Eden one... well said... I've actually come to hate the very thought that I once used to do good acts to strangers in the hope they would ask questions so that I could tell them I was a JW, and give praise to Jehovah, and perhaps get a potential return visit, and a great talking point for an assembly part, or watchtower comment.. how 'bloody' selfish... there was always that 'hidden' agenda behind every good action.. I absolutely loathe this now I've seen it for what it is.... it feels like my whole existence was 'fake'... it don't surprise me one bit that brothers have lost that genuine, care free, agenda free love for people...
The Marvster
JoinedPosts by The Marvster
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32
So, I became very ill ... what did my loving brothers do?
by EdenOne inrecently i have fallen ill with a serious case of chickenpox (shingles).
three weeks down, high fevers, and the blisters attacked mostly my scalp and face, but then also my whole upper body.
i looked horrid, truly like a mutant monster out of a nuclear disaster.
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32
So, I became very ill ... what did my loving brothers do?
by EdenOne inrecently i have fallen ill with a serious case of chickenpox (shingles).
three weeks down, high fevers, and the blisters attacked mostly my scalp and face, but then also my whole upper body.
i looked horrid, truly like a mutant monster out of a nuclear disaster.
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The Marvster
And anyway we shouldn't be surprised by all this... just look at how VALIANTLY so many witnesses go the extra mile to shun a fellow human they have been friends with and known for 10, 20, 30 years, or their own flesh and blood, shunned forever in the bat of an eyelid ....
the lack of love shouldn't surprise any of us...
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So, I became very ill ... what did my loving brothers do?
by EdenOne inrecently i have fallen ill with a serious case of chickenpox (shingles).
three weeks down, high fevers, and the blisters attacked mostly my scalp and face, but then also my whole upper body.
i looked horrid, truly like a mutant monster out of a nuclear disaster.
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The Marvster
EdenOne - your experience both deeply saddens me while simultaneously filling me with an intense burning red hot blazing fire of rage in every cell of my god damn body.. I feel your pain
This sort of thing reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally pisses me off.
Over the last year or so, thinking about JW behaviour, i had an epiphany... it may be right, it may be wrong..but I feel that JW's show love, 'love bombing' etc, not out of deep compassion for the person you are, but rather, because it apparently 'pleases Jehovah' and 'makes Jehovah look like a loving god, through his so-called people's actions'... they are doing it 'for Jehovah's name's sake' (because for some reason he is unable to do this for himself), or because it was A COMMAND from Jesus..., they love because it's written in a book that admonishes it or because they are told from the platform when and who to love; there is no heart in it, in other words, their love is out of DUTY, they love because they HAVE TO do it... I guess the reason why 'brothers' don't make contact, and have nothing to say is because, 'it's not in the kingdom ministry, or in the study edition of the watchtower', if they're not told how to act, then they don't act because there is no compassion in there in the first place.... Any previously existing involuntary or impromtu, or impulsive compassion they may have had was ceremonially removed a looooong time ago...
And now they are acting like the typical pharisee who practiced 'corban' (or Korban),because when they have the opportunity to show love to another human, they would rather take that gift (their time and love) and dedicate it to Jehovah, and leave another human to suffer or hold back love from someone in need; Jesus hated this, but this is exactly how JW's act..
Matthew 15:5,6-- But YOUsay, ‘Whoever says to his fatheror mother: “Whatever I have bywhich you might get benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God,”he must not honor his fatherat all...
This is exactly how those brothers acted towards you, they go by the book just like the pharisees, and any natural affection is completely suppressed. Sorry you had to experience that lack of love. Hopefully it will reinforce any doubts you had about returning to the fold
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Evolution is not even a theory! So says the WTBTS writing dept!!
by DATA-DOG inhas anyone read the new awake ragazine??
it's a doozy!!
i thought we had a thread concerning this subject, but i can't find it.
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The Marvster
I'm amazed too... the father actually said that he is 'open' minded, and says that he has NEVER heard anyone explain this; this seems to imply that he has asked many people to explain it, including many scientists in the field, checked all the available text books, documentaries, published articles etc etc, and found that NOBODY is able to explain this. Which JW could ever have the time to do this with all the studying of the watchtower materials they have to do which consumes all their time? where did his dad find time to do all this research...? The arrogance of the JW mentality; make an enormous sweeping statement, having done very little research into the matter, and that sweeping statement MUST BE THE IRREFUTABLE TRUTH.. if anyone challenges you on it, just dismiss them without hearing what they have to say.
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Passing ships in the night and the disobedient compassionate brother.
by The Marvster injust wanted to talk about two odd df'ing experiences i had; which gave me the 'personal' lesson that there are some in the wt who are definitely not militants when it comes to the whole disfellowshipping regime... .
passing ships in the night - the irony.
quite a while back, a brother turned up at my last congregation, he came to a few meetings and then i didn't see him for several weeks, and all of a sudden comes the announcement, he got df'd.
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The Marvster
it really defies logic, because the only way those youngsters can resolve this is by being forced to return to the 'truth'... and persevere through many months of social isolation and antisocial behavior from the 'loving' members of the congregation, where everybody acts like 'you're dead'...
I mean that situation is really screaming 'LOSE-LOSE'...
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Passing ships in the night and the disobedient compassionate brother.
by The Marvster injust wanted to talk about two odd df'ing experiences i had; which gave me the 'personal' lesson that there are some in the wt who are definitely not militants when it comes to the whole disfellowshipping regime... .
passing ships in the night - the irony.
quite a while back, a brother turned up at my last congregation, he came to a few meetings and then i didn't see him for several weeks, and all of a sudden comes the announcement, he got df'd.
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The Marvster
Vidiot, it's good to hear that your parents had (for want of a better term) the BALLS to defy that 'arbitrary' GB rule... I recon that shunning would be dropped en mass the day after, if it were ever re evaluated and seen for what it really is...
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Passing ships in the night and the disobedient compassionate brother.
by The Marvster injust wanted to talk about two odd df'ing experiences i had; which gave me the 'personal' lesson that there are some in the wt who are definitely not militants when it comes to the whole disfellowshipping regime... .
passing ships in the night - the irony.
quite a while back, a brother turned up at my last congregation, he came to a few meetings and then i didn't see him for several weeks, and all of a sudden comes the announcement, he got df'd.
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The Marvster
Thanks Wasanelder Once. Actually after writing this I worried that I might have given the impression that I was 'praising' the organisation, One thing I'm coming to realise, which is quite upsetting, is that ACTUALLY there are a lot of good hearted people out here, I've been lucky enough to make 2 really good friends and they constantly baffle me with their sincerity... I was taught that only JW's were truly loving..I believed the lie and judged all non JW's as 'incapable of true love'. (by the way, now you have me wondering why being treated humanely by a JW now I'm DF'd would elicit so much appreciation... maybe it's a case of when evil behaviour turns good? I dunno)
Doc and babygirl30, the things you said about those who were once in bad standing themselves now being potential shunners really makes me think that Shunning is less about love for the shunned one, or obedience to the GB, but more about fear-based 'self preservation'... if there was no chance of being frowned upon, and there were no repercussions for talking to DF'd or DA's I wonder how many would engage in this cruel practice?
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Power blackout during the meeting tonight!
by stuckinarut2 init was so funny!.
the small rented hall our congregation uses had a blackout.
we think there was some construction work next door that caused it.. at least the glow of everyone's tablets and cell phones kept the place illuminated!.
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The Marvster
I remember years ago when we were renting a small place during the reconstruction of our kingdom hall. There was a blackout in the area one meeting evening, it affected the place we were sat in... then after a very short while, the majority of brothers and sisters couldn't get out of the hall quick enough.. everyone just grabbed their coats and bags and practically RAN out of the hall, heading home; and of course nobody looked back for fear of actually seeing the lights come back on in the distance... I should have noticed something was wrong back then... everyone running home to 'escape' the meeting as fast as they could, just because of one blackout... lol -
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One year of being free
by Israel Ricky Gonzales inone year ago, this thursday, i went to work as usual.
i got home, ate dinner, got myself dressed for the meeting, and helped my kids get ready like i usually did.. my son had a talk that evening, his second one.
many of my family went to support him.
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The Marvster
Hi Ricky G,
First saw your testimony on JW struggle when I first got curious about what ex JW's were saying on youtube, and on some of my bad days, have watched a couple of your videos, just to hear some words of one who knows.
the one that touched me the most was the one where you were having a bad day and said FULLY how much you hate the organisation... such brutal honesty, and I felt your pain, it articulated how I feel from time to time.
and it's been nice to see, that progressively, you seem to be getting stronger, more confident, having passed though the fire and come out the other side.
it's so different being on the other side and seeing what people have to go through after being ejected or leaving the org. I have so much respect for everybody who goes through this, it takes you to the edge of insanity and emotional trauma and then 'YOU' pull yourself back, no, not with the GB's help, but your own strength, and with the support of those who really care, rather than those who pay lip service to love... It's so sad that not all survive this 'dangerous' journey, so glad you made it.
love your videos and will keep watching
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14
Passing ships in the night and the disobedient compassionate brother.
by The Marvster injust wanted to talk about two odd df'ing experiences i had; which gave me the 'personal' lesson that there are some in the wt who are definitely not militants when it comes to the whole disfellowshipping regime... .
passing ships in the night - the irony.
quite a while back, a brother turned up at my last congregation, he came to a few meetings and then i didn't see him for several weeks, and all of a sudden comes the announcement, he got df'd.
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The Marvster
Just wanted to talk about two odd DF'ing experiences I had; which gave me the 'personal' lesson that there are some in the WT who are definitely not militants when it comes to the whole disfellowshipping regime...
Passing ships in the night - the irony
Quite a while back, a brother turned up at my last congregation, he came to a few meetings and then I didn't see him for several weeks, and all of a sudden comes the announcement, he got DF'd. Anyway months later he starts attending meetings. I was an attendant at the back of the hall a lot in this period and several times had to hand him a copy of the WT if he didn't have one during the study. Most times I would sort of lean over and put my hand on his shoulder and give him a gentle but firm squeeze to get his attention while giving him the magazine; I don't know, I felt sorry for him and was trying to find a way to show him with an act of affection that he wasn't hated, as I never warmed to the whole DF'ing arrangement.
well fast forward many months and he's finally reinstated, joy of joys, I could talk to him, and we got on pretty well, and I liked the kind of person he was.
so fast forward a few more months, and guess what? yep, I'm now the DF'd one... So in the early days, not having received the organisation's 'So you've been disfellowshipped, now what?' instruction brochure ... i'm still trying to figure out how to act when I see brothers in the street etc..
Low and behold, one day I'm leaving work, turn the corner and here's this ex DF'd now reinstated brother, in field service garb, walking straight towards me; we looked at each other and I tell you what, there was not one bit of hatred, animosity, unkindness, or displeasure or anything negative in his eyes. He almost had a look that seemed to say 'I know exactly what's going on, I understand'... Then we walked past each other... the irony of it... we swapped places, with such a short friendship in between, it left me feeling pretty weird. I had expected to feel real tension when I would meet with brothers I knew, but that one proved me wrong.
another one;
The disobedient compassionate brother
I got a nice surprise the other day. I was taking a stroll during my lunch break on a quiet deserted street just beside a cemetery, and a pizza delivery guy on a motor bike pulls up next to me, takes off his motorbike helmet, revealing his face. it was a brother that used to be in the congregation; moved on but still a JW. He asked me how I was and I was really hesitant because this is the first time a witness I know has spoken to me in so long; I was taken aback and stumbled to make conversation. I asked him if he knew I was DF'd and he said 'yes but it doesn't matter, I'm speaking to you as a friend', he then tried to find out what happened and said, that if I wanted to come back, come back for Jehovah and 'not the brothers', I could have broken down in tears right there and then... he asked me if I am happy and I struggled to answer because I didn't want to explain what I've experienced since leaving the org, it would have taken too long. Well, he said goodbye to me, shook my hand and we went our separate ways.
Thing about this brother is that when he was in my congregation, he was ridiculed, vilified, mocked, by a lot in the congregation...a bit of an ugly duckling metaphorically, and was treated as an outcast by his own JW family for this. Once he sent a mass text message inviting brothers in the congregation to subscribe to JW-match, which I understand he did in total innocence just trying to help single brothers and sisters, I guess he didn't see what was coming because he was reported to the elders and I never saw him again, and nobody talked about him either; Weird.
Maybe all that mistreatment turned him into a very compassionate person... it touched my heart so deeply that he would take the time to stop and talk to me, he said he had spotted me taking walks before and wanted to talk to me.... I wonder if he's been DF'd before? After this experience some of my animosity towards brothers cooled a bit. Amazing what 'one' act of kindness can do.
Even though I have not had any contact from my mother, my 'best' friends, my sister and her children since being disfellowshipped, I see there are still some compassionate ones fully in there who are not willing to let the GB dictate how they show love.