Hmm, I don't know. I mean, other JW's housed them when they visited our hall, and my mother would personally have me give them envelopes with money, and they never rejected them. They're almost self sustaining. Not to mention the contribution boxes became heavier when they were around. This is the observation of a Spanish hall in the LA county though.
Vetiver
JoinedPosts by Vetiver
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86
JW Rumor: End of the Traveling Overseer
by Edison Trent ina friend of mine has contacts to a family with several circuit overseers and special pioneers.
they have good connections to bethel.. he told me that the latest rumor from bethel states that the cos should be abolished in their present form.
they have also recently begun to take cos back to bethel.. over the same channel i have already heard of the car fleet program and that the dos should be abolished.. has anyone else already heard of it?
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35
Leah Remini Scientology series might tackle Jehovah's Witnesses in season 3
by jp1692 ini've seen comments by some on leah's expose on scientology: aftermath.
she actually won an emmy for this show.
rumor is that she might take on jehovah's witnesses in season 3. .
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Vetiver
That would be awesome, especially since I know of witnesses who like her :).
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Waking up to TTATT: Blessing or Curse?
by Jules Saturn inif you take the red pill, you'll have knowledge, you'll be awakened, aware of reality, you'll have freedom.. if you take the blue pill, you stay in your bubble, wearing rose colored glasses, and feel security in an illusion.. taking the red pill isn't something that's easy to do.
to accept that everything around you is an illusion built up on lies or half truths.
but hey, it might feel good to be aware and break free from this illusion.
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Vetiver
The organization created a construct. You have purpose, you're blessed to know, "the Truth," possibly live forever and be the best you because your imperfect and broken. You're in, "The Truman Show," but nobody is actually watching it, but you leave that stage and I personally looked at my suits, literature and the calluses on my hand from carrying my briefcase so much. Could I be spiritually divorcing myself where there wasn't any? It was divorce for me because there was no love, but it was a long relationship.
To use your analogy of the Matrix, remember what Morpheus tells Neo: " You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it." It's hard to tear away from lies. Truth has a sobering effect mixed in with the hangover.
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11
Counselling
by jhine indoes anyone know of an online site for jws who have been sexually abused in the wt ?
where someone who is in a relationship with someone who has been abused can talk to others who have had the same experience and maybe their family members ( if they are supportive obviously ) .
a friend of mine is in that situation and would like some insight into how to help their partner .
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Vetiver
Oh wait, still members of JW's? Umm, maybe here? This site has more neutrality with all views, but I'm not sure if it'll provide information like that. http://www.angelfire.com/al4/progressivejws.html/index.html
Also, before I forget, I saw a therapist here in California that is a Jehovah Witness. Maybe get in contact with the circuit overseer and see if there are any therapists that treat Witnesses in your area.
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Counselling
by jhine indoes anyone know of an online site for jws who have been sexually abused in the wt ?
where someone who is in a relationship with someone who has been abused can talk to others who have had the same experience and maybe their family members ( if they are supportive obviously ) .
a friend of mine is in that situation and would like some insight into how to help their partner .
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Vetiver
I don't know if maybe this would help. http://aawa.co
I also know some therapists can provide therapy over a webcam, especially since ex cult therapists can literally be an ocean away sometimes.
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Do Jehovah's witnesses take therapy?
by Gokumonkey ini know two jehovah's witnesses couple.
the husband had a rough upbringing.
his father left him at a young age, leaving his mom and himself to take care of his siblings.
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Vetiver
I've seen 5 therapists. I never liked a single one. One kept talking about himself too much, another would eat during our sessions and told me one time she had patients a lot worse than me. One was actually a Jehovah Witness who treated supposedly even circuit overseers. I've known 3 people who went completely schizophrenic, but it's hard to say if being a witness triggered or exasperated it. Addictions with porn sex and alcohol are usually related to low levels of dopamine in the brain. Life gets boring and the person is constantly looking for a thrill to feel alive for a moment, but since this an emotion, there will always be the opposite effect in the end. The thrill becomes boring and with addictions, they can stimulate, but eventually it becomes null, then you increase the visual or literal drug, and eventually, feel guilt, anger, depression, anxiety and crash. You taper off, then you repeat the cycle. The patterns of guilt will isolate a witness to believe that the holy spirit has abandoned them. That they haven't prayed enough, or that they were too selfish, or hedonistic. The only way I can see giving a witness psychological advice is to find parallels in a self help book, and throw a scripture in there. You literally have to be a witness or someone of so called, "spiritual confidence or guidance." I know and have heard of many witnesses on psych meds also. I'd stay out of this though. Even if they are willing to listen to lets say...cognitive behavioral therapy, there needs to be change. These are usually life changing, and usually involve self forgiveness, which I think contradicts the idea of being sinful inperfect JW's.
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There's JW Date site, JW TV channel App?! What Else is New?!
by QUEENIE2_RIPQUEENIE1 inwell, it has been a long time, i realise...since my mom, linda, aka, " the queen apostate herself... 'queenie' đź‘‘ the orig.
was last logging and posting here and several other jw and exjw related sites... a lot has happened and changed for/with me since mom suddenly passed, summer of 2008. .
still... when i came across (by accident) during a google search for ex jw ministries and healing ministries, a link to a jehovah's witnesses' dating website, no, not ex jw datesite nor on the verge of leaving, but active jws dating site!
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Vetiver
I saw that dating site and showed everyone in my family a few years back. Still active JW's, a de fellowshiped brother, my mom and non praticing friends. They were all shocked but they also laughed.
I don't know how it was in other halls, but in mine I noticed that males and females would visit other halls to find new friends and potentially a possible future husband or wife. The talk was always, "There aren't any good (supposedly spiritual) brothers/sisters in this hall." In my mind it meant, not attractive enough, too crazy, or he or she has dated too many people for their liking, and let's be honest, you know them to well if you've been in the hall for awhile. You go to another hall to meet new people you don't know enough about and have a crush on them and vice versa, but let's face it. Being a witness is like living in a very very very small town. Everybody knows everybody. My question is...how many of these people have hooked and are actually serious JW's? I have a feeling the women are lonely or have been screwed over by a cheating husband looking for their Prince Pioneer, and the guys are half practicing studies just looking for someone they can use or manipulate. I hope I'm wrong but that dating site can't be good.
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Thinking about the end of the Watchtower
by JeffT infirst, a word about the watchtower’s financial position: nobody (outside the watchtower organization) knows.
the wtbs is not required to disclose its finances, and doesn’t.
we can speculate, but that is all we are doing.
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Vetiver
Hmm, I really don't see the Watchtower really falling completely. As a failed artist, just to see the body of work in paintings created before computer generated images became the thing is amazing. These artists, musicians, architects, and people work for free. I don't know who builds the main structures and such, but they made this thing in to a well oiled machine. I can't imagine putting my work, helping clean and maintain gardens, restrooms, make sandwiches, (when assemblies still served food), rudimentary construction, traffic difector at 6 am on a Saturday, child labor into a cummalitive amount of monetary gain. I gave of my time money and youth. I don't remember superintendents living luxiourosly either. Since it's recognized as a religion, you are free from taxes to. Now, if everything fell in to bankruptcy, I have a feeling they will blame Satan and new prophecies would pop up, and ...I'm starting to piss myself off just thinking about this. I'm gonna go watch Netflix for a bit.
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How Many Here EVER Considered Going Back To Meetings?
by minimus inonce i left ,i was done.
in over 10 years i didn't return except for my mother's funeral.
did you ever re enter the kh after you left?.
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Vetiver
Only for my mothers sake. I love her to death and she's my best friend, but going back would make me so freaking miserable. The last times I went, I didn't even sing or put my head down to pray. As time went by, I tried to think of something to say to her, until one day, I mentally conceptualized a thesis and asked her to join me to a nice lunch away from her house, literature, family or days of meetings that have an ability to ruin the rest of your day mentally and physically.
My mom always hounded me about going back to the hall, but with all good intent and full of love. She didn't want to lose me. After chugging my second pint of Gulden Draak and eating my garlic burger, I crackled this out, more or less: "Mom, I love you but not your faith. I'll prove to you that I will continue to be a good son, without being a good Jehovah Witness. Loving, 'the truth' for me is like loving the color brown, (my favorite color is red) it's something I grew up finally knowing, and I can enjoy the color brown and see how other people apply it to their lifestyles and or muses, but I just knew it wasn't my favorite color and it never will be. Saying I love it would make me a hypocrite and I'll be miserable whenever I wear it or tell people about it. I'll be your prodigal son, who knows, maybe I'll come back some day, pray for me, but please don't leave me. You're the only thing I have faith in, and you're the only thing and soul I'm afraid of hurting. I know having you as my foundation makes me weak, but I don't care. I'll drive you to the meetings when you get old, I will protect a Jehovah Witness under my house, but I will also do the same with anyone else who is being hurt or persecuted. I'll cook for you when your hands hurt and give you money for the contribution box if you feel you don't have enough and will wake up and take you to the hall if you can't see anymore. My love for you is only equal to my assurance that being a witness is not for me."
She only cried in response, but when we got back home, she gave me a long hug and told me she'd never abandon me, even if it cost her her life in the end. It hurts writing this down but I feel so lucky being able to hug her everyday and her telling me to be safe. It feels good finally sharing this. I hope more people find a way through. *phew* I think I need a beer.
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34
Just need to vent a little
by Phoebe inin the last week i have had three visits from brothers.
so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.
now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.
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Vetiver
Thanks SAHS: Footprints and paths are chosen. I'm just glad to be a rounded off and being a cobblestone soothed by time and watching people fall off a waterfall of faith