jp1692

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Posts by jp1692

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  3

  And when it comes true—and it will come true—they will have to know that a prophet has been among them.

  by berrygerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a couple of years and the wtbts will consist of a bloke on a tropical beach, drinking coctails and writing the latest wacktower crap on his lap top to be emailed to all congregations for them to print, distribute and then transfer funds to his own personal off shore account!watch and see!.

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/158870/brothers-were-living-exciting-times#!#2919592.

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  jp1692

  And when it doesn't come true—and it hasn't come true—they will have to know that a false prophet has been among them.

  ... not that anyone other than JWs and ex-JWs pay much attention to this bullshit. LOL!
  
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  16

  My disassociation story

  by Roger Kirkpatrick in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  following is a summary of events leading up to my decision to disassociate from jehovah's witnesses and the unforeseen results of that decision.. a young man named joel engardio produced a documentary about jehovah's witnesses called "knocking" which aired nationally on pbs.

  i purchased the dvd from joel before it was even released and we exchanged emails.

  joel had been raised by his jw mother and had been active in jw activities during his adolescence, but he was never baptized as a jw.

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  jp1692

  RK: The elder body decided to reject the Branch's letter

  You have to obey, they don't. Nice. There's a word for that: hypocrisy!

  (BTW, the elders in your hall are spineless idiots).

  RK: I realized I could be labeled an apostate for expressing a viewpoint which had been published in the Watchtower

  Yes, and let's be absolutely clear on this. The label of "apostasy" is a convenient way to demonize anyone that disagrees with the control structure and hierarchy of the group. It has nothing at all to do with doctrine. That is just a ruse.
  

  RK: This illustrates the destructive effect oppressive religious cults have on the thinking and reasoning abilities of their adherents

  Um, yeah! Cult 101: Thinking is not allowed. Independent Thought and Critical Thinking are specifically the most serious of all "crimes" in a cult.

  Take note of the wide range of actual crimes a person can commit and be "forgiven" by the elders. This one is unforgivable.
  
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  16

  Just had to share.

  by Coded Logic in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  anybody into art out there?

  i was just so blown away by this piece i had to share.. .

  at first i was just like "oh, that's a clever idea".

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  jp1692

  Smiddy, The image at the top center is the top of the easel holding the canvas in place.

  
  
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  45

  What did NOT get you out?

  by problemaddict 2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i realize this is odd, but a "how you woke up" thread and the personal stories that are told which i know we all enjoy, made me think of this.

  in helping my wife and a couple others get the ball rolling, i realized the thing that resonated with me, didn't even move the needle with them.

  i wanted to rail on and on about blood, because that was my conduit to waking up, but for my wife it was about shunning.

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  jp1692

  OMG, when I learned about the UN/NGO scandal in 2002 or 2003 it was all over for me.

  Maybe what makes the house of cards collapse depends more on where we are in the process of waking up than on any one specific doctrinal issue. It's kind of like a cult game of Jenga.
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  45

  What did NOT get you out?

  by problemaddict 2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i realize this is odd, but a "how you woke up" thread and the personal stories that are told which i know we all enjoy, made me think of this.

  in helping my wife and a couple others get the ball rolling, i realized the thing that resonated with me, didn't even move the needle with them.

  i wanted to rail on and on about blood, because that was my conduit to waking up, but for my wife it was about shunning.

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  jp1692

  Hmmm, interesting perspective.

  I gotta' say: it ALL bugged me. Some things were obviously bigger deals than others, but eventually the cumulative effect of countless incongruities large and small brought the whole wall down--brick by imaginary brick--until there was nothing left but a large pile of psychological rubble where once an illusory "fortress of belief" had been. Now all that remains is a huge, worthless mess that needs to be carted away. Useless garbage. Trash of no value.

  In fact, for most of us the personal cost to clean up this mess is huge: broken families, lost relationships, shattered faith, and countless missed opportunities for what could have and should have been ... the cost in very human terms of emotional pain and suffering is incalculable.

  Ironically, it was the WTBTS's fantasy of "perfection" that made me so hypercritical of their imperfections.

  If they hadn't tried so hard to paint the picture of a fantasy world I wouldn't have looked so closely for the gaps and flaws in their theology. The harder they tried, the more desperate they seemed.

  I love a good story, but the internal logic must be consistent and coherent or else it just doesn't work for me.

  YMMV
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  12

  How did you overcome feelings of lost time in the Org?

  by Skepsis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm a very positive person who always try to focus on the good side of things.. however, my fading is becoming increasingly painful and i'm starting being shunned by some i thought were friends.

  i'm missing some meetings so the rumour is spreading to neighbouring congregations where i'm known that i'm not as spiritual as i used to be.

  elders want to have a shepherding meeting with me.

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  jp1692

  @Wake Me, you're not supposed to see any of that. ... LOL!
  
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  12

  How did you overcome feelings of lost time in the Org?

  by Skepsis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm a very positive person who always try to focus on the good side of things.. however, my fading is becoming increasingly painful and i'm starting being shunned by some i thought were friends.

  i'm missing some meetings so the rumour is spreading to neighbouring congregations where i'm known that i'm not as spiritual as i used to be.

  elders want to have a shepherding meeting with me.

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  jp1692

  @Wake Me Up: I was caught red-handed for thinking for myself.

  This is THE most serious crime a cult-member can commit. Far worse than anything else.

  @Skepsis: the rumour is spreading ... that I'm not as spiritual as I used to be

  Good. That means you're no longer a mindless drone. See my response to WMU for clarification.
  

  @ Skepsis: I'm moving to another country soon and the [elders] see it as a materialistic goal.

  What the elders think is irrelevant. It's your life. The elders need to mind their own fucking business. Of course I wouldn't advocate telling them that in those exact words, but only because it could unnecessarily complicate things. Although ...
  
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  9

  Deborah Layton - Jonestown Survivor

  by Tallon in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  saw this on the exjw reddit forum - very thought provoking.. "when your own thoughts are forbidden, when your questions are not allowed and our doubts are punished, when contacts with friendships outside of the organisation are censored, we are being abused, for the ends never justify the means.. when our heart aches knowing we have made friendships and secret attachments that will be forever forbidden if we leave, we are in danger.. when we consider staying in a group because we cannot bear the loss, disappointment and sorrow our leaving will cause for ourselves and those we have come to love, we are in a cult .... when family and friends are used as a weapon in order to force us to stay in an organisation, something has gone terribly wrong".. deborah layton.

  seductive poison: a jonestown survivor's story of life and death in the people's temple.. .

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  jp1692

  Who Joins a Cult?

  “Nobody joins a cult. Nobody intentionally joins a group or organization thinking they’ll be harmed or injured; nobody imagined they’d give their lives for the People’s Temple. We join all kinds of groups all the time – self-help, political – but some become malignant. The people that join [such groups] tend to be idealistic and kind; they’re people you’d want as a friend. They get drawn in and trapped.” - Deborah Layton

  
  
  
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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!