Posts by howdidtihappen

11

Why do JW's come to bible studies in pairs?

by howdidtihappen in

my teacher said "the holy spirit is not present unless there's 3 people, usually.".

wtf!?

she even said it with a straight face.. .

howdidtihappen

Great and helpful answers, thank you.

" It's just like WWE wrestling with one exception. The WWE doesn't pretend to be honest or real."

HILARIOUS.

So what's with the elder? Is my progress being measured or something? That was my first thought.

11

Why do JW's come to bible studies in pairs?

by howdidtihappen in

my teacher said "the holy spirit is not present unless there's 3 people, usually.".

wtf!?

she even said it with a straight face.. .

howdidtihappen

My teacher said "The holy spirit is not present unless there's 3 people, usually."

WTF!? She even said it with a straight face.

I KNOW that's not the real reason, so what is? Also should I be honored when an elder sits in on the study (this is the story I was given)... or what's his REAL reason for being there?

96

The New World Translation Quote from an Elder

by howdidtihappen in

you've probably heard this before, but at a meeting last night the elder called the nwt the "rolls royce" of bibles.

i'm new to the jw bs (and as soon as i can break away, will do so.

) but do they also believe they have a superior bible to anyone elses outside the religion?

howdidtihappen

I know it's not very Christian of me but after reading this thread (and thanks everyone for the pictures... i was literally gasping for air at some, while laughing) I want to punch that elder in the face. To think i almost threw away my King James Bible when I got home because, well, who needs it? I guess thats what they're brainwashing people to believe. Now I just want to rip the NWT to shreds. God hears prayers, alright, for the mere fact I found this website.

Thanks again, it's more information than i expected and I appreciate it all. Even more so because I wanted that smug elder to be wrong more than anything else.

35

Angels are taking the lead in the preaching work

by mankkeli in

jw
friends

consider one experience in which two kingdom publishers were accompanied by a small child.

at the end of the morning, the two witnesses were about to stop their preaching work, but the child was unusually eager to go to the next home.

in fact, he went by himself and knocked on the door!

howdidtihappen

This is such a stupid example. Because JW's ARE out knocking on doors, OBVIOUSLY they're the only ones that are going to come to the door. That's not divine intervention, it's JW's are the only religion physically out there spreading "the word". So unfortunately if someone is praying and the JWs are only out doing the work they're obligated to do, the praying person is going to get one on their doorstep. Makes me wish every religion was out there preaching door to door then they wouldn't know what "true religion" the angels sent to the poor bastards house. LOL.

Billions of angels (according to one of my study sessions) yet only 7 million JW's? They aren't too active are they!

96

The New World Translation Quote from an Elder

by howdidtihappen in

you've probably heard this before, but at a meeting last night the elder called the nwt the "rolls royce" of bibles.

i'm new to the jw bs (and as soon as i can break away, will do so.

) but do they also believe they have a superior bible to anyone elses outside the religion?

howdidtihappen

As well as being informative (their OWN Bible, holy hell) This thread gave me a good laugh, so thanks for that. I need it after getting involved with JW's. Now i'm just trying to break away without losing my new friends. I've spent all day researching the NWT and the results are alarming. On second thought i don't think i want friends who believe this garbage without question.

Give me the bad news. I don't HAVE friends if i stop studying, right?

96

The New World Translation Quote from an Elder

by howdidtihappen in

you've probably heard this before, but at a meeting last night the elder called the nwt the "rolls royce" of bibles.

i'm new to the jw bs (and as soon as i can break away, will do so.

) but do they also believe they have a superior bible to anyone elses outside the religion?

howdidtihappen

You've probably heard this before, but at a meeting last night the elder called the NWT the "Rolls Royce" of Bibles. I'm new to the JW BS (and as soon as i can break away, will do so.) but do they also believe they have a superior Bible to anyone elses outside the religion? I thought a Bible was a Bible.

34

Oh the weirdness: Observations from a study

by howdidtihappen in

i started studying jw with a work friend because she used to keep me at arms length and i knew it was because of her religion.

she and her family are such lovely people so i thought maybe there was something to it, how bad can it be, etc.

i was enticed by this girls friendship as she has been spending more time with me but continues to say "you're not one of us yet" which continually freaks me out.

howdidtihappen

Thanks so much everyone, i really appreciate all the advice on how my family will be treated, etc. It's just so scary now :( It's as if this religion is actually designed to tear families apart because it's a radical way of living and takes up so much of a person's time. I can't believe this is the cost of a friendship in JW world. what was i thinking! But Im relieved to know this stuff before i made any serious commitment but sheeeeesh.... i'm a little bit sad too because I'm shocked my 'friend' could be someone who thinks like that. I won't look at her the same now.

Oh and i just want to clarify that I'm a 24yr old girl and studying with another 24 yr old girl. I think some people are under the impression I'm a guy. Maybe it was from my first point about the boy and girl sitting together. We were sitting behind the boy-girl couple, and the girl turned around and said "We're like brother and sister!" So, yeah.

WOW Skeeter1 I don't even want to believe what you wrote! But I know I'd be an absolute moron not to. THANK YOU, and thank you for helping me to establish that if I do choose to carry on in this religion, I'm only in denial. And you're right that this will DO NOTHING GOOD for my already alive and well paranoia. I'm already freaked out about how much time i'd spend with the same people if i went further. It sounds like the objective of the organization's leaders is to make sure everyone is together all the time. Am i right about that? or would that be more paranoia on my part?

sd7 - i didn't have one conversation about spiritual matters after the meeting or at the after meeting get together so i guess i'm in the bad books already. Not that JW's gossip or anything.

What do i say to my study person (there has to be a term for that but i dont know it) who says "I know it's the truth because i've just been so blessed. I was down to my last dollar and pioneering and Jehovah blessed me with a part time job..." (yes we've already discussed that full time jobs are Satan appealing to our selfish interests) and all the other "Ways Jehovah blessed me" stories.

34

Oh the weirdness: Observations from a study

by howdidtihappen in

i started studying jw with a work friend because she used to keep me at arms length and i knew it was because of her religion.

she and her family are such lovely people so i thought maybe there was something to it, how bad can it be, etc.

i was enticed by this girls friendship as she has been spending more time with me but continues to say "you're not one of us yet" which continually freaks me out.

howdidtihappen

Hi howdidtihappen, I click on the "insert a new table", 1st icon on the 3rd row of the tool bar; select Cols 1, Rows 1, and Class "quote"; click on insert; copy/paste the information in the new table; and then resize the table to fit in a reply without the need for the horizontal scroll bar.

Aha, thank you! :) i failed because there's a scroll bar, but i've always sucked at tables ;)

Wow, never even considered the kids stay quiet out of fear of a beating. I bet thats not the response my friend would have given, either. Speaking of responses my friend wont give, say I was to get baptized (NOT saying i am), my family aren't in, and i live with them. Would I have to move out? Would i start getting any pressure to separate myself from them?

34

Oh the weirdness: Observations from a study

by howdidtihappen in

i started studying jw with a work friend because she used to keep me at arms length and i knew it was because of her religion.

she and her family are such lovely people so i thought maybe there was something to it, how bad can it be, etc.

i was enticed by this girls friendship as she has been spending more time with me but continues to say "you're not one of us yet" which continually freaks me out.

howdidtihappen

I think i notice things too much for own good, actually. I thought i was being too cynical at first. Had I felt the love i probably would have said "how nice" about their dress, but then again, I used to go to a church that was just Christian and they'd have a live band to play hymns, plays, interesting ways of telling bible stories, and it was fun. And anyone wore any old thing so dress doesn't impress me, nor does it mean much. I felt God more there than i did at the kingdom hall, yet according to my friend, god is nowhere else. But it's hard to argue that with someone who has never been anywhere else to know the difference.

One positive thing i noticed was very well behaved kids. It's astounding how they'd just sit there without a word. Unless this is actually a negative thing, i dunno.

34

Oh the weirdness: Observations from a study

by howdidtihappen in

i started studying jw with a work friend because she used to keep me at arms length and i knew it was because of her religion.

she and her family are such lovely people so i thought maybe there was something to it, how bad can it be, etc.

i was enticed by this girls friendship as she has been spending more time with me but continues to say "you're not one of us yet" which continually freaks me out.

howdidtihappen

Mr. Overzealous was tell you two to quit talking, subtley isn't their strong point. Being a raging bowl full of dicks is.

Hahaha thanks for confirming my suspicions. He was just so rude. He didn't even put out his hand to meet me when he interrupted. I already knew the guy speaking to me because he had called at my house to start studying with my young brother, who had had enough of him not taking No for an answer, so one day i opened the door to him and thats how we met. So he was just saying the "Oh it's so good you're here!" and 100 questions about who i study with, how i'm getting along, crap. His cousin waited OVER THERE forever but ended up having to come to us. Hehe.

I'm way more sensitive to this stuff because I've had social phobia and still suffer with the paranoia, delusion, and overanalyzing so i wasn't sure if i was imagining it or not. I didn't think someone could be so ridiculous.

By "howdidithappen," do you mean how did it happen that you ended up involved with JW's, or do you mean how did it happen that the JW's exist?

Hahahahaha well it could go either way now that you say it. But i meant howdidithappen to me. The JWs happened because of men taking advantage of people's stupidity.

Yeah... I don't have the heart to tell my Dad (a JW with dementia who insists on wearing suits) that they represent 'The Man'...ie, someone with an agenda that doesn't include anything in your best interests.Agreed. My friend explained its to "look respectable." Also since when does God care what people wear and what about people who can't afford suits? I actually couldn't believe how dressed up people were. Don't even get me started on women's footwear and makeup.

Howdidithappen, you're a pretty cluey person finding your way to this website after just one meeting, and changing the pic on your avatar and all. Nice work.

Actually, I've been here for awhile, reading. Because my friend was stupid enough to say "Don't read the internet." As for the avatar: I got the shock of my life when my face came up! That was my old avatar. I have a wordpress blog and the avatar (gravatar) i uploaded on there became my avatar on here. I thought i was screwed because i couldn't find any change avatar options on here then i made the connection that it was gravatar.com. Freaked me out.

It is so out of the ordinary that sincere converts quickly start adopting the lingo "in the truth", "brother", "that comment was so encouraging!" in order to fit in.

Yeah, just from studying I'm already saying "the truth." Ugh.

My first meeting was a blur of love bombing and being guided around

Wow, i barely even got a hello. I don't know if people even knew i was a study, a visiting JW, or what. And my friend left me after the meeting to talk to her real friends. That's why i was grateful that guy came over because it was someone to talk to. Then i felt horrible when that overzealous prick came over and made it very obvious that we were doing something against the rules.

And you were dead on with each observation. That's like, amazing.

As i said earlier i'm already paranoid and will overanalyze everything. I didn't know if i was right about my observations thats why i asked. It didn't help that i had already read the internet and heard things about JWs so i was on the look out. As for "stumble" my friend says it constantly during the study.

The JW you are "friends" with really can't get too close to you yet...right now you are considered "wordly"

She has actually started calling me to have lunch with her which never happened before. I thought that was nice until she said in the next sentence "No one has a problem with it." Then it gets weird again. Also, at the gathering afterwards, someone who had been on my study, came up to me and called me by the wrong name. When i corrected her she said "I don't remember people's names until you're on the battlefield." I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, and my friend laughed and said "She's talking about witnessing door to door." I couldn't believe it.

I just have to point out that if this was your first time in the KH, how did you know that guy was a MS?

He's the husband of my friend's friend and she told me after i asked if he was an elder. I had already learned the term "elder" because my friends father is one. I should add i've studied for a while too and shes been bugging me for that long to go to the hall because of my social phobia. She said "But it's the absolute best place you could be, people are so helpful and loving." That sounded too good to be true, but I went for her and because i'm sick of the hinting that i've studied long enough now and should be moving on. Big mistake because now i just find the whole thing weird and controlling. An hour in my living room with the What Does the Bible Really Teach book a week, wasn't enough to see the insanity.

Thanks everyone :) Sorry if my replies to the different things people said are hard to follow, i don't know how to properly do quotes on here.