Posts by EyesOpenHeartBroken

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

I read here because I like to keep up with what's happening in JW land. I am working on a fade and trying to plant seeds to wake up a couple people in the meantime. I find a lot of good ideas for that here by just reading.

Though I am a believer, I don't really have things worked out for myself yet. Therefore, I have little desire to debate. Actions speak louder than words. I find there are many ways IRL to testify--primarily showing love, letting my light shine. I know, to some, that may sound corny, but in my life this has been the key that unlocked everything for me. God is love.

So when I do enter discussions here, it's to talk about JW stuff or offer support to someone. I do not seek theological or philosophical discussions here.

240

Introduction - Any Believers?

by Believer in

i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

I'm a believer. Short on time right now, will post more later or feel free to PM.

11

Man I hate this F'ing cult!

by oppostate in

the nicest and kindest jw's seem to be the ones who are the least connected and active in the congregation.. i've been trying to fade and been missing quite a few meetings.. of course my wife still loyal as ever if not more so since i've awoken to ttatt.. every mid-week and sunday meeting i miss she gives me the silent treatment.. she's become more and more friendly with a regular pioneer younger than she is and wife of an elder, this to the letting go of regular contact with best friends in the 0rganization, whom she was closest to but were and aren't as active and regular at meetings and field service.. it's a crying shame, i'm closer and kinder to her old friends, keeping in touch through facebook posts now and then, encouraging them through the hardships, rejoicing with them during happy moments, graduations, welcoming a new child to the world, marriages, new jobs and what-not.. she has become a serious shunner, staying away from a lot of folks we were close to because they're not good association.. she's drunk the whole cup of kool-aid and anything i say that's remotely negative towards the 0rganization is met with stern retorts and accusations i'm apostate sounding.. and yet, she's still the kind hearted, loving person she used to be.

it's like she has a wt hat she dons and it changes her mind, her outlook, her behavior.

when dealing with neighbors, with people outside the kh, she's as nice as could be and i know this kind-heartedness is genuine--but it's been hi-jacked by this f'ing cult.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

I have noticed many true WT believers have gone "full retard" lately. Gone are the days of sliding by as a nominal irregular or low hour JW. It's starting to get a dicey for sure for any faders. 😁

23

Reaction of the JW believers to the 2016 RC

by EyesOpenHeartBroken in

there are threads on the content of the rc and reaction of awake jws here, but how are indoctrinated jws reacting to the convention.

my family and i have not attended yet, but i am bracing myself for it.

anybody talking in jw circles?

EyesOpenHeartBroken

JWLeaks-- I don't doubt that your JW friend thought the videos were apostate since they hadn't been released in an "official" jw setting. They've been trained to be so suspicious of anything not coming through the channel. The person probably didn't actually watch them all through. It would be funny to know that person's thought when the see it at the RC.

I am wanting to know about how witnesses are reacting to the vids after seeing them "officially" at the RC.

Is anyone talking?

If there is a general silence about it in the ranks, that could be very telling....

23

Reaction of the JW believers to the 2016 RC

by EyesOpenHeartBroken in

there are threads on the content of the rc and reaction of awake jws here, but how are indoctrinated jws reacting to the convention.

my family and i have not attended yet, but i am bracing myself for it.

anybody talking in jw circles?

EyesOpenHeartBroken

Any first hand reactions by JW believers to report? Are the full in JWs eating it up? Any concern being voiced? Or just crickets?

23

Reaction of the JW believers to the 2016 RC

by EyesOpenHeartBroken in

there are threads on the content of the rc and reaction of awake jws here, but how are indoctrinated jws reacting to the convention.

my family and i have not attended yet, but i am bracing myself for it.

anybody talking in jw circles?

EyesOpenHeartBroken

There are threads on the content of the RC and reaction of awake JWs here, but how are indoctrinated JWs reacting to the convention? My family and I have not attended yet, but I am bracing myself for it. Anybody talking in JW circles? Is it the usual gushing about "the convention just gets better every year"? Anybody with some boots on the ground intel?

1

Thanks for the Help

by TheLiberator in

jw
friends

all of us think differently.

you could say, some are rocket scientists and math mathematicians.

some are more philosophers.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

Nicely put, Liberator. I second your sentiments.

20

Which Public Talks did you enjoy giving/hearing? And which ones did you dislike giving or hearing?

by humblepotato in

jw
friends

i was just going through some of my talk outlines and i've decided to git rid of quite a few of them.

i'm still serving, but as time goes on... there are many subjects i will not teach anymore.. i got rid of the outlines dealing with blood, the field ministry, and ones talking about 607 and 1914. i can barely stand hearing them let alone give them.

in fact, talk 41 "stand still and see the salvation of jehovah" is one i got rid of because its whole point was about having blind obedience toward the gb and the elders during the great tribulation, and that we need to start practicing obedience now if we want to survive.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

Wow! Freddo that last addition to your talk was ballsy.

I agree about the Special Talks being some of the worst. I don't recall the title of it, but there was an entire 45 min talk on spiritism and it was awful. Most of it dealt with ancestor worship, voodoo, and spells.

Also, the famous "Godly View of Sex and Marriage" UGH!! That one was a real doozie to hear in the mixed company of children, teens, single and married adults 😬

4

Waking up a loved one....why it can be so difficult.

by Giordano in

i recently watched season one of the path........ a dramatic t.v.

show that explores a cult that seems to me to be closer to scientology then the jw construct.. however........ i was struck by actress michelle monaghan's interview about the motivation of the person she portrays.

i think she really gets to the issues we have all faced trying to convince a loved one about our doubts.. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/path-finale-michelle-monaghan-interview-896010.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

Well said, Gio. Sadly, that is the reality many of us face when we learn the facts. People we dearly love and have viewed as rational, have the JW part of themselves walled off with fortress like protection.

My current model is just love and live. I'm trying to show a better way by example only. The hardest part is with my husband because in the past, I have always been completely intellectually and emotionally open with him, but that didn't go so well when I learned the TATT. So I backed off sharing any facts with him, and I am just trying to be the best family woman I can and I began getting involved in community efforts and charity. Interestingly, lately he has initiated skipping meetings and service for family time.

We will see how it goes....

96

New Shunning Video - RC 2016

by wifibandit in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g20rww_-7ua.

EyesOpenHeartBroken

Another angle here: might be that WT is losing a significant number of elders due to parents allowing DF'd children to continue living at home. In the last 20 years, I have not seen even one family kick out their disfellowshipped child-- the elder dads in these cases all stepped down as elders in order to assist their children. Rightly, they chose their child over eldership and somewhat the org. Many of these elders did not resume their eldership after the child was reinstated or decided to move out. In these cases, the families got the eye opener of how shunning feels and how your family is treated once you are just regular publishers in the cong. I saw a lot of bitterness develop in these ones.

Just a thought...