sizemik

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Posts by sizemik

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  77

  Association: Am i being lied to?

  by roxanesophia in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i don't hesitate to bring up with the girl i study with, my criticisms of the religion, and one of those is the association.

  i keep reading on here that jw's don't make friends outside the cult, and this is what i used as an excuse for stepping further away from being baptized.

  she tells me it's not true, and they can have what ever friends they want.

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  sizemik

  Once you are a member the scripture "Bad associations spoil useful habits" is droned over and over again.

  You will hear this one more than a few times also . . . . 2 Cor 6;

  14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be´li·al? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever?

  While the sister may not have been telling a direct lie . . . association with any outside the congregation is only sanctioned under the guise of "leading them to salvation"

  Any prolonged association with outsiders for purely social reasons is heavily frowned upon, and would probably eventually invoke some "personal counsel"

  You're dealing with a high-control religion . . . a cult . . . cutting you off from any who might "wake you up" is a controlling tactic . . . even if it is presented as "protecting your spirituality" Read through the following list of cult charcteristics and see how many seem familiar. They are not anti-witness and are presented from a neutral source . . .

  http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
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  12

  Kindly reply to PHILADELPHIA PONOS

  by jean-luc picard in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  pp, i have been reading up your previous threads.

  it's getting to the point where i'm constantly having violent fanstacies about hurting them and recently i actually considered buying a gun.

  before this job i was non-violent but they are starting to push me to a dark place.

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  sizemik

  Thanks to JLP for being conscientous enough to find and post this. In the light of the OP . . . AK Jeff is spot on.
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  23

  1 year since my last meeting!

  by Alfred in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just realized that today marks my first year since attending a meeting at the kh... i really wanted to celebrate this day but it just creeped up and its kinda late now... i guess i'll celebrate tomorrow night instead.. but i wanted to log in to thank everyone who has helped me with their valuable insight and perspective... i came to this site with a typical judgemental jw mentality and now i can say i'm completely rid of all that... i now value everyone's opinions and talk more freely with people i used to consider "worldly"... what a completely freeing experience!.

  the hardest part of my exit from the cult was convincing my wife... that took about 6 months and i nearly gave up... thank god she eventually woke up.. also, in the past year i've read.... gentile times reconsideredcombatting mind controlcrisis of conscience*in search of christian freedomapocalypse delayed*3 books out of the 7 "studies in the scriptures"5 rutherford books*i met 2 of the people mentioned in crisis of conscience and apocalypse delayed and had dinner with them recently... hoping to build that relationship further.. i've also sent about 26 emails to several elders on a variety of subjects and 6 letters to the brooklyn and i'm still not da's or df'd!

  none of these emails or letters changed anything but it helped me purge.... i could go on and on but it's the same story you've probably read a thousand times already.. anyway, if it wasn't for all the support and encouragement i received on this site (as well as randy's site and barbara's site), i wouldn't be where i am today.. so a big thank you to you all!!!.

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  sizemik

  Alfred . . . you are a scholar and a gentleman . . . I raise my glass to you and your dear wife.

  I've just passed my 7th "birth"day
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  27

  Hello, I am New Here

  by Boolshooy in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have just joined this discussion board.

  i have been reading it for some time and have been enjoying the insightful posts here.

  i grew up in the organization and had been very active.

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  sizemik

  Hi and welcome! . . . hope your stay here is as beneficial as it has been for me. Look forward to hearing fron you.
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  8

  JWHESF

  by Haelcer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  do you know this wts corporation?.

  .

  couple years ago they sent letters and the financial assistance to congregations to the amount of $200 for brothers which were holocaust survivors.. whether somebody knows about it something more?.

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  sizemik

  The report also evidences that the Witnesses’ individual and organized stance in opposition to the violent ideology of the regime was a decisive factor in the severity of the persecution.

  The above quoted sentence taken from the Watchtower Application for Holocaust Funds is highly questionable in light of their otherwise "strict neutrality" in the political affairs of "Satans wicked sytem"

  The understanding surrounding their stance as represented to the congregation members is always in terms of a staunch refusal to renounce their faith.

  It's a subtle difference in wording . . . but profoundly misrepresents the reason for their stance in such a way as to appear more honorable in the eyes of the audience. It's clear to me to be quite duplicitous to say this in light of what I was lead to believe as a JW.

  The remainder of the document continues to reinforce this "alternative" motivation for witness resistance to Nazi Germany
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  119

  Are JWs Who Join This Forum Expected to Tow the Accepted Line of

  by believingxjw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can those prominent in the "apostate" world be criticized?

  we expect that jws be willing to read and swallow what is written here about their leaders and i agree with this.

  but...do we also allow criticism of those taking the lead among us?

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  sizemik

  Bloody IE9 . . . sorted Outlaw
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  119

  Are JWs Who Join This Forum Expected to Tow the Accepted Line of

  by believingxjw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can those prominent in the "apostate" world be criticized?

  we expect that jws be willing to read and swallow what is written here about their leaders and i agree with this.

  but...do we also allow criticism of those taking the lead among us?

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  sizemik

  I don`t think there can be too much credibility . . . Outlaw

  Nor do I . . . but that's not what the original post was saying.

  The original post was referring to the balance between credibility and reasoned argument. When an opinion is accepted based expressly on the former at the expense of the latter . . . that's just sycophantic and dumb . . . and something to avoid IMO . . . that's all.

  Agreed . . . this is not the fault of the "credible"
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  48

  Today is my brithday and I feel depressed.

  by TotallyADD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  woke up next to my wonderful wife after getting up she make me a great breakfast and for dinner tonight grilled steak and a brithday cake she made.

  so why am i depressed?

  could it be my children will not call me today to wish me a happy brithday.

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  sizemik

  You've only got a couple of years on me TotallyADD . . . I got a few treats last birthday too . . . and spent the day moping about how I never got to celebrate my 50th . . . and my 40th . . . and my 30th. How dumb is that? Maybe celebrations just need more practice . . . we should do it more!

  Happy Birthday to you! . . .

  PS . . . just imagine how good at it you'll be for your 60th!
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  21

  I gotta take an extended break

  by sabastious in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, i gotta get out of here.

  i have too much at stake right now in my life to spend as much time here as i do.

  i love you all!

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  sizemik

  You've said exactly what's been floating around in my mind these last few days Sab . . . we could be incarnations of the same person . . . even the bit about your son. Food for thought.

  Make it count . . . good luck to you and yours.
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  51

  I need support please

  by AwSnap in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the most part, i am able to understand how my family treats me.

  i was a jw for 20 years...since birth.

  i used to shun people.

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  sizemik

  Don't lose heart though AwSnap . . . when you send her some pictures you can include the quilt in at least some of them . . . imagine her seeing that . . . Auntie does love and care for her on some level and you can "play to the audience" in that respect. Play your cards right and with time things might change . . . you never know till you give it a chance.

  You must be getting close . . . best wishes.