Posts by Cimarrona

12

The Unforgivable Sin (LOL)

by Cimarrona in

i remember my mother teaching me that a conscience was like an alarm in my head that would warn me when i'm on the verge of doing something immoral.

if i ignored the beeping, the batteries would run out.

i'd lose my moral compass.

I remember my mother teaching me that a conscience was like an alarm in my head that would warn me when I'm on the verge of doing something immoral. If I ignored the beeping, the batteries would run out. I'd lose my moral compass. JWs teach that that is the unforgivable sin - exhausting Holy Spirit by ignoring a JW-trained conscience. The consequence of committing the unforgivable sin is eternal destruction, they said. Gehenna. Once you died, you'd be dead forever without the hope of resurrection in a paradise earth. When I first left, it scared me. I was comfortable with being dead forever (and since suicide wasn't the unforgivable sin as Catholics teach, willing to hedge my bets by killing myself before Armageddon); but the idea that the Holy Spirit would disappear from my life and take with it love, joy, peace, goodness, and kindness (fuck the other four fruitages). I'd find myself grateful for the shame and guilt I felt because, in my mind at the time, those feelings were reassurance that I hadn't committed the unforgivable sin yet. The despair I felt, the loneliness, the thoughts about seeking reinstatement only to become inactive, THE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF KILLING MYSELF BECAUSE OF COURSE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO DIE DURING ARMAGEDDON - all evidence of God's active force chipping away the ice from my hardened heart. Was this what it felt like to be called by Jehovah? Thank god. Here I'd been thinking I was being shunned for something I couldn't control - never having been called by God - when actually he was with me all along, making me feel terrible every step of the way. Anyway... my alarm eventually stopped beeping. Not because I lost my moral compass but because, somehow, leaving god's appointed earthly organization I got one. I feel less inclined to lie now - about why I can't come to my friend's birthday party or buy her a Christmas present or suck my partner's dick (or more accurately how I am indeed sucking his dick). About the funny smelling smoke wafting about my apartment and the dried mushrooms in my fridge. I have all the sex I want because, like seriously, when has humankind ever really not been about sex outside of marriage, and I carry my bastard child around like a badge of honor. And other than that I just sleep, eat, study, write, and use the toilet. There isn't even as much opportunity for sin in my worldly little life as they'd had me thinking. I reach a moral impasse maybe once a year. I'm almost disappointed.

23

Why Jehovah witnesses don't say, "Bless you" ?

by Issa in

jw
friends

bless you, that was a big sneeze you let out sister.. sister- ah, what does "bless you" mean?.

oh, it's pagan.

because people bless the soul of the person so they don't escape from their physical bodies.. sister- right, it is difficult to change the little things, but we can please jehovah by staying away from those things.. .... this is a scenario that happened when i accidentally (naturally) said "bless you" to the jw sister.

Cimarrona

It's also worth noting that, in every culture I've ever observed, there is some statement made after people sneeze. In several languages, that response is simply wishing the sneezer good health. Seems like a fairly logical response to finding out someone is sick. Nothing pagan about it. But... JWs who speak those languages s still don't respond because the basis of the Borg is Anglo-American hegemony.

19

Watchtower Society Embarrassments.

by Vinny in

" {ga jul 14 1926 644} .

" {ga jul 24 1929 702} .

" {awak jun 22 1982 25}?

Cimarrona

Wowzers. Thank you, Vinny. This was... just wow.

20

It's been a GREAT week for me!

by dubstepped in

so as some of you know i have a podcast called this jw life.

i put my story out there in 9 parts, and i've had lots of great experiences so far and met lots of nice people and i've made new internet friends, even some in person.

this last seven days though has been soooooo cool!.

Cimarrona

Thank you for sharing the good vibes and news!

13

Pale.Emperor Meets A Born Again Christian

by pale.emperor in

of all the religions out there one religion that's always filled me with exasperation was the born again christian belief system.

to make matters worse, the street preachers i see and hear here in liverpool always tend to be crack pot, loud mouths, attention seeking and just plain annoying.. this idea that "im going to heaven, you're going to hell" is enough to make me not want to worship their god even if he did exist.

but today i met two.

Cimarrona

So sad that the only thing keeping the nice one from committing suicide is belief in some dude who, at best, is the compilation of several historical figures over millennia who exhibited admirable qualities, none of whom were gods son born of a virgin. and at worst is a complete fabrication.

18

No other religion is as guilty as JW religion—you know why?

by venus in

all other religions have myths that show satan as inferior to god almighty.

but only jw religion portrays satan more powerful than god through their teaching of “issue of sovereignty” which implies god almighty needs validation from satan as though he waits till satan is satisfied which has not happened even after killing of jesus 2000 years ago and things like ethnic cleansing, spilling of oceans of blood ….

etc..

Cimarrona

I didn't know culpability existed along a spectrum. Either one is or ain't. Or perhaps we should move away from the punitive frameworks of guilt and shame altogether and deal solely with solutions to what is.

Example: Borg doctrine lacks logic (what is). We left it, and some of us have conversations with those who are still in about why we chose to do so (solution).

I mean, unless one still believes in some somehow-male-identified spirit in the sky to whom we all must answer, the Borg's supposed guilt is a non-issue.

72

What was the biggest thing that convinced you that

by Ponyo in

.....the truth was not the truth... ?

.

Cimarrona

Honestly, for me it was never doctrinal. I just couldn't get down with the misogyny. The best option presented to women is to get married too young, have an unfulfilling sex life, not have kids, preach full-time, work a menial part-time job, and never develop my own talents. I never did believe it was the truth, but had their hatred of women not been so vitriolic I might have stayed for my family.

20

Normal things you missed out on as a kid (besides holidays)

by Are you serious in

since me and my siblings had to go to service every saturday, and i mean every saturday, i missed out on something so normal as watching good ole saturday morning cartoons from the 70's and 80's.

i remember wishing i could stay home just one saturday so i could watch cartoons.

but noooo we had to go save lives!

Cimarrona

School dances

Sports

Shameless masturbation

Dating

Sex education

Mini skirts

Carefree sundays

20

Explanation please on the change of the term "worldly"

by careful in

i've picked up from several replies to posts here that the org has stopped using the term "worldly" as it applies to people.

this must have happened after i left.

would someone be so kind as to explain the "rationale" behind this shift?

Cimarrona

It's use was definitely discouraged by the time I left, six years ago. I cannot remember if it was something explicitly mentioned in a publication. Nonetheless, I'm sure it had to do with how foolish they sounded by using it and so-called worldly people's mockery of the term.

13

If the WTBTS Was Disbanded Tomorrow...

by Cimarrona in

how would the gb, do, co, bethelites, elders, pioneers, etc list their now-meaningless positions on their resume?

.

Cimarrona

How would the GB, DO, CO, bethelites, elders, pioneers, etc list their now-meaningless positions on their resume?