In the '80's I saw Joan Cetnar on The John Ankerberg Show. She and her late husband, Bill, were apostates before it was cool. She stated that she and Bill kinew of old literature being burned. As someone else pointed out, they can burn all they want, but somebody somewhere has every piece of it.
Posts by Mum
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44WT destroying old literature
by startingover ini was approached by an elder about a year ago asking what i am going to do with my large collection of wt literature.
he told me the society had put word out that they were collecting old literature.
i asked him why but he couldn't give me a definite answer.
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JWs Just Don't Want To Think....
by minimus inthey don't want to think about their past, present or future.. they ignore any obvious weakness in "the truth".. they won't question their leader's viewpoints.. they will follow what the governing body (the faithful & discreet slave) says even if they flipflop a hundred times.. it's embarrassing to see millions of people refuse to think.. the only silver lining is that many of us were just like the witnesses of today.
there is hope!.
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Mum
What is saddest of all is that they have a false consciousness (a term I borrowed from Karl Marx ) about life and everything in it. Their whole life is a lie, and they are afraid to consider the reality of that fact.
I think of them every day and feel sad that people who could be free choose to live in slavery and poverty.
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How About Some Old Time aRockan' Roll
by slipnslidemaster ini admit it.
usually when i'm drunk and/or bored.. but.... this one thread just caught my eye and i would love for all of you jw wonks/historians to post more information regarding it.. it's called "everything you always wanted to know about shunning, excommunication and disfellowship practice".
surely a wonderful thread all on it's own but there is a gem inside of the thread that got me to a'wondering:.
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Mum
slipnslidemaster, were you one of the posters on H2O? I think I remember you from that old forum. Glad to see you here.
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First post
by EastCoastMindFree ini have been on this site lurking for over 2 years and this is my first post, i feel so bottled with emotion that i have to let it out somehow so i do not have an emotional breakdown!
i was raised in the organization and am married with 2 children ages 4 and 2. my wife and i have been inactive for about 2 years and i have always had hard questions that were never answered growing up, such as blood policy and how david and his men were allowed to eat from the bread reserved for the high priests without death penalty since it was life or death.
carbon dating on human remains/tools that date back 30-40k years, far surpassing the 6k year man creation date, the double standards and very real "human" aspect on the organization and its decisions and history.
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Mum
Welcome! You're fading successfully, or so it seems. You need to let go of those negative emotions. Many will recommend that you read Steve Hassan's book Combatting Cult Mind Control, and I endorse this book also, although I have never read it.
A book that helped me wake up and deal with my emotions was Dr. Wayne Dyer's first book, Your Erroneous Zones. His strategies for dealing with anger, stress, manipulation, etc. are simple and effective. Your thought patterns will change, and you will be a much healthier person.
Can you move to another state or another town? This strategy helped me make my exit much more easily as well.
If you need someone to talk to, call a priest, rabbi or minister. These individuals have the ability to answer questions about Biblical subjects, as they have studied at a high level.
If you just need to vent, we're here for you.
I have spoken with a young man in my area who has recently quit. He is registered on this forum but rarely posts. PM me, and I will tell you how to contact him.
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Being pressured and getting increasingly stressed.
by NBird inhello, i'm a 17 year old born in and i'm done with this religion.
one hundred percent.
i came to the conclusion a year ago that i wanted to leave.
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Mum
Don't get baptized.
Don't get baptized.
Dont get baptized.
I can't say it enough: Don't get baptized.
Remember that whatever decisions you make now have consequences you will have to live with the rest of your life. Getting baptized is the equivalent of giving a lot of people sticks to beat you with if you choose to live your life your way.
Don't let words like "selfish," or "spiritually weak" make you feel bad. Those are words used to manipulate you, not improve or uplift you.
You are very young, but very wise so far. Take everything slowly. Do what your parents tell you in good conscience and remind yourself, "This, too, shall pass." It will pass, you will have your own income, be able to live on your own, and be responsible for yourself and your feelings, not anyone else's.
Best wishes.
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Every so often I receive a very uncomplimentary email thru my website from a JW. Want to read it?
by AndersonsInfo intheir email address is: xxxxx.
and their message is:.
you probably would say, 'i didn't abandon him, i can still serve him on my own.
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Mum
I must say that this person, for all of the fallacies in his/her arguments, is an above average dub. I see only one spelling error in the entire text, and the sentence structure is grammatically correct.
Do you answer these e-mails, Barbara?
You probably don't remember me, Barbara, but you and your husband sat at the same table as my daughter and I for dinner at the Silentlambs march in 2002. It was my daughter's 30th birthday. I'm from Tennessee, and we talked about people we might both know.
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Personality types and religious adherence
by EdenOne ini was going through the personality types of the briggs-myers test (take the free test here) and noticed how some types are naturally inclined to follow rules and expect order, while others are inclined towards feelings and emotional appeals, other are naturally inclined to help out others ... what do you think?
are there certain basic personality types that pre-dispose the individual to adhere to a certain type of religion ?.
eden.
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Mum
I have been fascinated by the MBTI since the '80's. I'm an INXP, which is a combination of INTP and INFP. I was a passionate JW, as INFP's are about whatever they believe in. The "truth" was presented to me (as a child) in a way that I considered scholarly; i.e., there were lots of quotations from "authorities" to back up their claims, so the INTP part was drawn in.
The ESFJ type is "the salesman," so cults find them very useful. They are also upholders of institutions and tradition (as are all SJ's/guardians).
What I learned from researching the different types are (1) that I don't have to be so melancholy and serious and (2) to figure out which type(s) a person is after I've known them a while. It helps me to speak to them in a way that they can relate to. INFP's have a mission to help everyone to be their authentic selves.
The 4 temperaments each have 4 types:
SJ: "Guardian" - keeps institutions and traditions alive, resists change, is methodical, does things step-by-step, expects others to conform to his/her values and expectations, make good administrators, are usually the boss.
SP: "Artisan" - Free spirited and fun-loving, live entirely in the moment, become great athletes, artists and musicians because if they love to do something, they do it for long stretches.
NT: "Rational" - thinkers, tinkerers, want to figure out how things work, make great inventors, analysts, scientists, often full of self-doubt.
NF: "Idealist" - People who care about others, make decisions based on values and how others will be affected; NF's were at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement and the Women's movement, work to make the world a better place, not bound by tradition.
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Stuff You Would Lose If You Went Back
by Nosferatu inso we know all the things the wts prevents us from doing, but that's much, much different than the stuff we've grown accustomed to.. for those who have been out for a number of years, what kind of things would end up being abandoned if you suddenly started going back to the kingdom hall?
you know, stuff that you now do on the nights you used to attend meetings, the things you own, the things you wear, etc..
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Mum
1. Sanity. When I was a dub, I used to have episodes of crying uncontrollably and didn't understand why. I can't remember the last time I did this.
2. Growth and learning. I have obtained a bachelor's degree and continue to learn, as many subjects interest me.
3. My family, who I adore.
4. Entertainment.
5. Anything worth living for.
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Mum
Buckingham
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Fear of Freedom
by Phizzy inwhen a long term prisoner is released in to society, they are often bewildered and at a loss what to do.
for many years they have been told what to do, now they have to make their own decisions, and make their own way in life, more often than not with little or no support.. the same is true for those leaving the j.w religion, in excatly the same terms as the last sentence.. do you think that is why some stay within the confines of the prison like wt ?
fear of freedom ?.
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Mum
Good point! If I had a fortune, I hope I could start a "halfway house" or transitional living situation for people exiting cults. They need a hand up! I feel even more heavy at heart for women leaving (or wanting to leave) polygamist cults and other cults that use women brutally. Children are the saddest victims of all.