Posts by jp1692

103

Using Illegal Means for Righteous Activism

by John Davis in

i wanted to get people's opinion on something.

how do you feel when people use illegal means while performing their activism to shed light on the watchtower.

there have been people who have illegally recorded conversations with elders and with branch offices or at meetings.

jp1692

Um yeah JD, it's just good internet forum etiquette.

51

What kind of toppings do you like on a Pizza?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i want something different on my next pizza!.

jp1692

OTWO: But we often make one with leftover rotisserie chicken using bbq sause instead of tomato sauce. That one typically gets red onions and green peppers and lighter cheese.

Try it with cilantro instead of, or in addition to, the green peppers.

Which day of the month is it that you do this? And what's your address ... ?

LOL

PS: Lightly grilled (READ: slightly undercooked) chicken breasts also work very well for this BBQ chicken pizza. Grill 'em, let them cool, then chop them up. You want to slightly undercook them as the meat gets cooked a second time when the pizza bakes in the oven.

103

Using Illegal Means for Righteous Activism

by John Davis in

i wanted to get people's opinion on something.

how do you feel when people use illegal means while performing their activism to shed light on the watchtower.

there have been people who have illegally recorded conversations with elders and with branch offices or at meetings.

jp1692

There are laws and then there is: what is right and what is wrong.

Every individual must decide for themselves on all of the above: what (or who) to follow/obey and what to disregard.

That being said, if a person willfully disobeys a law--even if they believe it is unjust--they should be prepared to suffer the consequences.

This is and has always been the underlying understanding of acts of civil disobedience.

29

What religions/organizations aren't a cult?

by Jules Saturn in

so we've already established that most religions can be classified as high control groups, we can name the wbts, church of scientology, lds, etc.

the list goes on and on.

but are there any religions or organizations that aren't classified as a high control group or aren't as bad as the ones i've just mentioned?

jp1692

The term cult is problematic because it has no precise, generally agreed upon meaning. There is definitely a spectrum of benign to malignant, dangerous groups.

Not all religions are cults, and not all cults are religious.

You might find this FAQ from the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) informative:

ICSA FAQ

It contains brief answers to the following questions:

What is a cult?
Is “X” a cult?
Why do people leave cults?
How can I get my kid out of a cult?
Where can people get help for cult-related problems?
Why do people join cults?
How can cults harm people?
What needs have people born/raised in cultic groups?
What is the relationship of law, government, and cults?
What scientific research is relevant to cults?

54

JW Kids Bullying My Daughter

by pale.emperor in

trying not to type swearwords as i write this so bare with me.. my little 3yo attends meetings with her jw mum (who doesn't believe watchtower anymore but is stuck in because she relies on her family for help).

my mum (the one who tells people im dead) had a party for her grandchildren.

that's my 4 nieces and 1 nephew aged from 3yo-11yo.

jp1692

PE: Even my ex was shocked. She's not taking her there again.

I'm sorry your daughter had to go through this, but--in a way--you should be thankful. This one uncomfortable event convinced your ex to stop taking your daughter. Think of all the meetings she will not have to endure and the indoctrination she'll be spared.

At her age, you daughter will probably soon forget it, but you and your ex will long remember. Lesson learned.

PE: She knows who loves her unconditionally. She tells me "You're my best friend".

And that is beautiful!

PS: I'm NOT sorry your ex had to go through this. She needs to understand how fucked up the behavior of this cult is. Most people don't leave cults because of doctrinal issues; they leave because of being treated badly. Hopefully this experience taught her that.

15

Are You Objective About Who You Were As a JW?

by Wasanelder Once in

today there was a jesus preaching head case with a bullhorn blaring "save yourself from the fires of hell!

accept jesus.

god loves you!

jp1692

Oh, yeah. That's basically the fundamental reason why I left this religion: I didn't like who I'd become.

When I found out it was all bullshit and the WT leaders were a bunch of hypocrites I was relieved actually!

I still felt betrayed by then and was very angry, but at least I could leave knowing that I was right and I could reclaim my self.

51

What are your beliefs now, religious/non religious?

by Jules Saturn in

what are your convictions now that you are no longer one of jehovah's witnesses?

are you a born again christian?

have you joined another denomination of christianity?

jp1692

Sparrowdown: Knowing is preferable to believing anyway, but, with all the things that are unknowable for me I remain in an open but not gullible "watch this space" mode

This is an equally important point in our post-cult recovery and growth: we must learn to become comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.

Cults like to provide definitive, black-and-white, all-or-nothing answers to complex problems. But the reality of life is that things are not like that. There are just so many situations where this is the case, and trying to force reality to conform to our beliefs rather than learning to know, understand and accept things as they really are is just a recipe for mental disorders.

51

What are your beliefs now, religious/non religious?

by Jules Saturn in

what are your convictions now that you are no longer one of jehovah's witnesses?

are you a born again christian?

have you joined another denomination of christianity?

jp1692

Jules: Personally, now that I've learned about the Society, things I never knew when I wasn't "awake", I am unsure of where I stand with my own convictions. And I'm sure this feeling must be normal with anyone who finds out about TTATT.

I call this the What the Heck Do I Believe Now? stage of leaving a religious cult.

It is disorienting and confusing. It takes time and a lot of hard work to figure out what beliefs, if any, to hold onto after leaving a religion, particularly one that causes such a deep, intimate sense of betrayal.

After nearly a decade of working on this, I have personally come to the conclusion that the god of the Bible is a complete fiction. If there is any god at all, it most certainly does not resemble any of the gods of the religions of man. Also, such a being--based on all available evidence--is clearly not interested in us on a personal level.

Nevertheless, I have found that there is a great deal of meaning to be found in life. I have also discovered a variety of ways to feel personally fulfilled. I would describe myself as spiritual, but not religious (SBNR).

It takes more work to be spiritual than it does to be religious because we have to discover the answers for ourselves rather than accept those that are pre-made for us. But in the end it is ultimately more satisfying because those answers are personally relevant and meaningful.

On a side note, I found that the WTBTS was so good at deconstructing the inconsistencies and errors in other religions that, once I turned my critical attention to it, I could easily see that it too was just another false religion. So there was no question in my mind of wasting time investigating other religions to see what they had to offer.

In my experience talking with and reading the experiences of other former JWs, the only ones that join other religions and stick with it were never really hardcore "true-believers" of the JW belief system. If they were, then how could they go to something that they previously were convinced was false and untrue?

YMMV.

jp

20

Sunday's W.T angered me + I found an ironic scripture

by Isambard Crater in

during the "do you love me more than these" watchtower study on sunday, i got so angry on many occasions, hearing people make comments like "if you enjoy your job, you're an enemy of jehovah" and "the only reason we're here is to preach.

work and relaxation only exist to help us to preach".. the paragraph talking about the "do more!

" attitude in the world getting people down really got me down just reading it, as it applies so much to the borg.. i also found the ecclesiastes scripture quoted to be ironic, as the rest of the article tells is that nothing is better or more of a priority than to preach;.

jp1692

IC: "If you enjoy your job, you're an enemy of Jehovah"

I love my job. Jehovah must really, really hate me.

Dumbest thing ever.

43

New Announcement At The 2017 - DF'd People To Sit At The Back Of The Hall

by pale.emperor in

has anyone else heard this?

a poster on another thread said it's a new rule brought in at this years convention.. last year they were told to shun even non df people and now this?

a religion cant force someone where to plonk their ass surely?.

jp1692

SBF, I know of many KHs in the area where I live (western US) that have a "Second School/Library" behind glass like that. It is/was a common remodeling feature here 10-20 years ago.