Posts by mentalclarity

25

Charles Manson Is Dead

by Bangalore in

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/obituaries/charles-manson-dead.html.

mentalclarity

http://www.newsweek.com/how-murderer-charles-manson-and-donald-trump-used-language-gain-followers-717399

Interesting article on Charles Manson's use of language and how he preyed on people who felt alienated and disconnected.

44

A WTF Moment While In the WTS

by Searching in

has anyone else had a moment, while still within the organization (and before learning ttatt) that caused them to stop and go, "this is kind of messed up.".

for instance, back i believe in the early 2000's, i was attending a dc with my family.

it was announced at the beginning of the convention that there was going to be a special announcement at the end, so for everyone to please try to remain until the very end of the meeting.

I had several WTF moments that I chose to ignore...when we were studying at bookstudy about the two witnesses that die and are resurrected and somehow this related to witnesses being imprisoned and the work ceasing....it was all a little bit of stretch. Anytime prophecies were applied to JW history, I was super skeptical.

Another time an experience was given from a visiting elder giving a public talk. I don't remember the details but it involved a busload of people, a rock falling from a cliff on top of the bus and only the JW's surviving. I was like...WTF? First this probably isn't true, and second...are we celebrating the fact that the other people died???

Last WTF moment- it was the circuit overseer's visit and he must have been giving the "needs" talk. I was sitting in the back room with my kids. Sister Loving was glaring at me because I guess they were being a little loud. Meanwhile, the CO is going on and on about how we should be humble and accept the guidance from the faithful and discreet slave. I must have heard the word humble echo in my brain a hundred times.I had my AHA moment- all the doubts/unkind people/and emotional, manipulative language coming from the platform came together and shattered what little faith I had. I walked out with my kids (the talk was still in full swing) and I never have been in a Kingdon Hall since. That was almost a decade ago.

110

Exjw activists protesting inside a Kingdom Hall today!

by Crazyguy in

spoonfed nomore, has uploaded a video on his youtube site, of exjw activists protesting inside a kingdom hall during this sunday meeting.

several people speak out.

if some one can put a link on here that would be awesome, i can’t figure out how to do it with an i phone.

mentalclarity

Have to agree with _Morpheus here. What is the objective here? Trying to sway other JW's with protests like this? Yeah, that doesn't happen. I remember seeing the apostates outside the assembly halls- never made me doubt/question. If anything, it probably added to my thinking they were a little crazy. If we really get into a JW mindset- they are going to spin this as Great Tribulation stuff-part of the signs of being persecuted.

Protests are a fad and not really effective imho. I can probably find a protest going on in my community in some form or another EVERYDAY. literally - no one cares (except those participating in the protest).

Twenty years ago we didn't have access to all the online info we have today. This is by far more effective. Have the info out there and "they will come" when they are ready.

34

Waking up to TTATT: Blessing or Curse?

by Jules Saturn in

if you take the red pill, you'll have knowledge, you'll be awakened, aware of reality, you'll have freedom.. if you take the blue pill, you stay in your bubble, wearing rose colored glasses, and feel security in an illusion.. taking the red pill isn't something that's easy to do.

to accept that everything around you is an illusion built up on lies or half truths.

but hey, it might feel good to be aware and break free from this illusion.

mentalclarity

Yeah I can relate to that wanting to be ignorant bliss at times as a born-in. I have to say that I always felt like something was "off" but couldn't quite put my finger on it as I grew up. But even so I miss the community and I had alot of great times with fellow jws in outings and social events.

I'm not sure if it was here or somewhere else where I read about the fish in an aquarium story- where the fish gets put into the bathtub and keeps swimming in the same circle the size of the fishbowl over and over...I think it takes time to embrace "the world". We were conditioned for so long to not be a part of it, that it just takes some time to get used to the fact that you participate and enjoy all of it - guilt free. New friends/new activities/new adventures/new goals...there is no glass ceiling to stop you. Do things that keep you moving forward- not looking back and make you feel good and expose you to new people and experiences. You have to replace the things from JWism that made you feel good (sense of belonging/purpose/etc) with something new so that you don't have that empty void. That's what has helped me.

And whenever I'm with my jw family I feel really sad because I just see complete lack of consciousness in their minds and I would never want to be that person again.

36

Why the vitriolic hate?

by stuckinarut2 in

i am sure we have all thought of this before, but it struck me again today:.

why does the society promote such vitriolic hate toward, and about those who have left "the truth" ?.

surely it is obvious that such critical attitudes towards ones like us who have left, only serves to proove that they do not have "the truth"?.

mentalclarity

The more they hate what is "bad" (especially apostates) the more they prove themselves to be "good". JW's must always be proving themselves righteous and better than others.

I think it's completely self serving.

Personally, I never hated apostates, but I was scared of them. I probably already had a strong intuition that we weren't that different and it wasn't going to take much to take me to the "dark side".

33

What Simple Pleasures Do You Enjoy Since Leaving Watchtower?

by pale.emperor in

what simple pleasures do you enjoy since leaving watchtower?

here's some of mine, in no particular order:.

a cigar: i dont smoke cigarettes at all, but i do enjoy a good cigar from time to time.

mentalclarity

I love Christmas traditions and all of the holidays really. I like the apple cinnamon smell and decorating the tree- putting lights on the house/yard and the Christmas eve dinner. The whole 9 yards! Halloween comes a close second as far as holidays go. The fact that I do all these things with people I Iove and cherish makes me even happier.

14

Pale Emperor Seems To Have Developed A Fetish

by pale.emperor in

dont worry, this is safe for work... :).

remember when we were jws and we were told not to "model ourselves after the world"?

meaning no tattoos, no non-approved hairstyles, clothing to be not too tight, not too short etc etc etc?

mentalclarity

Saying "passed away" instead of died.

Eating fortune cookies...because, ya know, demons....

meditation - anything where your mind would be blank would be another opportunity for spirit possession.

Reading your horoscope -

14

Pale Emperor Seems To Have Developed A Fetish

by pale.emperor in

dont worry, this is safe for work... :).

remember when we were jws and we were told not to "model ourselves after the world"?

meaning no tattoos, no non-approved hairstyles, clothing to be not too tight, not too short etc etc etc?

mentalclarity

I used to be attracted to the whole tattoo, piercing, anti-establishment thing- not so much anymore. I find myself attracted to personal integrity- in whatever form its packaged in. I personally found alot of people trying so hard to be different were actually just parroting someone else's trendy views - not so attractive.

I can see it's appeal though- it's kind of the forbidden fruit in JWism. The cool thing is that you can decide for yourself what you like so enjoy the ride.....

54

JW Kids Bullying My Daughter

by pale.emperor in

trying not to type swearwords as i write this so bare with me.. my little 3yo attends meetings with her jw mum (who doesn't believe watchtower anymore but is stuck in because she relies on her family for help).

my mum (the one who tells people im dead) had a party for her grandchildren.

that's my 4 nieces and 1 nephew aged from 3yo-11yo.

mentalclarity

I wonder if this will push your ex over the edge....let it fester...there might be a silver lining in this horrible incident.

So sad your daughter had to endure that type of behavior- but hopefully it will also be etched in her brain so that she NEVER ever becomes a witness.

This is what I tell my family whenever they snub me - "Keep showing yourselves to be the loveless crew you are so that my children never want to become witnesses. Your behavior will help much more than my words ever could. They LOVE that! hahaha and then I tell them they'll have blood on their hands because of it- just an ex jw using jw mind games.

Can't even imagine your rage - It's one thing to treat an adult like that, but just a small child??? That's terrible.

34

BBC News "The ex-Jehovah's Witnesses shunned by their families"

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

bbc news website has this linked on front page.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40704990.

mentalclarity

Wow- so happy they did the interviews. That's amazing. I thought it was just the article.