Posts by GrownMidget

25

Is Religion Dying Out? - AWAKE! NOVEMBER 2015

by GrownMidget in

"have you given up on organized religion?

in many countries the number of people who describe themselves as not religious is growinga trend that suggests an uncertain future for institutional religion.

some of those lands are shown here.

GrownMidget

"HAVE you given up on organized religion? If so, you are far from alone. In many countries the number of people who describe themselves as ‘not religious’ is growing—a trend that suggests an uncertain future for institutional religion. Some of those lands are shown here." -AWAKE! NOVEMBER 2015

Oh the irony... Yes, yes I have. Needless to say more.
Have you?

Anyway, I quickly glimpsed most parts and here are things I want to point out:
In the article they include money, material prosperity, sex scandals, history of religions, and all the others that is actually going on right now and being exposed in their own organization. Looks like to me that they are trying to make regular members to look at other religions so that they can get their attention away from the Watchtower organization and buys some more time to fix things so that it doesn't look so bad PR wise.

At the middle comes the f-bomb of donations reassuring the current witnesses who might have heard about any *ahem* money problems within the organization, that everything is voluntary:

"In harmony with those principles, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not charge for their literature or for Bible instruction. Nor do they tithe or take up collections at their meetings. Instead, needed funds are supplied through private voluntary donations."

Aaand at the end comes the regular get out of Babylon the Great yada-yada. I would bet that somewhere in the magazine it shows an example of a person or couple joining Jehovah's Witnesses with their perfect white teeth and they could be never better.

"Join now as our legal and free slave, donate your tax-free money to our deposit boxes and we will promise you a perfect ever-lasting-life-somewhere-in-the-not-so-distant-but-still pretty-far-away-future and as an extra Jehovah will like you on Facebook!"

Link for full article:
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201511/organized-religion-dying/

27

Received a YouTube Hate Message

by cappytan in

jw
friends

jehovah's witnesses are such loving people with christian personalities, are they not?.

.

(ps, yes, i have a youtube channel.

GrownMidget

NC-17 is used in the US. "No Children 17 and Under Admitted", therefore referring to adult content that is not porn.

50

Pranks to play in the hall...

by purrpurr in

jw
friends

what pranks could you/would you/ have you played in the kingdom hall?.

i have never but here's two i've thought of, 1) replace the liquid soap with glue 2) smear nutella everywhere in the bathroom!.

what's yours?.

GrownMidget

OK, this is an asshole one but here goes anyway.

You could sit in the very front during the memorial and when the bread comes at your place, eat it all. Majority of the people won't be able to partake and will look at each other like "what the hell did he just do?!"

183

JWs have more good points than bad

by lsw1961 in

1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).

2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.

this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.

GrownMidget

Although I know this is either a troll or you will never answer back, I will still throw out stuff.
Maybe I am wrong and you really read but are just ignorant individual trying to test your faith.

1) Many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings

While religion in general might have positive effects in ones life, it can also have negative effect of great magnitude. I was in a destructive path indeed, but that was while I was in the organization being a game piece. After leaving, I have found peace that I was said never to find. And that can be seen pretty often in the publications by the organization. "All the good is only within the religion of witnesses and by leaving you will lose yourself in the world". Hearing something like this in the meetings is way too often so you start to believe it. What they say is a lie on majority of people.

If interested more, read the long tirade I made as my first post.

2) Equal monthly pay to all members of the Bethel community regardless of whether they are BC members or sweepers. This is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.

I'm not sure about the pay, but would guess it's at max a money to get tooth brush and shampoo because God demands cleanness. Now the majority are being kicked out for their hard work at Bethel and organization still has balls to ask them for more via pioneering (which surely is completely free labor).

4) Numerous legal victories in favor of freedom of expression and beliefs have helped even non-JWs also.

And many lost ones. You really think they will openly admit to regular members losing a legal case? lol. That would cause hysteria because Jehovah wasn't blessing them this time.
As an example, Candace Conti case. Heard of it at the meetings? I doubt. Also there is one going on right now where Governing Body member, Geoffrey Jackson, is being questioned by the Australian Royal Commission. Future will tell what will happen with that one.

5) They effectively invited the attention of the world into the thinking that evolution theory is just a theory

Evolution is proven by facts. Creation theory is not proven by anything and actually science disproves what Bible says to be true (6000 years of humanity and what not). It's all only in a book written long ago by primitive man without any understanding of what is going on in the universe or on the earth, therefore "God". Sounds like Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.

And as a last thing, few things right in the Bible are not proof of divinity. Rabbit eating its poop can be a good observation since to human it's weird to eat feces. Earth hanging in the space could also be poetry, they might have had very wise men living in their ages that had access to good equipment of that time or simply just a damn good guess.

List can go on and on. At the same time I admit that they also have their weak side which arose unwittingly out of good-intention. -- Of course I do refrain from shunning which I personally consider as wrong. -- When I found certain things confusing, I brought to the attention of the higher-ups who, in turn, told me to wait for Jehovah.

That is called cherry-picking, which in this case is hypocrisy. You basically say that all apostates are wrong yet you admit yourself that there are problems within the organization that you are trying to protect. For the last part I say that the elders use your ignorance against you. You accept that "Jehovah is controlling things", while in reality you are dedicating your life to an organization that has a one goal and one goal only: to make free and legal slave labor and get as many tax-free donations as possible before it dries out. This is done using the God (Jehovah) and the Bible.

In your case, you are not enjoying your lives even after coming out of JWs --What did those who declared: “we should kill Lazarus also” gain? (John 12:10) You can easily dismiss Lazarus episode as fictional. Yet history has enough examples of attacking the good just because they are good.

How can you speak for all the members of this community? I personally have been enjoying my life so much more after I left. Maybe you should try this before you judge us? We have tried your way, while you haven't tried ours. Take distance to the organization for a year. People who were in said, after I recontacted them, that I had changed to better, thus something is going on within the organization. Some here might be speaking for all the witnesses but majority are not. If you or any other witness truly believe that you are deep down happy in your heart, who are we to judge? That's a great thing then! Religion is doing what it is supposed to be doing, but I really doubt that majority of witnesses is feeling this way.

These "good people" you speak of are usually killed because they are seen as a threat to the money/power going on within the stuff they are fighting for. Kill the starter and you will destroy the problem. Organization is trying (and would, if it was legal*) to kill apostates off because they are a serious problem to their company imago, legal and free slave labor and tax-free donations.

* "We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. “Thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him to death with stones, because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, . . . And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee.”—Deut. 13:6-11, AS.

Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof." (w52 Nov. 15 p. 703)

Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof." (w52 Nov. 15 p. 703)

Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof." (w52 Nov. 15 p. 703)

Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof." (w52 Nov. 15 p. 703)

50

Pranks to play in the hall...

by purrpurr in

jw
friends

what pranks could you/would you/ have you played in the kingdom hall?.

i have never but here's two i've thought of, 1) replace the liquid soap with glue 2) smear nutella everywhere in the bathroom!.

what's yours?.

GrownMidget

I once pulled out the XLR cables coming from the speaker's platform microphone. They somehow were connected into a box that seemed to go inside the platform and from there into the audio system - or at least that's what I figured out.

Before the meeting started, the elder starting it was walking around the hall trying to figure it out. Eventually they did and then everyone looked at me because I was the only kid.

Yeah, pretty old prank and I was young but since you asked...

20

Shunning is psychologically terrorizing

by poopie in

jw
friends

its barbaric.

GrownMidget

Has any of you heard of Harry Harlow? He died in the 80's but during his time he did some controversial studies using monkeys where he would basically strip infants from any physical contact, which eventually somewhat lead to their death.

Thinking that we, as humans, are social primates, and monkeys being close relatives, I am not surprised that in long run something bad might/will come out of the organization's evil shunning policies.
On top of that this is not even "for science", it's simply made to maximize the free slave work and never ending greed for more money. Bible is very effective weapon when used correctly.

If you want to read more about the experiment, check the Wikipedia page for starters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Harlow

27

Received a YouTube Hate Message

by cappytan in

jw
friends

jehovah's witnesses are such loving people with christian personalities, are they not?.

.

(ps, yes, i have a youtube channel.

GrownMidget

"Name of the Lord"? Organization is the one taking the name and slamming it all around. We can only talk about what they use, since they made up the name "Jehovah's Witnesses". How is it misuse since we didn't even implement it?

Anyway, this guy is "weak in faith" since he's on your videos to begin with. You can always see that these who blame apostates/faders are the ones with most guilt and that they are not happy in the situation they are in. Organization just gives them a way to let out their hate (burn those witch apostates!!) that builds up over the years from being unsure about your future.

I hope this individual will find his peace because the situation is not healthy in long run.

37

A question about fading....

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i understand that many on this forum are undertaking a slow fade, over months, years even.. can i ask what is the benefit of that instead of a fast fade?.

as i understand it, the elders only have to deal judicially with people who are still active witnesses, known in the community as witnesses, having contact and influence with witnesses etc.

so surely the sooner you stop attending meetings the better.

GrownMidget

as I understand it, the elders only have to deal judicially with people who are still active witnesses, known in the community as witnesses, having contact and influence with witnesses etc.

That is pretty much how it should go based on the elders manual. It all depends on many factors. Family, friends, your status, your activity level, how nosy the elders are, how much they want to sanction you and many others.

Pretty quickly after my judicial committee, I somewhat quit going. I still agreed with an elder to study with me to "strengthen my faith", but during the first visit I realized that he's not allowing me to have my own faith supported by the "spiritual food", but instead it has to be exactly what he has been taught by the organization. Because of the abusive nature of the organization and my past, I started to cry in front of him and as a man that is often seen as a very big sign of weakness yet it is not. In this context I felt humiliated. I decided that I don't want this. Later I texted him that I no longer want to study and he texted me back asking what is the reason. I said that I simply don't want and that emotionally it is too heavy. It was over after that and I was never contacted by the body of elders anymore. I have now officially faded, with only few conditional friends cutting me loose.

Personally, I consider dissociation as the best solution. It's the way where you decide your faith, not the elders. Some say that it's playing by the rules but personally I beg to differ due to the next point. Which is, that way you don't have to hear about the witness herp-derp hype anymore. Down side, just like in the disfellowshipping is that you lose family, friends and all the other social contacts. If you have no family/friends in or they have already cut contacts, might as well just announce officially that you no longer agree. I still want to write the letter myself, but feel that right now in this time and moment I am not ready for it.

25

Long Story of my Life/Experience

by GrownMidget in

also, my wife has come to her limits of understanding me about the witnesses related grief i have been having.

she has told me many times to stop reading the ex-witness sites because i get depressed and become angry, which sadly is true.

it's not very productive to be sad throughout the entire day and then shout at your wife for the reason she has no first hand experience about, therefore how could she possibly know and help?

GrownMidget

Once we get to freely express ourselves, we do not feel repressed. I am so sorry for what happened to you as a child, being forced to the floor, the crazy things (yes, crazy) that adults did to you! Anyone would say, "What the heck is going on here?" and children do not have the power, or the means to escape all of the time.

Heh, it's funny that to me it's "normal" and when someone is having normal life, to me it's "weird". Normality is a weird concept. Anyway, my parents often used Bible to try to make me do what they say.

(New International Version)
Exodus 20:12; "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."
Ephesians 6:1; "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
And completely forgot Ephesians 6:4; "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

And no, I am not believing this is from God, because I don't believe he exists to begin with. Just trying to say that their methods were fucked up and all this power was given to them by the Governing Body, who says that God has appointed them.

Now years later, my mom is very sorry for all, but too bad that damage is done. My step dad also included me and his son as the only persons in his will. I am guessing he is feeling bad for the things he has done and is trying to say he's sorry.

10

What the GB/Lawyers Should Be Worrying About

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

perhaps this was touched on in another thread so i apologize if it was ( i don't get to read all of the posts on here all the time) .

who leaked that october letter that was read about the midweek meeting restructuring and reduction in magazines?

it only could've been someone fairly high up in the organization or someone in the it department that converted it to pdf format, or someone from a branch that is in charge of digital correspondence, translation, etc.

GrownMidget

I took a lot of pleasure the following morning informing 2 ladies on the cart near where I live about the new arrangements, they looked at me like I was insane

I remember one time, while I was still in, after the meeting I said that I feel there is a mole. Years later coming online and then realize that I was right was a weird feeling.