3rdgen

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Posts by 3rdgen

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  131

  Let's Discuss Ray Franz's Books

  by Recovery in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been repeatedly pleaded with to read the books of ray franz in my short stay on this board.

  apparently these are all the all-powerful, wt crushing arguments, that lead so many to leave jw's and become ruthless opposers of god's people.

  we can discuss any claims/statements/scriptural arguments presented in either of his books, as long as it somehow proves jehovah's witnesses are not god's people.

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  3rdgen

  Recovery, what are you recovering from? This is not a rhetorical question. I read ray Franz's CoC 9 months ago for the 1st time. At the time i was a third generation born in to parents with strong connections to N.H. Norr and the Watchtower society leaders. I had grown up believing this was truely Jehovah's visible organisation on earth. I was well aware of "imperfections" in men but thought that God was using these "vessels" to help acomplish his purpose.

  Enough had happened in my life and family to call into question the love exibited by the leadership. I reluctantly read the book cover to cover with (this is crucial) an open mind. Doing so changed my life because I had enough inside information for Franz's words to have the ring of truth. The most profound insight for me was the Malawi/Mexico issue. You see, I was in my idealistic early 20's when we JW's were encouragaged to write Dr. Banda, the leader of Malawi to please put an end to the atrocities happening to the innocent law abiding men women and yes, children of JWs. I vividly remember writing through my tears visualizing the stripping those brothers and sisters naked, parading them in the streets and incidents of gang rape and the horror of having their houses destroyed to name just a few. I was litterally sick for these people just trying to do what jehovah requires (as interpreted by the FDS).

  Now contrast that with what was happening in Mexico at the same time. (These brothers were also guided by the FDS) My husband has a relative who was the branch servant in Mexico at the time so he was able to confirm how it was that the Mexico branch would have such a different way of doing things than Africa. In the 70's I was married to someone else so I had no idea what was really going on in Mexico. Yet I did know that love is supposed to be an identifying mark of true religion. That the WTS is supposed to be a worldwide brotherhood and that the Bible teaches that God is not partial to any race or country.

  Please read the book with an open mind and I and many others would be only too happy to discuss. I have no interest in debates. If a person can't see my point of view when i first present it, thats fine with me. I will agree to disagree.
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  21

  Cataloging the damage of the Watchower in my life

  by Aussie Oz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  1. jehovah's witnesses interferance in my parents marriage leading to mother rejecting father who could not come at the teachings.. 2. my mother taking us 500km away from father to start a new life with a much older jw man just after armageddon didnt come in 75...for teaching us that he was evil and deserved to be killed by god.. 3. bullying at school for being a jw, resulting in only one friend all through school and learning little social interaction.

  leading to leaving early with no education beyond year 10.. 4. marrying way to young for love?....

  5. making me feel like a demon for being human.. 6. rejection by all friends and wife because i couldn't stick it.. 7. not going back to wife because of rejection, nervous breakdown by freeing wife and believing i was now doomed to die.. 8. almost leaving my childrens lives by both suicide and disapearing.. 9. wifes support by wt to force me out of their lives and for coaching her to do this.

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  3rdgen

  Aussie, it is great to hear that despite the horrors of life in the cult you are surviving quite well. The best thing is that your children will not carry on the misery of life as a JW. You have been instramental in helping them to think critically. Good work! Many of our mothers have been manipulated by the Watchtower yet will refuse to live life any other way. To me it's as if they are drowning but refuse to get in the life raft because it isn't comfortable or familiar. ****sigh****
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  45

  Feel the Goddamned Love

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my mil of 38 years - who has not spoken to me for the 9 years since i left her cult - died on sunday.. today, as a favor to my sil who has spoken to me very rarely, for the same reasons, over the same period of time, i was moving some personal items to her home from the nursing home.

  in this instance i guess it is ok to speak with me - if i have a strong back and a conveyance that aids her needs at the moment.. anyway, in the parking lot of the apartment complex where she lives, while we are moving in those items, guess who shows up?

  five or six of my old 'best friends'.

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  3rdgen

  i feel for you AK Jeff, I admire how much you were willing to put up with to show support to your wife at a very stressful time. Be confident you did the right thing not making a scene for her sake. My hubby and I are facing a similar situation with both of our elderly JW mothers. Mine has been openly hostile toward my hubby. When she dies he'll be in the same boat as you. You're a good man.
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  31

  The Elders "want to meet with us"

  by finally awake in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just ron and i were sitting outside on our porch, enjoying the beautiful late afternoon weather when our middle son came outside with the phone.

  it was brother lazy slacker calling.

  just ron took the phone before he knew who was calling.

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  3rdgen

  Wow, Finally Awake, Your hubby took a call that could have blindsided a lesser person and thought on his feet. Good for him! Love your names. We were inactive in Fs and hadn't been to a meeting in almost 5 years before we got a call about 6 months ago from brother Drinks till he's Wasted, an Elder from the hall we used to attend. We have caller ID so we let it go to voicemail. He just said to call him back. Of course we didn't. Then, about 2 months ago we got a call from bro. Nice but Henpecked, who is in the territory we moved to. Again, the message was to call him back. He tried 2 more times without leaving a message.

  It seems as though these brothers were told to call us. (probably by the CO) Neither has tried lately. I think it is interesting that neither Elder would say why they were calling in their message. I'm sure they don't really want to hear what we have to say!
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  31

  My own story.

  by JoelCW in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm a long time lurker, first time poster.

  i think i have a similar story to others who were brought up in the so called "truth" but after reading so many stories i thought i'd finally get around to writing mine:.

  like i said, i was raised into it and almost my entire immediate family where (and for the most part still are) serious members.

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  3rdgen

  Congratulations on getting out while you were still young! It took hubby and me forty years longer than you to wake up.
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  284

  ABOUT TERRY

  by Quentin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  terry was admitted to the hospital yesterday.

  he has a severe case of cellulites which has affected his neck glands.

  his face and neck are very swollen.

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  3rdgen

  Yikes, what a terrible thing to happen! Sending positive thoughts and well wishes your way from Balaamsass and me.
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  15

  Loss and Loneliness

  by compound complex in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  tonight's sunset is as spectacular as any i had ever viewed from the kitchen window in my former, beloved home-sweet-home.. a tiny abode it was compared to my current habitation.

  no longer within a mere four wooden walls of plain aspect and diminutive scale, i now am lost in a seeming infinite architectural spread that reaches toward earth's four points, an edifice of four expansive levels that demand i walk, climb, explore every one of thousands of hidden nooks and crannies.

  i am compelled to do this but find no joy in discovery.

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  3rdgen

  ((((((((((Co Co))))))))))) ((((((((Lois))))))))) I've been there
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  50

  Here’s What Happened When an Elderly Woman Took It Upon Herself to Restore a Painting in a Nearby Church

  by Arcadio in

  1. social
  2. humour

  http://gawker.com/5936665/heres-what-happened-when-an-elderly-man-took-it-upon-himself-to-restore-a-painting-in-a-nearby-church.

  "we admire people who have can-do, elbow-grease-type attitudes.

  if something's broke, why not fix it?

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  3rdgen

  Why stop here? She could wipe the sh!T eating grin off the Mona Lisa.
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  53

  What are your views? Why beautiful women are attracted to ugly men?

  by Scott77 in

  1. social
  2. relationships
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  3rdgen

  Scott, I respectfully disagree. IMO, not all men or women are beautiful. Yet what makes them ugly is not external. It is personality and behaviors. The old saying "pretty is as pretty does" is true.
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  20

  Jehovah's Christian Witnesses

  by LoisLane looking for Superman in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  how much do you want to bet, that in the next year or two, the governing body will get "new light" and change their name to jehovah's christian witnesses"?.

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  3rdgen

  Ray Franz was fond of the term and you know what happened to him. If he said it, wrote it, or liked it, it is no longer acceptable. Congregations that had signs that said Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses were told they must remove Christian from the signs. The WT$ is correct they are NOT Christian.