John Free

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Posts by John Free

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  20

  Dealing with Loneliness and Social Anxiety

  by NoviceLocs14 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello, this is my 1st initiated post on this site, so i'm a bit nervous.

  i did search for similar topics on this site, but a lot of them have been inactive for several years, so here goes.... a little background, i was pretty much born in "da twoof", baptized at 17, pioneered for about 6 years, was part of the rbc part time, and was even in the foreign language field for the last 3 years i was a jw.

  so i pretty much had a pretty active social life within the organization due to being part of all of those things.

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  John Free

  Hi Novice Locks 14!

  Nice to meet you. You are not alone with these feelings. I am also a sufferer, fish out of water syndrome. Well done on starting a topic, and a meaningful one too.

  I guess people in general have long since formed their social networks and are not in the same rush we are to form new friends. I came to the conclusion that it takes time and patience. I joined a hiking group a couple of months back, which is good since there is always something to talk about due to the nature of the activity- aliviating social awkwardness, slowly friendships are being formed.

  Welcome to the forum.
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  23

  New Here

  by Red.tomato in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi everyone, this is my first post .. it takes a little bit of courage to do it, i have to admit and even thought i have been lurking for some time as time goes by it gets more and more difficult to keep attending meetings and just been around the friends in the congregation.

  ever since i learned about the arc something inside of me just broke and it feels pretty hollow, now i pay attention to every single form of manipulation in every direction, what difference it makes with the catholic church or with any other religions ?

  i wonder why the publishers are under obligation to report about their lives and decisions to the elders but they don´t keep informed the congregation about what´s going on legally other than russia.

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  John Free

  A warm welcome to the forum. Great comments, the bday comment and the fact that they are selective as to what legal developments they report to the rank and file.

  just don't believe the cult idea that it is 'weak' to leave. It takes strength to leave such a manipulative group that mentally traps its members with fear, obligation and guilt.

  great to have you here!
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  23

  2017 International Regional Convention, Toronto – Entertainment at Sony Centre

  by SAHS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i’ve been hearing from several very reliable sources that there will be an exclusive elite gala entertainment event hosted by the watch tower organization, featuring specially chosen jehovah’s witnesses of outstanding talent as well as spiritual reputation, at the sony centre (formerly called the o’keefe centre) in toronto, ontario (canada) as a special “after hours” addition to the 2017 special international convention.. those chosen have to meet very strict criteria, including, not so much technical and popular talents, but, rather, their spiritual maturity which can be easily and practically related to by the audience (i.e., degree of conformity – you know what i mean!).

  a notable and very well-known professional “super star” from some other country (i don’t know which one) who has achieved highly recognized and popular talent was surprisingly not chosen to participate in the extra entertainment program, whereas other performers with rather ho-hum musical abilities ended up being selected, ostensibly for their altruistic and “theocratic” qualities.

  (something tells me that there is going to be some jealousy and indignant, hard feelings over this rather authoritarian, arbitrary selection process.

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  John Free

  I was involved in arranging one of these events 3 or 4 years ago. While the wbts contributed nil to the expenses of the event; this was the 'privilege' of the local congregations, it wasn't a money making machine. I would say it's purpose was to create an extreme cult love experience.
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  13

  UK Child banned from seeing JW videos

  by usualusername1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/11/jehovahs-witness-agrees-not-show-son-religious-cartoons-risk/.

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  John Free

  These videos are 'extremist'. This is effectively a western judge ruling such. I know he says because this child is 'impressionable' and that he is likely to be 'influenced' but how many children wouldn't be?!

  Credit to the judge because his hands are tied due to freedom of religion laws and this is probably the best he could do to limit cult indoctrination on this child.

  The judge is well balanced but the system is not since no child should have to face 'emotional damage'!
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  23

  What strange counsel did YOU GIVE to others?

  by Funchback in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  alright.... so in another thread, most of us have been counseled for some lame stuff, and the responses range from funny to shocking.. now, let's focus on you giving counsel to others.

  come on, don't be shy!.

  i'll begin:.

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  John Free

  Shamefully, I counselled a congregation that taking the morning after pill was akin to murder. Because, contrary to medical science and without foundation in scripture the washtowel believes that a fertilised egg is a life. It was in the outline so I stated it without fact checking.
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  34

  Finally ready to join the crowd.

  by Silent Knight in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, all you damn dirty apostates!

  please, allow me to join this community of diseased minds.

  i have been lurking here for over 2 years and tonight i decided it's time to come out of the shadows.

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  John Free

  Welcome to the forum fellow weaker one, mentally diseased, cowardly, ungreatful of heritage, satanic apostate! 😂 Seriously, a warm welcome to freedom and the beginning of a much better life!
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  20

  Begining of freedom???

  by JW-AWAKED J17 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello every body!.

  it's my thirst time here.

  i'm verry glad to tell you my resignation as an elder in my local congregation.

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  John Free

  Welcome to you!!! Congratulations on finding the strength to to take this step. You have been mistaking a controlling cycle of cult indoctrination for a spiritual feeding programme. The sooner you can stop wasting your time with this group the better your life will become. I was in a similar position to you, awake, they were piling on the pressure for me to remain an ms. My solution was simple...I just stopped attending, I offered no explanation. I told them I wanted to be left alone. Sometimes we can allow pressure to blind us to the fact that it is easy to leave this organisation. Best wishes!
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  19

  Spiritual Welfare

  by wheelwithinwheel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this year’s “don’t give up” convention encourages theocratic welfare.

  brother pioneer is doing a lot of carting and having trouble making ends meet.

  his landlord doesn’t get it and decides to evict him and his wife.. .

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  John Free

  This is the trick part of the witchtower babel and trick society coming into play. Here drones are being groomed and coerced into providing for the needs those putting the kingdumb first. If Jehovah was really backing this org such a video simply wouldn't be needed as Jehovah provides regardless. If this video was only about learning to trust in jehovah bro elders role in the video is also not needed. This is about the brothers being trained to take over jehovah's role- because jehovah isn't. All the while cards are to be left blank so daft old bro and sis pioneer can be tricked into believing joehoover is providing. Clever old washtowel.
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  24

  "Privileges"

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  within the organization, jehovah's witnesses know that they must be dutiful and set an example for "worldly ones" as well as for their own brotherhood.

  if a witness fails in setting the proper example, they may lose some 'privileges"..... what privileges did you look to have and what privileges did you lose?

  ?.

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  John Free

  'Privilege' that has to go down as more loaded language right? Like 'encourage'...

  anyways when I was 50~60% awake to ttatt I called the cobe and told him I want to step down as an ms,so he comes around with another elduh to 'encourage' me to hold on to my 'priviledge'. They start digging a little so I tell them "I don't want to go into details but I've got serious doubts that this is the truth" "I have lost my faith and am not in a position to serve". I figured that by shooting straight while being careful not to incriminate myself I could get rid of this massive burden urr privilege easily right? Not so..."bro Free we can't accept this, your feelings are normal, we'll take you off the PT schedule and reduce your assignments for a few months but with lots of prayer and personal study you'll be fine 😜 After a month I just stopped going to meetings permanently. 4 months later I heard that I had lost my privilege!
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  12

  An apostate's Public Talk at KH (video!), harrassing JWs, ARC update, new light on footnotes and Q&A time

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's tuesday morning 16 may 2017!.....

  australia: royal commission has led to more than 100 child abuse prosecutions.

  the guardian, 15 may 2017. .

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  John Free

  138 years of washtowel magazines and finally the spirit has revealed what the reader needs to do with the footnotes. All we need to know now is what colour pants the reader should wear...