Posts by pandora

17

Canadian TV Note: Pedophile Coverup, Murder

by Maximus in

jw
friends

i've been given some sketchy information that says the cbc is presenting its program straight talk tonight, possibly 7 pm eastern time.. in that program james kostelniuk's book and personal story will be covered.. "sheep among wolves," the story of murder in a jehovah's witness community.

perhaps someone in canada could check this out and publish details below, or correct this

pandora

I got to see the show. I missed the first airing of it at 6 but caught the second showing at nine. Check you local guide to make sure it isn't being repeated again later. All may not be lost.

They DID mention the JW's alot. They made clear that they would stoop to anything. (Low down and dirty was the impression). One thing that struck me was that when he went to the funeral, his children's last name was changed to that of the murderer instead of their own father. He was told later that it was to cut down on confusion for some in attendence. That is definately low down!! Plus, of course, they wouldn't even talk to him. That was highlighted strongly.

Overall, the show DEFINATELY did NOT show the JW's in a good light at all. They didn't touch on all aspects of his plight, but the show was only a half hour long. This is a big subject and just can't be given it's due in that short of a time period. I am hoping that the dateline show will cover more. Hey maybe with all the material they are getting they will turn it into a X-Part series. Could we get that detailed of coverage? I doubt it, but boy it would be cool watch the WTS squirm over that!

-P-

21

depression

by toddy in

jw
friends

is it true statistically,j.w's suffer from depression far more than the rest of us?

pandora

I don't think they target depressed or addicted people. Really, there is no way to target such people. Without standing outside the mental health clinic. ( Now THERE'S a thought ) I don't think they do it consciously, at least.
But it is the depressed ones searching for happiness, anywhere, who are the easiest to bring in. They are the ones who feel that they have not done well with their life and therefore it is easy to sit back and let someone else take over for them. Some actually welcome the rules. They don't have to think anymore. Just follow the rules and you will be happy.
It never works out that way. In fact, the depression is only prolonged and deepened because they can't/won't get the help they need.
It's a sad circle.

Just my thoughts.

-P-

33

Incest - when did it become a bad thing??

by pandora in

jw
friends

in the beginning, if there were only two humans and they had kids, how did the kids have kids if not through incest?

my question is this.

when did that become unexceptable?

pandora

Thanks for the help there Stifflers. You are absolutely correct. That is why I qualified the question with the circumstances. I know it is bad. Never questioned that. Just want to know when, so I can answer my sister in a way that she will listen to.

33

Incest - when did it become a bad thing??

by pandora in

jw
friends

in the beginning, if there were only two humans and they had kids, how did the kids have kids if not through incest?

my question is this.

when did that become unexceptable?

pandora

I'm serious. In the beginning, if there were only two humans and they had kids, how did the kids have kids if not through incest?
My question is this. When did that become unexceptable? Is it in the bible somewhere? I'm not asking to be a smart ass, really. I sent one of the earlier strings to my sister, and it had something about Lot impregnating his daughters in it. Her reply was:

Ok there is something that I don't understand. Back then incest wasn't wrong. It was reported that it was done and that it
wasn't frowned upon. They didn't have all the problems that we have now and that is how the world got started in the first
place. So why is this such a hot topic? True it isn't something that we do now but we eat meat now and they weren't allowed to
do that until after the flood - So what is the big deal?

Could you guys, maybe, help me out with this one?
Thanks

5

The Word of God

by Norm in

jw
friends

the strange world of the bible.

during my many years as a jehovah's witness my studies of the bible was extremely shallow.

the watchtower society was deluging us with magazines and books and the references to the bible you found there were just filtered through the watchtower propaganda machine.

pandora

I was raised a JW, and I am mortified to say that the killing and bloodshed never even struck me as odd, or bad. It was just there. I never questioned any of it. I know I was raised not too, but I never wanted to watch the news because it was too violent. Didn't want to know how BAD the world was around me. And yet I could swallow this violence without blinking. I discust me. It took me way too long to open my eyes. And now my hope is to open my families eyes. How can I expect them to see what took me FOREVER to see??????

17

Helping a Family Cope with JW Mind Control.

by Winston in

jw
friends

dear freinds,.

i have been asked by a concerned husband to speak to both his family and his wife family about jws.. his wife has been studying with the jws for some months and he is very concerned.

he read alot on the internet and knows they use mind control, and make false claims to be god's channel, but he cannot convince her of this.

pandora

Trevor -
Could you post the name of the book by Steve Hassan. I would like to find it.
Thank you,
-P-

30

God on Trial - #1

by Amazing in

jw
friends

premise: many who have read the bible over the centuries have accepted it as authoritatively from god, and have glossed over some glaring inconsistencies, contradictions, and shear nonsense.

some cultish groups have attempted to mimick the myths and twisted beliefs they have derived from the bible.

jehovah's witnesses are no exception to this.. this raises the questions: if the bible (as we know it) is from god, having his stamp of authorship and approval, then can we ever at some point raise serious questions about it?

pandora

Amazing -
I have seen this point made only one other time, and it is truly shocking to think of how much violence goes on in the bible that is sanctioned by god.
While I was reading your post it also occured to me that it has a fairly modern day parallel. That being Hitler. I think I read once that he thought he was doing gods work. And how like the situation you just mentioned. It parallels so closely.
Makes you think.
The implications that the Bible, a book thought of as inspiring love, actually inspired something like Hitler and the Nazi's.... It is too much to comprehend. But I see from your post how it is possible now.
I don't want anything to do with a book that could inspire such horror. It makes no matter if it be true. If god is truely THAT god, he can stay away from me. He is not what I want to look up to.

Thank you for opening my eyes yet again.

5

HELP HELP NEED INFO

by JT in

jw
friends

to any jw lurker or reg poster who lives in the cleveland, oh and detroit, mi area.

i need a confirmation on something that came to my attention this evening.

it was announced in the cleveland area that the jw will be bused out to detroit, mi following the oct 5 or 6th annual meeting in jersey city for some type of special program.. of course all the jw think that the society is going to annoucne something major , but we all know that they will be told the 3 keys to success.

pandora

Just a thought, here. But do you think they just got advance word that the Dateline episode will be airing then? Maybe that is how they are going to get them out of their homes and away from a tv.

Just an off the wall thought. Really.

7

Help! After all these years, it begins again.....

by pandora in

jw
friends

for the most part, i am but a lurker here.

you all have wonderful things to say, and i usually can't top any of the advice or good comments, so i just read a lot.

this place has been a god send for me.

pandora

Had enough:
Thank you for posting the 2 sites. I'm pressed on time right now but I have printed both pages and will be reading them tonight when I get home from work. Thank you for your kind thoughts.

Larc:
Thanks for understanding. I will be chanting that prayer often, now that you have mentioned it. I need some serenity.

Outnfree, humble, and RHWoman:
By way of explanation about my sister and her actions: She has spent the last 15 years as a self fulfilling profescy(sp?). She was told when she was disfellowshipped 15 years ago that she was bad and that her life would amount to absolutely nothing. That she would never be happy. Well, she has lived up to their prediction. I have not seen her truely happy in all the years I've known her (even when she was in originally). She has always been tormented. If this made her truely happy, believe me, I would support her. But she isn't. Her life is still in turmoil. She still lives with her abusive husband. (And if she goes back fully, there is NO WAY she will be allowed to get a divorce). She is still doing all the things she did (that are not exceptable) before she started going back to the meetings. Now she is just even more torn, because now she feels guilty for being herself and having her own thoughts.

Thanks again for all your wonderful, kind thoughts. Know this. I will NOT take my love away from her. I just can't justify it in my heart. I will continue to look for openings to put some seed of doubt in her mind, though. I must say that she is very careful not to give me anything to comment upon.

Your thoughts have strengthend me (even though I can't spell it) to continue. I will continue to draw strenth from all of you and everything you have been through also.
I want to thank Simon for this place to come. I am so glad I stumbled upon it in my journey. And I hope that one day I will be able to share it with my family.

7

Help! After all these years, it begins again.....

by pandora in

jw
friends

for the most part, i am but a lurker here.

you all have wonderful things to say, and i usually can't top any of the advice or good comments, so i just read a lot.

this place has been a god send for me.

pandora

Hi all,
For the most part, I am but a lurker here. You all have wonderful things to say, and I usually can't top any of the advice or good comments, so I just read a lot. This place has been a god send for me. I have learned a lot here and appreciate all of you. Even though I don't say much.
But now I have a problem that I would like your advice on. My sister and I have been out of the Borg for probably close to 15 years. 14 of those years I and evidently my sister, spent believing it was the truth. About a year ago, an event happened that shook both of us. Without getting into the details, I will say that it pushed me into research, and her into the nearest hall. I was hoping it was a phase, but a year later she is still going and now she is talking about itlike it is common place in her life. I tried to talk to her about my research when all this started but in true borg fashion, she shut me down so fast it made my head spin. It was truely disappointing. She knows that I am violently opposed to her choice but, because of her closed mind, she has no clue why. And from all standpoints, doesn't seem to care why. I don't fear loosing her by way of shunning. At this point, anyway, I don't think that will happen. But I am noticing some lifestyle changes. She is condemning her own son and X-husband for the double life they lead. (You know, the one they show the hall and the one they live at home.) What is weird is that she was sortof forced back by her children, who are in. They said they would stop coming to see her if she didn't start going to the meetings. My thought at the time was how hypocritical that was, considering the double life thing. And I tried to convey that to her, but I was knew at seeing 'the truth about the truth' and still could not formulate my arguments well. Now she sees it first hand and just seems to think she is better than them.
I don't know what to do. I have printed out a lot of info but I fear the moment I give it to her she will throw it in the trash. If I thought she would read CofC I would give it to her, but I fear it would disappear for good in her hands and while it is just a book, it is a very important one to me. It made a huge difference in my life.
So far I have met with a brick wall so often I am about to give up. I get soo ANGRY at her. I just want to shake her!! She and I have been very close for many years. She has dissappointed me so greatly that there just aren't words to describe how I feel. I also feel that I should be better than the JW's and show her unconditional love, but I have been doing that for 15 years and now look what she does. What good was it? She still won't listen to a word I say and now I am to the point where I could just throw my hands up and quit.
Help me! I don't want to be like the JW's and shun my own sister, but it is getting to the point where it is detrimental to ME. I am worrying so much about her that it is taking its toll on my health.
I need an outside opinion on this one. I am too close and going nuts dealing with it.
Thank you all for listening to me babble on and on and on......
Any thoughts would be welcome.