Just knowing we can tell our stories and not be riduculed or censored, and someone believes us now,this is what i need. I knew if this had happended ot me, there must be others.The left over feelings from all the various forms of abuse has left me feeling defective. It is good to have somewhere to go with people who can relate. it helps u feel a little more human.
wednesday
JoinedPosts by wednesday
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41
Let The Lambs Tell Us What They Need.
by Englishman inthis isn't about the running of silentlambs.org.
this is about the people themselves who have been abused.
this is from someone who has never suffered from abuse, who is trying to understand the needs of those who have.. how can those who have not been abused help those of us here who have, and what can we do that would be really useful to those persons?.
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I'm banned from the Silentlambs Website
by Trauma_Hound ini discovered a major security flaw on the silentlambs website, i e-mailed bill about it, setup up a small demonstration, mind you i told no one else about this.
and the demonstration was benine, because this flaw could allow someone to forward the site to say porn sights.
i won't go into detail, but let's just say i could cause alot of havoc with it.
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wednesday
Had I been malicious about it, I could have the entire site going some place like a porn site, so yes I did him a favor. What do you think the WT. BS would do with the knowledge I possess?
sounds like a threat.
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Garage Sale Tips? Ideas? Suggestions?
by Prisca inerm, i believe garage sales are also known as yard sales in the states?
anyway, i'm planning on holding a garage sale in a month's time, as i will be moving and i want to get rid of my junk, as well as hopefully raise some few much-needed $$$.. those of you who have held them, what advice do you give?
any tips on making it more profitable?
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wednesday
It is necessary to have help-b/c people will steal if they do not see somehting that looks like security to them. I have had people do that, and actually stopped them and of course they just "forgot" to pay. The eldrly are in particular a group to watch, yes grandma steals.
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The Grand Drama (another neurotic post)
by DanTheMan inok, y'all know i'm a head case, and this is one of my typical head-case posts, so you've been warned.
i'm sure the bethel monitors love my neurotic posts.
("see what happens when they leave?").
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wednesday
My therapist told me, that eventually most people question their religion. It's a part of becoming an adult, he says. With jws, they say they have all the answers and just follow them..when i realized they didn't have all the answers, and they were very unloving, i felt shocked. It felt very comforting having all the answers, unlike the unwashed masses. while they groped-i was all smug with the answers. that is why u want to go back. It gives us a place to belong. Being a part of a group. But u give up so much. Like ever having an independent thought.
I would suggest u get some therapy. First u need to find out "who" u are, what your feelings are(not what the jws told u they were) and get some self esteem. Going back to the jws to get self esteem can only be accomplied by selling lots of mags.. Also, if u really need a group to feel u belong, there are so many groups u can join that will give u fellowship. Off hand, i would ask my therapist about a social phobia group. Going back will only put a patch on a festering wound. u need to find out why u have such low self estem and for that u need therapy. Your goal is to try and be a happy person, one able to make decisions. If after u have had some therapy, u still chosse, to go back, then go back. But they will treat u like dog poop, being an apostate. Why submit to that?
Th problem her is not whetehr u are a jw or not, the problem is u have low self esttem and are unable to make decisons and feel ok about them. Serioulsy, i would suggest talking to a therapist, to help find out what has caused these feelings.
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The Great Pumpkin, er, Memorial Caper
by LDH inwell kids, it is about that time.
i just saw my first post for this year's memorial.. so i thought i would let you all know my plans and see if anyone else is interested.. last year, just to be hypocritical, i partook of emblems at home.
this year, i plan to be front and center at my local kingdumb hall partaking.. i do plan to polish off all the wine in the glass, and perhaps munch a few crackers.. anybody else up for memorial misadventures?
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wednesday
have u thought about not going so ealry? Really, they will throw u out, esp. with all the bad publicity they have gotten this year.I would hate to see a perfectly wonderful plan ruined by u getting thrown out. also, just a thought, perhaps u should just partake as customary -not drink all the wine. That will call attention to u and may get u thrown out then. security is usually tight, so putting leaflets on cars may not be possible. I'm not sure how far u will get talking to people, probably some nazi jw will report u the minute they see what u are passing out.
all in all, sounds great. For me, i'd try to pass out literatue after the meeting-not before. Can't wait to see the pics
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Were you born into the jw faith?
by nakedmvistar inhow many of you on this forum were born into the jw faith?
do you think this put you at a disadvantage when leaving the org.
do you think that someone who becomes a witness later in life would have an easier time adjusting back to a "normal" life?
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wednesday
Born and raised a JW, third genration. During my earlyyears, my family was not active, rarely attended meetings, but would not join the "world". So the experience of living in purgatory is not a new one. Eventually, i joined actively & studied with and hurried into a baptism. The teen years were not so bad, I was active, and generally well regarded (unlike my family) but b/c of my family, and not having a proper jw upbringing, well, i was just not a part of "the proper group"I had friends, but the real social climbers shunned me .I lacked a good family, proper upbringing, and we were poor. I married a jw, with much the same background.
Leaving has been a nightmare. This is the only religion i've ever known. JWS have put a fear of other religions into me.All of our friends are jws, as one who walked the straight and narrow and did not make worldly friends.As i began to see the hypocrisy in the the jws, i spoke out. I was marked. Only a few would assocaite with me. I became depressed and was told i was spiritaully weak.Lack of assocaiton only increased the depression, to the point of suicide. I gave up and just quit living. Finally i found a theraist and after 2 years of working with me, he finally was able to break through the jw mindset. Finally i began to see the jws had done a grave injustice to me and my family. I saw others commiting sins, sins for which i had been discipled, but they walked away scott free. I just one day , after a meeting, got up and said,'i'll never come back". and for the most part, i have only attended the memorial. recenlty an elder asked me to come back to he KH. (the only one in 6 years.) I told him, that when jws apologize for ruining my life, i might consider it. He said i must forgive the elders. Don't think i will. No one has asked for forgiveness.
I hope with all my heart, that my jw hubby( inactive and depressed) will see the light and leave mentally also. He rarely goes, but mentally he is still there. It is causing a lot of strain between us ,b/c as i learn more about the org, i want to share with him.he is somewhat sympathic to the silent lambs movement, but he thinks it may be jsut a few people and not widespread. He is also fearful with the world situation , that the big A is coming. he does not want to be found opposing jehovah.
I had a householder tell me at the door once 'if u people are going to be in the new world, i don't want to be there". I sort of agree, if for some reason, this is the org that jehovah has chosen, i don't think i would want to be with these people. If this is the kind of people he chooses , i guess i'd rather go down with the rest of the world at the big A.
Edited by - wednesday on 3 January 2003 0:9:8
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Why is the WTBTS Dumbing Down?
by hillbilly inhave you noticed the watchtower's slow drift into another self-destructive trap of their own design?
i know i will get a couple of responses from some.
the opinions will generally come from two camps: the society will never die because there will always be ones willing to write a mental "blank check"and embrace "god" through his "orginization".the society will prosper because it is god's orginzation in our times.. .
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. There are signs, however, that they are instead tightening up the rules and closing their ranks
yes they are. Just look at eh new DF rules. Mnay years ago. 60-80 we were told that at tiem would come when only those who stuck by the org would be saved.. If we did not attend meeting-well we
may not know where the next meeting would be held at. The emphasis was staying close, following all rules, blind obedience.We were told jehovah would save his org into th new system.
the changes being made now are to streamline the org. Just like when they stopped haivng meals at conventions. .the org is concerned who has access to their literature, so they are stopping subs etc. u now have to go to the hall to get mags-and they could refuse to give u mags if they wish. (ours frequently get given away).Moving it all to patterson- good move to tighten stuff up. Also, it gets them out of NYC where they are probalby afraid of another 9/11.We were always told , either move forward with the org, or get left behind .B/c we live in a very lawsuite society, many changes will be due to that. B/c they know SOMEONE WILL WIN A SUITE SOONER OR LATER .B/c of viloating peoples rights for so longe enlightened people wish to sue them. they are going into protection mode.I think eventually, it will be hard to just attend a meeting without some form of credtials. (card , pass something that idnetifes u as a real jw) If they can control access to their literature, they can halt he apostaes work. I ecpect many are thinking we will be going underground
anytime. Like it or not-this org is prepared.
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Do you remember the "Marked Ones"
by johnathanseagull in.
do you remember the "marked ones" within your cong, i remember a couple who you could see were trying there damm bloody hardest to be accepted within the congregation, always sat at the back never "invited into the fold" fully and there was always the "hmmmm dont associate with them too much, they are spiritually weak etc etc" i remember feeling so sorry for them but i just had to adhere to jah and his organisational ways.............sheesh !!!
and i was told that was being christian.. j gull.
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wednesday
I remember a couple who you could see were trying there damm bloody hardest to be accepted within the congregation, always sat at the back never "invited into the fold" fully and there was always the "Hmmmm dont associate with them too much, they are spiritually weak etc etc" I remember feeling so sorry for them but I just had to adhere to Jah and his organisational ways.............sheesh !!! and I was told that was being christian.
yes , JWS can be so cruel. And to people who are obiviously trying. Why else would anyone endure sitting in the back, not being spoken to, not invited to even a baby shower .
and blondie is so right about unoffical marking. Anyone can do that-for any reason. U don't even have to tell anyone u have marked someone- if u are an elder or MS and it is noticed u do not speak or associate or invite to your home /picincs, certain people-well the rest of the cong will follow suite.
And yes they will gossip to anyone who'll listen. also, don't PO someone, especially a popular person, or u will find yourself friendless. They will not speak to u b/c of what u did to "so and so" I have actual experience with this one.
It is so degrading what they do to people, with DF, marking, reproving./probation(don't think they use that anymore) it is a wonder there are not morre suicides in th org.
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A Masturbators Greatest Fear...
by Englishman in..is that his dead relatives are watching him whilst he does it!.
so says a recent poll in the london times supplement anyway .
interestingly, typing this subject matter into google reveals similar results.
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wednesday
A sis told me once that if u masturbate, the demons would be watching u, and "might put something in u.." ie , the demons would have sex with u.
I knew an attractive sis who slept with bibles in stategic places due to "demon attacks".
strange but tue.
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Caring for the Child Molesters
by Swan inin thinking back over the years past it makes me really sad what we have come to as jehovah's witnesses.
i never thought i would ever be at this point in my life.
in doing some new year reflections i can't help but think of the people i cared about in past years.
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wednesday
For sure a child molsester would have thoughts about this before he/she commited a crime. if the person who has this affliction knew they could get help without incurring a lynch mob, perhaps more would seek treatment. I once heard dennis miller on SNL say"if u are having thoughts of hurting a child-pls just go and kill yourself, help us all out". Now while that sounds good to some, and i admit, it appeals to my basic instinct, what if we coud help these people NOT to commit these crimes? That is why all children of molestation need treatment as soon as possible, b/c often they do grow up to be molesters. they have been horribly hurt and lack normal human feelings.We feel; pity for the 6 yr old who was molsested, but when he is 14 and repeats what has been done to him-we hate him. The first goal is to protect the child and then offer to help the molester-if only for the hope that he will not reapeat it.
I
Edited by - wednesday on 2 January 2003 17:33:35