Posts by OverlappingGeneralizations

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

OverlappingGeneralizations

Aaaaand he just died.

83

What woke you up?

by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

in march of 2014, i was a very active jw, a ministerial servant, gave a public talk, was an attendant for the memorial, and one of 4 cleaning captains for an international convention of 40,000+ attendees.

so what woke me up?

an innocent comment from a co-worker about the candice conti court case rang a bell that could not be unrung.

OverlappingGeneralizations

My awakening started at the first televised annual meeting. This was the first time I saw the governing body. I was expecting seriousness, even an air of strictness that would top the biggest ball-buster circuit overseer. But instead, I saw them goofing around, laughing, etc. While I was entertained, I lost a little respect for them. It just didn't seem very dignified for a group supposedly one notch below Jesus.

Then came the JW TV. Even more terrible representation by the GB. Will somebody give Morris a f'n haircut!? That poof on the back of his head drives me nuts! All the terrible teleprompter reading, forced gestures, etc. C'mon, If I was the school overseer, I would pull them aside and tell them they need "a little more preparation" LOL.

Then came the branch meeting. The famous tight-pants speech. And calling yoga pants "spanx" (which is something totally different!). I thought, wow, this is divinely inspired speech? Jehovah God himself wanted millions of witnesses to hear THIS? We worked so hard, bought so much equipment locally, the whole witness world is tied in to watch his hideous haircut tell us THIS?!?! Then he went on to bash young men who aren't appointed, vacations that aren't to bethel, etc. What a JOKE. There were sisters literally worried about the spanx they were wearing at that very meeting. I felt sorry for them. "No, no, I know that's what he SAID, but that's not what he MEANT". Sigh. Should I have to explain and correct God's spokesperson?

Oh man. I left that day like a six-year old having seen a headless Mickey Mouse on a smoke break.

I mean, some doctrinal things confused me all along, but I honestly threw that on God, and thought he would sort it out for me one day. But how can I trust the waters of truth when they come out of crusty old pipes like that?

I am still on the road to awakening, but I've seen behind the curtain from several angles. And I keep looking, hoping to see evidence that I'm wrong. But I think it's too late. My JW bubble has popped. When left to only my poor literacy skills, I thought I didn't understand things because I am kinda dumb. But now that I see God's supposed chosen ones on TV- I am pretty sure they are dumber than I am.

39

What went wrong in your congregation?

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

the target is converts.. why does it seem such an outrageous aim for a congregation to recruit new converts?.

in my old congregation, the enthusiasm was there but the knocking on doors produced zero " baptisms" in my final years.. a) why so little interests?.

b) was it the internet ?.

OverlappingGeneralizations

For now I am still in, and I still go out in the ministry. However, it's like DesirousOfChange said- I have to believe in what I am selling to be a good salesman. And I just don't believe it anymore. Like I said in another post, according to our belief structure, I think it's more merciful to leave them ignorant. Why be accountable? Just die ignorant and enjoy your resurrection.

Sure, I can get people to take magazines and stand there and talk about their garden, their car, bring them some soup when they are sick, etc. But I'm not offering studies. I don't want them to join. I am just out enjoying the weather, talking to people, being neighborly. I know 90% of my return visits don't read anything I give them and don't care at all. They are just so desperate for human contact that they will talk to anybody who stops by. So mailmen, pizza delivery boys, meter readers, and the like, you are welcome. I am taking one for the team.

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

OverlappingGeneralizations

Latest reports say that while he did shoot himself, he didn't die (drat!). He's in critical condition.

7

How did you feel when "your book" was discontinued?

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

jw
friends

i didn't know where to posts this, i hope "friends" is ok-.

how did you feel when the book you studied in was deemed "discontinued"?

for instance, when i was studying, i studied the knowledge book.

OverlappingGeneralizations

I didn't know where to posts this, I hope "friends" is ok-

Anyway-

How did you feel when the book you studied in was deemed "discontinued"? For instance, when I was studying, I studied the Knowledge book. I loved that book back had my rose-colored "truth" glasses on. But, when I was out in service, at least I could stand behind that book. This was the book that "got me", and it could get you too!

Then they changed to the Bible Teach book. I didn't like it as much, and I didn't feel like I could represent it with conviction like I could the Knowledge book. But at least I still had my ol' Require brochure! Oops, they said not to use that one either.

Then we changed bibles too. I was so used to the way the scriptures sounded in the old translation. I knew right where to find key scriptures. Now, new book, new bible, new brochures, now even new tracts! I just felt disconnected...

Ugh. I don't know what I am getting at. I just feel like when they say the books and stuff we studied are not to be used anymore, it's like saying my foundation is not up to code. What I was "raised" on isn't right.

Now that I am waking up, I am seeing that none of it was right. But I just wonder, those of you that are still in, or remember what it was like, did you feel a strange sense of cut-off when they discontinued your book or your favorite "placement"?

41

What were you favorite book in the organization? I know what you're thinking...LOL!

by BashfulAshG in

what were *your favorite *books in the organization?.

out of all of those books, i liked "mankind's search for god.

" however, it appears to me that this book is incredibly obscure and no one recalls studying it during the old book study format.

OverlappingGeneralizations

"Millions Now Dying Will Never Live"- I always loved that book. I guess I am just a romantic (and a dyslexic).

12

The salvation paradox

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

another thing that has bothered me-.

if the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected, and will have the same chance at paradise as the hard-core dubs, what was the point of being hard core?

i know the point used to be "well, armageddon is gonna happen this weekend, and you'll survive and they won't!

OverlappingGeneralizations

Another thing that has bothered me-

If the righteous AND the unrighteous will be resurrected, and will have the same chance at paradise as the hard-core dubs, what was the point of being hard core? I know the point used to be "well, Armageddon is gonna happen this weekend, and you'll survive and they won't! After all, God will resurrect an ignorant person, but will not spare that same ignorant person if he happens to throw the big A-party this weekend!"

However, now that they have moved the goalposts out of our generation, and we will most certainly die like all the faithful brothers and sisters before us, why bother? I mean, I know that "now that I know the 'truth' I have to tell it or be blood-guilty (even though God killed them, not me)", that's fine for me, I'm not ignorant anymore, I'm screwed. But wouldn't the merciful thing be to leave our neighbors ignorant? We're both gonna die and be resurrected, why tell him "the sacred secret" so he has to be a thankless slave like me?

Oh what a paradox. Again, this is written from the perspective of somebody who is waking up, but still in bed, so to speak, lol.

9

Public Prayers - Scriptural?

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

something that has always been a pet peeve of mine- public prayers.

is that even scriptural?

i know many churches (along with the jws) do it.

OverlappingGeneralizations

Something that has always been a pet peeve of mine- Public prayers. Is that even scriptural? I know many churches (along with the JWs) do it. One guy saying a prayer, and we all yell "amen!" at the end.

Isn't prayer supposed to be a personal chat with God? Why would I let somebody else speak in my behalf? In fact, arent we supposed to go into a private place to pray (Matthew 6:6)? When Jesus prayed before crowds to set an example, the crowd didn't pretend to participate and yell "amen!" at the end...

Also, aren't you not supposed to say the same things over and over? If this guy praying is supposedly representing all 100+ in attendance, and we all say "amen", isn't that supposed to represent 100+ identical prayers?

I dunno, I just have always hated public prayers. Giving them or hearing them. It just seems so "showy". I don't let somebody call my dad up and talk to him and yell "me too!" as they are hanging up and consider that I have talked to him myself...

20

Perfection? Ponder this...

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

hello all- nice forum.i have been contemplating a fade for a while, and i have been reading various sites such as this one.

i have seen all kinds of things that have made me think.

but something came to mind lately, and i wanted to throw it out there-satan was cast down to the earth, and he is supposedly the cause of all imperfection.

OverlappingGeneralizations

Thanks guys, I've had more personal encouragement in the last few replies than I have had for years at the hall, lol.

I never understood the 'second test' after the abyss either. That's divine justice? Letting your enemy screw with your ant farm? TWICE? Then punish the ants?

Back to my original post- Isn't satan being abyssed what allows our return to perfection to begin? If so, that goes back to the proximity theory over inherited imperfection (so you would be safe in space right now! lol). Isn't that how it goes?

Thanks again guys. You make doubting fun.

20

Perfection? Ponder this...

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

hello all- nice forum.i have been contemplating a fade for a while, and i have been reading various sites such as this one.

i have seen all kinds of things that have made me think.

but something came to mind lately, and i wanted to throw it out there-satan was cast down to the earth, and he is supposedly the cause of all imperfection.

OverlappingGeneralizations

Hello all- Nice forum.

I have been contemplating a fade for a while, and I have been reading various sites such as this one. I have seen all kinds of things that have made me think. But something came to mind lately, and I wanted to throw it out there-

Satan was cast down to the earth, and he is supposedly the cause of all imperfection. We inherited it too, I guess. Anyhow, after Armageddon, when he gets abyssed, we will be able to grow to perfection. So it's almost as if it's not so much our inheritance, it's satan's proximity to us causing the imperfection. When he leaves the earth, we can return to perfection over time.

What got me to thinking, what if WE leave the earth? Satan wasn't cast to the moon, the international space station, Mars, etc. Wouldn't a trip to the international space station be very refreshing, being out of satans reach? He is confined to the earth and all. How come the astronauts who spend time outside of the earth don't show signs of regaining perfection? If we colonize mars, wouldn't we grow to perfection there, without satanic influence?

Just a playful thought for y'all. I was in a philosophical mood.