00DAD

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Posts by 00DAD

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  26

  On the Eve of 2013, Predictions

  by breakfast of champions in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not predictions for 2013 per se, but a couple i could see happening in the not-too-distant future:.

  the society takes the hundred year anniversary of 1914 head-on with more spin and disinformation.

  already laid the groundwork with the "100 years ago" feature in the new yearbook.

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  00DAD

  Interesting ideas BOC.

  We'll have to come back in a year or so and see how close your predictions came to being true!

  BTW, is your avatar Kurt Vonnegut?

  I've been meaning to ask you for a while!

  00DAD
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  36

  Rant #77

  by 00DAD in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this isn't actually my 77th rant.

  i've completely lost track of all my rants.

  i'm quite sure i'm way passed 77 by now.

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  00DAD

  Hi all, thanks for the many kind and supportive words. I really need it right now.

  Funny, I get more love and understanding from all you "evil apostates" than from the people that loudly go around telling everyone they're the only True Christians on Earth.

  What a bunch of hypocrites!

  I'll respond individually to all of you later. I'm still pretty upset at the moment, but your kindness is helping a lot!

  Thanks,

  00DAD
• 
  24

  Horrible day

  by 88JM in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just had to come on here and vent - i'm having a horrible day.. firstly, had to sit through a horrible public talk about obedience to the "superior authorities" (whoever they decide that is this week) - all kinds of crazy stuff taking verses in romans way out of context.. then had to sit through that hideous watchtower defending david.

  one brother actually used the words "we want to follow in david's footsteps" - i was nearly ready to vomit.

  just a total gloss-over.

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  00DAD

  A slow fade is painful. It's like s-l-o-w-l-y ripping a band-aid off a scab.

  But I completely understand your reasons. Hang in there. It get's better.

  In reference to your "soul-destroying" comment to Mouthy, I would ask you to consider looking at it from a different perspective: You've been asleep and now you're waking up. The pain you feel is part of that process. As you get stronger, it will lessen. It takes time, but you will heal.

  00DAD
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  24

  Horrible day

  by 88JM in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just had to come on here and vent - i'm having a horrible day.. firstly, had to sit through a horrible public talk about obedience to the "superior authorities" (whoever they decide that is this week) - all kinds of crazy stuff taking verses in romans way out of context.. then had to sit through that hideous watchtower defending david.

  one brother actually used the words "we want to follow in david's footsteps" - i was nearly ready to vomit.

  just a total gloss-over.

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  00DAD

  Waking up to the Truth about "The Truth" (TTATT) is painful.

  I don't know you're story. Why do you attend if you don't believe?

  00DAD
• 
  27

  First post

  by jonno12225 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  [if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:revision>0</o:revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:totaltime> <o:pages>1</o:pages> <o:words>2586</o:words> <o:characters>14741</o:characters> <o:company>j & c graham painters and decorators</o:company> <o:lines>122</o:lines> <o:paragraphs>34</o:paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>17293</o:characterswithspaces> <o:version>14.0</o:version> </o:documentproperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:relyonvml /> <o:allowpng /> </o:officedocumentsettings> </xml><!

  [endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>en-gb</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>ja</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:enableopentypekerning /> <w:dontflipmirrorindents /> <w:overridetablestylehps /> </w:compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="&#45;-" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!

  looking back now it is almost as if i became an atheist but still believed in my religion.

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  00DAD

  Hi and welcome! I look forward to reading your post in detail later!

  00DAD
• 
  36

  Rant #77

  by 00DAD in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this isn't actually my 77th rant.

  i've completely lost track of all my rants.

  i'm quite sure i'm way passed 77 by now.

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  00DAD

  This isn't actually my 77th rant. I've completely lost track of all my rants. I'm quite sure I'm way passed 77 by now. Who knows ...?

  No, I'm just riffin' on Jesus' alleged response to Peter's weasely attempt to appear forgiving while in reality avoid being so. Peter was a model elder, doncha' know! - Matthew 18:21 - 35

  You see, I'm mad. I'm really mad. I'm mad and I'm frustrated. I'm REALLY, REALLY MAD and REALLY, REALLY FRUSTRATED! In fact, I'm furious, beyond words. Still, I'll try to explain; probably my situation will be familiar to many of you too:

  I'm disfellowshipped and as a result am completely shunned by my own family and former "friends." Nothing new there! The so-called "friends" I could do without. Fuck 'em if that's the kind of friends they are! Conditional approval isn't worth the paper a WT magazine is printed on.

  But I do love my family, especially my children. And I believe I owe it to my kids to try and reach them. After all, I'm the one that taught them this stupid religion. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but that was before I saw what a pack of lies it all is. Now I know better.

  And so, I'm trying desperately to do what I can to restore broken relationships with those that I love. Yet, no matter what I do, I find that I am constantly being blocked by the un-Christian, unloving, evil and controlling rules of this God-damned religion.

  It's completely absurd that I should be at the mercy of unmerciful men. I seek mercy, but it's not there. It's ridiculous that I need the "forgiveness" of unforgiving people. I ask for forgiveness, but it is withheld from me.

  Why do I need those things? Because, apparently, I need the permission of three men so that I can talk to my own children.

  What kind of God would think up such an arrangement? Not one worthy of my worship, that's for sure!

  The idea that anyone thinks that they have the right to tell an adult who they can and cannot talk to is completely ridiculous.

  If I was ever under the illusion that God has anything to do with this religion, my experience over the last few years has completely shattered that illusion. Shattered it to pieces. My faith is now nothing but broken shards of pale-colored glass. With my every step, I feel that glass being crushed beneath my feet.

  God, if he even exists, has nothing to do with the religion known as Jehovah's Witnesses, nothing.

  No question, no doubts. Don't even gotta' think twice about it.

  It's just so fucked up that this religion holds your own family hostage. And that's what it is: A hostage situation. I'm going in, undercover.

  00DAD
• 
  25

  Agents of Reality came knocking on my door today ...

  by 00DAD in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  two agents of reality came by my house this morning.

  no, i'm not talking about jehovah's witnesses.

  those are agents of unreality in case you're unclear on the subject!

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  00DAD

  Two Agents of Reality came by my house this morning.

  No, I'm NOT talking about Jehovah's Witnesses. Those are agents of unreality in case you're unclear on the subject!

  I'm talking about the concepts of Confirmation Bias and Cognitive Dissonance theory.

  It seems that we humans have the disturbing tendency to only seek out information that confirms what we already believe. Also, if confronted with any ideas, facts or evidence that challenge our beliefs, we tend to discount that information rather than question the validity of our beliefs.

  It's not a very logical way to go about the business of living, but it's what we do. You can be guilty of this too. Don't think so? Well, have you ever found yourself getting angry when someone simply offered an idea that conflicted with what you believe to be true? If you did, then you've experienced these agents of reality knocking at your door. Did you let them in or did you pretend you weren't home? Most people are perennial "Not-at-Homes" when these guys come a-knockin'.

  Indeed, it takes great effort to overcome these very human tendencies. It takes courage and self-discipline to face the fact that you might be wrong about something. Most people, and I do mean most, will simply avoid changing. They will dig in their heels and fight harder than ever rather than change. It's just too hard, too painful and frankly too much work for most individuals. An emotional response to a fact that challenges a belief is generally compelling evidence that that belief is firmly rooted in fanstasy-land. It is axiomatic that the stronger the emotion, the weaker the foundation of that belief, the less likely that it is valid or true.

  One only needs to dispassionately observe the mental gymnastics that True Believers of any ilk will go through to continue to hold on to their cherished beliefs in the face of otherwise irrefutable evidence to the contrary to be convinced of the truth of this.

  The leaders of the WTBTS are masters at these bizarre mind-games of self-deception. It is these same powerful internal forces that give birth to such ill-conceived "doctrines" as an "Overlapping Generation" or its bastard cousin, the recent revision in the "understanding" of the identity of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave." It's the same delusional psychological mechanisms that allow millions of people to unquestioningly accept such illogical changes in their "theology." Seriously! How could it be that the leadership of a major religion has been wrong about their own identity for nearly 100 years? How could it be that they only just now "got it right" with "New Light"? How could it be that the announcement of this change has failed to incite loud protestations from their followers? The ridiculousness of the inherent flaws and internal contradictions in this recent doctrinal change is painfully obvious to anyone not emotionally married to the underlying beliefs.

  Loyal Witnesses should be shouting, "Wait! We've only followed you because we believed you really are the 'Faithful and Discreet Slave.' If you've been wrong about your own identity all this time, then we shouldn't be following you!" But in reality, it's all pretty quiet in the Kingdom Halls. The only protestations are pretty much limited to blogs like this or other similar websites.

  Belief systems, especially religious belief systems, are tragic comedies playing out on a stage in the Theater of the Absurd. I'm just glad that I am now merely a member of the audience rather than a player in the play as I once was. It's painful to watch, but still somehow I cannot look away.

  I wonder how it will end.
• 
  23

  5 stages of dealing with TTATT?

  by El_Guapo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thanks to this website and jwfacts, i have come to learn the "infamous" ttatt.. i've had soooo many emotions the last couple months.. (fyi: i've been baptized since '95 third gen jw, elder father and every other member of my family is a regular pioneer).

  i was wondering, like dealing with greif : are there 5 stages for dealing with ttatt?.

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  00DAD

  Yes, and they don't necessarily come in order.
• 
  42

  FEBRUARY 1ST 2013 WT TRACTAZINE!!! LIGHT GETTING BRIGHTER!!!!

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  at my last meeting i picked up the new feb 1, 2013 wt.

  my first reaction was " is this a joke?

  " i said so out loud to the literature servant.

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  00DAD

  tornapart, I remember that Steven Hassan talks about the importance of music in cult rituals, which is not to say that all music equates to or creates a cult, but that it is an important part of getting the mind ready for indoctrination.

  Sorry I don't have the exact quote.

  00DAD
• 
  96

  What's The Main Reason You Do Not Believe That The Witnesses Are The Best Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some people leave because they are fed up with the elders.

  others have personality issues.

  some have doctrinal and prophecy reasons.

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  00DAD

  The leaders lie.

  It can't be "The Truth" when that happens.

  End of story.

  Really, Christ Alone, said it best two posts above, "When you lie to me and won't admit it, that's it."

  I just wanted to chime in too!

  00DAD