bafh

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Posts by bafh

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  28

  Attending memorial tomorrow?

  by Ghiagirl in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is my first year i will not attend memorial.

  to be honest if it wasn't for my husband i would probably be going still.

  he says what's the point, don't be one of those people who doesn't give a sh** but just shows there face once a year.

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  bafh

  I will be going. As a 4th generation born-in with a true-believer regular pioneer for a mom, it's the last vestige that signals "I'm not a danger to your spirituality".

  While I haven't attended meetings in about 7 years, this is one hour of my life once a year that keeps things easy for me. I usually have a martini or two before I go, attend, chit-chat and then leave and have another drink.

  its worth it for me and I feel I get a big return on my investment in terms of social grease for the rest of the year.

  I have to say though that the more " out" I am the more ridiculous they sound. It may get to the point where I can't stand it any more and I will join you all in the non-attendee group.
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  104

  The Secret is out....but nobody cares

  by MrTheocratic in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been looking on this site for some time but never posted.

  i'll give a little about myself, but not too much.

  i'm a ex-bethelite ( brooklyn )and currently serving as an elder (10 years) (thinking about stepping down) on the service committee.

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  bafh

  I have a friend who is exactly as described in the OP. He thinks most of it is crap, but is "hedging his bets." I don't think the whole thing is bad, but I don't think I could ever assimilate back in now that I've been out for the last 7 years. It would make my life easier on many levels, but I just can't.
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  1

  "All Great Truths Begin As Blasphemies" -- George Bernard Shaw

  by MADMARY in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  george bernard shaw once said: .

  "all great truths begin as blasphemies" .

  why not check out the following link to see if such a thing spoken of by mr. shaw, could not be soooo true, even in our day and time.. click here to see: link to newspaper article discussing genesis 3:15 and jehovah's witnesses.

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  bafh

  That's not an article, it's an advertisement and doesn't look like it is associated with The Watchtower.
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  44

  JW's caught laughing at Child rapist accusers"

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  jwvictims has done an excellent but disturbing article on how jw's feel about the child abuse problem.. http://jwvictims.org/2013/11/23/jehovahs-witnesses-caught-laughing-at-child-rape-accusers/.

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  bafh

  That quote in the upper left corner: "When we get into things that could ignite a controversy, I'm gonna quote our publications. So you'll have to take it up with God."

  How is it that their representatives - FROM THE GOVERNING BODY - can make a statement like that - IN PUBLIC - and then claim they do not present themselves as inspired by God?? How can you be "God's Channel" except for when you get something wrong, and then, well, you know, "we're just imperfect men," and "the light just get's brighter and brighter..."

  Such a mindf*ck.
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  17

  Must the Elders Always be Told?

  by snugglebunny in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i recall that some years ago the wt stated that not all offences need to be reported to the elders, but that confessing serious sins to another person who was not an elder could suffice.

  the article stated that this did not include sexual offences and that these must be reported to the elders.. can anyone throw any light on this please?.

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  bafh

  There was an article that basically said you didn't have to confess to them - but that it was recommended and of course you will do what they say since they are anointed (although they reserve the right to change their mind about anything. - they're imperfect after all) but not inspired.
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  15

  [REPOST] Memorial Non-Attendance: The Single Most Impactful TTATT Witness to Family and Friends

  by AMNESIANO in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (originally posted march, 2014)anyone who has awakened to ttatt and has conscientiously left the organization--especially a once-prominent, highly-regarded, studious believer from a prominent multi-generational tribe of jws-- after decades of devout, high-profile "serve-us," who continues to put in an annual appearance at the memorial thoroughly subverts and undermines, by this one act, any hope s/he may entertain that his/her departure will stir family or former friends to question the whole watchtower bamboozle.

  by this one concession s/he assigns him-/herself by every single jw to their handy and dimissive purgatory: the "spiritually-weak.".

  nothing blasts a louder, clearer, and more deliberate message to the jws who personally knew you and those familiar with your jw bona fides that you are not merely "not making the meetings," "inactive," or "spiritually-weak," but that there is a conscientious reason you have rejected the entire watchtower society life than choosing to forego what they know you once believed to be jehovah's must-attend, one-and-only, holy/sacred event of the year for his people, the lord's evening meal.. you hand them the very justification they so relish to self-righteously label you as a "submarine witness" deserving of jehovah's, and more importantly, their judgement.

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  bafh

  I agree - in that it is the last remnant by which a person signals their detachment from the WT.

  That is exactly why I go. Not going may lead people to think I'm "dangerous" to their spirituality (which I'm not). So for me, it is an hour out of my life that keeps my relationship with people I care about intact.

  I don't put any energy into worrying about what people think about me when I go. I go because it makes my life easier.

  And I find that being respectful of other people's beliefs works too. Isn't that what we want - to be respected? Then it is my opinion that we must respect them to be respected.
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  91

  ABC's report on child abuse

  by Joyzabel in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  nice job!

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  bafh

  I went to the link on JW- Talk - boy, they are quick to jump on the victim and not the perp. And no mention that Conti was going to let it go until it was found out that he went to jail for molesting another child because the fact that he was a molester was not public information inside the congregation.

  To me - that is one of the biggest issues - that the information that someone was a molester is not shared in any way with the congregation and that people are encouraged to trust each other.

  The other big issue is that they don't feel any ordinary obligation to report it to the police but only do so if required by state law - even then I'm not sure they do - don't these men have any conscience?

  On top of all that - keep them dumb and uneducated so they can't determine for themselves the real issues. 😥
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  29

  Fading and not "outing" yourself, what are your thoughts on it?

  by Brock Talon in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  fading and not "outing" yourself.. what are your thoughts on it?.

  i ask, because i just received a scathing personal message on facebook from a person who read my latest book and in it i describe myself as a fader.

  i was not dfd and i did not da myself.

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  bafh

  There is a difference between being honest and being private. Fading doesn't make you dishonest. That's called being *ahem* discreet *ahem about a private matter. JWs have no personal boundaries since they've been trained out of them so they view being private as hiding something.

  As for the person calling you names on FB, I would delete them off the page for inappropriate behavior If they did that to one of the other commenters on the page, isn't that what you would do? Certainly you deserve the same respect
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  17

  I've been invited to go on a habitat for humanity build

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been invited to go to central america for a week on a global village project.

  .

  are there any possible issues that the congregation might have with me doing this?.

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  bafh

  Do it and don't tell anyone. It's none of their business.
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  16

  What exactly is encouragement?

  by naazira in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when elders want to meet with an inactive person to encourage them, what does this really mean?

  encouragement is a term thrown around by the organisation.

  does this encouragement usually consist of prying into the inactive one's lifestyle?.

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  bafh

  It is also a euphemism for "what have you done wrong?" or "are you dangerous or just weak?" - if you have to choose you probably already know choose to be seen as weak rather than dangerous. They tolerate "weakness" in others because it makes them feel strong and if they don't sense that you are there to undermine anyone's faith then they just pity you - which they also get great joy from.