Phoebe

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Posts by Phoebe

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  18

  A & E documentary - family fall-out

  by Tallon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just seen this on exjw reddit - sickening beyond belief!.

  long story short, we have not seen hubbys non identical twin nephews (jeremey and jerome) since we gave the middle finger to the jw's 7 or 8 years ago.

  we last saw our nephews when they were 9 or 10ish.

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  Phoebe

  I'm with dubstepped and Sail Away on this. My parents were fanatical JWs, too.

  I wasn't allowed any contact with the outside world whatsoever. I was not allowed to use the phone.

  I went to regular school but straight home after, absolutely no talking to school mates after school. Any contact with anyone or anything outside JW world was totally forbidden and punishable.

  If I didn't answer in the meetings I was severely berated afterwards. And one answer wan't good enough, it had to be several answers. I wasn't allowed to go to the toilet during the meeting, even if I was desperate. On one occasion this resulted in me wetting myself (I was about 8) and oh my god, I was dragged from the hall and flung into the car - sobbing. My father was livid with rage. I thought he was going to kill me.

  Assemblies/conventions - they had to know where I was every single second.

  No watching television at night.

  Weekends - ministry on both Saturday and Sunday. No choice. You had to go.

  My speech was also restricted. I had to use the right words or my father would go ballistic. I once made the fatal mistake of saying someone was 'pregnant' I was sent to my room in disgrace for using a 'filthy' word. Apparently, I should have said 'with child'

  The control didn't even end when I was older. I pioneered and worked in an office full of smokers (they did in those days) when I came home from work my father insisted on smelling my breath to make sure I hadn't smoked. My bag was checked for cigarettes.

  When I rebelled at 19 and left home, my parents used people to spy on my apartment and when I went in and out was logged and reported to the elders.

  I was told repeatedly if I didn't tow the line they would 'publicly disown me'

  That coupled with sexual abuse....and I wonder why I ended up being treated by a psychologist!

  So, yes. I totally believe the story on reddit.
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  25

  Ex-Jehovah's Witness Recovering Group 3 and This Site

  by dubstepped in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't remember seeing it ever really talked about here but the facebook group with the namesake of this post shut down at the end of march.

  it was archived and they weren't clear as to when or if they would come back.

  it seemed to come out of nowhere, and i know a lot of people were disappointed.

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  Phoebe

  I ditto on the sentiments expressed above.

  This site quite literally saved me when I first woke up. I was in such turmoil and anguish and I came across this site and well, the love, support and guidance I got from everyone was overwhelming. I don't think I would be where I am today if it hadn't been for this site. I have made some really good friends and I continue to benefit from the wealth of knowledge and experience.

  So, Simon, a huge thank you from me!

  xx
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  8

  GDPR Day

  by Phoebe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so, it's may 25th - gdpr day.

  has anyone had a last minute visit from the elders?.

  i've been out shopping and i have come home to find a note pushed through the door saying two elders and one elder's wife had called by.. why would two elders + wife come to see me?

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  Phoebe

  LongHairGal

  That's terrible. Virtually black mailing people to sign.

  Yes, you are right. I am on their radar.

  But, they can do what they like as I stopped going over a year ago and my kids and husband gave up years ago. So I have no one left in the WT I care about.

  The two elders that came my husband calls them 'good cop, bad cop'

  They will just not leave us in peace!
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  8

  GDPR Day

  by Phoebe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so, it's may 25th - gdpr day.

  has anyone had a last minute visit from the elders?.

  i've been out shopping and i have come home to find a note pushed through the door saying two elders and one elder's wife had called by.. why would two elders + wife come to see me?

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  Phoebe

  So, it's May 25th - GDPR day. Has anyone had a last minute visit from the elders?

  I've been out shopping and I have come home to find a note pushed through the door saying two elders and one elder's wife had called by.

  Why would two elders + wife come to see me? Sounds like one too many people and I am suspicious.

  Not sure if it's to do with the GDPR - which I won't sign and have avoided since they first asked.
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  17

  Witness No More - any thoughts?

  by dozy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those who don't know , there is an ex-jw "activist" in the north of england called mark who demonstrates outside kingdom halls , focusing on the child abuse issue and similar topics.

  he regularly updates his visits on his youtube channel , which has gained something of a cult following .

  occasionally ( albeit less frequently , as he is now well known ) he gets into the kh & shouts and disrupts the meeting.

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  Phoebe

  There has been a lot of stuff going off in Hull if any of you know about it. A witch hunt to get rid of anyone with 'apostate' leanings. The C.O sounds a piece of work and there are tapes of judicial committees etc and tapes of the C.O talking about having a 'purge' in the circuit. They even DF an older gentleman who was of the anointed and Mark has a very good interview with a lovely lady who was also involved and went to the newspaper.

  It's been kicking off for awhile in Hull. Mark is just part of what has been happening.

  He isn't asking for money to live on and be a full time activist. He's asking - reluctantly - because the WT are probably taking him to court and he needs a solicitor. He didn't want to ask for help, he said so. He didn't necessarily want money either, just if anyone could help him with the legal process.

  I don't agree with his method at all but he feels very strongly about what has been happening up there and it's his way. He feels if he stops then WT has won.

  He's a single parent with a son with learning disabilities, I think. I personally feel he's done his bit and should continue with his activism online if he wants to do something. His son needs him.

  I've been following him from the beginning and he comes across as a nice, geniune person.
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  26

  What Should I Say?

  by cookiemaster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i need a bit of advice.

  i've been pimo for a long time and fading more and more.

  i occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way.

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  Phoebe

  From my own experience I'd try not to meet with him if possible but if you do, say as little as possible so you don't incriminate yourself.

  I got a lot of advice from everyone on this forum when I left. When the elders came after me, I basically thanked them for their concern and told them I was fine but had some issues I was dealing with and I'd call them if I needed their help and then I avoided them.

  We also had a gestapo elder. The kind that got brothers to confide in them and then used that info to get them removed as ministerial servants or whatever. The kind that when you let him into the house his eyes are darting everywhere looking for something to get you on.

  You just have to keep a low profile, your mouth shut as much as possible and when you do speak, as DOC says above - do not say anything negative.
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  23

  The emotionally manipulative techniques JW families use.

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am really disturbed by some methods that jw family members try and use to emotionally manipulate us back into the organization.. one of our fellow posters here has had a family member send several photos of them as a child either out witnessing, and at an assembly.. no words - just those pictures.. it seems such an infantile and manipulative technique to employ?!.

  do they think that we will all simply ignore the logical and factual reasons we no longer attend, just because we see some sentimental picture?

  do they not see that this actually may reinforce our understanding that we were raised as children in a high-control religious group where we had to please our parents.

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  Phoebe

  Like we had that convention - 2015? The one where they released the Return to Jehovah brochure?

  A brother came down to see my husband (I was still attending at the time) and he stood on our front step trying to imitate Mark Sanderson saying with his arms outstretched to my husband 'come home brother, come home.'

  It's all about emotional appeal. Get you back in and then now we've got you back - you obey us or else.
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  51

  I just watched the final video from this years convention. OMG!!!

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am shaking all over right now.

  i think it's worse that the bunker video.. i used to think there was no way that these people would actually "drink the cool aid" if you get my drift, but seeing this video i am now not sure it could never happen.. having a wife who i love dearly trapped in this cult is really freaking me out right now...

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  Phoebe

  This will scare some people. After the 2016 convention I knew a sister who was totally freaked out by the bunker video especially when an elder (from her congregation) who was sitting behind her, leaned forward and whispered in her ear: 'Jehovah is lining everyone up' (reference to crossing the red sea) he said it because her meeting attendance wasn't very good. She was so scared she was at every meeting after that.

  It's designed to frighten. The WT should be ashamed of themselves.
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  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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  Phoebe

  How can they say it won't foster fear and confusion in a child? That's insane.

  As a child I was traumatized by the little girl falling through the opening in the ground in the Paradise book!

  How much more so will these kind of films frighten a child??

  The WT certainly wouldn't approve of you taking a child to a horror movie yet it's perfectly okay to show kids WT videos that are terrifying...even to adults.

  They use fear to keep people under control. It's all about frightening witnesses half to death to keep them in line.
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  27

  CO asked for everyone 20 years old & younger for a group photo

  by LevelThePlayingField in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  there was a co visit in ohio a couple weeks ago.

  when he was finishing up his sunday talk he said that he would like if "all the children that are from this congregation, not if you're just visiting, but from this congregation to come on up on the stage right after the meeting because i want to get a picture of you.".

  i thought to myself, why?

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  Phoebe

  Yes, it happened at mine before I stopped going. CO asked for all the kids on the platform for a photo.

  No idea why.