Emery

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Posts by Emery

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  125

  my worst fears were realized

  by magotan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  im on my phone, so im really limited.

  i came out to my family about my doubts and my sexuality.

  shit hit the fan.

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  Emery

  Im so sorry, just know we are all here for ya.
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  23

  What are the things you dislike most about JW's?

  by Chariklo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  top of my list has to be hypocrisy.

  it runs right through, from elders downwards.

  the literature and the gb are bad enough, but the bit that touches ordinary people, householders, students and ordinary rank and file is the false goodness that they put on like a raincoat.

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  Emery

  Hypocrisy, guilt they instill, inconsistency, and the divine authority they claim.
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  30

  607 - What is it all about?

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some of you here have a firm belief that 607 was not the fall of jerusalem, contrary to the wt beliefs that it was.

  but, why is it important?

  frankly, i just don't get it.

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  Emery

  Sorry I put a 28 instead of a 24 for Daniel 4:24
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  30

  607 - What is it all about?

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some of you here have a firm belief that 607 was not the fall of jerusalem, contrary to the wt beliefs that it was.

  but, why is it important?

  frankly, i just don't get it.

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  Emery

  Also, in Daniel chapter 4, Daniel clearly explains everything at the end, he states, "THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION". Whatever possessed them to read into this chapter anything but Neb being a human cow for 7 years is beyond me. If this doesnt embarass any JW lurkers, it should...the WT turned a perfectly understandable story into a double fullfilling modern day prophecy. The use of the word "interpret" is used 5 times throughout this chapter to define the main point and it's context being the significance of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, that's it! This is not the starting point for some complicated mathematical equation used to figure out the parousia of the messiah thousands of years.

  28 “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
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  30

  607 - What is it all about?

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some of you here have a firm belief that 607 was not the fall of jerusalem, contrary to the wt beliefs that it was.

  but, why is it important?

  frankly, i just don't get it.

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  Emery

  leaving_quietly

  This is not even a christian or jewish mandate in the bible to worry about. It is a secular idea and requires the believer to go beyond the scriptures and read into them ideas that were never intended.
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  38

  I'm writing a DA letter...need advise

  by nolongerconfused in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, so i have decided to da myself and will write a da letter to the body of elders.... do you have any ideas of what i can include in this letter or samples?...

  i really want to make a huge impact with this letter.. i appreciate your help everyone....

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• 

  Emery

  Lots of great advice here. Ultimately, its up to you. The only reason I have considered writing a DA letter is to go out with a bang. My idea in the end is to send my DA letter to everyone I know whether it be through FB or email. Attach every person and JW email address to the letter and send it off all in one night. Not allowing any mystery as to the reasons and the evidence for my disassociation. Everyone will know why, and it will cause a shock wave across the community. It can also help wake up local JWs who are on the fence if they read it, eventually leaving the door open for replies and discussion.

  Staying in and going undercover has helped me tons at the moment, I have helped over 10 ppl with the TTATT. Also, you can stay current with membership, seeing who get's DF'd or fades away so when the day comes you can reach out to them. I only plan on writing and distributing my DA letter when I get caught and/or end up getting called in for Apostasy.
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  77

  Distrust and paranoia among faders

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi guys.

  i'm interested in knowing whether any other faders out there ever find themselves feeling a little paranoid about establishing contact with other faders or former jws, just in case the unthinkable happens and things turn sour.. personally, i'm now fairly comfortable with the idea that i will be disfellowshipped or disassociated within the next year or so.

  i see it as inevitable, and an essential transition in order to do what i want to do with my life.

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  Emery

  Yes much paranoia indeed.

  There are some disfellowshipped friends of mine who still believe its the truth, yet paradoxically are not doing anything to actually come back. They are living contrary to the "truth" they believe. I have recently contacted and visited a very good friend of mine who was DF'd 6-7 years ago for being a sexual man whore at 19. He's now happily married, with 2 kids and recognizes his past mistakes. I only contacted him because I knew from previous emails throughout the years that he was never coming back. Once I told him where I now stood, he almost cried. It truly was like a real resurrection, our friendship picked up from right where we left off, no awkwardness, just a lot of apologies. However, I had to educate him on what I can and can't do right now and how important it is that he keep our friendship out of conversations with his jw mother and step father. His step father happens to be my best friend's uncle haha, so the possiblity of it turning ugly is very real.

  You have to explore the risks but in the end, if you know you're going to be gone soon then there is no point in delaying inevitable friendships.
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  26

  I MADE A HUGE MISTAKE

  by iclone in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

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  Emery

  I feel for you man, it really does suck to go back for even one meeting.

  The last meeting I attended, I realized how effing boring it all was. You're basically there to hear somebody else's public reading skills. It immediately felt like I was in 4th grade english again, listening to some kid read paragraphs out of a book I could care less about. This is what makes someone spiritual-- sitting in a lecture hall listening to window washers read recycled paragraphs from a stage, finding the answer in the paragraph and saying it into a mic, well done brother holy!
• 
  160

  I've Come To Realize That "Facts" Don't Mean Much If A Person Refuses To Accept Them

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...and that applies to religion as well as politics.. if someone simply believes such and such is true, it doesn't really matter whether you "prove" it or not.

  people will believe what they want to believe..

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  Emery

  People change their minds when a crisis happens, whether it be: emotional, economical, financial, health, spiritual, etc.

  From my experience, it first takes a JW to have their ass kicked emotionally by either the elders, friends, or family. When this happens, especially to the Yes men of the borg, they start waking up. When they lose their spiritual status, paradise and/or advantages of being in the org they will become more critical.

  Politically speaking? Not very familiar with it, but I have seen people change their political views when something negatively affects them aswell like; wars, laws, taxes, etc.

  IMO it all bascially revolves around the element of injustice hitting close to home before the facts are looked at. I know this is not the case for everyone, but it seems to be the trend for change.
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  28

  Has leaving the truth( i hate that word) caused you to do things now that you would not have normally done ?

  by sieborg in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  although we all know that there are many disadvantages of being brought up ( vomit sound) in the truth.

  but would you say that leaving has maybe caused you to do some things that you would not have normally have done in life ?

  for me personally now i have lots of free time ( mine all mine, evil laugh) i have almost finished my first novel.

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• 

  Emery

  Oh wow, yes I managed to to accomplish a lot in just a year.

  • I am finally reading books that I actually enjoy and have interest in reading. I've read 4 books already and will be finishing my 5th one shortly ( on web development).
  • Now that my JW friends have no time for "irregulars" I find myself being around family more and more. I have re-established old friendships from high school and old friends who are/were disfellowshipped long ago. I have found much happinesss being around relatives again who I had once pushed away because they were not JWs. Once I told my aunt and uncle that I no longer wanted to be a JW anymore they were so thrilled! Although they respected my beliefs in the past, I always knew they hated our involvment with the witnesses.
  • My wife and I actually get bored quite frequently now with all this time on our hands. We consistently keep our house very clean and organized. We schedule random vacations and activities we never had time for because of the rigorous JW schedule.
  • Since I have lost my belief in an afterlife, I now pay closer attention to current world problems. Being awake and aware of ways to help my neighbor live a better life is what I aim for. It makes life more valuable and you cherish the moments more as you won't know what tomorrow brings.
  • Compared to the prejudiced and condescending view I had of people with different faiths, views, and life styles-- I am now more open minded, loving and understanding when it comes to diversity.
  • Observing holidays happens to be a lot of fun. When I was a witness I wouldn't have imagined the day I would have said such a thing. I use to love throwing this into people's faces who claimed to be a Christian. I would open up my reasoning book and drop the pagan bomb all day during the Christmas seaso. Until I realized that JWs hypocritically observe many pagan traditions and modern day customs themselves! (anniversaries, wedding ceremonies, rings, cosmetic make-up, braiding hair, Sunday worship, etc.) Only to see WT leadership shrug these customs off to say, "Well we don't do it for those particular reasons".....Well guess what Watchtower?? Neither does the general public! I don't celebrate them either to honor a false god or worship paganism. I observe them as human tradition which just so happens to be a lot of friggin fun, ya buncha jerks.
  • Movies: I watch whatever the heck I want now without some mental guilt trip if the movie so happens to drop an eff bomb. (same goes for music)
  • Missing meetings, service, conventions, special day assemblies, kingdom hall cleanings, CO visits, KH builds, and the memorial saves me a lot of money. I spend it now on things I have always wanted but never tried to buy since I was trying to keep a "simple eye".

  Thats all I could think of right now, but yes its amazing when you become mentally and spiritually free from this organization.