jp1692

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Posts by jp1692

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  9

  11 new things made illegal in a relationship

  by Amelia Ashton in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was subjected to more than one of these whilst married.

  a partner should be treated as an equal.

  i wonder how that will work out in a jw household?.

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  jp1692

  Funny, they're trying to outlaw narcissistic behavior.

  Good luck with that!
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  48

  Healing & Rebuilding Your Life - Feedback Wanted

  by jp1692 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been invited to speak at an international cultic studies association workshop this fall.

  i could use your help in focusing on my presentation subject.. these workshops are for former members of any cult or other high-control, authoritarian group, not just jehovah's witnesses.

  last year, i spoke at one of their larger conferences in europe.

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  jp1692

  I have been invited to speak at an International Cultic Studies Association workshop this fall. I could use your help in focusing on my presentation subject.

  These workshops are for former members of any cult or other high-control, authoritarian group, not just Jehovah's Witnesses. Last year, I spoke at one of their larger conferences in Europe. In attendance were former cult members of all kinds, people born or raised in cultic groups, families, mental health professionals, researchers, and educators.

  At a workshop I attended last fall -- and which is similar to the one I will be presenting at this year -- there were many former cult members and their families and friends in the audience, but not too many mental health professionals, researchers, or educators.

  The theme I have chosen for my presentation is: Healing & Rebuilding Your Life.

  My intended audience will range from those that have recently left a cult to those who have some distance but are either still dealing with ex-cult issues or are trying to help someone else that is.

  There are six subjects that I am currently considering for my presentation:

  1. The Five Stages of Grief/loss (Kübler-Ross model)
  2. Examining Our Beliefs: Identifying the false and harmful (dysfunctional) core beliefs which are the root cause of our on-going difficulties after leaving
  3. Psychoeducation - this is closely related to #2 above, but is frankly more technical
  4. Treatments & Interventions - seeking treatments from working with mental health professionals to self-help
  5. Discovering Your Authentic Self - (personal identity)
  6. Dealing With Isolation and Loneliness (shunning)

  As I will only have twenty minutes to present (plus 10 minutes for Q&A), I really need to focus on just one or maybe two at most of the above topics.

  So here is my request: take a look at the above list of six topics and rank in order 1-6 (1 being highest, 6 lowest) which topics you believe would be of most benefit to either yourself or others in our current journey post-JWs. Please indicate how long it's been since you left the religion.

  Feel free to leave any other comments, explanations, suggestions and/or questions.

  Thanks in advance,

  jp
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  21

  You are NOT alone !

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this post is mainly for our new forum visitors and members.

  perhaps even those who are just lurking or visiting here but have not yet signed up.

  maybe you are in the initial stages of researching and finding out the earthshattering and life changing information about the religion that you once held dear and called “the truth”.. it can be a very stressful period of time as you realise that your whole foundation has changed and that the people in your life that you call friends or family may not take kindly to the things you have discovered.

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  jp1692

  Leaving this religion when it's all you've ever known is very stressful and can cause great anxiety.

  It can indeed be difficult to come to terms with the reality that we have been lied to and betrayed by a religion we believed in and people we trusted.

  It is also heartbreaking to find that none of our relationships are sacred. So many of us have lost friends and family -- parents, children, siblings and spouses -- when we left this religion.

  And yet, things can and do get better.

  Indeed, when we leave a dysfunctional, high-control and abusive relationship we open ourselves up for greater opportunities.

  By leaving behind the highly-conditional relationships formed in the Jehovah's Witness religion we can begin to make new and better relationships.

  We will find people that love and appreciate us for WHO we really are, and not WHAT we (pretend to) believe.
  
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  16

  Jehovah`s Witnesses Do Not Have a Clergy Class.

  by smiddy3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  no , they have the governing body { some would say the popes of the religion }.

  and you do not under any circumstance go against what they say./ .

  they also have branch overseers , district overseers .circuit overseers , and elders in a congregation .. they are all up and above the rank and file of the average ordinary jehovah`s witness and they are looked upon as such by the rank and file member as equivalent to a clergy class.. oh and lets not forget the legal department that has a lot to say in how the jehovah`s witness organization responds to allegations of child sexual abuse around the world.. and when an allegation arises about child sexual abuse the w.t.

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  jp1692

  A key difference is that Catholic priests are highly educated having a minimum of a Bachelor's degree followed up with 2-4 years of seminary studies. Many also have a Master's degree as well; whereas JW elders are almost universally not very well educated.

  The couple of hours or few-days-long workshops that JWs have and call "Elder Schools" are a joke.

  JW elders are completely unqualified for their roles in the congregations. It's a wonder they don't cause more damage than they do, and I'm well aware of the extensive damage they cause.
  
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  16

  Jehovah`s Witnesses Do Not Have a Clergy Class.

  by smiddy3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  no , they have the governing body { some would say the popes of the religion }.

  and you do not under any circumstance go against what they say./ .

  they also have branch overseers , district overseers .circuit overseers , and elders in a congregation .. they are all up and above the rank and file of the average ordinary jehovah`s witness and they are looked upon as such by the rank and file member as equivalent to a clergy class.. oh and lets not forget the legal department that has a lot to say in how the jehovah`s witness organization responds to allegations of child sexual abuse around the world.. and when an allegation arises about child sexual abuse the w.t.

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  jp1692

  
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  20

  Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vpqilhw9ui.

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  jp1692

  BBW, they’re going back down. The “Flynn Effect” is reversing, or normalizing, to the curve. Time to check your facts and update your data.
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  42

  Liberal vs. Democrat in the U.S.A.

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems that many believe that a liberal in the usa must be a democrat, pretty much following the party core teachings and some even think it means approving the party history of, during the 19th century, supporting or tolerated slavery and opposing civil rights reforms after the civil war.

  some even insist that a liberal loves anything and everything obama did..

  balderdash!!.

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  jp1692

  OTWO, Nice try. Too bad it’ll likely fall on mostly deaf ears.

  You are attempting to have a nuanced discussion about shades of gray with people that can only see things in black and white, or to be more politically accurate: red and blue.

  As if there are no other colors ...

  Forget reasoned debate; let’s just reduce it all down to emotionally charged-slogans and catch-phrases:

  • less-partisan
  • completely intolerant
  • oxymoron
  • racism
  • racist
  • pretend
  • poisonous past

  Loaded language is the tool of choice of propagandists and yellow journalism. They are effective because they stop us from thinking—unless we know the game. If we know the game, then we can avoid the trap.

  Clear, dispassionate thinking avoids being unduly influenced by such biased words in favor at factual, balanced discourse.

  This is of course much more difficult—which is why most people avoid it—but it is much more productive and always yields better results in the long run.

  It takes incredible courage and personal integrity to respond to these difficult issues with thoughtful and reasoned responses. It’s just so much easier to give knee-jerk responses and degenerate into juvenile name-calling. No critical-thinking involved.

  That being said, I do believe that many of us here on this forum do aspire to more thoughtful, rigorous discourse. But we must acknowledge this singularly uncomfortable fact: we were never taught how to think or how to take a breath and make a thoughtful and reasoned response.

  But that’s no excuse: It’s not too late to learn how to think!

  Now’s the time.
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  54

  Explain why you are happy if you believe there is no afterlife vs when you joined JW's

  by Bad_Wolf in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  one thing that has intrigued me are so many who have left, who are wholly convinced everything in existence is merely by chance now, also claim they wouldn't want to live forever, and perfectly fine if this is the only life.

  now, i would understand that if you were raised into the religion.

  i was raised into it.

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  jp1692

  The idea of endless life was certainly an appeal to me. But it is a fantasy, not reality.

  On the other hand, the teachings, polices and practices of the JW religion prevents its members from actually living their lives now! They steal your life in exchange for a lie.
  

  Since leaving the religion I am able to actually live a real, authentic life.
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  56

  The Latest Thing Waking People Up...

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  since i woke up and left i've been contacted by others i knew from my youth who've also left the cult.

  also people around the world on facebook adding me out of the blue because we have mutual friends and they occasionally ask me stuff or share their story.. what i've noticed in the vast majority of cases, is that people are waking up not because of the arc or doctrine but apathy.

  active jws are becoming less and less interested, less and less bothered.

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  jp1692

  It’s a con game: the religion gets its members to do things NOW and give up things NOW in exchange for a FUTURE reward over which they have no control or power and which isn’t even real.

  This is one reason that so many of us who woke up go through a period of feeling foolish for being conned. Once we get over that we realize we are justifiably angry at being lied to and betrayed by the religion and its leaders.

  Let’s review: It’s a cult!
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  10

  Why can't Scarlett Johansson play a transgender character?

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  scarlett johansson was cast to play a transgender role in rub & tug.. recently she pulled out.

  i don't know whether she jumped or was pushed but trans activists, despite claiming to represent only 0.3% of the population, have quite a powerful voice.. do they want a trans actor to play the trans role, is that it?.

  if scarlett johansson shouldn't play a trans role, does that mean a trans actor shouldn't play a cis role?.

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  jp1692

  So what’s next?

  Actors will no longer be allowed to portray doctors, lawyers, criminals or any other roles unless the have actually been fully trained, licensed and certified as experienced professionals in that field.

  Casting: “Wanna play a killer? You’re gonna have to show me the bodies!”