problemaddict

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Posts by problemaddict

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  5

  Seven signs you're in a cult ( Is our religion "cult-like"?...)

  by gingerbread in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  an enlightning and disturbing story in today's atlantic.. ginger.

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  http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/06/the-seven-signs-youre-in-a-cult/361400/.

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  problemaddict

  Ugh. I like the authors conclusion at the end of recounting the horror of everything that had happened. She viewed the "reasonable" group that he splintered from, as just as bad. Sure their actions did not go to the extreme, but they provided fertile ground for the seeds of crazytown.
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  387

  Active JW's, can you defend "THE TRUTH?"

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as of yet, no member of the jehovah's witness faith can defend their unique beliefs.

  when the dust settles, it all comes down to blind faith in men's ever-changing ideas.

  this "unique belief" was not a "true teaching of the bible.

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  problemaddict

  No apologists here anymore. Lets face it, it can be an intimidating place for an active JW.

  At least we know they read and see. Their eyes themselves are an acto of disobedience, and more importantly, en expression of desire to know more than only they are told.

  I've asked every JW apolosgist that has come on here to discuss openly the blood doctrine with me respectfully, or even privately.

  No takers.
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  44

  I Need Help Getting My Head Straight.......

  by TTATTelder in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  one of the things i have been wresting with mentally is unraveling the "us vs. them" mentality that has been driven into my skull in the organization.. i am starting this thread seeking advice on how others have come to grip with this.. this is what i struggle with:.

  i like the feeling/thought of being among people that live, or try to live, or at least know they ought to live by higher standards of conduct (maybe it is just what i'm used to...).

  when you walk out of a convention of people dressed up, clean-cut, shaven, non-smoking, less-profanity-speaking, fairly orderly etc and see what greets you in the streets outside, it is a big contrast.. i am also still trying to understand how a religion that has conned people (so is morally wrong) could also be so well organized and have a lot of truly decent folks among their ranks.

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  problemaddict

  Its funny....I have had these exact same thoughts. In my case, my friends know I no longer attend, and they remain my friends. The real ones anyways. Hows that for shocking.

  The problem is the things you do not see. Yes there are many fantastic people, and the relationship congregations and people have with their own worldwide I believe it pretty unique. I have traveled quite abit and showed up at random KH's and been treated very well with people even offering to have you stay with them etc... It is very nice.

  But if you do not play the part, it all goes south. Not only does it all go south, but you stand to lose everything.

  What I think was confusing (and maybe what you may be confusing), is real friendship with the ready made community that you get by being a JW. You immediately get a community of mostly decent people, a strange culture, and all the arms length relationships you can stomach. Being part of a community, or even several communities is IMPORTANT to happiness. The JW one is just one of many.

  Its when you consider, that your friendships, community, and life, can be held hostage by a rouge elder, a change in "understanding", or even a change in your own conscious.....that you realize it isn't real. Everything runs through the "organization".

  Many people we thought were our friends, have simply stopped speaking with us since my wife and I stopped attending.....and she doesn't even know what she wants to do yet! Because we aren't going to meetings, people that normally would have come by, or popped in, basically have forgotten about us. We don't fault them.....its just the way it is. They were never really our friends, just part of a cimmunity we no longer are around.
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  15

  August vacations cancelled

  by wandasoo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  had a vacation planned for august, but got the rug pulled out from under my feet.

  hubby said he wanted to go in september, but gave me no reason.

  i finally told him i knew he had to pioneer in august.

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  problemaddict

  wandasoo,

  So here are just a couple thoughts. Do with them what you may.

  In your statement about "Jehovah and the bible", try to exchange that for "Governing Body". You see Jehovah nor the bible have named a "historic" month of August. Unless of course each month is historic because it becomes hiistory never to be repeated.

  If you put in Jehovah or scripture, it makes it easy for him to basically say to himself, you are trying to come between him and his God. But if you use the governing body.....its less of a direct attack.

  I'm telling you, with a sentance like that he can get on a circuit assembly program. It HUGE ammunition to have an unbelieving mate say that stuff.

  Go on the trip. Try not to be too upset. I don't know your story, but if you love him, you are in a unique position to be able to reason with him in a way that baptized JW's are not able.
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  11

  New Light: 3rd heaven?

  by problemaddict in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  forgive me if this has been covered.

  last year i did a synopsis of the convention, but my wife decided she did not want to go this year (thats a win), so i didn't either.

  a good friend of mine however tipped me to something in david splanes talk.. its pretty mild, but seems a bit wacky.

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  problemaddict

  Thanks everyone and Blondie for the research. I was unaware of the concept of "third heaven" being an older concept. It seems now however from DD's notes, that they have simply moved heaven "downwards" a bit.

  So organizational paradise is a heaven, future earthly paradise is a heaven, and heaven......is a heaven.

  So I was wrong about "superheaven". Thanks for the clarification.
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  33

  does the org monitor this site?

  by venting in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i,m sure they would like to find out the names of some who post here.

  venting..

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  problemaddict

  Welcome first post Mecido!

  Nice add. So I suppose when the number of people alive during that talk lowers below one million, they will make another soft backpeddle.
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  11

  New Light: 3rd heaven?

  by problemaddict in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  forgive me if this has been covered.

  last year i did a synopsis of the convention, but my wife decided she did not want to go this year (thats a win), so i didn't either.

  a good friend of mine however tipped me to something in david splanes talk.. its pretty mild, but seems a bit wacky.

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  problemaddict

  Forgive me if this has been covered. Last year I did a synopsis of the convention, but my wife decided she did not want to go this year (thats a win), so I didn't either. A good friend of mine however tipped me to something in David Splanes talk.

  Its pretty mild, but seems a bit wacky. There now appears to be a third heaven. Since I was not there I would love some confirmation of this.

  1) Physical heaven - You know......where all of the angels are.

  2) Spiritual heaven - The brotherhood in association with "mother".

  3) Now there is a third super duper heaven I suppose where only jehovah resides?

  Can anyone confirm or offer more of the justification they used here?

  New light is almost like new releases now! Need one at every major event. Of course, this doesn't seem to be all that interesting.
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  17

  Article: To save trauma victims, doctors may swap blood with cold water till patients die

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  to save trauma victims, doctors may swap blood with cold water till patients diedoctors at the university of pittsburgh medical center plan to treat trauma patients with an experimental procedure that induces hypothermia by replacing their blood with freezing saltwater.. .

  by kate murphy.

  the new york times.

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  problemaddict

  Of course at some point.....when the person is "reanimated", they will need several pints of blood in their system.

  One of my favorite things is when JW's tell you that blood transfusions in trauma are more harmful that saline.

  Ugh!
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  44

  This week's WT study...made me so sick.....

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this week's study april 15th 2014 was called "do you see the one who is invisible?".

  it was perhaps one of the most depressing, controlling, fear-mongering, stress inducing, doctrinally incorrect, hate-inspiring, judgemental, cult-like, irrational, hyped-up, critical, crazy, stretched out, fanciful, illogical, burdensome, inflated, coersive, manipulative, and brain-snappingly weird stuff i have read for some time.... (but i'm sure it was just a rehash and repeat of previous stuff...for the new masses....).

  i had to keep up a sane appearance while in the hall, and even answer some garbage while this was being 'studied'... my cognitive disonance must be so strong now, because i found this one of the hardest ones to endure....now that i am home, i have poured a stiff drink and am trying to clear my head...... one paragraph was classic:.

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  problemaddict

  This weeks watchtower had a specific function. Remind everyone int he KH that they are special, and in a round about way that ONLY THEY will survive or be protected.

  They are foretelling the future, based on really nothing.

  Panthers, may I respectfully ask what it was you liked about the study in particular? I promise this is not a laoded questions. I am genuinely curious.
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  63

  What is your biggest gripe with the WT and it's teachings?

  by FL_Panthers in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as the title says, please list what you find annoying with the organization..

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• 

  problemaddict

  1) Blood doctrine, and then the pivot to make it seem like because blood could be "healthier", that they were right all along. Yeah....not loosing blood at all would be super healthy! Idiots. This doctrine is in my mind the most indefensable, and has caused the most damage.

  2) Disfellowshipping. A hard line misinterpretation of scripture that puts the org in line with the Pharisees....not Jesus.

  3) You cannot question anything. If you are done wrong its "wait on Jehovah" time depite the fact nothing in the bible requires that.

  4) The PANIC that people are infused with regarding any dissenting thought, and the ease with which someone can be hypocritical and not even realize it.

  Example: Family asks me if I will let my two year old make his own decisions regarding God and religion. I say, of course, but I will also not knowingly expose him to things I deem untrue or harmful.....hes 2. Well when we watch him we cannot, not talk about Jehovah or take him to meetings.

  Then don't watch him.

  But you said he could make his own decisions.

  Ok lets flip this. Lets say your child comes to stay with us. Is it cool with you if I decide to explain to him why a global flood is impossible and creates a moral issue with a lving creator? If it isn't, then respect my right to raise my kid. If he decides to be a JW when hes 18 (yeah right), then so be it.

  **crickets**