Posts by OutsiderLookingIn

15

My jw friend keeps preaching to me in e-mails

by Queenme in

jw
friends

dear friends this is my first time posting.

i am not a jw and have never been one but i have a friend who married a jw and converted.

in spite of the bunk barometer going off in my brain over the years and never responding to her efforts to convert me, she just cannot stop preaching.

OutsiderLookingIn

Queenme, I was just like you. I just thought the JWs were another garden-variety Christian group, didn't really know what cult meant besides legalistic. I have been thoroughly disabused of that notion. The things I have learned...

I don't know how much you want to save the friendship. You're in different countries and if these are your only interactions, there's not much there besides childhood nostalgia. People grow apart; you don't have to stay friends with someone who clearly doesn't respect your previous requests to stop the preaching. If you're ambivalent about the friendship or if you still care about her but don't care if she talks to you anymore, ask her a few questions she can't answer or will have very embarrassing answers. Hadriel gave some good ideas. Or tell her you know she's counting time and share some of the "bad news" about the JWs. There's much to choose from--child abuse, false prophecy, hypocrisy; out and out lying; unscriptural doctrines, etc. With conversations like this, making a placement won't be worth it to her. Be firm but gentle and genuine; she might need you later as a true friend.

26

Hashtag "BESTLIFEEVER!!"

by Lostwun in

is it just me or does it grind your gears when you see #bestlifeever hashtag after every damn jw post on fb and instagram?.

i rarely get on instagram anymore because i dont want to deal with the jw propaganda but i swear sometimes i just want to comment on one of those pics 'jw life is the worst life ever wake up already'.

does anyone else know what i'm talking about?

OutsiderLookingIn

I don't think I've ever seen this hashtag. Then again, I'm a mere worldly. But I can say for sure that I would not be impressed or even intrigued. I'd just be annoyed. Those are the people I take off of my FB newsfeed. There's a difference between posting pictures of major life events or exciting trips and humble-bragging (or actual bragging) about nothing. I mean, if I saw a picture of someone standing next to a cart outside the mall with this hashtag, it comes across as insecure and seeking validation for their life choices. It won't get a like or a second look from me.

47

How My Husband Helped Me See TTATT

by corruptgirl in

jw
friends

i wanted to write my experience on how my husband helped me see the ttatt (the truth about the truth).

first, let me mention that he wrote his own experience a couple months ago under the name sanchy.

for his story please click here….. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5148261828526080/walking-thin-line-resigning-elder

OutsiderLookingIn

Welcome, corruptgirl! I'm so glad to hear this! I remember reading Sanchy's story a few months ago and I'm glad it had a happy ending--and so quickly! Your tips are very helpful. I've never been a JW, but I'm challenging a JW I know using only the Bible. I don't know always if it's having an effect but I can definitely tell that his attachment is mostly emotional.

If I recall correctly, Sanchy was being consider for an elder position. I hope you can move away from the WT smoothly and get on with your life raising your children outside the high-control environment.

35

After Being Out for 17 Years He is Back In again!!!

by new boy in

jw
friends

i called a guy i haven talked with for over two years yesterday.

i met him at bethel back in the 1970's.

david b was known as the g job king back then.

OutsiderLookingIn

This is the saddest type of story to me. There was another woman away for 20+ years and went back. Crazy town! They never got rid of the idea that all worldly people are evil so it's confirmed when bad things happen or when they met a few bad eggs. I've been worldly my whole life and can honestly say that's just a part of life. Only a newborn baby has never been through anything and I'm not even sure about that; apparently, being born is something of a trauma.

Comfort over integrity is a choice like any other, I suppose. Sad :(

51

Lost on how to respond...

by babygirl30 in

jw
friends

so an old friend of mine from the congregation hit me up today.

the story goes like this when we were jw's:.

- this guy used to be madly in love with me but i didn't see him as anything more than a friend.

OutsiderLookingIn

How about:

Thanks for your concern. I'm good. Great, in fact. I don't know whether you can say the same as an elder now, knowing: (proceed to list all the reasons you left).

Take care,

Babygirl

Simple but effective (i.e., most likely, you won't hear from him again). I see no need to refrain from preaching. He did the same, with an emotional hook.

6

How to Tell When Someone Is Evangelizing to You Versus Trying to Be a Genuine Friend

by jacobm in

jw
friends

i've had this question on my mind for the last two years.

first off, i'm still a follower of jesus.

second, i don't go to church but rather a topical skype bible study with some fellow ex-jws.

OutsiderLookingIn

It's not quite paranoia as much as caution. I've never been a dub. I don't particularly go for some mega churches. You can't possibly know 10,000 members. The house churches of Acts were much more of a community.

That said, I don't think everyone who invites you to church is being disingenuous about wanting to be your friend. I invite friends or family to my church who show an interest, have mentioned they're looking for a church, or if we're having a special event. It's an open invitation and they're welcome anytime. I don't do this to gain membership for my church but because I attend there (I've picked it from among weeds and can give some sort of personal recommendation). It's not perfect because we're all imperfect but it's doctrinally sound and we're all striving to be more like Christ. I simply don't know that about other churches.

If I extend an invitation and they don't come, I don't stop talking to them. That's a HUGE difference from JWs. My churchgoing friends are the same. I'll give an example.

-When I moved, I was looking for a new church. I visited many I heard about and one on the invitation of a friend. I went once and it wasn't my scene for whatever reason. We're still friends. I'm going to her son's birthday next month.

-I made friends with someone who goes to another church. She invited me but I haven't gone because I feel I'm at my church for a purpose. There are no hard feelings. I'm seeing her tonight in fact. It's not about competition in my mind. I'm glad worship is going on in other parts of the city.

Visit churches as you feel comfortable and take your time. They're not all the same. And there's nothing wrong with just continuing your Bible study in a small group. Church should grow you as a Christian. You don't need a building for that.

31

"Ones"

by Joe Grundy in

(i never was a dub).. this is something which has intrigued me for a while.

i don't know whether it's dub-speak, or us-speak.. it's the use of the word 'ones' as in 'interested ones', 'worldly ones', 'disfellowshipped ones' and so on and so on.. in the 'normal world' we would probably use the word 'people'.. thoughts?.

OutsiderLookingIn

Joe, thanks for this OP. It's something I wondered about too, a never dub in the US. All of that to say, it stands out quite a bit to us worldly "ones". Such an affected way of speaking is not by accident. Interesting to hear how subtle, yet powerful, it is in stripping individual identity (you're just a number) and dehumanizing anyone outside the group.

My other least favorite affected/loaded terms: Christendom; true Christian; and system of things. I guess they can't just say the end of the world since the earth won't pass away

71

Sophie gives even more than ice cream money to the WT

by OrphanCrow in

OutsiderLookingIn

Yeah, this is pretty bad. Words fail at something so blatant and shameless So, I'll talk about the art instead...are those cows (and stacks of paper??) in the picture next to the Watchtower sign? Definitely no cows in Brooklyn so looks like they're subliminally preparing people for the move to the boonies.

24

The official relationship between Jehovahs Witnessses and the Watchtower? I'm confused.

by Joliette in

jw
friends

can anybody answer this for me?.

whenever i tell people i'm ex jehovahs witnesses, they always assume that i'm against the jehovahs witnesses, but i am more so against the watchtower then anything.people assume that i'm anti-jehovahs witness, but now that i've done more research i've realized that its the watchtower thats more harmful then the jehovahs witnesses, even though theres a lot of jehovahs witnesses i dont like, i'm not against jehovahs witnesses as a group.. can anyone explain this to me?.

OutsiderLookingIn

Finklestein: JWS are the designated and indoctrinated sales representatives for the WTS.

Not to mention unpaid. They just don't know it.

I told some JWs that they work for the Watchtower and they adamantly denied it. If that's true, why is the primary identifying mark of a JW a Watchtower publication? Just saying

12

You should not even exist!

by stuckinarut2 in

a thought struck me...... the very generation (no pun intended) of people who the society is focussing so much attention on, that is the children, should not even be here!

(think caleb and sofia etc).

their parents, who are probably aged between 20 - 40 are the very generation too that should not be here if the societies strict guidance from the 70's and 80's was followed by their parents...ie to not have kids "because the end is soooooo close!".

OutsiderLookingIn

I've thought about mentioning this to someone born in 1976 (and thus would have been conceived and in utero in 1975). But the significance would be lost on him as he's probably never heard about the 1975 mania. So much darkness in the midst of all this new light