Posts by UnshackleTheChains

12

Looking for Scottish Ex-JW's to share their experiences (If out obviously)

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

raised in edinburgh and glasgow congregations.

lots of funny and interesting jw characters from the 90's & 2000's.

ian shanks.

UnshackleTheChains

I remember at an elders and MS meeting about 17 years ago, the CO mentioned how 2 Congs in the Scottish borders had turned apostate. Did anyone else hear about this or know which Congs they were?

19

Looking for experiences from those who are married with kids and have dissacociated

by UnshackleTheChains in

this is a question for those who officially left the organisation and are married; and your spouse and kids are still in.'.

i just wanted to find out what your experience has been when you dissacociated.the following questions go through my mind all the time.

it always comes back to the what if's!.

UnshackleTheChains

Above all - do what feels right to you. And if you have a faith, know that it'll be respected and valued by those who matter in your friend/family circle. As much as I don't personally have faith, I truly respect those who have it. Not the destructive JW version of faith. But the kind that benefits the individuals who have it and treasure it.

Hey Jambon,

Thanks for your kind words. It's funny, but my brother is an atheist and have had some lengthy discussions around religion. The point you mentioned above is exactly what I explained to him. Ie there is nothing wrong with having a Christian faith...as long as it is harming no one else. My brother is sickened by the impact this religion has had on him personally...and he isn't even a witness. Yet the reverberations of the actions of my over the top die hard jdub mother has done the damage over the years to our family. My own sister tearfully told me how isolated she felt growing up as witness, because she wasn't encouraged to mix with other children. She ended up with depression as a result. As soon as she turned 18, she left home to travel. She was so desperate to get away from the religion. I only found this out recently.

My niece who is a happy go lucky girl told me several months ago at a family gathering how she met a 'really nice handsome brother' who had been visiting her hall with a group. She arranged to meet up with him that weekend with others as he showed an interest in her. She added him to her face book. The 'very next day' she got a pm from him explaining how he had been asking questions about her spirituality and said that there was no point progressing the relationship any further. I had to control my anger and said to her that people like that make me sick. I told my wife later about it and how it completely pissed me off. If my niece was going out like any normal girl, she would be snapped up by some lucky guy. A really nice girl, with a lovely personality, yet treated like trash because she ain't jumping high enough for a literature corporation.

This religion has created such a culture and most of it's members are so deluded they can't see the impact their actions are having on the people around them.

19

Looking for experiences from those who are married with kids and have dissacociated

by UnshackleTheChains in

this is a question for those who officially left the organisation and are married; and your spouse and kids are still in.'.

i just wanted to find out what your experience has been when you dissacociated.the following questions go through my mind all the time.

it always comes back to the what if's!.

UnshackleTheChains

Thanks for replies everyone

Crazy guy.

If I were you if you can't wake up the wife and depending how old the kids are I would stay in and try to wake the kids and even the wife over time. Bible study showing problems as well as going over the history of the cult I think can help to wake someone up.

This is the strategy I am working on. I have pointed out so many things to her, she is awake, but in denial (cognitive dissonance). In fact my Mrs mentioned something to her Freind when I was there. She said she didn't initially want to mention it as 'knows what I am like'.

I can't give exact details of what had happened as might give myself away as it involved people from another hall. The upshot of what she told me highlighted just how very unchristian 'some' elders are, ie power mad, divisive, unloving, uncaring, arrogant and controling.

I mean, my wife and another sister try to do a good a really good deed and are prevented because some power mad elder says no.

What's more, the same thing happened in our own hall regarding something the sisters were trying to arrange and the COBE told them they were unable to do so explaining his reasons why. The sisters quickly found out the guy was actually lying. Unbelievable!

I told her and her friend the above, because they both knew it was true. The so called spiritual ones are so caught up in their own little bubble they don't realise they are actually stumbling people

7

Who Is An Apostate?

by NeonMadman in

maybe you've heard the story of a brother in the watchtower's writing department who was very smart, hard working and a good writer.

we'll call him charley.

charley was so good, in fact, that he advanced through the ranks and became a co-editor of the watchtower magazine.

UnshackleTheChains

The GB are never ever considered apostate regardless of whether they change long held teachings.

11

1975 EX JW Critical Thinkers video.

by WHATSGOINGON in

hi everyone.

jt and lady cee have posted an awesome video about 1975, its very interesting.. check it out, i just watched it and its great.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6nocaq0x-8 .

cheers wgo..

UnshackleTheChains

Their videos are incredibly good. Can't wait to watch this one.

19

Looking for experiences from those who are married with kids and have dissacociated

by UnshackleTheChains in

this is a question for those who officially left the organisation and are married; and your spouse and kids are still in.'.

i just wanted to find out what your experience has been when you dissacociated.the following questions go through my mind all the time.

it always comes back to the what if's!.

UnshackleTheChains

Im all for disempowering their stupid rules.

Thanks Jambon. I very much agree with you. Playing by their rules only feeds their power. I think it really depends on circumstances. If I had no relatives involved, I would have simply dissacociated along time ago.

I disassociated but was disfellowshipped anyway afterwards. Yes, i know it doesn't make sense, they wanted to "chat" to me about my decision and during that chat disfellowshipped me.

Hi pale emporer

I am sure I saw your video fairly recently if my memory serves me correctly. There are no lengths these people will go to. These guys couldn't simply accept your decision to dissacociate and leave it at that. Its despicable what they did especially when they know the consequences you would face. Downright cruel.Thankyou for sharing your experience. Your answers have given me all the answers I need. In your case, you are happy with your decision and am glad you have found closure. This cult screws up people's lives. They break up families. It is so sad. I wish you and your daughter all the best for the future.

24

FFA - 4H - Conscious matter or not allowed?

by Jennifer Lehrer in

i was baptized 4 years ago, i have 2 little girls who love their bunnies, so this year we reached out to 4h and started our own 4h group - this was after asking the elders for counsel.

none provided.

now after doing this for 3 months i am being brought before a judicial committee for neutrality.

UnshackleTheChains

Ask them if the individual who hung the national flag of Chile on this kingdom hall faced a JC!

https://youtu.be/n840aBCKhh8

72

Favorite/least favorite CO's and DO's

by HereIgo in

i posted this thread sometime last year but thought i would revive it due to the new ones on the board, and to change things up a bit.

my favorite?

bro murikami, from hawaii, very humble, kind bro.

UnshackleTheChains

Charles the hit man Glendening

Lol. He sounds quite the chap 😂😂😂

19

Looking for experiences from those who are married with kids and have dissacociated

by UnshackleTheChains in

this is a question for those who officially left the organisation and are married; and your spouse and kids are still in.'.

i just wanted to find out what your experience has been when you dissacociated.the following questions go through my mind all the time.

it always comes back to the what if's!.

UnshackleTheChains

Hi all,

This is a question for those who officially left the organisation and are married; and your spouse and kids are still in.'. I just wanted to find out what your experience has been when you dissacociated.The following questions go through my mind all the time. It always comes back to the what if's!

My questions are specifically:

Do some witnesses still come to your house for association with your still in spouse? Or do all of them avoid your home like the plague?

Do some of the more down to earth...keeping it real ones still talk to you as normal when they come to visit your spouse etc?

Do they allow their kids over for sleep overs and association and carry on as normal?

Did you write to relatives who are JW's and respectfully say they need not worry; that they could still come over, but that you would respectfully refrain from discussing anything spiritual out of respect for their beliefs?

Do any or even all of your JW relatives avoid visiting your home despite the fact your spouse and children are still attending?

Did your dissacociation cause a lot of stress between you and your spouse and children?

Did your experience affect your mental health?

And finally

Was it worth it? Or do you wish you had simply faded?

I would be really grateful if you could share some of your experiences.

Thanks

39

(Not so) Subliminal Shave Your Beard Message

by Funchback in

i'm in the middle of dissecting the june 2017 jw broadcasting video.. in the first minute, they summarize a story about a guy who apparently was a one-time bad ass (showed a picture of him with a beard while posing on a chopper).

then, they show him shaving at the exact same moment the narrator is saying how he regained "a clean conscience".. this no-beard obsession by the jws is beyond nuts.. .

UnshackleTheChains

I don't know why the brothers don't simply end this ridiculous rule by growing their beards en masse. That would end this man made rule very quickly.