Welcome to place where we value the opinions of all even those we do not agree with or we may not personally be drawn to. We have left tattered and torn from a cult that would only revel at any ( as they would perceive ) infighting. There are many right now who are waking up. They are taking their first steps to freedom. What do you think will be their reaction to this. Some people are drawn to Ceders, some people are drawn to Kim and Mikey, some are drawn to Mark and Cora. Some are calculating. Some are confused. Some are scared. Some are depressed. Some are angry. Many are a ever changing mixture of all the above. There are reasons to support the Russian ban. There are reasons to not support the Russian ban. Every voice that is willing to speak up is valued. We are not in a place where we ' need to all speak in agreement', but if we want to support those waking up and encourage new voices we need to think how would I feel, not who do I believe is right. Maybe it's a residual consequence of having been in a cult, being right is more important than people, then dignity. Maybe we are only truly free from it's warping when we start to value people more than opinions.
notalone
JoinedPosts by notalone
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60
Marc & Cora on YouTube causing unnecessary divisions
by jambon1 inwhat is it with this pair?
why do they have to constantly have a bitch about guys like john cedars?
a very recent video of them shows them calling him a 'village idiot' and making other disparaging claims.
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notalone
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My Anointed Grandma’s Wavering Faith?
by My Name is of No Consequence insome quick background information: my dad (her firstborn son) died unexpectedly this past october.
his death has really hit our family hard.
personally, i have not totally come to terms with this.
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notalone
Dear My Name, my mother is also of the anointed she finally woke up last year.She did not attend the memorial but had a private observance on the day before the Passover, when Christ actually had His last supper. She had seen things with people in the org for a while, but made excuses. There were finally no more excuses to be made. As to the doctrines, this is not the org her grandmother joined with in the time of Russell. This isn't even the org of Rutherford,Knorr or even Franz. This is some empty shell of an org. There are no deep studies or conversations. The rank and file have left any love they may have had, and now it's all empty double-talk. So she left, because her conscience required it. Now she is reading her Bible without the publications. It is hard but she is actually happier. Now, my when husband's grandmother stopped going, and even listening in she said,'I've heard it all before'. I was worried at the time but I now realize she had woken up but kept up appearances the last couple of years. Her final say was refusing to leave the org any money in her will, quite adamantly so. I am sorry for your loss and for hers. Talk to her about the Bible. Talk to her about forgiveness. Talk to her about Christian conscience. Show her love and respect, you never know what may happen.
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I need your opinions and recommendations please.
by bola inafter my exit from the watchtower shunning cult, i have received tons of invitations from different churches.
but because i am aware of religious cults, i need recommendations of churches that are not cults at all.
after exiting the watchtower cult, i don't want to fall into another religious cults.
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notalone
Dear bola, as a mulit-gen born in the idea of attending a church was like someone just handed me a bowl of poison and said, "take a bite." The first thing I did was to systematically undo doctrinal lies. I tend to be of the mindset lairs lie. If you catch someone in one lie there are probably more. The lies of the organization are complete. So I decided not to hold onto those lies and let them continue to control my life. So test things out. Try little local congregations that don't care if you believe or do everything they say. Try to find those who by their works show they want to be kind to those in their community. I liked the Unitarians, but I also like a very small Methodist church with a kind- hearted older pastor. I really am not interested in anything that is fire-and -brimstone or overly regimented, but that's just me. See what feels good but be careful about joining. Side point I just found out about something called Maundy Thursday.I think that's what they called it. It's a commemoration of the last supper. I think I'll give it a try this year.
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Just an update on me
by Phoebe inhi everyone, i came on here a few weeks ago and told my story and you were so kind, caring and welcoming.
your messages of support moved me to tears.
i was so grateful.
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notalone
Dearest Phebe, I send you my love and compassion. My husband had a similar reaction when the same thing happened in our family. It was when we realized this isn't just a local thing, that this is everywhere.We realized that many of those 'faithful' brothers we had known for years were rapists, kidnappers and child molesters- all in one hall, all interacting with the cong freely. If this was God's clean org this could not happen. It could not be happening throughout. This is hard. This is a quake to our very reality, but if you do believe in God know He will be a strength to you. He will guide you. He is guiding you. You know that 'by their fruits you will recognize them' and 'one faithful in least is faithful in much'. God is allowing you to see what you were once blind to. Now comes the time of free will. This is your choice. You have a God-given conscience and it is screaming out to you. I know this is scary, but you are not alone. There is your family and this wonderful ex-jw support system. Taste and see- you might find truth,freedom and friends. You might come to see your self as deserving. Phebe, this is hard, this seems to shake your core. Take a breath, see the beauty around you and step into it. Trust God, trust him like you never thought you would have to. Trust him directly, and see what happens. We have not been to a meeting in a little over a year. We have taken it slow, carefully and did research. I can say we have never been so happy, or known the Bible as well as we do now. We have been blessed with new friends and some old ones that were friends still are. Those who would ask you to ignore your conscience are not used by God, see them as they really are. Ask yourself, if someone who was not a witness came to you and told you to act against God's standards and your own conscience what would you do? You have held to strict standards for over 50 years, this was not easy. You can do this- I send my prayers.
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Ranting
by FedUpJW inplease excuse me for long-winded ranting.
i know, as do most of us here that "love" is not something that the jdub's are known for except in their deluded, feeble minds.. i can handle their hypocrisy when it is directed at me, but when it is aimed at family who for decades have genuinely been the type of jw that the watchtower presents to the public, and when it is motivated by pure hate, then i get pissed!.
my mother was dunked in the 1940's and my father in the 1950's.
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notalone
Dear Fedup, I want to express my deepest sympathy to you and your father. There were many sincere ones that truly from their heart have spent a life trying to be disciples of Christ, and I agree with your mother. This is not the organization I knew years ago. I remember there being schedules to aid elderly ones. This is not he case today. In our congregation there is a couple, one of the first in our area that were a backbone of the congregation and extremely humble, the wife now has Alzheimer's and the husband is her full time caregiver. They are in their late 80's early 90's. The elder's have not only not helped but were also pressuring him to put her in a home. He almost gave in, but just could not do it. So he stays at home caring for his wife in love, reading the old publications and wondering where have all the 'friends' gone. Another older one in our cong could not make it to the evening meetings so she listened in on the tie -in. She was told this was not good enough and she needed to ride with someone. This is still hard for her as she is also nearing 90. When she finally accepted a ride she was told how much it was going to cost for each ride. A third in our cong who is in a nursing home is being ostracized due to a friendship he has formed with a preacher. All we can do is try and be there for these older ones and let them know they have worth and are loved by someone- someone who does not go to the meetings, someone who does not make unreasonable and uncaring demands on them. Console them with scriptures and let them know- by their fruits you will recognize them.
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"Forced" study with an Elder - The first question i will pose, help appreciated.
by CitizenofEarth inhello folks.
as some of you might know my dad couldnt keep quiet about my view of the world, so i have been "forced" to study with an elder.
otherwise i would be dragged to questioning, which is to much pressure for a young inexperienced person like me.
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notalone
There is one thing that really woke my husband up. It was the interlinear. The society printed one when I was younger. I got one off amazon. Get every bible the society ever printed.Then get a Strong's concordance. The society use to refer to it once upon a time. Then when the study starts start looking up everything have the books stacked all around the table.. Tell him things had become stale and that you realized after prayer that you really had to get a deeper understanding. Use books nothing electronic if you can help it.Say electronic books get to you eyes after a while. This takes time, alot of time. Try learning some key Hebrew words use them and their definitions. Refer to the Septuagint. If there is one thing they are not particularly fond of is real study. Just see how far this study gets. Who knows you might wake someone else up.
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Spiritual food from the org on the same level as the Bible?
by CitizenofEarth inhello to you all again.. i just told my father:"be carefull that you do not put the so called spiritual food at the same level, or on the same pedestal, as the bible.
it is clear to me that they are not.
" to me, at the moment, this is self evident.
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notalone
A good friend was recently told by the CO that when Word is capitalized in the Bible, it means the Bible, but if it is not capitalized it means the publications.
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just asked to send letters to Russia
by notalone inokay, so i don't know what this says about me but, a close friend has just sent me a link to write letters to officials in russia.
пожалуйста, пожалуйста, запретите свидетелей иеговы.
please,please ban jehovah's witnesses s. .
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notalone
I just realized this was a thread under another heading.
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just asked to send letters to Russia
by notalone inokay, so i don't know what this says about me but, a close friend has just sent me a link to write letters to officials in russia.
пожалуйста, пожалуйста, запретите свидетелей иеговы.
please,please ban jehovah's witnesses s. .
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notalone
Okay, so I don't know what this says about me but, a close friend has just sent me a link to write letters to officials in Russia. So I did.
Пожалуйста, пожалуйста, запретите Свидетелей Иеговы
Please,please ban Jehovah's Witnesses s
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Are There Many JWs That Have Actually Left?
by minimus init seems that most people who have been witnesses that i've known in the last 20 years are still jws.
they may not be as zealous as before but they still remain as jehovah's witnesses.
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notalone
The three generations of the five that are still alive in my family have left to never return. I know of another family in our area four generations deep,ALL left, great grandma was first, I know of a third family also 4th or 5th gens and half have left. These are people I have known for many decades,with a deep "spiritual heritage" and active, especially older ones with many decades in. There are still some very sincere ones inside but strong cracks are forming. I personally feel that before long only the fringe complete culties will be left inside with a large group with PTRD ( post traumatic religious disorder) on the outside. May we all heal and help those who are recovering.