Whenever the police are parked in my street my immediate thought is "what have I done that the police could know about?" and immediately hide my stash.
pale.emperor
JoinedPosts by pale.emperor
-
19
Police Welfare Check
by JRK ini awoke in the middle of the night to banging on my door.
i went to the door half asleep and asked who was there.
i heard “police.” my dog was going crazy, so i slipped outside to talk to them.
-
pale.emperor
-
20
Talking to women
by Holden Caufield ini recently asking this women out who here has problems with women after being a jw.
i still do.
i will try to talk with with women..
-
pale.emperor
I find the best way to ask them out is to simply say "we'll hang out". And that's it. Say it like you hang out with lots of people all the time anyway, like it's the most normal thing in the world because you're social life is just brimming. Even if it isnt, she doesnt know that does she?
"hey it was cool to chat, and i gotta go now but listen, we'll hang out ok?"
Done. Get the number. Hug close. Leave.
-
-
pale.emperor
I watched this last night, thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd never visit myself either but glad i got to see what they had there.
Credit card machines... really? How very Catholic of them.
-
20
Talking to women
by Holden Caufield ini recently asking this women out who here has problems with women after being a jw.
i still do.
i will try to talk with with women..
-
pale.emperor
I found it to be the opposite actually. It all comes down to confidence and putting yourself out there more.
Remember, confidence just means you know you can handle whatever happens.
-
9
What grinds my gears most about being part of a high control religion!
by UnshackleTheChains inthe one thing that annoys me most about being a jdub is the control watchtower has over everyone.
for a start, there is absolutely no liberty in christ.
there is no freedom to openly express your own thoughts on scripture.
-
pale.emperor
As far as im concerned, the moment they introduce any "new light", they've basically just invented a new religion. What if one called out the GB on charges of apostasy like they would on us we stuck to what we were told by them previously? The religion i was baptized into is not the same religion that i was disfellowshipped from.
I was thinking only this morning that JWs boast about "every congregation having the same talk on the same day etc" and claiming this is a sign of unity. But actually, it's a sign of a controlling
organizationcult. What? Dont they trust their own elders to give their own bible based talks? Where's the talks that a written specifically with a member of the congregation in mind to help them through their difficult time? -
46
What Makes Someone Become a JW?
by minimus inmy excuse is that i was born in the religion.
but if someone wasn’t, why would they become one?.
-
pale.emperor
This question appeared on Quora once. I answered it like so:
Imagine my scenario:
You’re born into a family of a Jehovah’s Witness mum and dad.
Before you can even talk you’re trained to point at the sky when they playfully ask “who made the trees?”, “who made the grass?” etc and everyone goes “awwweeee!! That’s right!”
When you’re old enough to talk you’re encouraged to use the name Jehovah when talking about a magic man in the sky that watches us all and loves all of us Jehovah’s Witnesses.
At the age where you’re told that stealing is wrong, fire is hot, strange dogs are dangerous - you’re also told that there is a god called Jehovah and he has a son called Jesus. And that one day Jesus will kill everybody who isn't a Jehovah’s Witness and bring about a paradise on earth. You’re shown pictures in Watchtower literature of non Jehovah’s Witnesses. They’re evil. They all take drugs, sleep around, catch diseases. They gamble, smoke, drink to excess, get involved in politics, are corrupt, they live for pleasure and cannot be trusted. You’re also shown pictures of the world, the world is bad, evil, dangerous and is made to look enticing because Satan wants you to leave Jehovah. Then you’re shown more pictures (many pictures) of Jesus killing all of these people in a thing called Armageddon. But you’ll survive it if you become a Jehovah’s Witness. Again, you’re told this when you’re a little child. Before your critical thinking even has had a chance to develop.
From the age of about 3 years old you’re encouraged to put your hand up in the Kingdom Hall and give a one word answer in the book study or Watchtower study. Everybody goes “awwweeee!!” and you feel validated.
You, your friends and your family all refer to your religion as “the truth”. Cult experts recognize this as loaded language. It’s a well documented fact that if you repeat something to yourself enough you eventually believe it. So the idea that the religion you’re involved in ever being wrong simply does not compute.
You’re not allowed non JW friends. No birthday, no Christmas, no Easter, no learning about other religions in schools, you never learned the national anthem and you’re not allowed to study any other religious book unless it’s published by the Watchtower Society.
By the time you’re 12 you’ve already given many bible readings on the platform in front of an audience of about 70 people. More than likely you’re giving 5 min talks on various bible topics too. You’re given validation and praise. All this time you’ve also been out every Saturday morning and - if your family were very good Jehovah’s Witnesses, every Sunday afternoon too - knocking on peoples doors trying to talk to them about Jehovah and place magazines with them. This reinforces in your mind that you have the truth because why would 8 million people do this if it wasn't true?
By age 19 if you’re not baptized people will be wondering why, because surely you should know this is the truth by now? If you’re not baptized no girl will want to date you, you cant get married, your family will keep asking you why you’re not baptized.
So you believe it. And you believe it because you know of no other life, everyone around you believes it too so it must be right. And all the negatives about the world and people in it are blown out of proportion and their positives diminished. So you see the world as bad and cant wait for Jesus to destroy it and slaughter all those evil non JWs. When somebody online or on TV criticizes or poses questions you cant answer with Watchtower literature, or when the flaws in the religion are exposed you become very angry and defensive. You can feel the anger inside you like a burning blaze. This is cognitive dissonance at work.
So simply put, in my case is was slow, gradual, consistent indoctrination and effective mind control from a publishing cult in New York posing as a religion.
-
90
So my PIMO Younger Brother Tried To Kill Himself Today
by pale.emperor inwe all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics.
he slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.. i got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop.
he told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. but i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me.
-
pale.emperor
Thanks for all the messages and replies guys. It's really appreciated. I went in today to see him, i chose a time that i knew no one in my family would visit... Sunday meeting time. This time i went in with a little bag prepared;)
He seemed better than when i last seen him when his mum and sister was there. He told me that he had to block my number because his mum, sister and two elders were over his shoulder watching him do it as a "protection to his spirituality". He's also been told "has anyone who's left found a place with better spiritual food than us?" and apparently that's a reason to just keep "waiting on Jehovah".
I didn't bring up anything JW related or apostasy related. Just kept it about him. But he did ask if there's many of us out there in the same boat? So i told him about this site and the comments you left and he was pleased. I dont know if he'd ever join this site though. They've taken his phone off him. Patients arnt allowed them in there apparently, but thats actually a good thing because it'll mean less of the family harassing him.
I spoke to the therapist assigned to him. I had to wait around for a bit to meet him though. I explained that he and i were raised in a religion that we found to be quite controlling. That were were both baptized members of a religion which we both find to be controlling and we simply don't believe the religion anymore. That im officially an ex-member and he's trying to leave which i know is contributing to his stress/depression. (I didn't want to come across as a crazy person with an axe to grind). The therapist listened and asked which religion it is. I told him and he written something down and said "I've heard about them before. This would actually explain a lot." In my bag that i had prepared was a copy of Keep Yourselves In Gods Love. I shown him page 207-208 which explains how to treat a disfellowshipped person. Also, a printout of the May 2015 Watchtower were it has an article called "Why Disfellowshipping Is A Loving Provision". THEN, as a finale I explained that leaving officially on ones own terms means you're treated the same as a disfellowshipped person. And shown him the PDF of the elders guidebook showing that.
He was surprised and asked if he could borrow the book. I said he could keep it.
I also told him that if he manages to be around the next time im here when the family are here he should watch how they are around me to see what i mean. Also that non family JWs will likely want to meet with him. If it's two men it'll be elders and they should not be allowed to see him because that's exactly what he's afraid of. That if he says out loud to two elders that he doesnt want to be a JW it will destroy his life.
I was relieved to hear him say "i'll put on his file that he's only allowed family members as visitors. Stress reasons."
Im happy with how it went. Any hey, i even placed a book!
-
40
Difficulty fading out
by Emily1987 inthis is my first post on here so i apologize that it is like an essay!.
my husband and i are currently 'fading out' of the truth.
we stopped preaching in may 2016 and limited meeting attendance in january 2017 and stopped completely in june 2017. my main reason for this was my whole life i have been doing things to please others, even getting baptized to please my mum.
-
pale.emperor
Hi Emily. First of all, welcome!
second, I strongly suggest you download a PDF of the elders secret guidebook Shepherd The Flock Of God. If you google it you'll find it easy.
DO NOT accept an elders visit. As you'll see from the elders book they need two witnesses to hear you say you're no longer a JW and they can announce you from the platform.
-
90
So my PIMO Younger Brother Tried To Kill Himself Today
by pale.emperor inwe all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics.
he slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.. i got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop.
he told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. but i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me.
-
pale.emperor
My own mother ladies and gentlemen... after repeated phonecalls to check how he was, she still wouldn't answer. In the end i had to direct her to her own publications to assure her she can indeed reply to a text message to me.
Two words. That's all i got.
-
90
So my PIMO Younger Brother Tried To Kill Himself Today
by pale.emperor inwe all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics.
he slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.. i got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop.
he told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. but i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me.
-
pale.emperor
We all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics. He slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.
I got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop. He told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. But i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me. I call my ex-wife and ask her if she's heard anything from the family, she hasnt. I ring my mums number - no answer (remember the 2016 convention video when the mum refuses to answer the phone?). I ring again - no answer, so i leave a voicemail telling her that the police have called me about my brother and to call me (she never does). Then i ring one of my sisters - again, no answer. I tell my ex-wife to call them. She does and my mum answers immediately (f^&king cult). She fills them in. My family are shocked that my brother told the police to ring me and not them.
My brother has aspergers syndrome and had stopped attending meetings a few months ago and wanted to be left alone to make his own non JW friends, meet people, go places, do his own thing - but he was harassed by elders turning up at his door on Thursday nights, family members telling him he's going to die in Armageddon for talking to me, the CO even said through his letterbox that "i have a bone to pick with you" - he never answered. So as you can imagine, he's felt like a prisoner in his own home.
So i get myself to the hospital and find where he is and see that there's TWO HCL "brothers" there outside his room. I go to go in and one of them says "are you related?" i walk past them ignoring them and my mum is in there with her husband (both uber JWs). My brother looks scared to see me. One of the HLC "brothers" comes in and tells me that my brother doesnt want to speak to me. I stay where i am and ask my brother how he's doing. I sit down and simply say "talk to me" and hold his hand. He tells me that he's feeling depressed and just wants to end it all. My mum, her husband and the HLC guys are staring at me the whole time. I have a 1 to 1 with him as best i can with all this going on and tell him i know he must be finding it hard. And that despite whats going on in the family i cannot, and will not, reject him. And he can always talk to me. Mum interrupts and says "no, you've made a promise to Jehovah". My brother lies back and closes his eyes. I can see that he doesnt care anymore. Like, literally, he's a man giving up.
I ask the HLC guys for their names. They dont tell me. I get up to leave, because there's nothing i can do here and my little girl is outside with my girlfriend. My sister is in the hallway. She tells me that i caused this. My brother is depressed because i keep talking to him when he's supposed to be shunning me. How cruel and heartless of me. ?!?!
So there you have it, it cant possibly be the cults fault, no no no... im to blame here.
Anyway, i found out a few minutes ago that he's been sectioned and will be in a mental health ward for a week or two. Hopefully a proper therapist or councilor will see whats going on here. Like i said, he has Aspergers Syndrome and all his carers just so happen to be JWs chosen by his mum. One is an elder. So he doesnt get a break from it.
I hate this cult.