Posts by Millions

80

What Doctrines or JW Views Did You Not Find Too Believable?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the thought that a loving creator would violently destroy anyone not belonging to the jehovah's witness religion including billions of babies seemed just not right.. the fact that you could recieve some "acceptable" blood components but could not donate those same lifesaving yourself seemed strange.

you could recieve a blood fraction but you couldn't give it.. any others you can think of?

?.

Millions

What doctrines did I not find too believable? I didn't find any of them too believable, they were all only just about believable and even then they all required a certain stretch of the imagination!

Doctrines I found rather difficult to believe, if that was the intention (yes I am a pedant :P), include:

- that the seven trumpet blasts and the pouring out of the seven bowls of the anger of God in Revelation, corresponded to some insignificant convention talks in the USA between 1922 and 1928.

- that resurrected ones could never again be married.

- that spending thousands and thousands of dollars to restore the Hotel Bossert and other Brooklyn properties back to original condition was an acceptable use of dedicated funds and dedicated time, when the standard places of worship by contrast are constructed on a shoestring budget.

Can't face going over the murky past any further to pick out some more.

23

Ready for the big showdown!

by Pams girl in

thanks to all who have given me such support this past week, for your kind pms, and all your hints and tips for leaving..or slipping away.

hubby threw out all my wt and awake literature yesterday (going back to 1983, it was a lot!).

ive read so much, heared testamonials, done my research, taken on board your help and suggestions.

Millions

They are pretty unlikely to get heavy on you and call you anything like weak or apostate as you are not baptised. You are still in that category of person where they need to keep their smiley faces on and to 'give a good witness' by their behaviour, so that they don't put you off! LOL bit late for that now...

I think you are wise though to 'suck it and see' * , if you don't feel adequately prepared to combat the doctrine, then don't, just make your excuses and then do any research you need to at your own pace and in your own time. Nothing worse than having to learn all about something in order to prove it is a load of nonsense. Bit like the Trinity brochure ^^ (no offence trinitarians!)

Even so, it's clear you want to have a real go at them, so you damn well go for it! And your point is certainly valid, remind them of some of the many altered doctrines and failed prophecies, it will at least make them think, as that stuff is almost never referred to again once it has been changed.

And as someone who wants to continue worshipping God, you could always refer to how they have been actively discouraged from reading and discussing the Bible in groups outside of meetings and without WT literature. Which for any Christian is a shocking thing to demand, to not be allowed to read God's word by itself and discuss it with other believers.

( * lol reminded me of an assembly rehearsal once where a brother used that expression, and the C.O. afterwards gently said "oh and by the way... 'suck it and see'... any chance we could have 'play it by ear' instead?" :D)

23

Ready for the big showdown!

by Pams girl in

thanks to all who have given me such support this past week, for your kind pms, and all your hints and tips for leaving..or slipping away.

hubby threw out all my wt and awake literature yesterday (going back to 1983, it was a lot!).

ive read so much, heared testamonials, done my research, taken on board your help and suggestions.

Millions

Oh and if you need any tips on how the Welsh deal with that dreaded knock at the door...

http://wn.com/Unwelcome_visitor__Gavin_and_Stacey__BBC_comedy

;)

37

Hobbies

by MrFreeze in

jw
friends

being a jw, especially if you work, there is no time for anything else really.

work, field service, meetings.

wash, rinse, repeat.

Millions

I used to spend those long winter evenings folding panda tracts in various languages.

These days I play drums in a couple of bands and watch good films/comedy shows. And I just shelled out for a year's membership to my local sports centre. I SHALL go to the ball!

23

Ready for the big showdown!

by Pams girl in

thanks to all who have given me such support this past week, for your kind pms, and all your hints and tips for leaving..or slipping away.

hubby threw out all my wt and awake literature yesterday (going back to 1983, it was a lot!).

ive read so much, heared testamonials, done my research, taken on board your help and suggestions.

Millions

Good luck Paula, enjoy re-taking control :))

Stay frosty though, yours should be the voice of reason against the voices of indoctrination ;)

But remember that it's still your victory whether they leave after thirty seconds or after an hour's worth of argument.

69

You jackasses in Bethel or at the Branch, need to cut me a check.........

by miseryloveselders in

jw
friends

tuesday night, i drove to a couple of older sister's homes, and dropped off their magazines, and kindom ministries.

thursday night, i went to the meeting and cleaned and locked up the building.

i also dropped someone off who earlier recieved a ride to the hall but their ride couldn't come back to take them home.

Millions

You can do one of two things - leave now, or leave later.

Leave now, and start the process of rebuilding your sanity/confidence/life/personality/opinions/social contacts. This process takes a long time, which is why it needs starting ASAP, but I guarantee you that within minutes of officially leaving you will begin to feel a hell of a lot better, in fact you will be pretty much euphoric.

Leave later, and nothing changes tomorrow. Same old shit, more and more stress, more time wasted, less time left for living, more members of the congregation encouraged by your very presence instead of being stopped in their tracks and made to ask themselves, "wow, I wonder why they left..."

Time is a finite resource - for pity's sakes, as someone who KNOWS all the reasons for leaving, stop wasting the precious remaining moments of your life being involved in any way with something so warped and destructive.

Just do it.

I really hope you make the right choice soon. Good luck.

69

You jackasses in Bethel or at the Branch, need to cut me a check.........

by miseryloveselders in

jw
friends

tuesday night, i drove to a couple of older sister's homes, and dropped off their magazines, and kindom ministries.

thursday night, i went to the meeting and cleaned and locked up the building.

i also dropped someone off who earlier recieved a ride to the hall but their ride couldn't come back to take them home.

Millions

miseryloveselders - I'm sure people that have been around here for while know this, but can I ask why you are still attending meetings?

You seem to have accumulated more than enough reasons to stop altogether. Do you like pain or something? :D

34

The role of the Home Bible Study arrangement in JW brainwashing

by MrMonroe in

i've just started reading "year of doom, 1975: the inside story of jehovah's witnesses" by english author j.c. stevenson.

it was published in 1967 as basically a memoir of his years in the dubs, including time as a pioneer, and an explanation of the methods used by them to make the organisation grow.. it's not the best "insider" book i've written, but there is a section i've uploaded below that makes some interesting points about the home bible study procedure and why it is so effective at turning interested people into baptism candidates.

reading through this, i see myself back in the mid-80s sitting there getting led, week by week, into the trap.. this section is from chapter 2, "the seed is watered" in which he explains the typical process following a few return visits.. .

Millions

Thanks for highlighting this, something so damning written by an ex-member 40 years ago is probably more powerful than any modern day testimony. Looking forward to reading it when I find the time.

42

Riveting JW judicial committee hearing.... caught on video!

by koolaid-man in

jw
friends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxxsderj5aw.

Millions

Energy drinks :)

This reminds me of an assembly rehearsal one time, where a brother did a demo on how he had to help his bible study on the matter of wind chimes. We surely felt protected and cared for, knowing that the Society were aware of the dangers posed by such garden ornamentation and were doing their best to keep us safe. It would probably be a DF offence to willfully and deliberately keep a wind chime despite warnings from the body of elders.

At least these guys could have a laugh about the past, probably quite healthy to do so. As long as it's not every Sunday at 10am.

38

Im a newbie, looking for courage to sever the ties with JWs...help?

by Pams girl in

jw
friends

hi, im paula from wales, uk.

ive been studying for 6 years with jws.

they came at a vulnerable time, my best friend died in a car accident when she was 6 monthes pregnant, i was drinking heavily, no work due to agoraphobia, meddling with the ouija board etc....i felt they helped me, cured me if you like.

Millions

Glad to hear you have had proper help, from your first post it sounded like you were struggling with lots of things. Sounds like the JWs are your main problem currently then! Best thing is to be completely firm with them and send them packing, imo. Otherwise they will carry on bugging you, we've all done it ourselves. It's your call, but it's better to be very clear with them. They are fair-weather friends at best anyway, I doubt any of them will have anything to do with you once you cease to show any interest in the meetings, as sad as that is. I'm sure you will be able to find better social circles to mix in who won't be judgemental or controlling.

And of course you can use the bible if you still want to, but you might want to try another translation to avoid the pro-witness feel of the New World Translation. And also just because you're allowed to use other bibles :)