Xanthippe

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Posts by Xanthippe

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  56

  Human Origins

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  fantastic graphic produced by the smithsonian institute illustrating human origins.

  click on any of the group or species labels for more detailed information.. meet your ancestors here....

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  Xanthippe

  Fascinating thanks for the link.

  FTS thanks for your links too, great thread.
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  33

  New, but needed to vent- thank you :-)

  by Danni Jackson in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i discovered your website this morning as i was trying to find some information about 'marking'.

  you see a very close friend of mine was 'marked' earlier this week and as i know the ins and outs of the situation (as we are close friends) i disregarded the talk immediately as i know my friend is obviously having issues but is no way a 'danger' to anybody else's spiritual health.

  basically they are dating a non-believer- hence the talk.

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  Xanthippe

  Hi and welcome Danni.

  the organisation have got me in a corner where I feel powerless to even think about leaving.. now that is some sort of special skill set that is. It in fact is absolutely genius in its manipulation.

  You're right it is a fiendish skill set that all mind control cults use to imprison people. How to restart? You've only been baptised a year so probably have a few contacts left outside the religion. Relatives, work colleagues, neighbours. As a matter of urgency renew your friendships with them and make these your support system.

  Get your kids involved in other stuff to distract them from their JW friends, days out, art and craft hobbies, sport, pets, whatever they're into. Try and get them more into other kids not in the religion, cousins, school friends, neighbour's kids. Invite them round for tea, sleepovers, have a kid's party.

  Start planning your escape. Visit your doctor and get some advice about counselling. Use depression as an excuse to miss meetings because being away from the constant indoctrination will clear your head more than anything.

  Keep posting, there are hundreds of brilliant people on here who will have many brilliant ideas to help you. Take care, it's all going to be alright.
  
  
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  37

  Protect Your Family??

  by Tech49 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  here is an article in the current study copy of the wt.

  tell me your thoughts and i will tell you mine.!

  this is a topic that i am very sensitive about, as i could never see not protecting my family, even if that meant using whatever means at hand to do so!

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  Xanthippe

  Bible principles. These advise against the use of carnal weapons, such as handguns, rifles, or other firearms, for protection against other humans."

  Are we talking about the same book? The one that encouraged the pillaging of Canaanite towns, slaughtering every man, woman, child, babe in arms and domestic animal. They were protecting themselves alright, against these people who dared to trespass in their promised land. Slaughtered the lot of them.
  
  
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  27

  An honest question for those who were "born-in"

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just wanted to ask a question of those who were born in as i was.. how did you feel to have been "privileged to have been born into the only true faith - the truth"?.

  did this make you feel confident, or proud - or perhaps arrogant?.

  how did you reconcile the fact that 99% of the earth's population was not born "into the truth"?.

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  Xanthippe

  Stuck it's quite hard to put myself back into the mindset but I think rather than confident I just felt odd. I say felt, 'rationally' at the time I though it was the truth but feelings often connect you to what's really happening don't they. Not going into assembly at school, sitting in a classroom on my own while they had the Christmas party. Yeah it just felt odd and didn't give me very good social skills.

  Later I started pioneering and I just thought I was lucky enough to know the 'truth' and we had to try and spread the word because people's lives depended on it. Yeah sounds weird and pompous now. So probably I was weird and pompous. Sounds about right.
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  9

  some thing i said..?

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone had this experience.

  that once some contact is made with others here they never write again?

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  Xanthippe

  Do you mean by pm Zeb? Yes I've had people message me just once. Also new ones sometimes post only one time or start one thread. I think possibly they panic, wonder what they've done. It's hard coping with leaving a cult, trying to get their heads round the fact that we're just normal, not demonised apostates.
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  13

  Make Your Excellent Point to a JW, But- Remember, it's a Mind Control Cult.

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i am reading from many that they have an excellent thought-stopper for jw's.

  (remember reasoning from the scriptures used "thought-stoppers?

  )"if you just show them [this scripture or use this logic or expose this problem with the organization], you will shut them down.".

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  Xanthippe

  OTWO excellent thread! I often wonder how we're supposed to get these amazing points over to family when they won't even talk about their religion to us. When just the tiniest question will be seen as criticism and shut them down.

  I like your point about the ransom couldn't be applied until after the flood. I think I've heard that somewhere, long ago. They've been supplied with an answer for everything, nonsensical though they sound to us.

  Everyone's family is different of course and individuals usually know how far they can go with a religious discussion so if you think it's worth a try go ahead I would say.

  Sparrowdown I like your post very much, just encouraging people to have a break is a good idea. As you say it's difficult if they think the pressure to do more comes from inside the person and not the Borg. Typical blaming the victim approach of course. I hope the compassion you showed her will make her think and take a break, they both sound close to burnout.
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  16

  lf you could be god would you and why and what would you change?

  by atomant in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  not sure if this question has been asked before but thought it would be interesting to read peoples response..

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  Xanthippe

  If I could be God for a day apart from providing a cure for all diseases I would tell people that there's no need for religion. That nobody needs to be worshipped or appeased, that idea's part of humanities' childhood.

  That there are no rules except treat other humans with knowledge, compassion and empathy. It's important to use your intelligence and your instincts together so stop ignoring feelings because they're part of your evolution.

  Stop worrying about death and live now, to the fullest every day. There is no hell or punishment so just chill and enjoy life. That all bets are off so just wait and see.
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  34

  Thinking about the end of the Watchtower

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first, a word about the watchtower’s financial position: nobody (outside the watchtower organization) knows.

  the wtbs is not required to disclose its finances, and doesn’t.

  we can speculate, but that is all we are doing.

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  Xanthippe

  I can see people like my siblings thinking the US and UK child abuse court cases, Russian ban, ARC publicity and UK Charity Comission enquiry as persecution and the end is imminent. They might go into a sort of limbo when nothing happens similar to after 1975, but then what.

  More depression and health problems I suspect, bodies and minds suffering as the cognitive dissonance becomes more entrenched. I don't expect a lot of suicides but just more illness and ruined lives.
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  40

  How Many Here EVER Considered Going Back To Meetings?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  once i left ,i was done.

  in over 10 years i didn't return except for my mother's funeral.

  did you ever re enter the kh after you left?.

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  Xanthippe

  Like you Minimus only for my mother's funeral. My husband always said he'd take my daughter to a KH when she was old enough so he could show her how ridiculous it is and warn her off religious cults. He never got the chance berofe he passed away but she's bright enough to have worked it out for herself anyway. That's my girl!
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  6

  family violence

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this from the australian broadcasting commission (abc).. the aftershocks of the arc continue.. "thanks for your email, and for sharing some of your personal story.we are absolutely aware that violence exists in jehovah's witnesses families.

  as this series is ongoing, we will be continuing to report on this issue for some time.

  in the meantime, you might be interested to read the story of "jennifer" in a feature we published a few weeks back (link below).

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  Xanthippe

  Brave woman, especially as she had young children and lost everyone when she left. Thanks Zeb. My father was violent to my mother before I was born. She kept the peace so he wouldn't continue, especially after she had four children so I only remember threats of violence. Typical story, she had a violent father and married a man who was violent.

  Their marriage was miserable and I remember my mum going to the elders and asking if she could separate from him. They said you would have to remain single for the rest of your life. So she stayed and was very unhappy.