Posts by MarkofCane

36

Good news to report: Congregations merged because lack of attendance, publishers & field service

by Khaleesi in

so it's official, i am happy to report that we merged with another congregation having the same problem.

why is it good news???

because people are either waking up, fading or just not buying into this organization any longer or walking away.... i think many young ones are just not buying into it as much, i see many in the congregation i go to very depressed and some i know personally going thru major depression especially the young "sisters" in their early 20s.... .

MarkofCane

I've seen this as well, In my sisters congregation (english) they dissolved her congregation and made them merge with another congregation in another hall about 20 min away. This was because of lack of attendance. I also know of kids from the spanish congregations that are leaving in droves in my area, I think the younger spanish generation is more educated and are not easily manipulated as their predecessors.

Its a matter of time, the elderly will pass away and the young leave, this will leave them with a dilemma. Their biggest growth is in third world country's with limited incomes and minimal education, so how do you protect your assets? Mandatory contributions, liquidation of some assets and re branding yourself (jw.org). I believe all the changes we have seen is directly connected to their shrinking numbers in more affluent country's and all the lawsuits you can see the desperation in there eyes. That's why we are seeing new ones come here on a daily basis, we need to be mindful of there presence they might come off as apologetics but are battered and lost and are looking for answers.

MC

143

Fidel Castro and the WT

by Hecce in

i am going to engage on a trip to the past and share with you some of the matters that marked the beginning of the jws persecution in cuba.

you will be surprised that the pattern that was followed is very similar to what happened in other dictatorial countries.. in the cuban case, i am going to surprise you and tell you that like what happened with hitler; the wt was partially responsible for their clash and confrontation with the cuban government.

during the early 60s the revolution was fighting for survival and they were willing and ready to demolish any perceived enemy to their cause.. a prime example was their war against the catholic church that was the most influential religious entity in the country; it took the supreme leader only a few public discourses to send the vast majority of clergy packing and back to their country, in this case spain.. the jehovah’s witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a us based religion and an easy target to connect them with the cia.

MarkofCane

Thanks for posting this, I love history especially Watchtower History it feeds my current resolution for being here.

I once asked a brother why God would allow deception or misrepresentation from his earthly organization? The most powerful force of the universe would really seem unnecessary? He said "Jehovah has allowed any means necessary for the survival of his organization even if that means deception". At the time i was fully engaged in the kool aid supplementation, now in retrospect I would of said "But wasn't Satan the Father of the lie, the one called deceiver. God vilified him because of the original LIE." We profess to have the TRUTH, yet defended by lies. Now I know there was no original lie, and there is no current truth. Its all just a billion dollar corporation trying to protect their assets. Its all quite simple really.

22

Would you kill for the org?.......YES I WOULD!

by olongapo joe in

so, a few years ago my jw parents, my non jw sister and her husband, and myself were discussing religion and jw beliefs.

my parents of course defending the jw's, the rest of us, against jw's ( it may not have been specifically against jw's, maybe just religion in general) anyway, things are getting a little heated, and i finally ask my pops, if the watchtower bible and tract society told you to go out and start killing muslims, would you do it?

yes i would, was his reply, to which i say, then your not any different than the radical muslims killing in the name of religion.

MarkofCane

“Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.
But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”
― Steven Weinberg

20

My Story

by Freeandclear in

just thought i'd introduce myself and share my story.

up front, i'm not bitter.

okay now that that's out the way..... i first heard "the truth" when i was about 14 years old from a friends mom who was studying.

MarkofCane

Thanks ‘Keverknew ‘for that great video, logical and to the point.

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soulless conditions. Its is the opium of the people. Karl Mark

53

Finally posting and I'm FRUSTRATED!!!

by stephanie61092 in

okay, i'm about to engage in a major word vomit.

just giving you fair warning as your time may be better spent somewhere else.. so, i'm sitting on my lunch break, bawling my eyes out, and writing on this forum to people i don't know yet probably have a great deal in common with but at the same time, used to scare the daylights out of me.

for years, i would come across this forum and 'lurk' awhile if you will, or see things on youtube.

MarkofCane

Hi stephanie61092

There are so many new ones coming to this site, You need to ask yourself why? Your story resonates in so many of us here. The best advice I can give you is to take a break from it all, give your self time to heal. It was very difficult for me to wrap my mind around everything all at once and I should of seen a therapist. I think of all this stuff when I go to bed and when I wake up. I come here because I have no one else that I can relate too and talk honestly with. Funny thing is their are a lot of people around me but I'm really all alone. Welcome to this forum take your time and think things through. There is no need to rush into another belief system just breath.

MC

20

My Story

by Freeandclear in

just thought i'd introduce myself and share my story.

up front, i'm not bitter.

okay now that that's out the way..... i first heard "the truth" when i was about 14 years old from a friends mom who was studying.

MarkofCane

Good story thanks for your candor, I always felt the same way and even said the exact same words "I mean, if he's almighty and he really wanted us to know how to worship him WE WOULD FREAKING KNOW. It's really that simple to me."

"Period". Right......He created everything from nothing. Yet, can't communicate with his creation except through a ancient manuscript that was dictated to uneducated sheep herders? Now thousands of years later we have to believe that some select few have deciphered the code and can lead us to eternal happiness?

So, first we have to be born in the right part of the world to be Christians, then find the right sect that hold the correct understanding of this ancient manuscript out of at least 40 thousand different christian denominations. Yet, if the stars didn't line up in this order for you GOD would find you unworthy. Sorry about the rant, give yourself time to heal and think. It really becomes quite clear when you look at it from the outside looking in.

MC

38

Who can you trust to admit you have doubts?

by MrMonroe in

(that is, doubts).

in margaret atwood's "the handmaid's tale", a futuristic story of life inside a repressive, abusive big brother-style society tightly controlled by religious fundamentalists, there's a passage in which the protagonist is alone with another woman at a state-controlled centre where prayers are generated -- then printed out and read out -- by a machine.

the other woman asks, in barely more than a whisper, "do you think god listens to these machines?

MarkofCane

Nice post, I agree with careful. " Their minds just were not strong enough to fully face the facts".

I would never try and shake older friends from there sleep. I tried talking to my in laws about some doubts I had early on and found it impossible; first their fanatics and second they have nothing else to live for. They devoted there whole lives to this faith, they breath it, live it and declare it to anyone that will listen. If you take this from them you just kill them. My mom falls in this same category I would rather let her believe what she need to believe and let her have peace in what time she has left. Trying to wake her up would be devastating.

MC

29

I was ashamed

by Happeanna in

jw
friends

i was once a person who believed in god destroying 7 billion people so a few people could live in paradise.. when the penny finally dropped and i realised what as a jehovah's witnesses i was really praying for , it made me feel sick.

what is attractive about a person that prays for this world to end .

i was ashamed to have been a witness deeply ashamed .

MarkofCane

When I was first waking up I told my wife Its a "death cult", we pray everyday for the destruction of 7 billion people, she didn't take it well would not recommend that tactic. Yesterday she drove with me to look at a job out of town we had time to talk by ourselves, we talked for hrs about the organization and all my doubts, I said you know we pray for the destruction of this old system, what do you think that means for all the people on earth? Women, innocent children, babies? She looked at me and said " sounds awful doesn't it ". Need to keep chipping away.

MC

27

You Are Unsuitable!

by Divergent in

jw
friends

today's text -.

sunday, january 24. they collected the fine ones into containers, but the unsuitable they threw away.—matt.

13:48.. understanding the lesson of this illustration helps us to avoid being overly distraught or disappointed if a bible student or one of our children does not make the truth his own.

MarkofCane

So if your not consuming the kool aid your considered walking dead.

42

A sincere message to those from the organisation monitoring my posts....

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

so, i know there are some from my congregation or from bethel who monitor my posts..... maybe you're looking for something to catch me out?.

just a question: rather than trying to find fault with me, have you stopped and looked into the issues or facts about the organisation that caused me to come to a place like this forum??.

facts are there for anyone to find nowadays....one just has to be willing to pull their head out of the sand.....

MarkofCane

Don't want to make light of this and I hope Stuck get's through this with little effect as possible. I would like to say to any of the Elders from my congregation who I will see at my Sunday meeting (because of family). If your wondering if I'm on this site and your looking for me, here's a clue. I will be wearing a very sweet scent called…… "freedom".

When you look into my eyes don’t confuse it with anger its disappointment, sadness that I hold for you because of the lost friendship we had and the words we can't candidly share. When I speak to you what you hear is not resentment but cautiousness because you subjugated your mind to a concept that you cannot question. I so wish it didn't have to be this way and I never thought I would be on this side of the table. I plead to you to look honestly at your loyalty. Is it really to God or is it to an Organization. It’s not the same no matter what the organization tells you. As was mentioned on this tread misguided men brought misery to ancient Israel, a nation suffered due to its leaders. Why than is it impossible for history to repeat itself again? Was it not you who taught us the Bible was written for our benefit so we would not repeat the same mistakes again?

Listen for the sound of the genuine in yourself or spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.

MC