Anders Andersen

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Posts by Anders Andersen

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  10

  Next year will be a very tough year for me

  by never a jw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my new year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends.

  also, as i approach retirement ( i am 50), i need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

  i want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience.

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  Anders Andersen

  Wasn't 2016 already started Down Under when you posted this? :-D :-p ;-)

  Have a good year!
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  20

  Really beautiful Watchtower article about truth

  by Anders Andersen in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this is the singlemost best watchtower article i have ever read.. it almost brought tears to my eyes (please note the almost ;-)).

  "what is truth?

  "this question is one which every sincere christian should ask and seek to answer.

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  Anders Andersen

  This is the singlemost best Watchtower article I have ever read.

  It almost brought tears to my eyes (please note the almost ;-))

  "WHAT IS TRUTH?"
  This question is one which every sincere Christian should ask and seek to answer. We should learn to love and value truth for its own sake; to respect and honor it by owning and acknowledging it wherever we find it and by whomsoever presented. A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God. Perhaps no class of people are more apt to overlook this fact than the Christian. How often do they in controversy overlook and ignore truth presented by their opponents. This is particularly the case when arguing with an infidel. They feel at perfect liberty to dispute everything he says on religious subjects. This is not the correct principle. Many infidels are honest— as anxious to speak and believe the truth as are Christians— and if in converse with them we ignore truths which they may advance, we not only fail to convince them of our truths, but put an end to all hope of reaching them; for our failure to admit the evident truth which they advance begets in them contempt for the one who is not honest enough to admit one truth because he does not see how it can be reconciled to another. Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts, and rely for ability to afterwards harmonize it with others upon "The Spirit of truth, which shall guide you into all truth," as Jesus promised.
  Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. If you would see its beauty you must brush aside the weeds of error and the brambles of bigotry. If you would possess it you must stoop to get it. Be not content with one flower of truth. Had one been sufficient there would have been no more. Gather ever, seek for more. Weave them together as a garland —"Bind them on thee as a bride doeth." "Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Prov. 3:3.
  C. T. R.

  Zion's Watch Tower, July 1879

  If only more Witnesses would be really looking for truth, instead of instantly rejecting everything that is not written in JW literature....

  If only the WTBS would treat 'infidels' as C.T. Russell wrote: engage in conversation with them, and really listen. Accept facts and truth, regardless of the source.

  
  

  PDF scan of the original issue

  Full (searchable) text of this WT on archive.org
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  33

  Spreekt of schrijft iemand hier Nederlands?

  by fulano in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ik wel.

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  Anders Andersen

  I speak Dutch as well ;-)
• 
  45

  The story of my exit

  by mrsObfuscate in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.

  i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .

  my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.

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  Anders Andersen

  mrsObfuscate,

  
  

  Thank you for sharing your story.

  
  

  My position is similar to your husband's. I'm 3 months out now. Your story gives me hope my wife will join me sooner or later.

  
  

  Thanks!

  
  
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  25

  Wt says show principal love by shunning fellow humans.

  by poopie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thoughts

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  Anders Andersen

  Sorry , wrong reference. Last one is from Asleep! June 2013.

  Can't edit my post on Android.
• 
  25

  Wt says show principal love by shunning fellow humans.

  by poopie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thoughts

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  Anders Andersen

  December 2015 WT:

  Manipulation. Some use the silent treatment as a means to get what they want. For example, imagine that a husband and wife plan a trip and the wife would like to take her parents along. The husband objects. “You’re married to me, not to your parents,” he says. He then gives his wife the silent treatment, shunning her in the hope that she will break down and concede to his wishes.

  But when it is used as a means to retaliate or manipulate, the silent treatment not only prolongs conflict but also erodes the respect [people] have for each other. How can you prevent that from happening to you?

  The first step to ending the silent treatment is to recognize it for what it is—a tactic that, at best, works only short-term. True, not talking may quench your thirst for retaliation or compel [the disfellowshipped person] to give in to your wishes. But is that really how you want to treat someone whom you have vowed to love? There are better ways to resolve conflicts.

  The silent treatment runs counter to the Bible’s admonition: “Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33) Why not make an agreement with your spouse that the silent treatment is unacceptable in your marriage?

  
  

  (Isn't the congregation compared to a marriage in the Bible? If shunning is bad in a marriage, why is it good within families or between friends?)
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  25

  Wt says show principal love by shunning fellow humans.

  by poopie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thoughts

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  Anders Andersen

  And then they have the courage to say something about people who react strongly when a loved one might end up in this cult:

  July 2009 Awake article “Is It Wrong to Change Your Religion?”
  “No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.“
  
  Awake 2003, 11/08, “When Loved Ones Do Not Share Your Faith”
  “Many who are not true Christians love their parents and other relatives and communicate regularly with them regardless of their religious affiliation. Should Christian Witnesses do any less?”
  
  Watchtower 2002, 01/01, “All True Christians Are Evangelizers”, $15
  “Pressuring people to change their religion is wrong. Certainly, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not act in such a way.”

  
  

  Used these quotes in a letter to relatives who decided to shun me without me being marked or dfed. They probably won't read it, or don't see the hypocrisy.
  
  
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  35

  What did being a JW teach you?

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  these are some of the things the wbt$ 'taught' me:.

  dishonesty is fine if it's to trick people into joining the cult.. if your spouse stops believeing, the best thing you can do is break up the family.. the laws of the governing body overrule any other laws...or else!.

  my friends are conditional.. avoid loving people, they'll only let you down or get df'd.. unintelligent dumbos are better than intelligent ones if the dumbos are elders or above.. hate is better than love.. i am not good enough and god will probably enjoy killing me.. demons will appear in my room at night.. ignore practicallity if being practical or loving prevents the leaders getting money or praise.. god hates.

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  Anders Andersen

  I learned that...

  • people disagreeing with your views are always vicious, lying, destructive and Satanic animals.
  • hearing only one side of a story really is more than enough to get to the bottom of things.
  • thinking leads to death.
  • absolute truth being replaced with different absolute truth does not mean the first truth was actually false. It was 100% perfect, and now it's improved.
  • two people together in a car or house will always have sex within 5 minutes of being together. So don't bring yourself in that situation.

  Thinking about this whole mind control shit they pull, and many otherwise intelligent people falling for it....I suddenly start to understand how something like Nazi Germany was possible :-(

  If humble and kind people can be made to shun their closest relatives, imagine (or remember) what can happen when an even more evil group is in control.
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  32

  Writing my Disassociation letter

  by Bebopin in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  today i am working on writing my disassociation letter.

  i successfully faded a year ago.

  but i feel like i can't keep looking over my shoulder anymore i just need to be completely rid of this cult.. any suggestions on letter and it's content?.

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  Anders Andersen

  You can be honest with your mother.

  Even if she goes to the elders, no problem there.

  If elders contact you, politely but firmly refuse to talk to them, ask them to never contact you again. Don't offer any explanation, they are not entitled to hear it.

  With only one witness (your mother) and no confession, there's nothing they can do.

  You told your mother, played the elders but not by their rules. You win.

  At least, this worked in my situation (replace mother with wife).

  YMMV.
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  14

  Do Jehovah's Witnesses dedicate themselves to an organization or not? Which one is it?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  anyone that is/was a dedicated jehovah's witness knows that the worship of the ''faithful and discreet slave'' is the only relationship we know.i don't remember having a personal relationship with jehovah without the governing body being in the way.they make all the rules on every matter.anyone who thinks that jehovah has any control on your daily matters is a fool.jehovah's witnesses only answer to an organization!.

  "we do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization.

  no, we dedicate ourselves to the supreme sovereign of the universe, our creator, jehovah god himself.

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  Anders Andersen

  Does it really matter?

  I dedicated myself to Jehovah, tried to follow Jesus, and trusted JW GB for being Jesus" brothers giving me spiritual food at the right time.

  Now I know Jehovah does not exist, Jesus is dead (if he ever really existed), and JW GB are dishonest liars repeating themselves ad nauseam.

  My dedication 'contract' cannot possibly be binding, because all the other relevant parties in the agreement (Jhwh,JC) do not exist, and the party that assisted in setting up the contract (JWorg) is a fraud.

  So even if a baptism question was 'do you swear you will sacrifice your firstborn to Satan'....I wouldn't care anymore :-D