Posts by Retrovirus

I'm donating all I can to Red Cross through my work, which will match all staff donations. I'm thinking of all the Japanese people and their bravery and edurance.

That the JWs will not open their kingdom Halls to those in need is a very sad reflection on a religious group supposed to be known as having so much more love among them than us worldly ones.

(And Sizemik, we donated to Christchurch also).

Hope you are both keeping well and strong in these hard times.

Retro

44

Apostate Psychology

by Spade in

it's only fair that the psychology of apostates be assessed as they're intent on analyzing the psychology of jehovah's witnesses.

http://www.freeminds.org/psychology/mind-control/mind-control-or-brainwashing.html .

understanding mind control among jehovah's witnesses.

Retrovirus

In a nutshell, these scriptures define apostasy

So, when will we be favoured with your analysis?

OK, then, what about those disfellowshipped for apostacy who return to the so-called "truth"? ()

Were they "not really apostate" - that is, the elders with the holy spirit got it wrong?

Or did the Bible (and you ) get it wrong?

64

i'm pleased to have found this site...i've browsed a little ...read quite a lot and gasped at some stories, giggled at the one liners and nodded in recognition of others' strong opinions and can relate to a great deal.. i'll try and keep my intro as brief as possible for anyone kind enough to listen.. i got involved with the witnesses in the late 70's in the uk.

i was in my early 20s and had had a love and fascination for the bible since my difficult childhood.

i soon brought my life into 'line' although it took a long time for me to pack up the smoking which didnt go down well in those days when 6 months of study should have been enough and if you hadnt cracked it then it was suggested that you were some kind of loser.... i reared my 4 children in the 'truth' as well as i could but i cant claim that we were a 'strong' family in their terms...just muddled along really..my husband at the time was a very difficult and abusive man and home life wasnt easy for any of us with his anger, jealousy and violence.

Retrovirus

Loz, I'm so glad your life is better now! You are a great and strong lady.

I also had a spiritual experience at a low point in my life, which greatly helped me to stay strong for my children. As I didn't belong to a doctrinal religion, I didn't really know what to call it (and still don't!). Certainly I cannot believe that if there is a God s/he would only care for those of a particular religion.

Retro

317

Inviting djeggnog to discuss the blood doctrine

by jgnat in

djeggnog invited me to start a new thread about the blood doctrine, which i am happy to do here.

his objection was my statement,.

"i've seen the blood video, a deceiving mix of scripture, fearmongering and pseudoscience, with plenty of lab coats in view.

Retrovirus

@DJeggnogg writes:

I'm human and I tend to do human things, being absorbed in the emotionally gripping life-and-death accounts that are related to me that are a part of the human experience on this side of Armageddon, although maybe my subconscious mind was still "reeling" from your slight on Page 7 when, after quoting something you read in a dated Watchtower (1961, wasn't it -- as if the doctrinal beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2011 must be frozen in time, cannot be updated and must remain the same as they might have been 50 years ago!), and accusing us of forcing others to commit suicide, you disparage the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses as being 'a bunch of senile old men,' or words to this effect, and after calling me "an asshole" in violation of the rules here on JWN I might add, I recall you going on to suggest that I come here to count the time I spend here on JWN when not one of Jehovah's Witnesses can in good conscience report the time spent on websites like this one, websites put up here in cyberspace for the entertainment pleasure of people like @cantleave, @wasblind and @OUTLAW (who obviously don't come here for the free beer, but because they are entertainers that come here not to enlighten anyone, but to entertain the JWN audience!) and then, without missing a beat, suggesting that I have "my sneak on" -- as the kids might say -- when I come to JWN, as if it were true that the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses must approve or disapprove my visits to websites like JWN where the message I might post can be read by apostates (if that should be what you are) and non-apostates (if that should be what you are) also visit and might post messages, despite my referring more than once in other threads to the 1974 Watchtower article, "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshipped Ones," which gives a much better and reasoned perspective than I would give on the topic of dealing with those who are disfellowshipped; but none of this is a valid excuse for my untoward behavior toward you, @Mary, and for this I apologize to you for the perceived offense, and for seeming to ignore your posts on Pages 8 and 9 as well.

and subsequently, I learn

In pity for the rest of us, learn to use the full stop properly !

20

Murray Smith says goodbye

by sizemik in

jw
friends

hiyall .

don't panic, i know i've only been here a short while .

but i'm not really going.. when i joined i did so with such enthusiastic haste, i used my actual name.

Retrovirus

Hi Sizemic, I'm from across the ditch in Melbourne!

Retro

61

a couple questions for everyone here

by deservingone26 in

im just curious about a couple things:.

1. most of you seem to be pretty satisfied that you left the the witness world but now that your gone what drives you now?

what makes you excited about life?

Retrovirus

I feel like there are alot of ppl in the world who would be better off being in the witness world, so preaching to ones who are looking for some kind of purpose in life will be better then me just doing what i am doing now.

Very worrying. Can you really believe that someone else needs to provide you with a purpose in life? Even if so, the self-deluded old men in Brooklyn are a very poor choice.

8

Elders Approaching . . . What angle is best?

by Murray Smith in

jw
friends

hiyall .

i've been out for over 6 years now, and moved back to my old "home town" a couple of years ago.

i've had a couple of visits from an old associate.

Retrovirus

Hi Murray Smith,

Maybe have the BBQ, but then ask him to meet just with you, and confide to him, as a friend, that you have "doubts" and would like his help. Pick your doubt carefully, and have it really well researched. My personal favorite is asking for proof that the WT was chosen by Jesus in 1919; would it be reasonable for J to do this and provide no scrap of evidence for "honest-hearted" ( ) non-jws ?

Then use Black Sheep's methods. Don't let him shift the goalposts or answer a related question; act hurt and disappointed if he tries anything like that. Mention being stumbled.

From my experience he'll avoid you like the plague after one meeting; two at the most (he might try to research and/or bring backup, but of course you will only confide in him alone, and his research won't help him).

But when he runs, his doubts will run with him.

39

Went round and round last night

by sinis in

jw
friends

so, my mother is still in.

last night at my parents home she starts in with me on how she is going to ask my sig other to the memorial (puke), and that i should not forbid her to go.

we went round and round about how the jw's are bs, gave many examples and it always came back to some twisted circular reasoning, that i still do not fully understand.

Retrovirus

Just wanted to underline the difference between asking and pressuring. My take is that Sinis could always be OK with the mother asking his wife, an adult, to the memorial or anywhaere else. He would also be right and justified in preventing his mother from pressuring for it. It is entirely reasonable for any head of household, man or woman, to forbid hard sell tactics and guilt trips in their own home.

And if a simple "no" isn't enough, Blacksheep's questioning approach works well; I've tried it!

317

Inviting djeggnog to discuss the blood doctrine

by jgnat in

djeggnog invited me to start a new thread about the blood doctrine, which i am happy to do here.

his objection was my statement,.

"i've seen the blood video, a deceiving mix of scripture, fearmongering and pseudoscience, with plenty of lab coats in view.

Retrovirus

I personally think that @Djeggnog's intent in posting is to bolster the faith of any lurkers who are still (mostly) in the "truth". I hope any such can see the evasions, name-calling, and stubborn, unfounded insistence on calling blood fractions "nutrients".

At least his final post is an obvious retreat from an untenable position.