Wow. What are your current circumstances? Is a fade possible?
DarioKehl
JoinedPosts by DarioKehl
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59
Elders finally took me to the back room...
by OneDayillBeFree inafter several months of leaving the meetings as soon as they ended or only staying for "the first meeting" then leaving the "second part", the elders finally cornered me at last night's meeting.. they said they were concerned about me and that being that i am a young brother in a recently divided congregation they saw so much potential in me to help out the congregation and become a ms.. i told them i was thankful for their thinking of me to help the congregation but that at the moment i could not due to my job.
then the began asking personal questions that got on my nerves.. they asked where i worked and how much i made.
they asked if i was going to college and what i was studying and for how long.
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35
New Light About FS--question
by DarioKehl inso, if the current gb is this "faithful and discreet slave" and they place greater emphasis on 1919 now, are they saying that only a few anointed christians were selected in the 1st century, followed by nearly 2000 years of no selections and starting around 1914-1919, the selection of the rest of the 144,000 resumed?.
if so, this is an easy explanation for the increase in numbers of partakers since 2008. have they gone right out and said this officially or have they only alluded to it up to now?.
also, the original understanding was this "shut door" policy of 1935. i never understood how they arrived at that year.
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DarioKehl
So, if the current GB is this "faithful and discreet slave" and they place greater emphasis on 1919 now, are they saying that only a few anointed christians were selected in the 1st century, followed by nearly 2000 years of no selections and starting around 1914-1919, the selection of the rest of the 144,000 resumed?
If so, this is an easy explanation for the increase in numbers of partakers since 2008. Have they gone right out and said this officially or have they only alluded to it up to now?
Also, the original understanding was this "shut door" policy of 1935. I never understood how they arrived at that year. Was 1935 based on scripture or did Rutherford/Knorr just pull that out of their asses? I have a feeling that additional "noo lite" will come out in 2013 that officially redacts the 1935 teaching.
Or has this already happened? Have I missed something?
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11
What advise would you give to young people today.
by jam ini was thinking about this today, many of the things i was told.
about life was a lie.
we were duped by the wt and by religion as.
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DarioKehl
I think explaining critical thinking methods is the most important skill set. Not only can it inoculate you from heavy indoctrination, it can protect you from falling for all kinds of scams: commercial, new age, conspiracy theory, etc.
Sadly, critical thinking skills are not taught in public schools and inside groups like the JWs, "independent thinking" is boldly vilified. If young people knew what logical fallacies were and how to identify them, I think that would help them tremendously.
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106
Confidential Materials!
by Atlantis inall documents of important nature such as, our kingdom ministry, boe letters, forms, or other materials will now be sent only by email or private message communications.
they will not be posted out here on the board.
if someone else wants to post them, be my guest.. .. we have no other choice in this matter, and sending out confidential documents is better when it is done privately.
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DarioKehl
Yes, please include me on PMs.
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9
Koolaid Man's "Johnny" is Creating Another Stir...
by DarioKehl ini saw this video today.
i never visit rick's creepy web site, but it looks like "johnny" recently shared some more incredible information from inside headquarters.
this guy made a video perpetuating the rumor.
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DarioKehl
He makes a reference to "Johnny" as his source in the comment section under the video. *Sigh* This just makes us all look bad.
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9
Koolaid Man's "Johnny" is Creating Another Stir...
by DarioKehl ini saw this video today.
i never visit rick's creepy web site, but it looks like "johnny" recently shared some more incredible information from inside headquarters.
this guy made a video perpetuating the rumor.
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DarioKehl
I saw this video today. I never visit Rick's creepy web site, but it looks like "Johnny" recently shared some more incredible information from inside headquarters. This guy made a video perpetuating the rumor. Has anyone seen this yet?
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DarioKehl
I love the name, El Guapo! 3 Amigos fan, here! lol
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221
What JW catch phrase DRIVES YOU NUTS!!!!
by megaflower in"we should be mindful".
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
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DarioKehl
Here is a list of single words and phrases that always made me cringe. No one else uses these words in everyday language:
utmost
yearn
use discernment
warm (our/your) heart
meek
yes... (i sat through many hundreds of talks where the speaker began 70% of his sentences with "yes, blah blah bla...)
thorough
attentiveness
wholesome
upbuilding
wholehearted
warmly
lovingly
strive
undeserved kindness
faithful obedience
evidently
many people... (every suggested presentation contained this phrase)
throng(s)
trueness
encouraging
subjection
recommended
exemplary
TRUE christians
able-bodied
christendom
HARmeggedon
praise jah
men/mankind
followers
bounteous
child rearing
discipline
loving counsel
admonish
please stand if you're able
adroitly, hillock, pall, braying (and other occasional "vocab words" thrown into a random article or book study intended to solidify the myth the R&F have about how intelligent and special the "slave class" is for using words we had to look up because we were too stoopid to know their meaning; and also to give the die-hards the opportunity to boast their faithfulness and loyalty by showing how diligently they prepared by saying, "I had to look up this word in the dictionary and it's defined as...")
privilage(s)
falls to (as in, "the hall cleaning privilage this week falls to the so-and-so book study...)
hospitable
god's word
supplicate
your ministry
torture stake
meditate
sacred poles
dungy
prayerfully
decorum
blood guilty
wickedness
! (the over-used exclamation point felt like a cult leader was screaming from the pages)
befitting
new order
reasonableNESS (just say "reason." it's the same goddam thing--why so many suffixes?)
we are but grasshoppers (usually said by old-timers during a closing prayer, making the kids think, "WTF?")
society
ORAL review (...more like anal review)
bethelite
your mate (say spouse! jesus christ, we're not apes or australians!)
food
welcome to the ranks (a phrase used by many COs at "piosneer-only" meetings)
do we not... (just say "don't we!" any time "do we not..." came from the platform, that was a cue to follow with obligatory applause to show conformity)
we (this inclusive collective pronoun is always used and works quite handily in groupthink cult speech.)
true christians would/wouldn't... (again, a clever manipulative tool any time rules were laid down in the WT. rather than saying, "this is forbidden" or "don't do this," the inclusive, collective noun is given preceded by the qualifier "true." implying, if you don't agree with the statement, you are not a true christian. this subtle approach is their way of telling you what you think.)
And here's a list of words I always HATED in their songs:
forlorn
succor
"bees that were molested" followed by "beat them off" a few lines later
master trod
kiss the son
haaaaaa.....PENISSSS (when "happiness" was at the end of the stanza, my kid sister and I always used to sing the last half of the word nice and loud lol)
sumptious
vigor and vim
make the truth your own (the WORST song to have at the end of a Thursday night meeting when it's late, you're tired, you have school or work the next day or maybe have to stay late because your dad has an elders meeting and you have to muddle through this 4-stanza, 2-page earworm that plays in your head over and over again the rest of the night).
REAL PEOPLE DO NOT SPEAK IN THIS MANNER.
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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DarioKehl
By the way, I posted a similar thread last week asking a similar question:
Should I send a point-by-point packet to my family explaining my answers to questions I know they have but are too timid to ask? The responses I received from other members on this thread gave me pause and I have abandoned that idea entirely. It could come across as a "force feeding" and raise alarm that otherwise would never be raised. I'm going to continue the slow spoon-feeding method... as difficult as it is. Fortunately for me, I have an awesome family. I don't want to lose them over something as ridiculous as a difference in beliefs. On the other hand, some of my friends have horrible family relationships and have nothing to lose with the bold approach method.
If your parents are just awful people anyway, then go balls out!
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47
How did you break the news to your parents?
by tootired2care inso one of the things both me and my wife are faced with is breaking the news that we've stopped going to meetings to our parents.
my wifes parents could go either way, they have made several critical remarks of the wt over the years, while my parents are die hard jw's.
i tossed the idea around of sending a letter or doing a phone call or just not saying anything.. we've decided that were just tired of having to hide our true feelings and play pretend.
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DarioKehl
I'm in the same tough spot, tootired.
Fortunately for me, my parents have been aware that I've had doubts about things since I was 8 or 9. The doubts really progressed in my high school years and I was able to talk about it openly with them in the privacy of our home. One of my parents even admitted on several occasions that they have a hard time believing some of the claims (ex: trumpet blasts being fulfilled by some of our ...conventions??? lol!).
As expected, the conversation always reverts back to 2 inevitable outcomes:
"Well... we just need to have faith and stick to the work at hand. I mean, we are the only group that engages in a global ministry with a global brotherhood. This has to be god's one true organization!" [The underlying thought in this sentiment is 'faith thru works.' Gotta have that 'faith.' If you don't, work harder and pray--those will give you faith eventually. catch 22!]
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"Well, even if this isn't the 'truth,' where else would we go?" [The underlying thought in this cath 22 is that no other religion is "as correct" as JWs. It also yields to the idea that we've all got so much time, money, resources and social commitments invested in this choice so to decide another option would be to abandon decades of hard work. Having grown up inside the organization, many JWs like myself and my family have such a strong distaste for other religions in "Babylon the Great" because Watchtower has called them out on their false teachings and hypocrisy quite handily. There really is no other church to run to for many JWs; which is why I believe so many exJWs become atheist or agnostic.]
Everytime I've had these conversations with my family, they go well only because I approach them in the context of genuous concern and searching. I usually begin by explaining how freaked out I am about something and wait for them to offer a listening and sympathetic ear. "Oh honey, you know you can tell us anything and we'd never judge or stop loving you." When I hear that, I consider that my green light and proceed. I never attack the WBTS or GB. I never question motives of the leadership or criticize the elders. I tell them I suffer anxiety and panic at times when I encounter a belief that just doesn't seem logical (such as the wacky suggestions in the Revelation--A Grand Climax at Hand book or how much of the bible cannot be verified at all by history, science or archeology--in fact, it's usually proven wrong by those fields of study!).
MY advice: start slow and try to get sympathy (or, even better, get empathy) before bringing anything up. If you go after 1975, Russell's pyramidology, Rutherford's wacky doctrines, failed prophecies of 1884, 1910 and 1925, the UN NGO fiasco, pedophilia policy, 607 vs. 587 or blood doctrine, that may flag you as having read "apostate propaganda."
I recommend bringing up the recent changes to "generation" and this ridiculous "overlap" idea. Or the "noo lite" from the annual meeting. I mean, think about it; they've given us a ton of fodder just in the last 2 years. These recent changes have upset and disturbed a lot of people inside--even old timers! Or target something broad enough like the creation account, flood account or looking at the bible through the lens of historical scholarship rather than a theological lens. Those subjects won't come off as specifically "anti-JW" because they call into question the entire spectrum of religions. Also, before initiating this discussion, ask yourself what your motive is. What's the goal? Do you simply want to explain yourself and your situation in order to preserve family ties? Or, is your goal to persuade them into changing their course as well? If you intend to "open their eyes" as well, I must advise you to proceed very carefully. The chances of that happening are very slim. And it's been my experience that people need to examine and find things out for themselves. If you present them with tons of bullet points on "why this is all wrong and the information I've discovered is all right," that will not end well. If they even listen, they likely won't absorb it. Don't try to force feed new or contradicting information to them! Rather, ask specific questions that force them to do further investigation on their own. Let them see things for what they are.
I hope my 2 cents helps. Good luck and keep us posted.