i would do it, but i think that this extra time has been beneficial.

i've said several times that i would opt for sending a resignation letter, but after talking to my best friends some of them suggested me becoming inactive and blocking my congregation's elders.

i've changed my mind and i will do that because the people that i care the most now know what's going on so they won't be worrying about me not attending the meetings.

Giordano

So having been out with my pioneer wife for some 53 years I can agree with those 'short timers' lol......... that it was the best decision we ever made.

For a while it was just the two of us and a few 'leavers' who also opted to walk away. I would have become a 'bystander JW' just to keep some old friendships intact but realized that you couldn't stay in that tribe and be indifferent to their beliefs and customs.

So It was over for us.

These days the JW's really close ranks if you no longer want to be a part of all of their meetings, assumptions and silly beliefs.

If new friends and/or acquaintances are on your to do list.......... keep in mind that real relationships and real friends don't happen immediately........ a friendship has to be grown organically. Your not going to instantly bond with people who come from all walks of life. In the JW world being a JW gave you a certain level of immediate access.

My wife and I found that getting involved with a volunteer community activity was one of the best way to meet the best people and do some real good in your community.

Good luck to you. Your a real hero in our eyes. Now make your life work for you.

21

Take a Moment and Think About How Awesome You Are

by Simon in

jw
friends

it's easy to get bogged down with life and think you're not getting ahead or progressing.

but regardless of where we think things may be going, pretty much everyone who's come through this site is an achiever who's done an amazing thing in one way or another even if they may not think about it.. so think about it!.

you got past and over your programming and indoctrination.

Giordano

I wasn't a born-in....... started at the age of 12...... got baptized at 16, met my wife at 18 and we left the JW world in our early 20's. It took me 2 years to think my way out. This was in the early 1960's. Very difficult to find the truth about the Truth. With everything that's available now........ it would have taken me two days to see through the entire JW construct. Ok two weeks.

I needed to tell my wife that I wanted out. I lined up my arguments and sat her down and told her I was not going to be a JW any longer. She stopped me. Then she told me a life time of truth in five words......"I never believed in it."

We exited the religion together and good things started almost immediately. We had a son born a little before they changed the draft and it was no longer possible for fathers to be drafted (Vietnam). Since I did not have my Minister's deferment this was a huge change for us. I was planing on going to jail or at the least being a conscientious objector.

The Society announced 1975 was going to be a big deal. It came and went. We were celebrating the new year 1976 when I started to laugh. I had totally forgotten about that big 1975 Whoop.

In 1987 I needed open heart surgery and there was a problem...... they needed blood to finish the surgery and pumped in five liters of blood. I was back to living my life within a couple of weeks.

Many more good things would happen over the next decades.

With our community volunteer work both my wife and I feel like we have made this world, especially our community........ a tiny bit better.

I also like what Simon had to say about making those changes and being proud of living your life as best as you can.

There are a lot of hero's on this forum.

13

Reaching out

by Reg andeson in

jw
friends

hi everyone my name is reg anderson i am from new brunswick canada.

i have currently relocated to toronto canada.

i am currntly working in downtown toronto .

Giordano

Well said Doc!

Getting professional help is very important....especially when your involved with the JW's or other high control religions like the Amish or Moonies (also called Loonies in their day).

Therapists are the enemy of cults.

Let me put it this way.

Your in the hospital and you need surgery and that surgery calls for a blood transfusion.

The JW Hospital Liaison Committee (two or three JW Elders with High School diplomas) counsel you to not accept a blood transfusion. They quote a scripture or two and berate the dangers of accepting blood. Three days later while you are now near death you look out the window in your hospital room and those same two or three brothers are outside washing your window and every other window.

When it comes to blood or getting your head together you don't want to involve the untrained and most often totally ignorant policies of the WTBTS to interfere with the best medical care you can get.

In short never trust medical advice from a high control religion.

13

Reaching out

by Reg andeson in

jw
friends

hi everyone my name is reg anderson i am from new brunswick canada.

i have currently relocated to toronto canada.

i am currntly working in downtown toronto .

Giordano

Hi Reg,

Jhine told you the truth........this is not a pro JW forum. However who better to hang with then former JW's who had to fight to keep their marriages together and their children from shunning them?

Or would you rather associate with JW's who have tossed their 18 year old child out on the mean streets ( a JW policy). Because they no longer wanted to be associated with one of the most damaging religions ever.

On the bright side we do have a fair number of people who have gone through everything the JW's can throw at them and are still capable and well meaning.

There are people on this site willing to understand what you are experiencing......your isolation and a serious lack of interest by your fellow JW's. These are people who were JW's for 50 years or more who have come to an understanding that it was not the truth.

Listening to what you said.......... I'd look for a therapist who would be able to work through your issues apart from the religion.

Or you can be a part of this forum and ask questions and ask for help about personal issues that you can't resolve on your own.

jwfacts.org would be my first recommendation....... it's a brilliant web site that uses the WT's own publications to answer your faith based questions.

The question you should be concerned about is are you unnecessarily vulnerable when you associate with the JW religion?

23

The Jehovah's Witnesses religion is a pretentious fraud.

by Finkelstein in

yup that's right the jws religion is a pretentious fraud orchestrated by men running their own religious publishing house.. these men cultivated a semblance of power around themselves through their own propagation of being chosen by god or being more righteous than other christian leaders by their self supporting acclaim that they have truer and more accurate bible interpretations.

another known fact is these top leading men were not academically trained bible scholars.

the first leading executive writer of the wts was a professional clothing salesman/ businessman.

Giordano

It's not really that difficult to understand what the WTBTS is all about. Power and money.

Start from the early years with how 'God's House' came to be:

"Even then, cult leader Charles Taze Russell's monstrous ego would not allow him to submit to the judgement of the court. Charles Taze Russell refused to pay the increase in alimony, plus refused to pay Maria Russell's court-ordered attorney fees and court costs. Charles Taze Russell even moved his business operations to Brooklyn, New York to escape the arms of the Pennsylvania courts and Maria Russell. Facing contempt proceedings and an outstanding arrest warrant, Charles Taze Russell sailed to Europe and left Judge Rutherford behind to settle matters with Maria Russell and the Pennsylvania courts, so that he himself did not have to personally submit to anyone else's will or authority."

http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/decisions/ctrdivorce.html

Apparently God's House (Bethel) was born in corruption amid a ploy to avoid court expenses and a financial divorce settlement.
Thankfully Russell had 'Judge' Rutherford" to become his legal aid.

Side note: neither man had any off spring or ex wives attend their funerals.

And on this 'rock' a religion was formed. Corruption embraced........ and until this day....... nothing has changed.

14

I need sources for all the times JWs have expected Harmageddon

by Etude in

i expect that 2 new jw guys in the area are going to revisit me.

the left some brochures emphasizing how bad the world is and talking about the end.

i need to break through with examples (wt articles, publication excerpts, etc) so that they can gag a bit.

Giordano

Here's how you can get them to run away.

"So you guys believe in the great Flood when God decided the entire world was wicked and everyone needed to die?

So He caused the great Flood which killed everyone who were not in the ARK.

And that included every man, women and child as well as the unborn didn't it.?

The unborn were drowned is that correct?

Does the WT Society support abortions?

You guys don't believe the unborn should be aborted do you?

God caused a flood that killed the unborn and then the world returned to it's evil ways isn't that right?

So apart from killing every human who was not on the ARK what changed? What was accomplished?

Come back when you figure this out."

22

Sex before marriage.

by nicolaou in

mrs nic' and i were 16 and 18 years old respectively when we first met at a circuit assembly in corby.

three years later we were married.

we've had a great time, we're very lucky but looking back i can see how crazy it is to put that pressure to marry on teenagers.

Giordano

Early Marriage....... we 'courted' and spent a lot of time together. We were virgins when we married but always gave one another a fair amount of petting. We kept our private business private. Always had a smile on our faces.

Married for 56 years....still in love.

I tell people who ask that she is the love of my life....she tells people that I am her current husband.