I think the JW Org has stolen ideas before from the LDS church, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them doing it again !
Especially moves that will maybe help them keep hold of their beloved $$$$.
apparently there are new major lds changes.
(its a long youtube video, but the link is below).
they updated and posted an online copy of their secret handbook (unless they have another one stashed lol).
I think the JW Org has stolen ideas before from the LDS church, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them doing it again !
Especially moves that will maybe help them keep hold of their beloved $$$$.
one of the respondents on my post on mental illness stated that it was the same of ex jw's.
i thought about this for a couple of days and drawing from my personal experience, i can say that this is mostly true.
if one is disfellowshipped, the act of forcibly cutting off all ties to a jw's way of life is painful and in some cases inducing cognitive dissonance.
Although not DF'd or DA'd my JW family distanced themselves greatly, we were cut off from family events like Weddings etc. And all our former "friends" had nothing to do with us.
When I actually left I had sunk in to deep suicidal depression, I was dangerously close to ending my life. The support and love that Posters gave me on here was so helpful, several of them begged me to get proper Therapy, I did that, and was lucky to find an excellent Therapist who had treated a good number of XJW's .
I learned how to suppress and control my depression, and was shown by Posters on here how to think and research about JW beliefs, and the JW Mind Control, all along with kindly support.
This place saved my life ! So thank you Simon, and all those Posters.
I hope we can still keep this as a place where JW's can come and receive kindly advice, support, love and guidance.
if a jw had the nerve to ask me this question, i'd say to them, "you go first.
using only scriptural proof, show me why you believe that the wtbts/ccojw is god's choice and i'll tell you if i agree with your scriptural reasoning.".
wait for the silence and the rabbit in the headlights moment.. i searched on the wt cd rom for references of "channel of communication.".
HaHaHaHa !!!! My first response to the Thread Title.
i just noticed the clam illustration of "reject brazen conduct" a young man in service walking past 2 others drinking beer and playing cards.
i know elders who do both.
.
" Brazen Conduct " was brought in so they could get rid of troublemakers who actually had broken no Scriptural rule. It depends how local Elders interpret it, good luck if your Elders are Nazis, or just shits who have taken against you, they can find anything they like and call it " Brazen Conduct".
i haven’t posted in awhile.
my wife asked me after the year 2000 came and went without fanfare(because the wt organization said all the “new world” would be here within this 20th century would end), “ what would it take for you to leave the truth?”.
my reply was “ if i turn 60 in this “system of things”.
KWJoe, are you stalking James ?
it seems some people still maintain that trump will try to get help from the russians “again”..
Trump doesn't even know what the word " collusion" means !
a guy i was great friend with in my teens 'phoned me out of the blue today, and brought back a lot of fond memories, he was df'd, because he was a very naughty boy lol, but as he said, as is common with a lot of us exes, he took a long time to grow up.
he spoke of my parents, who despite being jw's, were lovely people, they took him in to our home when his mum was in hospital for some weeks, he also spoke of the good times we had as kids, and how his parents were good to him, and made him what he is today despite being jw's.. we sometimes do not give credit where it is due, my parents made me a lover of truth, but it is real truth i espouse now of course.. perhaps this kind of view of our upbringing is more positive than concentrating on all the downsides of what is basically an evil cult ?
looking at the (very few) positives can perhaps help us heal ?.
A guy I was great friend with in my Teens 'phoned me out of the blue today, and brought back a lot of fond memories, he was DF'd, because he was a Very Naughty Boy LOL, but as he said, as is common with a lot of us Exes, he took a long time to grow up.
He spoke of my parents, who despite being JW's, were lovely people, they took him in to our home when his mum was in Hospital for some weeks, he also spoke of the good times we had as kids, and how his parents were good to him, and made him what he is today despite being JW's.
We sometimes do not give credit where it is due, my parents made me a lover of Truth, but it is Real Truth I espouse now of course.
Perhaps this kind of view of our upbringing is more positive than concentrating on all the downsides of what is basically an evil Cult ? looking at the (very few) positives can perhaps help us heal ?
don't start fighting, darlings.
i am genuinely curious.
after all i was a jobo 50 years and thought the wbt$ was 100% correct.. i ask this because i see that, for example, christian denominations (or whatever), likely have differing interpretations of the same writing.
"Your view" of "your chosen book" sums up most believers attitudes to the Holy Books. First they "choose" a book, though in reality it is not the case that there is much choice, most are born in to a religion, and the converts too are then told which is "their" Holy Book.
The view the believer takes of it is usually dictated by religious teachers. Most of whom interpret it as they wish, and ignore parts that do not suit them.
The proper way to get a good grasp on such writings is the use of Hermeneutics and Exegesis. An awful lot of believers do not know what the words mean, and certainly do not apply them.
Many dodgy interpreters, the JW Org especially, employ the very looked down upon method, ( by Scholars) of Eisegesis, which is reading in to the Text what is simply not there.
The majority of believers let it come down to mere emotion, they "feel" that their Holy Book is the Word of God. This is both lazy, and dangerous, it leaves you open to manipulation of mind and action by Authoritarian groups and individuals.
so some special pioneers in our cong thought it would be awesome to spice up our boring country town lives with a witness fancy dress party!!
wow what could go wrong?
it was 1993 well one pioneer wanted to out do every one so he turned up in drag as a ballerina in full bad make up...some had costumes with guns swords knives...i mean a cowboy does not have a watchtower in his holster!
This Thread reminded me of a JW Fancy Dress party Mrs Phizzy and I went to in the early '80's.We were told to come dressed as though it was the 1960's, so Mrs Phizzy and I went all Flower Power Hippy, I had on a genuine Indian kaftan that had appeared on the Brit '60s music show " Ready Steady Go !", a Hippy hat with a flower in it, Mrs Phizzy had on a hippy floral dress.
As we walked in the Hostess looked at our garb and said " Peace on you!" , I replied " You probably will later !"
i ran across this short essay and thought it was worth passing along.
trauma is not your fault, but healing is your responsibility.
what happened to you was not your fault.. it was not something you asked for, it was not something you deserved.. what happened to you was not fair.. you were merely collateral damage on someone else’s warpath, an innocent bystander who got wrecked out of proximity.. we are all traumatized by life, some of us from egregious wrongdoings, others by unprocessed pain and sidelined emotions.
It certainly is our responsibility to self-heal, and it is the only way forward to a free and happy life. It takes effort, something as JW's we were not required to do, we had our thinking done for us, we had our conscience formed by others, we thought that "Holy Spirit" would do all the work.
It took me a few years of researching, not only the errors of the JW org, but how to heal myself. I was helped by an excellent Therapist, because shortly before leaving I fell in to suicidal depression, but I had to work at the techniques she taught me, a wonderful woman by the way, who had previously treated a number of JW's.
Do not be a Slacker ! you have everything to gain by putting in real effort.