jp1692

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Posts by jp1692

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  36

  There is no Holy Spirit.

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  there is no holy spirit.

  i lead a double life.

  i post on apostate web sites, swear like a sailor, covertly subvert the watchtower religion and do many other things i'd rather not mention.

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  jp1692

  Hoser: Me staying in is just good business ATM. I keep contacts on both sides of the fence so to speak. Contacts mean contracts

  Sounds like the proverbial deal with the devil!
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  36

  There is no Holy Spirit.

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  there is no holy spirit.

  i lead a double life.

  i post on apostate web sites, swear like a sailor, covertly subvert the watchtower religion and do many other things i'd rather not mention.

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  jp1692

  Well, Hoser. It sounds like you're making good use of what you yourself call "a double-life."

  I'm just suggesting that there is actually something better. That, at least, is how it turned out for me. I also used to rationalize and justify to myself why I would "stay in good standing." My reasons were really, really good ... to me, at the time.

  Sorry if that sounds self-righteous. That's the last thing I would want to be. I'm just sharing my experience.

  Keep us posted!
  
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  36

  There is no Holy Spirit.

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  there is no holy spirit.

  i lead a double life.

  i post on apostate web sites, swear like a sailor, covertly subvert the watchtower religion and do many other things i'd rather not mention.

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  jp1692

  It's true Hoser, there is no Holy Spirit--at least not anything like what we were taught by the JW religion.

  I would like to suggest that you are squandering this knowledge living a "double life" and pretending to believe things which you obviously do not.

  How about trying an authentic life?

  By the way, living authentically does not require giving up swearing or divulging any other of your secret pleasures! ... LOL
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  34

  Physically In, Mentally Out

  by James Jack in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  7 years ago i was this "ultra spiritual elder".

  you name it, i was visible all over the region.

  i was the coordinator, on the convention committee, rbc, had a talk at every convention and assembly, regular pioneer, etc.

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  jp1692

  JJ: I read whole the post of "Wake me up" ... I'm planning my exit strategy.

  Good to know. I'm glad you appreciated my comments there. What is great about a forum like this is that you are allowed to consider a wide range of different viewpoints. Take them all in, noting in particular the elements which we all have in common. Observe what resonates with you.

  You are in a stage of leaving which I call the "What the heck do I still believe?" stage. You've discovered things about your religion which you can no longer believe. Once you start tugging on the loose threads the whole tapestry begins to fall apart. It is a confusing and disorienting place to be. Where before you thought you "had all the answers," now you're not even sure if you know the right questions to be asking.

  Also, as with any high-control religion, things are very black and white with little or no tolerance for ambiguity and shades of grey. But in the real world, things are rarely--if ever--so clear cut. It takes time to learn how to deal with uncertainty and to accept that things are not only NOT as we want them to be, but they will never be, at least not completely. But there are some things in life we can control. It is up to us to learn to recognize them and to then have the courage to act and act decisively knowing that not all of our decisions will be the right ones or even good one. But that's okay.

  We need to reclaim the control that we handed over to the WTBTS and take responsibility for our own life and our own decisions.
  

  As I have discovered, there is a big difference between religion and spirituality. One is easy as it spoon-feeds you answers (someone else's answers, of course). The other is hard because you have to find those answers for yourself.

  I look forward to reading more about your fade ....

  BTW, I'm glad to hear that you and your son are all good. He must be a remarkable young man to have forgiven you for your mistreatment of him. Learn from him.
• 
  34

  Physically In, Mentally Out

  by James Jack in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  7 years ago i was this "ultra spiritual elder".

  you name it, i was visible all over the region.

  i was the coordinator, on the convention committee, rbc, had a talk at every convention and assembly, regular pioneer, etc.

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  jp1692

  Welcome James Jack.

  First thing you need to do is apologize to your son. Next, and this will be hard, accept the now obvious fact the Jehovah's Witnesses are not the "one true religion."

  There is in fact no such thing.

  Next, go read Wake Me Up's introduction thread:

  • I'm new

  Read all of it!
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  11

  Hotel California

  by Normalfulla in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  growing up was ok being a jw or so i thought, i guess u accept life as it comes when yr a kid , anyhow i played guitar and my elder dad (who is currently df) would forbid me to learn hotel california or even if it came on the radio he would run and quickly turn it off , .

  he explained he had heard a tape recording at work that explained that this song along with stairway to heaven and others had back masking on it and when played backwards would say stuff like "satan has his own congregation " or other stuff like that , now this was not a jw sanctioned audio talk just some other christian production .. none of dad's other peers felt the same and growing up it illustrated to me dad's propensity to be influenced and convinced about something seemingly innocuous to others.. fast forward to a year or so ago and i showed him a section from the eagles documentary where don henley talks about the meaning of hotel california and how much trouble christian evangelists gave the song due to their own interpretation etc , so completely refuted the claims my father had told me were fact as a kid ,from the horses mouth so to speak .

  his answer was ,"well of course he'd say that he wants to save face ,he wouldn't admit the truth !".

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  jp1692

  Cult members are, by definition, delusional and paranoid. Indoctrinated mental illnesses are no different than the more organic garden variety, except perhaps that once identified they can be more directly dealt with.
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  11

  Do we attack the Topic or the Person?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was just thinking that most witnesses can not approach a controversial topic without turning it into an attack of the person who raises that topic.. as we all awaken to ttatt (the truth about the truth), they simply can't discuss the actual facts or issues we discover without turning it into an attack of us as "apostates" with all the negative connotations that word entails.... how truly narrow minded and sad!

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  they would rather attack the person than the topic..

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  jp1692

  This a classic example of the ad hominem fallacy.

  And of course in JW-land anyone that disagrees is labeled an "apostate" so the argument is automatically--and conveniently--over without any critical thinking required. This is Cult 101.
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  9

  New Tool To Help Cult Survivors.  From an EXJW

  by TTaTT4U in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  .

  https://bonniezieman.com/2017/05/09/cracking-the-cult-code-for-therapists-what-cult-victims-want-their-therapist-to-know/.

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  jp1692

  This is much needed as many therapists do not understand the very real damage and emotional abuse that we have suffered as a result of being in a cult.

  Many don't even recognize that religions such as JWs are a cult!

  Well done Bonnie!
  
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  9

  Overcoming deeply ingrained false beliefs. (short video)

  by UNCONDITIONAL LOVE in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the jw cult systematically teaches doctrines, which in turn become beliefs, that hinders a persons mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

  here are some great pointers on how to overcome deeply ingrained false beliefs.. .

  1 timothy 4:2. such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.. https://youtu.be/agywceulbx0.

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  jp1692

  I was interested in this until I read: "Bentinho Massaro's teachings ... contain the essence of all major spiritual paths ..."

  We, as ex-cult members, definitely need to learn to recognize the false and dysfunctional beliefs we have acquired about ourselves and the world, particularly the ones that can cause us great emotional distress: depression, anxiety and even mental disorders. It is a fact that many of these beliefs came to us as a result of being in the Jehovah's Witness religion.

  Core beliefs typically center around themes of:

  • Lovability - worthiness and desirability
    
  • Adequacy - feeling not good enough
    
  • Helplessness - feeling trapped

  In unlearning these beliefs, we need to find positive, healthy beliefs to replace them. But these need to be OUR beliefs, not anyone else's beliefs, and particularly not those of some self-appointed guru. Be your own guru.
  

  Cult survivors are particularly vulnerable to leaving one codependent relationship and ending up in another. It's a lot of work and can be emotionally painful, but it's worth it. There are no short cuts. No quick fixes. No easy answers.
  

  A healthy skepticism is your best friend!
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  11

  Ever heard of a brother being DFD and just walking away from family support?

  by Crazyguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just wondering if there ever been a brother that got dfd and then was shunned by his wife and his at home kids and he's just said , if your going to treat me like this screw it and walked away from all his responsibilities as a provider etc?

  it must be hard for those that are dfd to continue to support those that shun him?

  again anyone hear of such a case?.

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  jp1692

  Playing the "parental alienation syndrome" card it possible, but it is definitely an uphill battle all the way. In the U.S. a judge can force shared and/or joint custody of minor children. But judges can do little or nothing to prevent a parent from alienating their children against another parent. Nothing.

  If the alienating parent is successful, the children will absolutely shun the other parent as soon as they become of age.

  The psychological means of manipulation employed are powerful, generally applied unconsciously (although cult members have learned them well) and not subject to any legal means of prevention, redress or judgement.
  

  Anyone wanting to really understand this should read Richard A. Gardner’s exhaustive book on the subject: The Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Guide for Mental Health and Legal Professionals.

  It's a challenging read, but for those that undertake it, you will clearly understand the power of the psychological forces involved.
  

  A relatively quick primer can be found here: Parental alienation syndrome