All high control groups breed fear of those who have left. JWs do not have the market on that at all. Listen to ex-mormon, ex-scientologists, ex-anything you see as a cult, and you will see all of our stories are so similar. So similar just change a few words and they are the same story.
blond-moment
JoinedPosts by blond-moment
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29
Is there any religion that has so much anti-apostate focus as JWs
by yadda yadda 2 ini'm surprised at how much is in the watchtower lately and at assemblies warning of apostates.
is it my imagination or is this ramping up a lot lately.
i am a born-in and stopped attending only a few years ago (now in my 40's) but don't remember so much anti-apostate warning as we see now.. the watchtower seems extra obsessed with apostates and the need to warn about them lately.
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Memorial Invitation official first day today
by OneDayillBeFree inwell it's that time of year again and the invitations to another pointless memorial aka reject jesus party is now in full swing.
even though it's only the first day i'm already more than sick of it!
this is the first year i am fully mentally awake for the memorial season, and honestly i'm so sick of it all!
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blond-moment
I am curious if I will get one. Wonder if I have made the big bad apastate list around here. To invite or not to invite, can she be "corrected" invite....if she can't she may...partake! gasp!, don't invite. haha.
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Verbal definitions exclusive to the WT?
by Chariklo ini've been meaning to ask this for a while.. just what, exactly, do the jw's mean by "shepherding"?.
being a naive ex-/ or rather lapsed catholic i assumed that "shepherding" calls were the same thing as pastoral visits by a priest, which involve basically a friendly cup of tea/coffee and a chat, or a visit in hospital to the sick.. it's gradually dawning on me that there's not a lot that's pastoral about "shepherding" visits by the jw's.
reading through stfog, i have a feeling that their brand of shepherds are a mixture of policeman and agents provocateurs.. similarly with "counsel", and "counselling".
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blond-moment
Shepherding calls should be that, to help. However, JWs really aren't a religion as much as it is mind control. Using or rather misusing scriptures does not a religion make.
Cults and mind control are well known for loaded language and definitions that mean something different to them than the public. The R&F for the most part see the shepherding calls as what they are...help...until they get one.
They are disguised as help, but it really is garnering information that they might be able to use on you later. If you are having minor issues, you know stuff like your husband beats you, they will offer spiritual counsel and tell you to be a better wife, stuff like that. However if you are questioning the organization at all, it really is a get you to talk so we have ammo to DF you. I know the shepherding calls that I was involved in were all about trying to bully me into baptism (I was 14) and when I wouldn't I was announced from the stage, put on public reproof, basically "avoid her". I used to think my story was unique, however I hear this too often.
There are recordings of shepherding calls ( http://deathorobedience.blogspot.com/ is one) you can listen for yourself. It is just too common of a theme, bully tactics disguised as help aka shepherding call.
The reality is, if you REALLY need spiritual help, the elders are no where to be found (there are exceptions, I have known really decent and caring elders), they only care when they need to boot your behind.
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Jehovah the businessman
by cedars insorry i've not posted for a while.
i find that from time to time life catches up with me, and i get distracted - temporarily losing all interest in things jw-related.
i suppose that in itself is a healthy thing?!
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blond-moment
"By allowing imperfect men to choose the wording for the ideas they received through holy spirit, God conveyed his message with warmth, variety, and the appeal of human emotions and feelings!"
By allowing imperfect men....get out of jail free clause. They use it to not only get themselves off the hook, but as you said, allows them to re-write, re-interpret. It is so hard to read the literature today, all I see is propaganda tricks.
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So, what do you think of that, "pink slime" ground beef filler, now?
by moshe ini guess those cheap mcdonalds dollar menu burgers are just chock full that meaty goodnes.. .
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blond-moment
The idea of eating fast food now, just turns my stomach. Every time I think of grabbing something quick, I just see that video of the pink goo. Dis-gus-ting. I guess it's a good thing in the end haha.
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Can you take part in a very modern discussion?
by nicolaou innote to mods.
i guess this might break posting guideline 8 but it really is just a bit of fun.
pm me if you're concerned or don't understand what's going on.. nic'.
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blond-moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOIiUos9fEk
Shows you how to make labels, using the scans. I do have some made up myself. When I know I am going someplace you find W & A, docs offices, etc. I bring them and paste away.
When I don't have my stickers and I see the lit. I have a pen and will write down nifty websites, silentlambs, jwfacts, etc.
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V for Vendetta - another great movie for faders and ex-JWs
by RayPublisher injust re-watched it again recently...wow what a powerful film and really shows up totalitarianism, mind control, etc.
of course the great wachowski's (of matrix fame) made it, so what do you expect?.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chqi8m4ceey.
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blond-moment
See you in November!
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do the gb go street witnessing ?
by mP inim just wondering when was the last time a gb went out to preach ?.
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blond-moment
I know Ray Franz did, when he was a GB member. I don't know about now, but I am sure they put in enough time to say "we put in our time". Frankly, I don't expect them to have the "do as we do" attitude at all. I see them as "we will do as we please and you will do as we say....or else"
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tattos, biker, and ??brazin conduct?????
by harleybear init seems that this whole "brazin conduct" stuff is just the catch all for the org.
now i am new to jwn and have not shadowed the door of a kh for years but really??
now i ride a harley and have tattos, i am mid 50"s professional business owner, look like the neighbor next door.
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blond-moment
Showing disresepect for the elders falls under brazen conduct. It is truly a catchall. If they want to get you, and cant get you on anything real, they can fall back on and DF you for, brazen conduct. Isn't that special?
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A Popular Question Raised by people who were never JW.
by Momma-Tossed-Me ini talk to a lot of people about the watchtower because it comes up in conversation all of the time.. money eventually becomes a topic as it is a very wealthy corporation.. so the question is always raised and it is a good one, "who controls it?".
people want to know "who has the power of the purse strings?
" and quite frankly so do i.. there is someone behind the scenes who knows so much that the wtbts could never fire him or her.
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blond-moment
To be honest, I think the GB and Brooklyn control the R&F JWs. I think the Watch Tower of PA controls Brooklyn. Some fishy stuff around the Watch Tower and the IBSA. If you are saying "who?" look in any of the literature, they are listed before the Watchtower in most.