Posts by pale.emperor

48

Healing & Rebuilding Your Life - Feedback Wanted

by jp1692 in

i have been invited to speak at an international cultic studies association workshop this fall.

i could use your help in focusing on my presentation subject.. these workshops are for former members of any cult or other high-control, authoritarian group, not just jehovah's witnesses.

last year, i spoke at one of their larger conferences in europe.

pale.emperor

If it were me i'd order them like this:

Discovering Your Authentic Self - (personal identity)
Dealing With Isolation and Loneliness (shunning)
The Five Stages of Grief/loss (Kübler-Ross model)
Treatments & Interventions - seeking treatments from working with mental health professionals to self-help
Examining Our Beliefs: Identifying the false and harmful (dysfunctional) core beliefs which are the root cause of our on-going difficulties after leaving
Psychoeducation - this is closely related to #2 above, but is frankly more technical

Although all of them are important, it'd be difficult to cover all of them sufficiently in 20mins so i'd go for the top two there.

Discovering your authentic self: Reason being, so many ex-JWs i speak to tell me that they're still "finding themselves", and about 90% of them slip up and still say things like "when i was in the truth...". The loaded language is still there, and until it's removed they'll still have some sort of psychological/emotional connection to the cult. The advice I give to ex-members is to "go nuts". Take a week or even a month of doing all the things you wanted to do but were never allowed to. You'll learn which things you like and which things you dont like. And now, at least you'll have your own reasons for not doing X, Y and Z rather than "the Watchtower said". Also studying anything/everything that interests you too. You'll discover the real you and hobbies/skills you didn't know you even had.

Dealing with isolation/loss is a very important one. In fact, it's one of the reasons many people dont even bother leaving. The fear of the unknown, uncertainty if they'll ever find friends or have their own family. It also helps them to convince themselves it's "the truth" when they're facing cognitive dissonance.

51

Don't even try it!

by JTrottigy in

jw
friends

there are many here who think they can infiltrate my web-site.

be warned that we administrators of jwtalk call the listed congregation on your application for membership in our site to verify if they know you!.

some of you have slipped through the cracks and got into our site, but rest assured, we will find you out and ban you!.

pale.emperor

Trotters has gotta be a virgin!

32

Apostate - what does the word mean to you?

by Tallon in

over a period of time i got to thinking - what does the word 'apostate' mean to me.

having given it some thought, this is my view;.

the org has given the word its own definition and basically use it to demonise people and consider them pariahs.. however, the jw meaning of 'apostate' is a mere word and only has power if recognised as such.

pale.emperor

It's a trigger word that invokes a knee-jerk response.

It's like hearing someone being called a pedophile, you cant help up be on guard with the person after hearing it, even if it's proven to be untrue.

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

pale.emperor

From what I've seen so far, "any real dialog" is too difficult for you to attain, much like your inability to spell "whack" correctly.

This /\ from a guy who believes in talking snakes and talking donkeys.

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

pale.emperor

And no doubt jookbeard Butt-Head was hanging onto your left ankle with his right hand, trying to prevent you from crossing the finish line first. No doubt it was YOU who caused your mother all that grief constantly kicking her insides. And you caused her even more grief years later when you decided to marry that pagan. And after you had sold your birthright you kept it a secret, not informing your father about the deal you made with Butt-Head. In case you need someone to explain it to you--that was deceitful of YOU! You deceived your own father!!! And then after your deceit backfired you got all angry and wanted to kill your brother, Butt-Head!!!! Bad boy, bad boy, what you gonna do when they come for you!!!!!!!

21

The clown factory at Warwick

by Sour Grapes in

it just amazes me how the clown factory at the borgs basilica in warwick could produce 8 clown popes that act like self-licking ice cream cones and the jdubs take them so seriously.

if the popes said that they were going to have a bible signing session at a king dumb hall 8 hours away that so many jdubs would make the trip the town would be swamped with traffic.. you know what is truly sad is when during jdub public prayers, the governing body gets more praise than the head of the congregation.

all jesus gets is the final "in jesus name.".

pale.emperor

It's only a matter of time before they pull some "new light" from someones ass and become "saints" or something.

Remember Trotters on here the other day, what did he call them? Glorious Ones? [capital letters too!]

"She should feel guilty for speaking abusively of one of the Glorious Ones. I really like the way Brother Morris lays it on the line in plain terms so there is no chance of misunderstanding what he said! There should be more Jehovah's Witnesses just like him." - Trottigy
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/users/5523125350432768/JTrottigy/posts

[Bold mine]

28

Great news!

by Half banana in

it's a case of two down and one to go.

my darling daughter has announced to the extended family that she has left jehovah's witnesses!

deep joy!.

pale.emperor

EXCELLENT NEWS!! This has cheered me right up indeed.

I have learned not to say a word of condemnation of the cult in her presence since it is always taken as a personal insult.

That's a very smart move. I've learned the hard way that criticizing the borg to new exit-ers can be counter productive.

Im really happy for you. Do keep us posted of her progress.

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

pale.emperor

Yes, indeed, Adam and Eve were the first two humans . . . . . seriously.

There were two "first humans" and you even know their names? That's quite a claim. Evidence?

Do you have a superior explanation of how you got here? Try to be intelligent, and state your case.

My parents had sex in February 1984. Of the 15 million sperm I was the fastest and managed to implant into my mothers egg. I grew from a single cell organism into a complex bundle of self replicating cells that eventually became a baby. I was squeezed out of my mothers cervix on 21st November 1984.

I can present evidence for all of these things.

Now please state your evidence that there were two "first humans" who were called Adam and Eve?

Here's a great trick to spot fantasy from reality. If there was a talking animal involved at any part, it's either a Disney cartoon or it's not true.

Go!

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

pale.emperor

SWAT, as soon as you mentioned Adam & Eve and scrolled on.

Adam & Eve... seriously?

54

Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

by Bad_Wolf in

one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

i was raised into it.

pale.emperor

Accepting that the chances of us being born at all were almost impossible coupled with the fact that life is finite means I live my life NOW and I own my own mistakes. It also means we should love who we love completely and not take it for granted because one day they won't be around. And neither will I.