Posts by Xanthippe

23

Help with acceptance for JW family still in

by MaryKN in

well, it's been a long time!

i first lurked here around 20 years ago and read huge amounts of threads which certainly helped when i was making my decision to leave the religion.

i was never baptised (resisted it!

Xanthippe

That things will be always be like this with their family, that they will always be JW, that they will never change, that they will never have doubts or at least doubts that they will act on until the day they die? If so, how? Does it still make you very sad? Do you think you'll always be sad about it? Are you still angry? How do you deal with it?

Slightly different to you in that my family don't have anything to do with me so I don't have the frustration of getting preached at. Yes it makes me sad that they will probably die in that religion.

Occasionally I remember something from when we were kids and I feel sad but then I think they're not those people anymore, your life choices change you. My sister saving a bird that had been hurt and being so sad when it died. Where is that little girl? Subsumed by the cult monster religion.

I deal with it by just enjoying my life. I'm here if they want to leave. You can't stay sad or angry the whole time, it's a waste if life.

37

Grocery Store conversation with an elder

by problemaddict 2 in

i'm inactive here to the local jw's as i have faded.

i've been slandered and all that, shunned by some but not all, but the elders basically leave me alone.

i still run into to people all over though.

Xanthippe

He was running to get potatoes Steve2

37

Grocery Store conversation with an elder

by problemaddict 2 in

i'm inactive here to the local jw's as i have faded.

i've been slandered and all that, shunned by some but not all, but the elders basically leave me alone.

i still run into to people all over though.

Xanthippe

So funny, wish I'd been there to see his face

20

Why should WE be the bloodguilty ones??

by stuckinarut2 in

it struck me just how odd and weird it is that jws are told that if they do not preach, they are "bloodguilty" for failing to warn people of the upcoming destruction at armageddon.. hang on a minute now, hang on!.

why should a mere human be made to feel "bloodguilty" and "responsible" for "failing to warn someone" of gods wrath??.

these average people are not the ones who are about to unleash a genocidal massacre on 99% of humanity (including babies born to non-witnesses).

Xanthippe

I agree with everyone who says it's just another Borg guilt trip because logically you cannot preach to everyone.

You cannot reach everyone, people are going to be missed and whenever you stop the preaching work ready for big J to bring the slaughter, innocent children of unbelievers are going to die.

It makes no logical sense for those who can't read people's minds and see exactly what they're doing with their lives the way that big J apparently can, to be held responsible for them.

To think that we fell for this ridiculous guilt trip I can only think it's because our minds were already pulverised with guilt about our normal sexual feelings, our desire for material things and our desire to be that most terrible of things - happy.

59

Need help understanding the Overlapping Generation teaching

by Jules Saturn in

so this is a topic that seriously boggles my mind and please correct me if i'm wrong.

to me, the jw definition of the overlapping generation teaching is that the lives of the anointed from 1914 overlap with the lives of the anointed right now.

david splane used the example of fred franz and how he finished his "earthly course" in 1992 but while he did, he had a lot of "contemporaries" that outlived him and are currently living today.

Xanthippe

I can't even read Oubliette's explanation of overlapping generations without feeling ill. I don't get this way trying to understand science, even if I don't completely follow every word. Beginning to understand why that religion's teachings make intelligent people depressed.

32

Watchtower Study Today from August 2017 issue " Wait Patiently"

by BluesBrother in

theme scripture , james 5 v 8 abbreviated to " you too, exercise patience".

(i guess we know what to expect now) .

" how long?

Xanthippe

The technique here is to impart the view that to complain against the WTS is,in fact, complaining against God !.....

Their technique is always to distract attention from their failed prophecies. One my brother used is, we're not serving Jehovah to any date we're serving him forever. That's not the point, the only valid point is, they were wrong. They don't represent God. That's it.

8

Facing Existential Dread

by Brokeback Watchtower in

the watchtower corporations main appeal is a everlasting life, this makes it possible for one to avoid existential dread.

this type of anxiety is a part of the human condition, and it explains the appeal of many religions to the human condition as it offers some relief from the anxiety about our life ending.. psychologist show the importance for facing this dread/anxiety.

my feeling is that the more you can accept the fact that your life is very very temporal, the better you will live your life as you accept that you are very temporary and try to live life to the full and not be duped by religions appeal to calm this anxiety.. https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/types/existential .

Xanthippe

Interesting topic Brokeback. Eternal life is the main hook of most religions. I like the way the article you linked to stressed that existential anxiety is normal and part of our life. We have to find ways to deal with it. Excellent that they say it's evolved from what does God want from me, what is the purpose of life, to what is the purpose of my life. That's the way I cope with existential angst by making my life purposeful. Over the years my purpose has changed continually since leaving the JWs. At this point in time I'm trying to have more fun and make more friends. In the JWs that would have been seen as a very selfish life purpose, but what do they know.

Death is not something that I worry about. I think most people think they are going to live forever anyway perhaps until they're older or a sudden severe health problem frightens them. Although I think it's normal to think about our eventual death and wonder what it's all about, religion has made this much worse over the centuries with talk of judgment, punishment, hellfire or other torments. Religions have hijacked our existential anxiety for their own ends.

34

Waking up to TTATT: Blessing or Curse?

by Jules Saturn in

if you take the red pill, you'll have knowledge, you'll be awakened, aware of reality, you'll have freedom.. if you take the blue pill, you stay in your bubble, wearing rose colored glasses, and feel security in an illusion.. taking the red pill isn't something that's easy to do.

to accept that everything around you is an illusion built up on lies or half truths.

but hey, it might feel good to be aware and break free from this illusion.

Xanthippe

Anybody else every think about this?

Yeah in a sense, I have said on this forum I sometimes wish we'd faded slowly and kept my family but I'm just not like that, there isn't a deceitful bone in my body. I can't live a lie.

Whenever I see a lie or a sham in this world it just screams at me. Advertising, politics, new age mumbo jumbo etc. There's a a lot if blue pill stuff out there.

It's sad I agree but basically you are cleverer, more honest and braver than the generation before you. I don't know if it's a recessive gene or what but we are stuck with our intelligence and honesty. I think it's a blessing to answer your question, I'd hate to be stupid and shallow.

22

Parents who try to make you feel guilty.

by NJ501 in

when parents say all the things we've done for you and your not doing anything for us in return like going to meetings, witnessing, answering up etc... how do you respond to parents?.

Xanthippe

That seems a strange reaction to me, surely it should be what are you doing for God? Seems it's all about what other people think about your parents and whether you are shaming your parents in their eyes or making them proud by being a JW drone.

I don't know what to tell you, it's painfull I know. A friend said to me its like you're the child that was thrown away in your family.

The thing is I didn't give birth to my daughter so that she could be a carbon copy of me and believe me she isn't! Children have to grow up and live their own lives.

You are not responsible for your parents' lack of self esteem. They should have built their sense of self based on their own achievements not relying on what you do with your life to impress their friends/the congregation. Too many parents make this mistake but it's their mistake and not yours. I know it's painful nevertheless, chin up.

114

JW Stumper Questions - List You Best Here

by pale.emperor in

hi guys.

sooner or later we're going to get a jw knocking on our door.

just like when we were jw's doing the knocking, it's good to have a question prepared to get them thinking about their own beliefs.

Xanthippe

Deut 18:20-22

Failed prophecies are to be treated as not from God, the prophet ignored, if not put to death! Therefore this paradise within one generation of 1914 prophecy having failed was spoken by false prophets that don't represent God. I would then love them to launch into this overlapping generation rubbish. I would just stand back and enjoy the fun.