Posts by Mum

36

I really need some help to get out of this religion

by doughnutkitty in

hi, i've been lurking on this site for quite a while after recently having doubts about the "truth".

i've read a lot of posts about problems with the doctrines, mind control, the beliefs, brainwashing that jehovah's witnesses and their literature, as well as their history.

now only being a sixteen year old born in who isn't baptized or unbaptized, i've come to find all this information incredibly overwhelming.

Mum

Hi, Doughnutkitty. Welcome to the forum. We look forward to getting your "progress notes" as you fade slowly.

I have been out since 1979. A book that helped me immensely was Dr. Wayne Dyer's Your Erroneous Zones. Dr. Dyer helps you deal with negative emotions and shows the benefits of thinking for yourself and not being manipulated by others.

Someone else recommended Crisis of Conscience, and I want to reiterate that because Ray Franz gives good insight into how the orginization works from the inside. It's pretty shocking and eye-opening at times.

Gary and Heather Botting wrote a book called The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses in which they compare the JW organization to the government policies in George Orwell's book 1984. I recommend that you read both of these books.

You might need to keep these books at school or at a friend's house while you're still living with your parents. That is fine.

Talk to your school guidance counselor and explain the mind control techniques you have been subjected to. He or she can help you deprogram yourself. When you get to college, there may be free psychological counseling for students. Take advantage of that help as well.

You might want to take some vocational interest tests, such as Strong's Interest Inventory and the Meyers-Briggs Type Inventory as well as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. These can be administered by a psychologist. Sometimes local community colleges administer these tests for free or for a very small fee. Knowing yourself is very beneficial. I am especially fond of the Meyers-Briggs. I am an INTP / INFP, i.e., a thinker-idealist. I have read about the other types and from the ESFP's and ISFJ's, I have learned to not take things so seriously and to be better organized. Learn everything about yourself, and change what you don't like.

Best wishes.

25

30 JWs baptized every hour

by Calebs Airplane in

i just came across this gem on "the chatanoogan"... it was an ad/article about the 2013 dc at the nw georgia trade & convention center arena .... what i found most interesting was the fluff at the end of the article.... fast facts - jehovah's witnesses worldwide.

6 - new congregations formed each day30 - people baptized each hour on average239 - lands where jehovah's witnesses currently preach595 - languages in which they publish bibles and bible-based literature111,719 congregations worldwide7,538,994 - ministers who teach the bible19,000,000 - people who attend their meetings or conventions179,000,000 - bibles published by jehovah's witnesses in 116 languages20,000,000,000 - pieces of bible-based literature published by jehovah's witnesses over the past 10 yearsare you kidding me?

6 congos formed each day?

Mum

Apparently, some journalists don't do their research!

56

Another non-JW reacts to Sparlock video

by cedars in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ssv2nh0rc.

and two weeks ago i highlighted another video where sparlock helped an ex-mormon.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmesmlhydru.

though it still depresses me to think of all the young ones (including my own relatives) falling under the influence of this dangerous piece of propaganda, it's at least some small comfort that the sparlock video is backfiring so dramatically among thinking non-jws.. .

Mum

Keep making those psychologically manipulative videos, Watchtower. We apostates want the world to know that we are not the only ones who are "mentally diseased." You have the tools to dig your own grave, and you're using them, Watchtower. Thanks.

13

Why do they use 'human' apostates?

by carla in

with all the threads about the dc, i am wondering why on earth does the wt use the wording 'human' apostates?

will next year have a 'spiritual' apostate talk?

i don't get it and no, i have not and will not go to their site and watch the mind numbing video or whatever......

Mum

I embrace their compliment that I am "not of their sort." Whew!

So, why human apostates? As others have said, there are "demon" apostates and alien apostates. Could there be amoeba apostates?

10

WHAT DOES UNCONDITIONAL LOVE LOOK LIKE?

by clarity in

jw
friends

i ran across the beautiful story of this man and his dog some mths ago.. >.

now i see that schoep has died @ 20 yrs old.. >.

look deeply into the faces of those two in the water ..... >.

Mum

We have a lot to learn from dogs, especially unconditional love.

12

Sparlock and memories of childhood

by Laika in

jw
friends

when i was about 6/7 there was a talk that made reference to the violence of teenage mutant ninja turtles.

when we got home, all my tmnj figures were packed up into a plastic bag and put away in the loft.

at least they weren't thrown in a wheelie bin.. when i was about 13 there was a local needs (yes, a whole talk) on the evils of pokemon, complete with the statement that pokemon was short for pocket demons (not true) no more pokemon blue for me.. i remember explaining to my pe (gym) teacher, in front of my whole class, that i could not play for the football (soccer!

Mum

Thank you for reminding me of what a wonderful childhood I had! I didn't become a JW until I was a teenager, and my parents were "nonbelievers."

I lived with my grandparents until I was 11 years old, but would visit with my parents sometimes. My sister lived with my parents and visited us sometimes. My grandparents were gentle, sweet and kind and loved children. My parents were uneducated (by choice, whereas my grandparents had to leave school to work on the farm) and believed in beating us with a belt any time we got on their nerves, unrelated to right and wrong.

But I was still lucky compared to JW kids who got beaten and then didn't get to celebrate Christmas or play with "worldly" kids and other nonsense.

34

Who Taught You The Truth(tm) OR Who Counted Time, On You?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

jw
friends

my mom's lover would bring his handsome youngest son, to our house, and along with my dad, would study with my brother, sister and i. wed 7 pm.. next an elder's wife, who was a regular pioneer and worked part-time, who had a daughter my age, came to our house, after school wed. ruth was the head of the house and wore the pants.

her husband was part of the 3 men who sat on all judicial committees in our congo and would tell ruth everything, which in turn ruth would tell the sister's.

ruth was very pious but at the age of 15 gave birth to her only child, and beat on her daughter all the time, never letting her forget what "trouble" her only daughter caused her.

Mum

While my family were living in Dayton, Ohio, my dad ran into his boss on the street. His boss was hawking the magazines. This was about 1955-56, when I was 9 years old and was in the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children in Lexington, Kentucky for about a 3-month stay at the time.

My parents came to pick me up to take me to Ohio. On the way home (a slum on Gates Street, later purchased by Urban Renewal), they told me they were studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. I had always lived with my grandparents in rural Tennessee, and I had never heard anything good about JW's, but I didn't say anything because it was very uncomfortable talking to my parents and I was a withdrawn, reticent, terrified-of-everybody kind of kid anyway.

After we got back to Ohio, we went to my parents' apartment and then to my dad's boss's house. When we got there, their two kids (about my age) jumped from behind the door and yelled, "Surprise!" They had bought me some coloring books and crayons, maybe a puzzle or some other things kids like. Then I was introduced to the family. They had the same last name we did

My dad's boss was from Kentucky, and spoke a lot of Appalachian dialect, which made me comfortable with him. He was about 6'4" and had beautiful red hair. He was a sweetheart. I adored him and loved the attention I was getting. His wife seemed very refined. She was well-spoken and had a great sense of humor. My 9-year-old self was quite impressed with these folks. They truly were wonderful people.

So my dad's boss, his lovely wife, their son (6 days younger than I) and daughter (a couple years older than I) came over every week and we studied the Let God Be True book. My mom would always serve coffee and a dessert after the study, as my parents wanted to make a good impression on these people they considered wealthy and had power over us. My sister and I would play with the kids. My brother was an infant.

After we finished the LGBT book, we started another one. It might have been Let Your Name Be Sanctified. I was amazed, as I had expected the study to end when we got through the book. It turned out that they had soooo many books!

172

Britain | Jehovah's Witnesses hushed up child sex scandal | July 16, 2013

by jwleaks in

church officials hushed up a child sex scandal in their ranks and refused to co-operate with police.. .

jehovah witness ministerial servant gordon leighton admitted sexually abusing a child when he was confronted by his church elders, a court heard.. but during the official police investigation, the 53-year-old who made headlines in the 1990s when wife yvonne, 28, died after refusing a blood transfusion after childbirth on religious grounds denied any illegal wrongdoing.. and when detectives asked elders simon preyser, harry logan and david scott to make statements about the confession, all three refused and said what they had heard was confidential.. for three years, the elders refused to co-operate with the criminal investigation and kept up that stance when the case was brought before newcastle crown court after the victim made a complaint to police.. each was issued with a witness summons which they fought to overturn before being ordered to testify by judge penny moreland citing public interest.. their barrister richard daniels said the men had a duty to god not to breach confidence.. he added: privileged communication between members of the congregation and ministers is an absolute right and duty and there is no power in law to breach such a confidence.. judge moreland said: it is apparent that the three elders who were present when this conversation took place are in possession of relevant evidence as to a point which is of real significance in this case.. they claim the right of confidentiality, they claim that what they heard said by the defendant during the course of that meeting ought to be subject to privilege, as ministers of religion.. judge moreland refused to withdraw the summonses and said: public interest is clearly in favour of this evidence being given.. what was said by the defendant on that occasion is of great significance in the trial.. despite the judges ruling, the men still refused to make statements to police until just hours before they were called before the jury.. leighton, who has since been expelled from the church at lambton kingdom hall in washington, denied two charges of indecency with a child and seven of indecent assault.. he was yesterday found guilty of two charges of indecency with a child and six of indecent assault.

he was found not guilty of one indecent assault charge, on the direction of the judge.. he was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month but warned he is facing a lengthy spell behind bars.. prosecutor katherine dunn told the court the victim, who is now an adult, broke her silence in 2009.. the court heard how at a special church meeting, leighton admitted sexual abuse and made excuses for his behaviour.. miss dunn said: the elders conducted their own investigation.

Mum

In the early '70's (late '60's), I remember attending a WT study in which the study article was about rights vs. duties. It made the point that we must consider our duties before standing up for our rights. Now, they are standing up for their "right" to endanger children and not report crimes.

This situation is a good project for AAWA and human rights groups, and for us all really.

22

The BRAIN is awakening! Don't ignore it!

by Tech49 in

something happened recently, and i thought i would share a few comments.

first, lets set the stage..... if anyone is familiar with current events in the pacific northwest, you may have heard of the death of a beautiful young lady, whitney heichel, a short while ago.

in short, whitney was a young sister that was kidnapped and killed by a "congregation" friend.

Mum

It is always so sad to see a person in denial rather than facing their problem and overcoming it.

25

Information Gatekeepers

by still thinking in

jw
friends

everything you look at and search for on the internet has been recorded and tailored specifically for you.

theyve figured out how to filter everything which they call a filter bubble.

we dont get to decide what we do and dont get to see anymore.

Mum

Wow, st! Thanks for that information. How can we know what we really think if we are never challenged? My views are mostly liberal, but I have many Facebook friends with ultra-conservative views. I need them more than ever now.