I would teach my past self about critical thinking and logical fallacy.
I would let the rest happen naturally.
xjwsrock
JoinedPosts by xjwsrock
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30
What would you like to have known about JWs before deciding whether to get baptised?
by slimboyfat inif you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing about jws would you do it?
and what would you choose to say to yourself?
do you think you could have convinced yourself not to get baptised if you chose the right thing to say?
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Underlying Resentment Among the Members
by xjwsrock inmost of us here have seen and experienced the judgmental attitude among jw's.
the pioneers look down on the publishers.
the appointed men look down on the non-appointed men.
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xjwsrock
I'm happy for you ToesUp. I can just taste that freedom. Must be amazing.
I do enjoy the mental freedom. It actually surprises me now to hear someone speak as if God himself is watching over the congregation. I'm like - you mean all those sick people and crazy people and self-righteous people? You mean that brother that just got in a wreck? You mean that family over there struggling financially?
Yeah great job looking over us.
The dysfunctional belief system has to cause inner frustration and anger. Add that to the resentment, no wonder there is back biting.
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Underlying Resentment Among the Members
by xjwsrock inmost of us here have seen and experienced the judgmental attitude among jw's.
the pioneers look down on the publishers.
the appointed men look down on the non-appointed men.
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xjwsrock
Yeah what has always bugged me was this. If you are so happy in all of your righteous, God-loving, save-the-world, spiritual martyrdom, then why do you care so much about what I'm doing (or not doing)?
Shouldn't you be eat up with zeal? Isn't it your food to do the will of God like Jesus? Shouldn't a person as spiritual as you say you are, be overwhelmed with love and concern instead of ridicule and contempt?
I guess I am just confused......(sarcasm) 😒
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"What is in it for me."
by stuckinarut2 inso if there was no promise of a "reward" for faithfulness...no paradise...no eternal life etc, how many witnesses would stick with the "faith"?.
sure, the reward might be "making god happy", but he supposedly holds out the paradise promise with eternal life as an incentive right?.
before anyone says, that's what satans challenge regarding job was about, just think.
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xjwsrock
Well I will answer this way. One of the best manipulation tools is the simple carot-and-stick. It works on humans and animals alike. You can dangle a reward/treat to motivate or threaten pain/punishment. It really works well when used simultaneously.
For JW's the paradise is the carrot and the biggest stick is Armageddon. Take away the paradise=take away the carrot=take away a huge manipulation tool.
So less would stick with it because they would be less emotionally manipulated to stick with it.
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Underlying Resentment Among the Members
by xjwsrock inmost of us here have seen and experienced the judgmental attitude among jw's.
the pioneers look down on the publishers.
the appointed men look down on the non-appointed men.
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xjwsrock
Most of us here have seen and experienced the judgmental attitude among JW's.
The pioneers look down on the publishers. The appointed men look down on the non-appointed men. The mid-week service go-ers look down on the weekenders. etc. etc. etc.
How much of this is driven by underlying resentment?
How many pioneers actually hate pioneering and resent the other publishers because they don't feel the same obligation to do it?
Same for elders. Same for MS's. Same for CO's. etc...?
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xjwsrock
Current elder here. Let's just say I don't fit in very well. Lol.......
Staying in for the wife. It won't last forever but I have to go a little longer.
What I am running into lately is the bewilderment and frustration from fellow elders when I do not feel the same level of obligation that they do. I just turned down an assignment..... GASP! ......I will turn down more before it is over. Of course, you know what that means.......... Whispers, self-rightousness, and judgement behind my back.
The love of Christ's brothers is overwhelming!
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JW Cart Witnessing = ONE BIG JOKE
by Black Man inwas talking to a good buddy of mine a couple days ago (we pioneered and were in bethel together and have both left the cult a few years ago), about the current cart and d. and the consensus was that it is now a complete joke.
was watching a couple witnesses last week sit at a table with their literature display.
no approaching people for conversation, no initiating stimulating dialogue with passerbys, as was encouraged when i "pioneered" back in the day.
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xjwsrock
Whatever they can talk the zombies into doing, whether door to door, on the phone, cart advertising, giving talks, reaching out, etc. - it is primarily a sign of subservience to the leadership. That is the top priority. Recruitment of new members is a fringe benefit and of secondary importance.
It's an adult game of 'Simon Says'. Lol....
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My Take on the Convention
by xjwsrock in4300 in attendance - 17 baptized.
odd mix of congregations assigned, i'm sure to throw off any scent of a decline.. no distinction made whatsoever between loyalty to jehovah god and loyalty to the watchtower bible and tract society.
the convention is riddled with parts whipping up your love for the creator and jesus, with a quick reminder that the wbts are their gatekeepers.. parallels are implied constantly between israel and jehovah's witnesses.
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xjwsrock
Wow, you can really see the growth 😳
Surely more than 34 will quit after the terrible display of cultism this convention was.
This organization is in decline and it will only get worse. I'm afraid it's fall will be a slow one though.
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$40,000.00 USD, and counting.....
by DATA-DOG ini'm not sure if anyone is keeping track, but as of today, the wtbts has spent $40,000.00 usd to avoid releasing sensitive documents to the superior authorities.
that's $40,000.00 usd of "dedicated funds.
are you a born-in jw?
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xjwsrock
ChaChing!
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Is the Bible God's word? Help please.....
by Freeandclear inso real quick, i know this comes up now and then and i've looked over some of the posts from the past but here's the thing.. when i was a jw i drank all the cool aid, i was 100% and so i have all my own arguments (from the jw's) for why the bible is inspired.
i no longer believe this but i'd really like to read something that is pretty much 100% academic on this subject.
i want to read what scholars have to say about the authenticity of the bible and it's claim at being the inspired word of god.
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xjwsrock
To add to what Cofty said, there are a few more things that opened my eyes. I read a few essays by Thomas Paine. They are really good. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
He pointed out the spinning sword in the Garden of Eden story is a blatant anachronism. It is a bronze age tool in a stone age story. It would be like writing a story about Christopher Columbus and having him answer his cell phone while sailing on the Santa Maria.
Reread the story of Babel. It actually is quite short. Gen 11:1-9. It is written from the perspective of a person who believes the earth is flat, and that's just the beginning of the problems with the story.
Actually Gen chapters 1 - 11 or so is enough to put the book down and never pick it up again. Flood? Take a look at ancient Chinese History and tell me civilization had a divine reboot 4000 years ago. Yeah right.