Posts by LostintheFog1999

15

Divisions deliberately caused by God?

by LostintheFog1999 in

assuming that you don't dismiss genesis outright as a collection of myths, i was musing about the actions of god as recorded in genesis 11:1-9 regarding the building of the tower of babel.. this origin story for the multiplicity of languages in the earth has god getting annoyed with humans for staying in one location instead of filling out across the whole world.. yahweh could have stopped the tower being built by collapsing it by means of an earthquake, sinking sand, or an extreme gale.

even using an angel to kick it over when everyone was tucked up in bed asleep.

but no, instead he muddles up the vocabulary and grammar and made brand new languages creating division and confusion.. what's more he didn't scatter them and send them off in mixed multicultural groups, but instead he lets them wander off in tribes and family groups.

LostintheFog1999

Assuming that you don't dismiss Genesis outright as a collection of myths, I was musing about the actions of God as recorded in Genesis 11:1-9 regarding the building of the Tower of Babel.

This origin story for the multiplicity of languages in the earth has God getting annoyed with humans for staying in one location instead of filling out across the whole world.

Yahweh could have stopped the tower being built by collapsing it by means of an earthquake, sinking sand, or an extreme gale. Even using an angel to kick it over when everyone was tucked up in bed asleep. But no, instead he muddles up the vocabulary and grammar and made brand new languages creating division and confusion.

What's more he didn't scatter them and send them off in mixed multicultural groups, but instead He lets them wander off in tribes and family groups. Very insular. And no doubt the family heads quite quickly drawing up "them or us" survival techniques for their own tribal family. (Genesis 10:5.)

What is the most divisive thing in the world leading to wars and conflict?

Isn't it usually other nationalities, different tribes, people who speak a different language to your own. A grab for their land, wealth or possessions, or to take their women for the purpose of breeding. Surely God must have known that his actions would eventually lead to divisions and human casualties in time?

He can't really blame humanity for fighting each other as it was him (if you believe this Genesis story) that caused the division in the first place!

12

things shelved, not looked into because of group think

by enoughisenough in

here are some things i never really believed the jw taught...i just didn't really examine it closely.

i shelved it, so to speak, thinking no one is perfect and they know more than me...if i ever thought about it at all.. i never believed that only jws would be spared at armageddon.

i never believed the where in james, you went to the elders to confess being spiritually sick-always thought that referred to a real illness.

LostintheFog1999

Have to agree completely with your post.

As a born in, I never questioned anything in detail although (like you) a lot of stuff never made total sense. When you are born into the religion you have been indoctrinated from birth. The Bible stories told by believing parents from cradle upwards, followed by the 5 meetings a week (as it was then) and the family study at home.

That's all you heard week in, week out, year in, year out. Your brain just absorbed the words as though it was true.

Then, for me, a crack appeared when I began looking at the beliefs of other religions, and like water getting into a crack and ice widening the crack, it got bigger and bigger. Until light flooded in and everything was getting questioned properly for the first time after decades taking it in all on automatic pilot.

In my case I was probably assisted in my exit journey by realising that the love directed at me was only conditional on my marching in step with the other indoctrinated people. Because the love quickly turned to ignoring me when I started to fade, followed by hatred towards me in the end.

I wasn't blind all my life but I was wearing blinkers, but now I can see clearly and I am loving my life!

20

mentally ill/delusional or con artist?

by enoughisenough in

maybe this has been discussed in the past and i wasn't here... what do you think?

are the gb members knowingly pulling a con, or do they have delusions of grandeur?

i will go out on a limb here to say that i think they are con artist.

LostintheFog1999

It's a bit like the story of the emperor's new clothes.

They are convinced that they are resplendent in their outfits as befits the Guardians of Doctrine.

Whereas the increasing shouting and finger pointing from the sidewalk of former believers is "you're naked!" But they are not going to admit it because they can still fool the R+F that they are not.

"Hey look at us, we're TV stars now. Please keep on paying our salaries, global travels, and expensive scotch, because hey we love you all."

34

The Watchtower—Study Edition | April 2023

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

study article 19. how can we strengthen our faith in jehovah’s promise of a new world?.

17 many servants of jehovah have applied jehovah’s counsel to “keep in expectation”—even for decades.

louise, for example, began serving jehovah in 1939. she says: “at that time, i thought armageddon would come before i finished high school.

LostintheFog1999

I have heard it from witnesses time after time, "I can't wait for the new world where I can learn to play the guitar", "... where I can learn to swim", "... where I can find out how to knit and crochet", etc; etc.

FFS why aren't you doing those things now if that's what your heart desires? Why are you putting it off for the future? Who told you that you aren't allowed to do it now?

Their refusal to engage with life as it is meant to be lived irritates me no end. Just because the big A was meant to be coming down the track never stopped me learning what I was attracted to even back when I was PIMI. I want to scream at the sheeple "Do it now!"

26

2023-01-27--Civil Unrest!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

2023-01-27--civil unrest.

click image to enlarge.. .

https://postimg.cc/gxqvnfcq.

LostintheFog1999

I feel sorry for the elderly and those with special needs. During the 2 years of the Covid pandemic most of them didn't see or get a visit from elders according to a post on a different website.

I don't fancy their chances of help being readily available should civil unrest suddenly break out as the elders will be too busy protecting the congregation records to go visit the old folks.

2

Religious Trauma and the Fear of Armageddon

by LostintheFog1999 in

apparently it isn't just jw children who live with a fear of dying at armageddon, kids from born again families live with a similar fear, as this article explores.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/31/rapture-films-left-behind-evangelical?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab.

LostintheFog1999

Apparently it isn't just JW children who live with a fear of dying at Armageddon, kids from born again families live with a similar fear, as this article explores

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/31/rapture-films-left-behind-evangelical?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

9

1936 "Riches"- How Many Versions Were There?

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

atlantis:.

how many versions of the book called riches were there?.

that was a project jerome was working on, so we will give him credit for this information.. .

LostintheFog1999

Yes, same here. My copy has the phonograph on Page 349 as well.

43

Research paper on Effects of Shunning

by peacefulpete in

after being around this site for 21 years now, i've heard many recount their stories and feelings.

many times i can immediately relate but other times they seem to have had a very different experience with the church.

i'm sure that is because not only are all of us different in personality, but congregations and family dynamics vary as well.

LostintheFog1999

I do think that part of the mind control aspect is the way that for years individual witnesses would write to the HQ and ask questions that they should have made personally. Can I watch this type of movie? Is this music appropriate for Christians? Can I eat this type of food? Should I tip my hat to a member of the opposite sex? etc...

The WTC assumed the role of dictating what was appropriate or not. Think all those convention talks about dress and grooming, which were then reinterpreted by local elders either harsher or milder depending on the type and overall age of the body of elders.

We still know brothers who are in their 70s who upon learning about a new craze in the local community immediately respond with "I'll need to talk to (name of current presiding overseer) about it" instead of having an opinion like normal people do. FFS.

3

I wonder what the real JW attendance percentages would be?

by LostintheFog1999 in

most churches in the usa are in decline according to pew research.. i wonder what the real jw attendance percentages would be?

mind you from what i hear there's still a lot of them attending meetings on zoom.. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/us-churches-closing-religion-covid-christianity?.

.

LostintheFog1999

Most churches in the USA are in decline according to Pew research.

I wonder what the real JW attendance percentages would be? Mind you from what I hear there's still a lot of them attending meetings on Zoom.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/us-churches-closing-religion-covid-christianity?

3

where did I first hear these words together?

by enoughisenough in

for many years the only place i heard the words " new world order" together or the words "new system" were in the meeting talks or maybe we endeavored to explain them to people we witnessed to.

i just find it interesting that the worldly institutions are using the same word terms.

i just saw an article of some 5 points that came out of this last davos meeting, and all five of these points were using the term "new system" in the changes they want to force mankind into .i am wondering what is the likelihood of the most powerful people on earth borrowing words from a "hated" religion.

LostintheFog1999

I might be mistaken but weren't elders sometime in the 90s told not to use the phrase "new world order" in their public talks?