Xanthippe

Joined

• started 104 topics
• posted 4,713 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Xanthippe

• 
  43

  Did Ray Franz Help You To Get Out of “The Truth”?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i sneakily read his books at work.

  it was written in such a way that no one could accuse him of being another bitter old apostate.. once it registered in my brain, especially after reading the second book, i knew i had to get out!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  Oh yes he did. We were absolutely baffled by corrupt elders in our congregation so we moved to another congregation and were treated badly by those elders.

  We went to the library and were looking in the religious section so I guess we were ready for answers because that's not something we'd done before.

  There on the shelf was Crisis of Conscience, we read it until the small hours and then we knew the whole organization was corrupt. We left a few months later. That guy has helped so many people.

  This was in '89 not long after the whole big US apostate scandal which we later learned was about Ray Franz and the others. We were so grateful he didn't just go off and live his life, which he could have done, but he helped us leave too.
• 
  4

  "Put on the JW uniform - and take off Humanity"

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we all know about the variation in the "cult persona vs the "real persona" of those in high control groups such as jws.. it struck me this becomes even more pronounced and apparent when jws actually put on their physical meeting or service attire, or are engaged in jw activities.

  they become more robotic as their responses and actions - yes their opinions and discussions- are stripped of humanity and thought, and they become turned into some sort of regurgitating jw orator.. when they literally put on a suit or tie, the level of judgement, arrogance and black and white thinking takes on a whole new level.

  take that clothing off, and put them in casual attire to attend some sort of enjoyable activity (eg sports watching or the like) and they become far more relaxed, and "normal".. i have noticed this particularly with my father.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  I'm still allergic to wearing dresses. People at work are always shocked when I get my legs out on a summer's day. They think I move on casters.
• 
  23

  Word association game

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  iconic.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  Gardening
• 
  16

  Can we ever get our loved ones out?

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a post on another thread got me to thinking and writing.. should we even be trying to get our loved ones out of jehovah's witnesses?.

  when a person truly believes in their belief system, or even if they don't but have held to that system for a long time, there is nothing we can say that will move them from that system.. why?

  perhaps pride.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  Some on this forum have got their family out so it's possible but I suspect the longer we are shunned the harder it is. How can a person come back from shunning a close family member for twenty or thirty years?

  I think they will probably prefer to stay in than admit they were so vile to someone they gave birth to and raised. Or someone they grew up with, shared a bedroom with as children.

  This is the evil thing this cult does. By telling people they are being loving shunning family they set them up for so much guilt when they realise it's all bs, they trap them possibly until they die.
• 
  33

  Did anyone put off having children because of wt bs?

  by I Faded Twice in

  1. social
  2. family

  just curious if anyone put off having kids because the end was so close.

  or because of you're "ministry" or lack of suitable mates..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  Yes me. I pioneered for ten years with a two year illness break in between. When I finally stopped I was twenty-eight. Then we contemplated moving to Scotland because we knew something was terribly wrong in our congregation. Two years later having only moved about ten miles down the road we found out the problem with the religion wasn't a local thing after all!

  By this time I was thirty. Then we had to get out of the poverty the cult had left us in. Twenty-five years pioneering between my husband and myself. How stupid were we? That took time. Studying, a succession of horrible jobs, still living in a grotty rented apartment. Finally at thirty-six, still only half way through a distance learning degree I realised I was running out of time, biologically.

  So we had a baby girl a few weeks before I was 37. A most precious child. I love her to bits and she's all I have left of her dad now. Can't wait to see her at Christmas. So glad I didn't let that cult rob me of a child too.
• 
  19

  New introduction

  by formerministerial in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello to all of you,.

  here goes an introduction of a new member.

  i'm 45 years old now and we wake up my wife and i from borg a few years ago.. i'm living between spain and france, due to my work.. it has been always refreshing to listen and read many of you here.. i hope it will continue the same..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  Welcome fm to you and your wife, good to have you here. Looking forward to hearing your story but only when you're ready.
• 
  8

  Long time no see

  by caballoSentado in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi friends,.

  checking the board after a long time... here is an update (my native language is spanish, so bear with me)... my daugter is now 18 and officially a commercial pilot!, she got her dreams fulfilled... my oldest son (an industrial engineer) in living and working for a big bank in canada (toronto) after studying a master in admnistration there, and my other son is doing very well and now owns two companies (he studied economics in one of the best universities in my country, perú)... i have just returned from a travel all over europe with my dear wife (30 days, 12 countries and 20+ cities)... so we left the jw in 2001 over the un scandal... and here we are.

  have a nice day all of you.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  What a success story after leaving the cult, your children are doing great!

  Sounds like a fantastic European tour (30 days, 12 countries and 20+ cities) wow! I love travelling, it really does broaden the mind doesn't it?
• 
  29

  Do you remember when you realised it was all bulls£&t

  by moley in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i remember when my faith left me.

  i used to enjoy meetings and used to participate but then all of a sudden i was finding myself bored shitless at meetings.

  i was taken off the theocratic ministry school for not attending when i was due to give a talk and not long after did something naughty and got disfellowshiped.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  In 1989 when we found Crisis of Conscience in the public library, read it until 2am.

  Suddenly realised it wasn't a local problem!
• 
  36

  Faders Needing a Great One Liner

  by Solzhenitsyn in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so our family fade is well under way.

  we changed congregations as regular attenders and left in good standing with those giving hugs and kisses simply knowing we "needed a change".

  we moved to a neighboring congregation that is out of our original region knowing we would see no one and the two boe's wouldn't really have immediate dealings.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  You could say, 'the last time we went in field service I tried to explain overlapping generations to a university professor and he said come back when you understand it. Can you help me with that?'
• 
  34

  If Angels in the Bible are of neuter gender ? Then why are they always depicted as males by description and name ? And never a female ?

  by smiddy3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  in all of the art i`ve seen in christendom, angels always have the form of a male, and in the bible those that are named always have a male name such as michael ,gabriel , etc, .

  nowhere in the art world that i have seen do angels have the female form, and in the bible they don`t have female names.. so if the angels are neither male or female why then are they depicted as males with male names ?and not female also ?.

  the watchtower illustrators also follow this line .when they illustrate an angel it is always in the form of a male and never a female form.. the anointed who make up the 144000 comprise of male and females right ?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Xanthippe

  I think you'll find the older statues and paintings of angels aren't actually meant to be female even though they have flowing gowns and long hair, they don't have breasts. If you look at the baby cherubs, known as putti, in renaissance art they have feminine faces and flowing curly hair but as they're naked you can see they're male.