Posts by john.prestor

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

Zeb, Diogenesister, thanks guys. I felt good standing up for myself even after he got so outright hostile and nasty. I stood my ground and didn't give an inch.

The thought never crossed my mind that he might have something to hide, and while I can't say for certain, the possibility is definitely there. He got really mad really fast, he didn't even pause to think he just lashed out at me verbally, and from his body language, he wanted to do more.

I'm headed to that station again Saturday, wonder if I'll run into them again. Wouldn't that be something, haha.

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

I get where you're coming from, I do. And there's a part of me that believes that too. But... I want to believe, and I do believe, that it's never too late for anyone.

5

Meal at Bethel

by Listener in

an ex bethelite has made a video about the food that was provided at hq's.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxbe9hacqxu.

towards the end he talks about the new arrangements with the cutbacks.for breakfast if you had served a certain amount of time at bethel or were old enough you could choose whether you wanted to attend breakfast/morning worship or not.

first year bethels were made to attend to ensure they were watching the morning worship.

john.prestor

pale.emperor, I didn't see that but I want to. Do you have a link?

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

VIII, I appreciate that. For god's sake the woman made the rest of us listen to her video, that's how little respect she showed us. Just broadcasting her religious beliefs across the station. And then the man talks to me like I'm some kind of hoodlum out of the 1950s. Most Jehovah's Witnesses really do communicate contempt for others.

Hahaha, you gotta tell us if they respond or not, that story is downright hysterical. Seriously, people couldn't come up with a story like that if they wanted to.

Trust me, I know what it's like to go through that. Most of my family are still fundamentalist Christians, whether Baptist or Pentecostal or whatever, but they're... crazy, too. There's no nice way to say it, and yes, it takes a toll on you. I hope they wake up, just like I hope my family wakes up, but I've finally come to terms with the fact that they're not going to, and it sounds like you have, too. Does it give you peace of mind?

38

Child sexual abuse suspect arrested in T.O.

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/12/13/child-sexual-abuse-suspect-arrested-t-o/2305199002/ .

a 69-year-old thousand oaks man facing multiple sexual abuse charges by the ventura county district attorney’s office was arrested last week, authorities said.. steven skyler abbott was arrested dec. 6 after months of investigation into the reported sexual abuse of two thousand oaks girls, according to the ventura county sheriff’s office.

in november, the ventura county district attorney’s office filed multiple felony sexual abuse charges against abbott, including two counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child.. he is also facing multiple felony enhancements and special allegations related to his charges.. the investigation began in september, when the sheriff’s agency received a report of suspected child crimes.. a 16-year-old victim alleged that she was sexually abused by abbott when she was between the ages of 5 and 11, sheriff’s officials said.. sexual assault unit detectives subsequently identified a second, 24-year-old victim who reported that abbott had abused her when she was between the ages of 3 and 7, authorities said.. the sheriff’s agency said the victims and their families had come into contact with abbott through the kingdom hall of jehovah’s witnesses in newbury park.. investigators submitted their findings to prosecutors, who filed felony sexual abuse charges against abbot on nov. 16, officials said.. on nov. 28, an arrest warrant was issued for abbott.. the suspect was eventually arrested at his home on dec. 6 and booked into ventura county jail.

john.prestor

Spot on Vidiot. There's power in that kind of directness.

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

I want to respond to those who responded to my post one by one

StephaneLaliberta: I see the value in that approach, I really do. But I'll be honest, I'm done with the indirect approach. I'm not going to be a dick, I'm just going to be direct going forward. The truth is horrible and the truth is a hard pill to swallow, but it will "plant a seed" so to say and maybe, just maybe, they'll wake up eventually. There's people on this site who were Jehovah's Witnesses for 30 plus years if not longer and woke up at 50 or 60. It's never too late. Ever.

VIII: You're right, that's the categories into which Jehovah's Witnesses force the world, and the man was doubtlessly getting at one of those by asking me who I "listen to." But I saw his remark was really about power (so much of life is, underneath it all, under the pleasant smiles and light conversation) and so I cut that Gordian knot right in half. He was so desperate to win the argument that he humiliated himself at the end by trying to win. He'll remember that for a long time.

Why do I bother, ultimately? Because I'm tired of remaining silent. I'm tired of letting people peddle their... sunny lies, (kinda like you said Giordano, the nice smiling people) spinning their little webs in public. I won't remain silent anymore.

neat blue dog: Damn, that makes me feel good. That was just like the confrontation between Jesus and the pharisees in the temple, isn't it? The baptism of John and who it came not and what not, hahaha.

Phizzy: I hope so too. It's up to them now. I'm no savior, I can't save anyone but myself, but... maybe I can help them start down that path on their own.

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

I hope it does. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to experience deep self-alienation, to subject themselves entirely to the Governing Body, to refuse to trust their own senses and feelongs and thoughts. I want to wake them up.

So thank you for that encouragement. It means a lot.

29

A recent antiwitnessing experience

by john.prestor in

i shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and i got some flack for that, and rightly so.

so if this story doesn't go over well i won't share another... but given how it ended, i just had to share.... a few days ago i took a trip to a nearby city by bus.

in the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses i walked over to a mcdonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when i came back to the little bus station i saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors.

john.prestor

I shared one of these before in which my approach left something to be desired, and I got some flack for that, and rightly so. So if this story doesn't go over well I won't share another... but given how it ended, I just had to share...

A few days ago I took a trip to a nearby city by bus. In the about 20-30 minute window between my connecting buses I walked over to a McDonald's and got a cup of coffee, and when I came back to the little bus station I saw a literature cart sitting unmanned near the doors. I went inside and found two Jehovah's Witnesses (a married couple in their 50s-60s) sitting in a row of chairs behind a window looking out onto the street and the literature cart, I guess they parked the cart outside and were just sitting there behind the glass to make sure no one stole it... which just seemed absurd..The alternative, that they were watching until somebody walked up and took a magazine so they could jump up and go running outside to speak with them, is even more absurd (I realize it's winter but it wasn't very cold that day, either).

I wasn't going to say anything, I'm trying to be less confrontational when I antiwitness, I just show them an article on my phone about Jehovah's Witnesses covering up child sex abuse and then move along. But the woman started listening to a video from www.jw.org and it was loud enough that I could hear it on the other side of the little station which means so could the other 5-6 of us in there. I wasn't sure if she was trying to preach to us indirectly or just didn't care that we were there or what but I didn't feel like listening to it so I grabbed my coffee and headed for the doors.

As I passed them I looked at them and said, "The Governing Body is covering up child sex abuse, it's all over the news. Elders are molesting children, there's been multi-million dollar lawsuits." The man gave me an angry look and sorta growled at me, kinda rearing up in his seat, "Go on, get outta here!" I looked at him and I said, "Do you ever think for yourself or do you just listen to them like sheep?" The anger vanished and he just gave me this blank look, like the question had never crossed his mind, and then he said, "Who do you listen to?" I said, "Answer my question first and I'll answer yours." He said, "I don't have to answer your question." I replied, "I don't have to answer yours either. Enjoy ignorance, it must be nice."

And as I walked out the doors he sorta growled at me, "Yeah it is!"

Well... at least he admits it.

5

Meal at Bethel

by Listener in

an ex bethelite has made a video about the food that was provided at hq's.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxbe9hacqxu.

towards the end he talks about the new arrangements with the cutbacks.for breakfast if you had served a certain amount of time at bethel or were old enough you could choose whether you wanted to attend breakfast/morning worship or not.

first year bethels were made to attend to ensure they were watching the morning worship.

john.prestor

The Governing Body casts a long shadow. For all their humble words, they sure enjoy a haughty life.

25

JW elders stumped by Watchtower Publications

by Roger Kirkpatrick in

i was approached by two jehovah’s witness elders who handed me a pamphlet advertising the jw .org website.

each man carried a bible and an apple ipad.

they told me that they enjoyed visiting with people about the bible, and asked if i was a bible reader.

john.prestor

In other words, the back and forth theology creates cognitive dissonance, so they get rid of that mental stress by directing you to jw.org, assuming (hoping) you'll find the answers there, which means they can forget about your question.