It is an abusive organization, once we wake up though, I prefer to see myself as survivor instead of victim .... freemindfade
Couldn't agree more ^^^^ We are survivors.
abuse is such a serious word and i'd hate to use it lightly so if anyone reading this has suffered physical or sexual abuse please know that i absolutely do not equate religious abuse with your suffering.
that being said, many of us were lied to and manipulated for decades.
this cultic 'abuse' has borne fruit in shattered relationships, broken families and estranged children.
It is an abusive organization, once we wake up though, I prefer to see myself as survivor instead of victim .... freemindfade
Couldn't agree more ^^^^ We are survivors.
“but now i am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man” ... (bold & italics mine).
my question is; if a brother or sister is disfellowshipped for whatever reason and therefore technically they are no longer a jw (brother or sister), then how can they use the above scripture as a basis to shun you..
“But now I am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man” ... (bold & italics mine)
My question is; if a brother or sister is disfellowshipped for whatever reason and therefore technically they are no longer a JW (brother or sister), then how can they use the above scripture as a basis to shun you.
ok so i have a question.
i was a very, very true believer until i saw the child molesters in my hall and how that whole thing was handled.. my husband is older than i am and had been an elder for 12 when we married.
so fast forward to 06, we are in a hall where i thought all the elders were ok at the worst and great at the best.
@ LITS
Sorry to read of your terrible experience. It is brave of you to put this in writing and post on the forum. That in itself is a huge step going forward.
May I ask; have you told all of this to your husband and is he aware of the real impact it is having upon you?
As Zeb alluded to, it would be advisable to have a few sessions with a therapist / counsellor. No, you are not crazy however, this has been going on for far too long and you need to address this 'depression / anxiety' in order to move forward with your life.
can all indoctrination leave a person , or does it linger in background till death..
I think it will differ from person to person and will depend on the circumstances, and the length of time, to which they have been subjected to.
Some people will be able to move on and have no 'ill effects'. Others may have lingering 'scars'.
I sincerely hope that all who leave the Org will go on to have fulfilling lives.
NB: Flipper has given some excellent advice and well worth looking into / applying.
i'm wondering if the borg actually studied mind control and coercion tactics deliberately or wether they just evolved over time through trial and error.
from reading steve hassans books, studying hypnosis and methods psychopaths use it all seems very complex.
like it would never occur to me to do a, b and c in the right order at the right time in order to get control of someone or control their lives.. for example, repetition of words (the word "loyalty" was a big one in the last convention), using loaded language, encouraging people not to trust their own thoughts, restricting their information, demonising those who leave etc.
Good question P E;
Could be a combination of both; person(s) past and present within the WTBTS having knowledgeable of mind control and coercion techniques as well as trial and error over the years.
behold: ibsaproperty.com“the extensive ibsa property portfolio in north london is now being brought to the market.”ibsa moved to the leafy london suburbs of mill hill in the late 1950’s.
since then, expansion has required the acquisition of further properties in the immediate area, and in some cases further beyond.
in recent years, relocation to a single site which would offer greater economy of operation became more than a matter of interest, and in 2014 a suitable site in chelmsford, essex was purchased.
Great post Konceptual99
Climb into a boxing ring and take on the current world heavyweight champion
is there gods true worshipers on earth today as jesus said there would be?
if they are not jws then who are they?.
who else comes close to being gods true followers today?.
The WTBTS track record, IMO, proves that they are not what they claim to be.
With all their erroneous predictions of the end coming, flip flopping on certain doctrines, the blood issue, Malawi / Mexico debacle, covering up of paedophilia, criticising other religions on their philanthropy such as by their contributing to establishing hospitals and other numerous charities - whereas the WTBTS hasn't, to my knowledge, donated a single penny, UN NGO registration - yet they've been slagging off the UN in their publications for decades, the inhumane practice of shunning and by extension the destroying of marriages and families etc. (Others are welcome to add to the list as I'm sure I've left out many other issues).
So who are God's true worshippers on earth today? I don't know. One thing I do know is that the WTBTS is not.
less than 5 hours ago my great dad fell asleep the last time :( still in a bit of a shock and sad that i will not see him again...i promised myself that once he is here no more, i will somehow make my move out of this organisation who kept us all captive believing in a fantasy of an everlasting life :( i am in a tricky situation, since raised as jw, still in, married to an active jw, and pretty sure that all in my social and family circle will turn their backs on me if i finally say goodbye to a fairytail ;(.
@ Frezia - I too am sincerely sorry to hear of your loss.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Keep strong.
http://watchtowerdocuments.org/coping-with-shunning/.
by barbara anderson.
when my husband and i left the religion of jehovah’s witnesses (jws), we, like countless others, lost family members and friends because of the witnesses shunning doctrine.
Thanks for your post.
I too hope that someday you will be reunited with your son and daughter-in-law.
Keep up your excellent work.