Wisdom Needed

by Solzhenitsyn in

2 things.

from your experience would you say that capitulation (going along with) and/or enforcement of all the ridiculous rules and sub-minutia (stupid crap: beards, wash the car for sat svc, no tight pants, paint the kh with a 2" brush vs. a 4" brush cause the boe says so) rules are primarily made possible or facilitated by the friendships that are maintained within the borg?

also, would you say you saw yourself as part of the power structure or subject to it?.

Solzhenitsyn

2 things.

From your experience would you say that capitulation (going along with) and/or enforcement of all the ridiculous rules and sub-minutia (stupid crap: beards, wash the car for Sat svc, no tight pants, paint the KH with a 2" brush vs. a 4" brush cause the BOE says so) rules are primarily made possible or facilitated by the friendships that are maintained within the borg?

Also, would you say you saw yourself as part of the power structure or subject to it?

I (and my therapist) have really been looking for deeper reasons why I bought into this destructive cult for so many decades to help me gain closure and freaking move on. WHY CANT I MOVE ON DAMMIT?! Why does everything still get run through a JW filter? Argh...

39

When you were an active JW, did you ever have dealings with a pyramid scheme?

by Tameria2001 in

i'm not sure why this memory popped up, and i was wondering if any others, when they were still active jw had dealings with a pyramid scheme involving other witnesses in the organization?

at the time it was 1993, and my husband and i were still newlyweds.

once in a while, we would attend a neighboring congregation because that was where he grew up, and some of his family was still attending there at the time.

Solzhenitsyn

Melaleuca

Shaklee

Sunrider

Natures Sunshine

Rainbow Vacuums

Herbalife

Juice Plus

Noni Juice

Protandim (for humans...haha) / LifeVantage [I had to counsel a brother who was a LifeVantage top level, multi platinum, senior grand puba, pinnacle of the pyramid superstar and was awarded a Protandim Wrapped 4x4 who made many uncomfortable driving it out in service kind of counsel]

Amway

Monavie

20

Please tell me I wasn't the only PIMO elder to do this...

by Solzhenitsyn in

so a recent post by a troller linked to a youtube vid of the midweek meeting stream: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5119948566298624/great-announcement.

just assuming everyone knows that this is the congregation in pt.

richie, fl that wt uses for all the shut ins approved for logging into www.stream.jw.org with the privilege of getting their meetings at home.

Solzhenitsyn

For many years MANY of us elders used this site: http://centralprint.net/talks/ to capture (plagiarize) dozens of Public Talks i gave. WT legal shut him down about a year ago which was just in time for my fade. Since he has posted many on youtube to skirt the legal desk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7OXi1FisDXoPM0P7hhBaw/videos

I got a kick out of one CO we had out in Athens, GA. Wow, he was a Cracker Barrel lovin redneck who bucked the system just a little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OHTNsY77hk [EX: 13:15 and 29:14]

20

Please tell me I wasn't the only PIMO elder to do this...

by Solzhenitsyn in

so a recent post by a troller linked to a youtube vid of the midweek meeting stream: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5119948566298624/great-announcement.

just assuming everyone knows that this is the congregation in pt.

richie, fl that wt uses for all the shut ins approved for logging into www.stream.jw.org with the privilege of getting their meetings at home.

Solzhenitsyn

So a recent post by a troller linked to a YouTube vid of the midweek meeting stream: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5119948566298624/great-announcement

Just assuming everyone knows that this is the congregation in Pt. Richie, FL that WT uses for all the shut ins approved for logging into www.stream.jw.org with the privilege of getting their meetings at home. They were available to stream (permissions granted local cong admin: usually COBE or SEC) a day after they were recorded. Sunday meeting were always available Monday and the the Pt. Richie midweek meeting was on Mondays and posted Tuesday.

I loved this "provision from Jehovah" because I never had to actually work up any of my Thursday midweek meeting talks. As the COBE I gave myself permission, logged in, watched the part, took notes, got on the stage in my local KH and regurgitated the whole thing. Taa daa.

Please tell me I'm wasn't the only PIMO elder in recent years who did this!?

32

Great Announcement

by Tiana in

am a newcomer.

had a starnge metting in local news last night.. check it out.

actual info starts at 50;12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plxdjs13l0k.

Solzhenitsyn

RE: OP video from "Tiana"

Just assuming everyone knows that this is the congregation in Pt. Richie, FL that WT uses for all the shut ins approved for logging into www.stream.jw.org with the privilege of getting their meetings at home. They were available to stream (permissions granted local cong admin: usually COBE or SEC) a day after they were recorded. Sunday meeting were always available Monday and the the Pt. Richie midweek meeting was on Mondays and posted Tuesday.

I loved this "provision from Jehovah" because I never had to actually work up any of my Thursday midweek meeting talks. As the COBE I gave myself permission, logged in, watched the part, took notes, got on the stage in my local KH and regurgitated the whole thing. Taa daa.

Please tell me I'm wasn't the only PIMO elder who did this!?

22

How do you deal with the emotions of waking up? ---my ramble -----

by Fognomore in

good morning, .

i am just wondering how you have constructively worked through the emotions of waking up?

i am trying hard to be positive, and i know life is a gift.

Solzhenitsyn

How do you deal with the emotions of waking up?

From personal experience, one way I would recommend: Therapy. Therapy with someone who incorporates EMDR into the sessions might do wonders for you. It's the same sort of thing combat vets deal with, PTSD and all.

10

Not One JW Ever Actually Dies "In the Truth"

by Solzhenitsyn in

just a thought and perhaps this has been discussed before but no jehovah's witness ever actually dies in the truth.

pick a year, any year.

if a jw died in say 1920 or 2020 or whatever...the doctrines change so much and so fast that what is "truth" today is "untruth" the next within this religion.

Solzhenitsyn

Just a thought and perhaps this has been discussed before but No Jehovah's Witness ever actually dies in the truth.

Pick a year, any year. If a JW died in say 1920 or 2020 or whatever...the doctrines change so much and so fast that what is "truth" today is "untruth" the next within this religion.

Maybe it would be a sobering line of discussion to have with some JW's. That, 'your truth today might just get you disfellowshipped tomorrow if you continue to believe it.'

example: Millions resurrected that died before 1954, come to life in a 'resurrection center' and immediately begin to praise Jesus...WAIT, STOP! A booming voice over the loudspeaker "dear friends...we don't praise Jesus anymore, the Watchtower said not to do that back in 1954" ... WTF?

Just a thought.

23

Shunning Hath Begunith

by Solzhenitsyn in

my spouse assumed that being honest would feel liberating.

appointments were made with pimi parents to let them know of the decision to no longer be a jw.

before the tall nonfat latte at starbucks was half drunk and after her parents asked several direct questions, they stood up, hugged her and said "well this is goodbye, return to jehovah and we'll pick up right where we left off, we love you," and walked out the door.

Solzhenitsyn

My spouse assumed that being honest would feel liberating. Appointments were made with PIMI parents to let them know of the decision to no longer be a JW. Not D/A, just done. Before the tall nonfat latte at Starbucks was half drunk and after her parents asked several direct questions, they stood up, hugged her and said "well this is goodbye, return to Jehovah and we'll pick up right where we left off, we love you," and walked out the door.

I had to leave work and go get her because she was in such a state of shock. Hours later and she has cried herself to sleep.

I am able to power through the semi-shunning of my parents because I WAS THEM! I shunned family and friends galore while I climbed the WT ladder then got near the top only to find there was no one there. I understand why they do and say what they do. I love them and will be there for them if the day comes and they wake up.

But for my wife. Since baptism 30 years ago, she never wanted anything but a close relationship with God and to have a circle of friends. She has always looked for the good. Hated placements in service choosing to usually just offer a scripture of encouragement and be a listening ear. She has always cared less about JW dogma and apologetic discussions. She watched me climb the ladder, kiss arse, brown nose, hone the theocratic skills, JC committee draining, ect. I recently asked her why she always supported me through my narcissistic JW travels and her answer was, "I always figured I rather you do that than have no beliefs and sit at home. At least we were together."

I so wish I could take away her pain. Seeing her the way she is, the effect of JW doctrine coming to life in a sterile rejection from her parents, makes it so much more clear we are doing the right thing. Our children/grandchildren will never have to shun us nor us them.

Aside from time and love/patience from me, thoughts on what else can be done to help her heal?

23

Hello

by Tobyjones262 in

jw
friends

new to this forum.

i ran across it when watching lloyd evans videos and searching out jw links.

i left the cult many years ago after a long stint in it.the cult caused me much pain and problems even though i left.

Solzhenitsyn

Hello Toby and from Georgia USA: Welcome!

27

Anyone know of elders talking private KH matters to wifes?

by Tobyjones262 in

i knew of several elders who would tell their wife's everything that happened in a committee meeting.

he is still and elder and very old but i doubt he has changed.

we used to call him.

Solzhenitsyn

101% absolutely.

Confidentiality is a beautiful thing. Breaking confidentiality is nasty. JW elders are generally nasty and (not all) but the majority are 101% guilty.

Every 90 days I would gather agenda points from the elders on our BOE and inevitabily would have to ask several times a year "Brother Shitstirrer is this matter a result of your prayerful thoughts or input from your wife or family member?"

Fast forward to BOE meetings, including the last one I chaired in 02-2018. One elder started his concern with "I was talking to my wife last night and she is really concerned about sister opinionated who got in the face of sister bestlife ever in the Kroger parking lot and now brother bestlifeever is threatening to beat the shite out of sister opinionated" Ahh, so your wife asked that we discuss the matter. WAIT! Time out brothers, how about we talk about something much more pressing that brothers shitstirrers wife is concerned about, and that would be Brother Canthink4himselfs new beard!

As far as between elders...I call it "back channeling". If I had a dollar for every time another elder wanted to 'have lunch' to discuss a matter behind other elders backs and sway the feelings of others......gosh id have enough money to pay cash for all the PTSD cult recovery psychiatrist sessions i now require.

To this very day, elders are trying to "connect dots" as to where me and my family are, what we are doing, what % of meetings we are attending (which is -0%), are we attending in other congs, what are we talking to others about, are we associating with disfellowshipped people, ect.... Ha, my kids are prepared to offer 1 Thessalonians 4:11 as an answer to anyone who confronts them about what they have "been up to".

Toward the end when i realized the true demon of breaking confidentiality, I enjoyed throwing out various wt.org bias statements and watching the rats go to work and create divisions. SO much energy is spent spreading REINTERPRETED information among JW bodies of elders which filters right down through the pioneer car groups and eventually into the minds of the rank and file.

Solzhenitsyn

Posts by Solzhenitsyn

How do you deal with the emotions of waking up?