Wow boc. . . More sacred than God!!! It's going to take some time to absorb this - TEPIDPOULTRY
It took me a while as well. . . . about four years, actually/unfortunately.
a month ago i decided to register in this board.
i had decided to step down pioneering but was frightened about the consequences.
i had finished my university degree some months before (despite disaproval from brothers in my congregation) and i had to choose: continue pioneering and working in jobs with no future or starting a career, working full-time.. i was thinking to postpone the decisiton but... i was fed up with preaching.
Wow boc. . . More sacred than God!!! It's going to take some time to absorb this - TEPIDPOULTRY
It took me a while as well. . . . about four years, actually/unfortunately.
on the subject welcome others the new light is i can now have limited association with df and da ones at the kingdom hall not strictl avoidance..
Not a big POOPIE fan myself, but the footnote is interesting. . . if you appreciate watchtower's doublespeak. . . .
*Bible principles limit our dealings with disfellowshipped or disassociated ones who may attend meetings.—1Co 5:11; 2Jo 10.
Weasel words. Complete bullshit.
It's like saying "Please limit the electrical flow to the light bulb" instead of saying "Turn off the lights!"
a month ago i decided to register in this board.
i had decided to step down pioneering but was frightened about the consequences.
i had finished my university degree some months before (despite disaproval from brothers in my congregation) and i had to choose: continue pioneering and working in jobs with no future or starting a career, working full-time.. i was thinking to postpone the decisiton but... i was fed up with preaching.
But how can you step down as MS?
I can't tell you what to do, but here's what happened to me:
I was an elder, and had a MAJOR emotional breakdown. Started seeing all sorts of doctors. Everyone in the cong knew there was something really wrong with me. The elders were actually quite understanding and I stayed on as an elder for about a year.
After a year, I had really made no progress mentally. I was still falling apart constantly (I also had no idea yet that I was in a cult). I went to the COBE (or whatever they were called at that point) and tearfully told him I couldn't go on being an elder and that at times I truly felt that there was no god.
And that was it. Next CO visit I was deleted. Didn't even have to say anything to the CO.
I guess what I'm saying is that even if you have doubts as to god's existence, they will not DF you, and they will be perfectly willing to have you "step down." However, if you express doubts as to the BORG, you're out.
i have often seen many categorise the organisation in different ways.
some say cult, some say high control religion.
cult or high control religion?.
They mean exactly the same thing (at least wrt JWs).
Perhaps the only difference would be the context in which you're using whichever term:
If I were an academic writing a paper or giving a talk, I would call JWs a "high-control new religious movement."
However, whenever I casually talk about JWs with people, I refer to them as a "fundamentalist doomsday cult."
I have yet to meet anyone who disagrees. . . . .
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
For instance say you're an adult and you get out of a cult. -- CASSARUBY
I love Christ. Jehovah is another matter. He terrorized me with his immoral actions. An old, prudish man hurling plagues, thunderbolts, and mass genocide is not worthy of worship. A male god who suppresed the existing goddess cults will never receive my attention.
-BoCotR
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
The only evidence for the Bible is contained within the covers of the book itself. Outside of the book it's a different animal -- CASSARUBY
If I find God a blur within my interior belief, there is no wonder there are disputes when others share their perceptions here.
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
You win breakfast.
I don't think I won.
I think you chose to let me win.
-BoCotR
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
You still have enormous amount to learn. Offering advice is presemptuous unless one is asked for their opinion. Indeed, until the day/night we all return to dust we all have much to learn.
-BoCotR
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
Is it possible that you did choose chocolate over vanilla and it's as simple as that?
I LIKE CHOCOLATE. I DON'T CARE FOR VANILLA. DOESN'T GET ANY MORE SIMPLE THAN THAT.
Okay, I gotta get outta here. I've got real stuff to do back in reality. . . . smh . . . .
"traumatic as the initial transition may be, it can lead to the development of a truly personal relationship with these two greatest friends [the father and the son] .
.. "whatever sense of 'belonging' that membership in some religious system may create, it can never compare with the power and beauty and strengthening benefit of the intimate personal relationship the scripture presents .
from reading joseph campbell i've come to understand that there are functions to religion or mythology.
Chocolate or vanilla ice cream? I like chocolate ice cream more than vanilla. I don't CHOOSE to like chocolate more than vanilla; as far as I'm concerned CHOCOLATE IS BETTER THAN VANILLA.
I choose to believe that this is one of the stupidest threads ever.