Posts by snakeface

25

I think I made up my mind

by paradiseseeker in

jw
friends

a month ago i travelled alone to italy for three days and i had the opportunity to visit the beautiful florence and re-visit many parts of rome.. but most importantly, i had the opportunity to stay alone and think about my situation and to make up my mind.. i've had very clear for almost 5 years that i will eventually leave the religion, but i couldn't decide when.. but now i know : i will leave on april 20th, the day after the memorial.. that day i will talk to my parents (this is by far the hardest thing to do) and soon afterwards i will talk to my closest friends, then i will send my disassociation letter.

i know that i will let them down, i will hurt them, most probably some of them will cry... but i need to live coherently for the first time in my life.

i'm sure that living in this contradiction is affecting and will affect my mental health and it's time for me to help myself instead of others.

snakeface

paradiseseeker, you said you are letting your friends down by leaving. No, you are not.letting them down. You are doing what you believe is right. If they do not support your decision, THEY ARE NOT FRIENDS. Their loyalty is to the organization, not to you.

You will find that out very soon. And when you do, do not.lose sight of the fact that YOU are not the problem. They are.

Imagine if you always went shopping at Walmart each week with your friends. Then you decided you like Target better. So you told your friends you will not be going with them to Walmart anymore, but you would love it if they would come to Target with you, just once, to see how it is. What if then they said they will no longer speak to you, or even help you if your car breaks down and you are stranded, until you shop at Walmart with them. How ridiculous! You would be able to see that they do not care what your personal shopping preference is; they are only concerned about you being who they expect you to be.

That's exactly how the WT cult is.

22

Less facial hair? More spirituality!

by neat blue dog in

we've often seen the happifying kingdom trope of a bearded bible student coming up from the baptism water with a freshly shaven, baby smooth face.

beards, after all, signify independent thinking and are best left to worldlings.

our new july 2019 issue of the watchtower, however, sheds increasing light on the subject.

snakeface

This cult focuses on the wrong things.

I know several very conservative Baptist pastors who are now in their 80s and a few in their 90s. Back in the day, all males would wear suits to church. The ladies wore dresses. Ladies wouldn't dare to wear pants to church. We know this is not the case today. Women wear pants to church, even jeans. Men also wear jeans to church. Some men have long hair, and pierced ears. You will also see tattooed people in church. I asked these old, conservative pastors what they think of this. Their answer was, " I am just grateful that they come I don't tell my people what to wear and what not to wear. They come here to worship and to hear God's Word being taught, not to be controlled by any spiritual leader."

If only the WT had the same viewpoint.

The NWT translates Jesus' words at John 7:24 this way: Stop judging from the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgement.

7

Birthday coming soon

by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

jw
friends

your thoughts on this please.i am asking you coz i can never ever share this with the jdubs.they will want me not to do this as it is "worldy association".

my birthday is coming soon.this is what i normally have done (not on my birthdays since i was .

still pimi then) in the past for days/ dates that are close to my heart and special/ even people.

snakeface

Zing, what a great idea! So Christ-like! Enjoy it.

And...have the Happiest Birthday ever!

15

Bethel Life

by Holden Caufield in

what is life like for those in bethel?.

snakeface

LongHairGal, I guess what happens to Bethelites is, when they get too old and frail to work they return home and relatives have to take them in since they have no money. And those who leave when young have nothing to put on a job resume.

Technology is available now so that the Writing Committee can send their compositions directly to printers and binding machines. That's what the secular workforce does. An accountant or bookkeeper prepares an Income Statement or other such document, prints it and hands it to the recipients. Or he sends them electronically. The recipients review them and make their decisions.

So "Bethel" is no longer needed.

22

Went to the KH a few days ago.

by nowawake14 in

jw
friends

i actually visited the kh a few days ago.

i just needed to see some friends.

i hadn't been in months.

snakeface

nowawake 14, you said you went because you just wanted to see some friends. Why are you going them? Why don't they come to you?

Eventually you will realize that they are not your friends. This includes any blood relatives. They do not love you. Their loyalty is to "the organization". You deserve to have true friends, who are happy to see you be/do what you want to be/do, rather than just trying win you over to be what they feel you should be.

519

Tony Morris video footage of him buying a dozen bottles of scotch

by UnshackleTheChains in

i was howling watching cedars latest video of tm111 buying a dozen bottles of scotch ((maccallans scotch).

you can't write this stuff.

right, i'm now off to buy a bottle of maccallans 😂..

snakeface

moomanchu, this is the one time that a Watchtower prophesy came true!

40

Holy Spirit - Present or Gone in the Congregations?

by BourneIdentity in

i was doing some reminiscing and remember the days back in the late 80s and early 90s where i truly could say the meetings were so encouraging and that i felt the holy spirit present and operating on all of us.

today when i attend, there is nothing of the sort.

is it because jehovah has withheld it?

snakeface

You are waking up.

Maybe the REAL Holy Spirit is enlightening you.

15

Bethel Life

by Holden Caufield in

what is life like for those in bethel?.

snakeface

I heard nothing but horror stories.

I was baptized in 1981 at age 25, came in from "the world". Single. Aux pio'd for a year then was a reg pio (and worked full time and had my own place). I was considered an example. So the elders and CO handed me a Bethel application and said they would sign off on it if I would fill it out. I had not given any thought to going. But I decided to go and visit, get a tour etc. I was impressed with Bethel but definitely did not want to apply. The dormitory life didn't bother me; I had previously been in the military and lived in the barracks. But Bethel was just too structured for me, like being in the military, and I had had enough of that. I don't want to be told what time to get up, what time to eat and so on. I want to choose what kind of job I will have. When I returned home and told the elders I was not interested in going, they acted like I was disowning the faith and throwing my life away. I remember asking them, "Wouldn't you rather have me here, as a pioneer?"

I am so glad I didn't let them talk me into going.

22

Less facial hair? More spirituality!

by neat blue dog in

we've often seen the happifying kingdom trope of a bearded bible student coming up from the baptism water with a freshly shaven, baby smooth face.

beards, after all, signify independent thinking and are best left to worldlings.

our new july 2019 issue of the watchtower, however, sheds increasing light on the subject.

snakeface

In all 3 pictures he's wearing orange. I guess this is to show that he is the same person....

22

Less facial hair? More spirituality!

by neat blue dog in

we've often seen the happifying kingdom trope of a bearded bible student coming up from the baptism water with a freshly shaven, baby smooth face.

beards, after all, signify independent thinking and are best left to worldlings.

our new july 2019 issue of the watchtower, however, sheds increasing light on the subject.

snakeface

That means they had to let an exemplary brother grow a beard so he could pose for these photos. Or it is fake hair.

In this case he looks much better with the beard.

I remember seeing an old booklet - 1960s? - that had an "illustration" of Christ impaled between the 2 thieves. Naturally the 3 condemned men were clad in only loincloths. How would they distinguish Jesus from the other two? Can't draw a halo...can't get around the fact the Jesus had a beard (Isaiah 50:6, NWT) so here's what they did. The two thieves had hairy chests whereas Jesus did not. A friend and I (both hairy) were joking that this must mean we cannot be of the anointed.