Posts by Xanthippe

17

" See ourselfs as others see us"

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

the membership rule is simple, you join the organisation for life and undertake to serve for life.. my o.p is based on the poet robert burns who talked about the gift to " see ourselfs as others see us".

i think maybe the hardest thing for me to leave, the jehovers witness " organisation" was to accept how my family and friends will now "see" me.. so my questions are how difficult was it to leave:-.

a) knowing the reaction of friends and family?.

Xanthippe

A) When I feel down about my family I just think about them expecting Jesus to kill eight billion people any day; lions becoming vegetarians ; and the whole world now being controlled by demons. Why should I worry how these mentally unwell people view me!

B) Oh yeah it's worth it. I can read whatever I like. I don't feel like a second class citizen patronised by window cleaners every day because I don't have the Y chromosome. I can have a job, travel on my own and buy what I like and nobody questions my actions or calls me materialistic.

Independent thinking is just a way of life now instead of a sign of 'spiritual sickness'. In fact when I hear that phrase now I just want to say as opposed to what, being a part of a hive mind like a bee or an ant? How weird.

35

Epigenetics and Why Women are Stripey

by cofty in

take five minutes to learn something new today.... here is a very brief introduction to epigenetics with an interesting practical example.. ....

Xanthippe

What specifically does he mean when he says our behaviours can affect our epigenetics? Diet, alcohol levels, the amount of exercise we take?

41

What were you favorite book in the organization? I know what you're thinking...LOL!

by BashfulAshG in

what were *your favorite *books in the organization?.

out of all of those books, i liked "mankind's search for god.

" however, it appears to me that this book is incredibly obscure and no one recalls studying it during the old book study format.

Xanthippe

Growing up I loved the paradise pictures of the snow-capped mountains and lakes. I've always loved mountains but we couldn't afford to travel when I was a child, we had to save for conventions instead.

Two years ago I stayed in a hotel in the Italian lakes in April. One evening after it had been raining I sat in the restaurant of my hotel and looked out the window at beautiful lake Como surrounded by mountains heavy with snow.

It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and I didn't have to please any God to get there.

33

UK TV--next monday 24th aug---channel 5-----9 pm--escaping the witnesses

by stan livedeath in

jw
friends

just see it advertised on tv--with photo of our friend from south wales

Xanthippe

Thanks for this Watchtower-Free. I would like to watch it again.

33

UK TV--next monday 24th aug---channel 5-----9 pm--escaping the witnesses

by stan livedeath in

jw
friends

just see it advertised on tv--with photo of our friend from south wales

Xanthippe

Brilliant! Karen Morgan made it clear that Mark Sewell, who abused her as a child, was an elder and he loved being an elder, loved the power, until they locked him up for fourteen years. I didn't realise his sentence was that long. She did very well.

12

The salvation paradox

by OverlappingGeneralizations in

another thing that has bothered me-.

if the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected, and will have the same chance at paradise as the hard-core dubs, what was the point of being hard core?

i know the point used to be "well, armageddon is gonna happen this weekend, and you'll survive and they won't!

Xanthippe

I think you have answered your own question. If it sounds like nonsense......

I've been out over twenty- five years and when I read the doctrines you quote I just think WTF! Sorry if this is not what you need, I apologise. From an 'outsider' perspective this sounds like nonsense. Well done waking up.

69

Why Me?

by John Aquila in

do you ever wonder why out of all the witnesses, you are the one that woke up?

i wonder many times why me.

i know many men and women that are much, much better persons than me; either they are much smarter, more humble, kinder, more successful, or just better persons all around.

Xanthippe

I have come to the conclusion our personalities are a nature/nurture thing plus our own free will. We have a certain personality partly because of our genes and partly because during our childhood we kept making small decisions that even make us different from our siblings.

For example, my mother was ill during my teenage years so I helped out with housework because I could see how she was struggling. My brother and my unmarried sister thought it 'wasn't their responsibility', whatever that means. Little decisions that make us who we are.

Do we look at the world now and say perhaps I can help by contributing to that charity, food bank or volunteer time and energy. Those still in the cult say big J will sort that out. Each small decision, one after the other in our formative years makes us who we are I believe. For some the comfort zone of th JW religion draws them back as they wrap themselves in cotton wool and go back to sleep.

69

Why Me?

by John Aquila in

do you ever wonder why out of all the witnesses, you are the one that woke up?

i wonder many times why me.

i know many men and women that are much, much better persons than me; either they are much smarter, more humble, kinder, more successful, or just better persons all around.

Xanthippe

Sometimes I think it is the very reason that we suffered so much in the religion, because we were always questioning. You are still questioning now when you ask, why me. Those that accept things find the religion and possibly life in general easier to deal with.

If you constantly question everything your whole life it can make life quite uncomfortable. It's easier to just go along with the crowd but you obviously can't do that. It's not about being a good person it's about thinking for yourself

30

Life after the witnesses, friends, faith etc

by Theburstbubble in

jw
friends

hi everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me :) i have been a witness all of my life (i'm 37) and truly believed it until 3 years ago.

my husband and i had become spiritually weak and over time i began to question more and more until i came to the conclusion that the witnesses were not the true religion but just one of many religions and that if god is there then there are many paths to get to him.

anyway, i've battled with keeping going as my husband still believed and i didn't want to be in a divided household as we have a young daughter and thought it would be very confusing for her (and us).

Xanthippe

Hi and welcome. Well done being brave and patient until your husband joined you in disbelief regarding the JWs.

I made friends with mothers at school when my daughter was small. That may be a good place to start. Also I made a friend of a woman I worked with, which has lasted for about twelve years. I also made a friend doing voluntary work. They are genuine and they don't get upset if you don't agree all the time.

As for belief I was a Christian when I left for a while. After a while I started to look at other beliefs and philosophies and also read about science and evolution. I suggest you just follow your curiosity and read whatever you like, that's what I did.

It's good to have you here.

25

A word of advice clining to their persecutors ...

by SecretSlaveClass in

let me start off by saying i do not presume to have the answers, i am merely offering advice.. i will preface this posting with this, cutting a long story short:.

my sister was raped by a popular jw lad wh's dad happen to be a rock star elder.

in the attempt to fight him off his face was covered with scratches and it was reported to the police ( instead of rape he was sentenced on the lesser charges of sexual battery and assault) but he confessed to having violent, consentual sex.

Xanthippe

Have you completely cut ties with them? How is your life now?

I don't have anything to do with them but I wouldn't put the phone down on them if they contacted me because they may want to leave the cult one day. There is little chance of this but they know where I am.

My life is good. When I left I got my degree and eventually a job I like. My daughter is an intelligent, ethical, compassionate young woman of twenty now, free to enjoy her life without cult influences. She is enjoying university and we have a great time travelling to different countries together.