It is tragically ironic that the JW religious organization fought the US government for, and generally won, free speech rights only to forbid them among their own membership.
Posts by jp1692
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4Episode 16 of the Constitutional podcast [or transcript]: ‘The 1st Amendment’ Story: How JW's powerfully transformed 1st Amendment law
by AndersonsInfo inhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2018/01/29/episode-16-of-the-constitutional-podcast-the-first-amendment/?utm_term=.9d8940ba6280.
episode 16 of the constitutional podcast: ‘the first amendment’.
by lillian cunningham .
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4
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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jp1692
Hmmm,
I don't know why this duplicate post suddenly appeared. That's weird ...
To anyone that wants to respond, please post on the original thread I started two days ago:
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4
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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jp1692
The other day my wife and I were in Sonoma. We were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when I saw two JW women standing by their “witnessing cart.”
Normally, I just ignore them whenever I see JWs standing by a cart, but I gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: Find Family Happiness.
I was just going to walk on by, but when one of the women made eye contact I just couldn't help myself. I spontaneously blurted out, "You're messed up religion destroyed my family. You should be ashamed of yourself claiming to help people 'find family happiness'!"
Not too surprisingly, she immediately looked away and the other woman suddenly became very preoccupied with something on her cell phone.
I have to admit that I had some mixed feelings about the whole encounter. I am well aware that my behavior likely just invoked their pre-programmed response of the "angry apostate" stereotype. But I also remember that there were more than a few times when I was in the "field ministry" and I encountered angry people. Rarely could any of them articulate their reasons for being angry. Several were so upset they could barely speak. One young man even became violent and physically attacked the other person I was with requiring me to restrain him.
After every one of those times I always walked away wondering, "Why are they so upset? Why are they so upset they can't even explain it?"
Now of course I know.
And so I'm not in the least sorry that I said what I said to these two women. In fact, I'm glad that I was able to say specifically and clearly that it is their religion that directly caused the breakup of my family.
Their. Religion. Destroyed. My. Family.
Perhaps the cognitive dissonance I created within them will resonate for a while. Maybe it will even help one or both of them wake up before their family becomes yet another casualty of this cult.
Rant over.
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24
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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jp1692
Xanthippe: Good for you JP, reacting like a normal human being to a barefaced lie being paraded in the street to lure in innocent families.
I like the way you stated this. Thank you for putting it in perspective!
sir82: I think a "short burst of anger" was an understandable and appropriate response. Standing around ranting would have just reinforced the idea of the "crazy apostates". But an obviously angry man giving vent to his feelings then walking away? Might make them think.
Also an excellent perspective. Thanks!
humbled: Both experiences stuck with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that they had a story to tell about my religion that would trouble me. It DID trouble me. I think that you did the perfect thing, jp1692.
I think so too. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that wondered why some people we encountered in "the ministry" were so irate. They DID have a story to tell and we never heard it. But now we are sharing ours. We will be heard!
Sliced: I would not have been able to hold back either--- however, I would have been more calm when approaching. I would have said I love the title of their little cart, and how I wish I could agree that this was the case with JW's, but its NOT. How does shunning family create happiness?
Your closing question is powerful because the conclusion is so obvious and it clearly contradicts the JWs claimed beliefs and practices concerning families.
And I would no doubt have handled this differently had I PLANNED my comments. But I did not, it was my reaction to seeing them there intruding on my day and my peace and my life.
exjwlemming: a friend sent me a screenshot of my wife's instagram account. She posted a picture of herself working a JW booth set up at the county fair. The booth was decorated with JW posters claiming, "The Secret to Family Happiness."
So you can clearly relate. The irony is palpable.
Their self-righteousness blinds them to their hypocrisy. The typical JW exemplifies everything bad that Jesus preached against yet they don't see it.
Finkelstein: Valid rant jp1692. The JWS religion has broken a part millions of families by now mostly due its shunning DFing policy.
Thanks for the historical details about JWs and the modern practice of disfellowshipping and shunning. I am well aware of these facts but I'm sure the average JW is not.
To be clear: I am NOT disfellowshipped. I merely quit going to meetings at the Kingdom Hall. While I don't pretend to be something I'm not, I also do not publicly speak out against the religion locally where I live out of consideration for my children. I know that if I became known as an "apostate" in the area where we live it would only make it that much more difficult for them to reconcile.
I'm not optimistic about that, but I haven't given up hope either.
Oh well. What can we do?
Let's review: It's a cult!
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24
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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jp1692
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful and encouraging comments. I appreciated the balance from all of you.
I don't have time to respond to all of you, but here are some select responses:
Iamallcool: you should have told them that you are very happy now because you are out of their very weird religion.
In fact, my life is really good in every respect expect the lingering damage from my past association with the JW cult. The ongoing pain and frustration of being shunned by my children simply because I no longer attend meetings at the KH is difficult. Even after almost a decade, it still hurts -- sometimes worse than others, but it never completely goes away.
LisaRose: I wouldn't feel bad about that at all. It may not have been what you would have planned to say, but it was your truth, given from your heart, and that can be far more powerful than any prepared speech.
I love that sentiment. Thank you very much!
Wasanelder Once: Well, you spoke your heart. It may not have been a reasoned expression but it was authentic. … I’m sure your rage will find its place and your expressions won't be so volatile in the future.
Your first comment is similar to LisaRose's. Again: thanks! Just to be clear, I am well past the rage part of leaving this cult. Although my comment to the women on the street wasn't particularly restrained or measured, I wasn't yelling in uncontrolled anger either. The anger in my voice was in response to their complete hypocrisy knowing full well the damage their religion has done to countless millions of people. It was more a reaction of frustration. In no way was I physically threatening to them.
Perry: They are masters at weaponizing family relationships. … I feel sorry for them, trapped like that - taking the heat due the WT. They end up getting victimized twice. I probably would not have been able to just keep walking either.
I love the expression "weaponizing family relationships." I'm going to use it!
You're clearly a compassionate person to feel sorry for them, and I agree to an extent: they are pathetic. But they are also adults. They have the power to leave just as we did.
The chains that hold them are strong, but not physical. My sympathy ends at understanding. Their ongoing "victimization" is of their own choosing.
Sparrowdown: When I think back to all the titles of the books mags and brochures they're all misleading intellectual honey trap to lure in all sorts of people.
They are dishonest traps. That's exactly what upsets me about it. We KNOW they they are lies: deceptive and dishonestly designed to trap people.
It's disgusting really.
To be clear, I did fall for their trap, but it wasn't the other day. It was in the early 1980s and it took me almost two decades to escape.
Let's review: It's a cult!
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24
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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24
Find Family Happiness ... NOT!
by jp1692 inthe other day my wife and i were in sonoma.
we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .
normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.
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jp1692
The other day my wife and I were in Sonoma. We were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when I saw two JW women standing by their “witnessing cart.”
Normally, I just ignore them whenever I see JWs standing by a cart, but I gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: Find Family Happiness.
I was just going to walk on by, but when one of the women made eye contact I just couldn't help myself. I spontaneously blurted out, "You're messed up religion destroyed my family. You should be ashamed of yourself claiming to help people 'find family happiness'!"
Not too surprisingly, she immediately looked away and the other woman suddenly became very preoccupied with something on her cell phone.
I have to admit that I had some mixed feelings about the whole encounter. I am well aware that my behavior likely just invoked their pre-programmed response of the "angry apostate" stereotype. But I also remember that there were more than a few times when I was in the "field ministry" and I encountered angry people. Rarely could any of them articulate their reasons for being angry. Several were so upset they could barely speak. One young man even became violent and physically attacked the other person I was with requiring me to restrain him.
After every one of those times I always walked away wondering, "Why are they so upset? Why are they so upset they can't even explain it?"
Now of course I know.
And so I'm not in the least sorry that I said what I said to these two women. In fact, I'm glad that I was able to say specifically and clearly that it is their religion that directly caused the breakup of my family.
Their. Religion. Destroyed. My. Family.
Perhaps the cognitive dissonance I created within them will resonate for a while. Maybe it will even help one or both of them wake up before their family becomes yet another casualty of this cult.
Rant over.
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76
In one sentence, can you pinpoint a single event that woke you up?
by Brian J inmy turning point: serving on a child abuse judicial case.
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jp1692
Discovering the UN/NGO scandal was the beginning of the end for me, but I was ripe due to ever increasing cognitively dissonant facts at the time.
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Lucky 8 TV in NY is working on a docu-series. If shunned & have not had contact w/loved ones for 5-years, contact them to tell story on TV
by AndersonsInfo inlucky 8 tv (http://www.lucky8.tv/about-8/) in new york is currently working on a docu-series for a major cable network that focuses on the issue of family estrangement.. .
the production company is looking for people in our group (former jw’s) in the united states of all ages who have not had any contact with a loved one in at least 5 years because of shunning.
if you (or anyone you know) fits this description and would like to share your story, please send an email to production assistant emily torres: [email protected].. .
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jp1692
Barbara, thanks for posting this!
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51
Please Switch Off Your Critical Thinking
by pale.emperor ini have an uneasy feeling inside that something is coming this year or the next.
perhaps a new big announcement that turns jwdom on it's head.. we've seen the statement in the watchtower november 15th, 2013 which said:.
watchtower november 15th, 2013 - page 20, paragraph 17.. .
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jp1692
PE: I don't think we're to expect a Jonestown type suicide (although the blood doctrine is pretty close to suicide).
Way more people have died from the JW/WT No-Blood policy than the 909 that died in Jonestown on November 18th, 1978.
But because those deaths have been spread over time there has been little, to no, public outcry.
Lee Elder has written an interesting article on this. In it, he shares an estimate by one Dr. Muramoto, an AJWRB Medical Adviser, wherein he indicates "that 33,246 Jehovah’s Witnesses died during this 56 year period" from 1961-2016.I have pasted the link below for the full article:
- Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood – Tens of Thousands Dead in Hidden Tragedy
http://ajwrb.org/jehovahs-witnesses-and-blood-tens-of-thousands-dead-in-hidden-tragedy