Posts by Brighid

30

Hello!

by BeautifulMind in

jw
friends

i've been enjoying all of the discussions here for a good while now.

i found this site as i was researching things about this religion i've been in (finally after nagging curiosity and questions) but i wanted to figure things out more before coming on here and posting.

i'm glad to see that im not alone or crazy!

Brighid

Welcome to the great big, beautiful world. You're gonna love discovering everything and everyone (including yourSelf) in it.

20

Movies/Books for Cult Survivors

by Brighid in

for me, there have always been special movies or scenes in movies that trigger my old jw experience (fiddler on the roof and little mermaid touched me deeply when i watched them as a young jw).

later as a survivor, it was more donnie darko, thx 1138 themes that struck me in particular.. anyway, looking for suggestions on great movies, books (art of any kind, really) that especially speak to or move you as a jw survivor?

there are reasons beyond purely entertainment that i ask..

Brighid

For me, there have always been special movies or scenes in movies that trigger my old JW experience (Fiddler on the Roof and Little Mermaid touched me deeply when I watched them as a young JW). Later as a survivor, it was more Donnie Darko, THX 1138 themes that struck me in particular.

Anyway, looking for suggestions on great movies, books (art of any kind, really) that especially speak to or move you as a JW survivor? There are reasons beyond purely entertainment that I ask.

5

WAKING UP A DUB : effective communication

by Terry in

words that motivate.

our communication has to pass through the mind of another human being and survive what his or her mind is going to do with it!.

wordsby themselveshave to motivate the listener in the same way a combination lock will open if the correct numbers are dialed in exactly the correct sequence.

Brighid

For personal reasons, I've been agonizing over exactly how to do this recently. I've been out for years now - so long that I've gone on past the shunning and trauma of it all that I'd all but forgotten - but now have a situation with a close family member who, after years of hardcore shunning now finds themselves df'd and reaching out to me. I am literally their only support network at the moment. They still believe and are not open to speaking about anything controversial but they recently told me that they'd never be going back. Now I'm in a conundrum and seriously worried about their mental health. I hate that I once again, after years of being free, that now because of my care for this individual, I must tread lightly ONLY due to the absolute power this organization exerted over their mind, body and soul. However, I feel if I don't get this deprogramming information to this person soon, they're going to fall into deeper depression (they also have other things going on in their life on TOP of being df'd and cut off) and possibly harm themselves because they think they're so bad and have nothing to live for. I need help.

18

Jw gift.org

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

how did i miss this ?

.

www.jwgift.org.

Brighid

for the pedophilia defense fund?

26

Depressing chat to my still-in brother about the RC

by Lemonp in

here is a quick breakdown of our conversation (by text message).

me: "have you read about the royal commission?

the org has been covering up child abuse.

Brighid

"The Royal Commission is how Jehovah is fixing it"

Call me ever hopeful - but this could actually be an ever so slight chink in the armor. If you follow the thinking process here, they're at least acknowledging that something was DEEPLY flawed with how the GB was and has been handling things for a very long time, instead of falling back on "it's all lies" or unwarranted "persecution!!". This line of thought at least brings them out of boot step with the GB being godhead and acknowledging that there is something or someone higher (what they call "Jehovah") that can discipline or trump the GB. To my mind this is a huge leap for typical JW mindset, especially in light of the fact that over the last few years it seems, the GB is more and more trying to set themselves up as JW's personal godhead and actually distancing the RF from the One True God.

15

Are Witnesses Allowed to Read Bible by itself

by Brighid in

i've been away from the boards so long that i had to create a new account but recent events have brought me back - i've missed this place!

anyway, i heard a former witness being interviewed the other day that said the witnesses were now being highly discouraged to read the bible by itself (without wt literature) on their own.

this seems over the top even for the witnesses.

Brighid

Uuugggh!!! I feel so badly for those left in. What hope do they have left for a real connection to Spirit (God), if they must always filter it through the publications. My first glimpse of freedom and true connection to "God" was when I took my father's very old King James which had all Jesus' words highlighted in red and started reading only his supposed words. They gave me hope and really spoke to me.

5

Governing Body monthly broadcast a prime example of delusional people willing to go public with their nonsense before for the whole world

by Brokeback Watchtower in

i think the governing body is so delusional to give these monthly broad cast i'm mean it is totally a show of their complete ignorance to keep broad casting their ugly mugs to the world uttering utter nonsense to be used against them in a court of law.

they can't think above the mentality of a brain dead devotee, they think they are giving a good witness in what ever they speak which indicates a severe denial and compartmentalization going on in their psyche so that they have no knowledge of when they are out right lying.

Brighid

I've listened to a few and I'm actually embarrassed for them. I've actually wondered if they're so old, out of touch, delusional and protected that they could've been co-opted amd mind conyrolled by power hungry, corporate, mafia types who just use them to rob the masses. Then I realize that no, they're very much am active part of it too. It's still mafia-corporate-power-gone-mad type of propoganda and control but they know what they're doing. Like the godfathers they are. I knew it when Jackson evaded authorities in Australia and let his henchmen take the fall for the sex abuse scandals.

15

Are Witnesses Allowed to Read Bible by itself

by Brighid in

i've been away from the boards so long that i had to create a new account but recent events have brought me back - i've missed this place!

anyway, i heard a former witness being interviewed the other day that said the witnesses were now being highly discouraged to read the bible by itself (without wt literature) on their own.

this seems over the top even for the witnesses.

Brighid

Thanks Wolfman85... I was really hoping this person was exaggerating. But deep down inside, I kinda figured. That means that people of true Faith within the organization have almost no hope of forming a personal relationship to their Deity. Even though I've left all that behind, I feel really saddened for the ones left inside. I remember during my darkest periods as a witness, if I'd not read the bible by itself, on my own with intense prayer, I'd have probably "offed" myself (I was that depressed as a Witness - happily, not any more). It was like Spirit was communicating with me directly and those times were the times that I felt most comforted and loved - alone with the bible and "God", who as much as spoke to me, and kept me alive during periods of DEEP distress as a witness. I cannot imagine what would've happened to me if I'd been cut off from that or felt somehow that I was doing something "wrong" - how sad for those left in.

15

Are Witnesses Allowed to Read Bible by itself

by Brighid in

i've been away from the boards so long that i had to create a new account but recent events have brought me back - i've missed this place!

anyway, i heard a former witness being interviewed the other day that said the witnesses were now being highly discouraged to read the bible by itself (without wt literature) on their own.

this seems over the top even for the witnesses.

Brighid

Thank you and thank you. *sigh* That's what's so frustrating and what outsiders can never grasp hold of when legally examining the organization - all the double speak, group think, hive mentality and rules that are just "understood". Like how the MINUTE you hear "it's an individual matter up to one's own conscience"... inside, you just KNOW that it's not to be done (wink, wink, nudge, nudge - if someone does this, they're to be marked). It's like those words spoken from the podium at a Kingdom Hall mean the exact opposite in the real world. That's why it was so difficult to watch the ARC (even though I hung on every word of every day), just knowing, in a very difficult to quantify way, that what the elders and branch members were saying on the stand was carefully designed to sound like one thing to an outsider and completely opposite to an insider. Like, you just KNOW if someone tries to go to the police with abuse charges how they'll be viewed in the congregation. Especially if the abuser is a higher up.

15

Are Witnesses Allowed to Read Bible by itself

by Brighid in

i've been away from the boards so long that i had to create a new account but recent events have brought me back - i've missed this place!

anyway, i heard a former witness being interviewed the other day that said the witnesses were now being highly discouraged to read the bible by itself (without wt literature) on their own.

this seems over the top even for the witnesses.

Brighid

I've been away from the boards so long that I had to create a new account but recent events have brought me back - I've missed this place! Anyway, I heard a former witness being interviewed the other day that said the witnesses were now being highly discouraged to read the bible by itself (without WT literature) on their own. This seems over the top even for the witnesses. Having been out for over 15 years now, I was hoping someone more recently in could shed some light on this. Surely this isn't true... sadly, I will not be shocked if it is.