jp1692

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Posts by jp1692

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  18

  Jehovah's Witnesses: A Coercive Organization?

  by john.prestor in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so in sociology we divide organizations up into three categories or types, you got utilitarian, voluntary, and coercive.

  utilitarian means people join to accomplish some purpose like selling food or making furniture, voluntary means they join up just for fun or to hang out with people like the freemasons or a lot of churches, and coercive means they don't really want to be there but they gotta because someone will punish them if they leave, so labor camps, armies, or prisons.. in a paper i wrote for a class a while back i argued that jehovah's witnesses should be seen as a coercive organization.

  yeah, people join up and they do leave, nobody beats you up if you stop attending or preaching, nobody imprisons you, shoots your dog, kills your kids that kind of thing, and nobody makes you join up either.

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  jp1692

  From one jp to another, interesting OP. Thanks!
  

  You overlooked the highly coercive effects of shunning or even the threat of it.

  As I know you well know, this keeps many a PIMO JW attending meetings just to avoid losing their families; and many of us that leave do so at the cost of broken and lost relationships.

  Because of our deep need to belong, the threat or reality of losing our families is a highly coercive and manipulative tactic used by many cults and other high-control groups, JWs being just one.

  No, they don't shoot your dog, but the destroy families. Something which in my opinion is far, far worse.

  jp1692
  
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  25

  A Question for Born-ins Who Had a Parent Leave the Cult Before They Did

  by jp1692 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  question: have any of you that are now exjws had a parent leave the religion before you, and you shunned them because of that?

  if so—and while you were still in the cult—what, if anything, could your parent have done to reach your heart and begin a reconciliation?

  it’s been almost ten years since i left the religion and my two sons continue to shun me and rebuff all efforts i make to reconcile.

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  jp1692

  Finkelstein,

  Yes, I am aware of the changes in WT practices and the reasons behind them. But thank you for sharing for those among us that don't have your 40 years of perspective!

  jp
  
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  25

  A Question for Born-ins Who Had a Parent Leave the Cult Before They Did

  by jp1692 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  question: have any of you that are now exjws had a parent leave the religion before you, and you shunned them because of that?

  if so—and while you were still in the cult—what, if anything, could your parent have done to reach your heart and begin a reconciliation?

  it’s been almost ten years since i left the religion and my two sons continue to shun me and rebuff all efforts i make to reconcile.

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  jp1692

  FYI: I am not disfellowshipped. I quit going to meetings a little over five years ago.

  The last meeting I attended was the one in January 2014 when the infamous “Seven Shepherds, Eight Dukes” WT was studied:

  At that time, the life-saving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not. ... Now is the time for any who may be putting their trust in secular education, material things, or human institutions to adjust their thinking. The elders must stand ready to help any who may now be wavering in their faith. – WT, November 15, 2013, paragraph 17

  That was it. I was done drinking the Kool-Aid.
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  25

  A Question for Born-ins Who Had a Parent Leave the Cult Before They Did

  by jp1692 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  question: have any of you that are now exjws had a parent leave the religion before you, and you shunned them because of that?

  if so—and while you were still in the cult—what, if anything, could your parent have done to reach your heart and begin a reconciliation?

  it’s been almost ten years since i left the religion and my two sons continue to shun me and rebuff all efforts i make to reconcile.

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  jp1692

  It was nice to wake up this morning and see all the different responses to my late-night (for me) post.

  Thank you!

  It is interesting—although not particularly surprising—to see how varied your differing responses are. And even though some of the advice offered conflicts with that suggested by others, there is certainly some value and merit in everything that all of you have written. There really is no “right answer.”

  This well illustrates the reality of just how difficult it is to deal with the damage done and the broken relationships caused by this cult, it’s policies and practices.

  You’ve all given me much to think about.

  Again, thanks!

  jp
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  25

  A Question for Born-ins Who Had a Parent Leave the Cult Before They Did

  by jp1692 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  question: have any of you that are now exjws had a parent leave the religion before you, and you shunned them because of that?

  if so—and while you were still in the cult—what, if anything, could your parent have done to reach your heart and begin a reconciliation?

  it’s been almost ten years since i left the religion and my two sons continue to shun me and rebuff all efforts i make to reconcile.

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  jp1692

  QUESTION: Have any of you that are now exJWs had a parent leave the religion before you, and you shunned them because of that?

  If so—and while you were still in the cult—what, if anything, could your parent have done to reach your heart and begin a reconciliation?

  I’m asking for myself. It’s been almost ten years since I left the religion and my two sons continue to shun me and rebuff all efforts I make to reconcile.

  In the last decade I’ve done everything I can think of to maintain a relationship with them, but all to no avail. I know that I can’t understand how my leaving feels from their perspective no matter how much it try.

  I am trying to understand how they feel and see if there is something I’m missing that could possibly make a difference.

  Thanks in advance for your help!

  
  
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  78

  Is White Nationalism A Major Problem In Your Opinion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after seeing the atrocity in new zealand, do you think white nationalism is a major issue affecting you or where you live?.

  somebody already called out chelseaclinton, blaming her for the attack!

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  jp1692

  Absolutely, as are any and all extremist views and ideologies—whether political, religious, social or ethnic.

  One has only to look objectively at the results of extremist views of ANY type to see that they should be condemned. All of them.
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  15

  How are you all.

  by Holden Caufield in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  how is everybody?.

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  jp1692

  I’m good. Thanks for asking. You?
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  79

  Ending Bible Study

  by Maria Nieves in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been studying with jehovah's witnesses for approximately two years.

  initially, i liked the studies and felt that i was growing closer to god.

  however, as the studies progressed, they seemed to become increasingly negative and i did not like what i was being taught.

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  jp1692

  Here's a great thread on the topic of boundaries:

  • Relationship Issues: Boundaries, Freedom of Choice and Codependency

  Enjoy!
  
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  30

  Awake No. 2 2019 - Way To Destroy Your Childrens Hopes And Dreams Watchtower!

  by pale.emperor in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  not that i spend much time on the cult's website, but i like to skim through their latest propaganda to make sure i'm up to date with their nuttiness.

  (and when i say skim, i mean just that.

  the wafer thin, dumbed down content can be read in like 2 mins flat).. i just had to share my thoughts on the above piece of trash.. no.

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  jp1692

  Sparky: LISTEN, OBEY and be BLESSED.

  jp1692: LISTEN, OBEY and be BLESSED: It's a cult!
  
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  39

  When you were an active JW, did you ever have dealings with a pyramid scheme?

  by Tameria2001 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm not sure why this memory popped up, and i was wondering if any others, when they were still active jw had dealings with a pyramid scheme involving other witnesses in the organization?

  at the time it was 1993, and my husband and i were still newlyweds.

  once in a while, we would attend a neighboring congregation because that was where he grew up, and some of his family was still attending there at the time.

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  jp1692

  JWs and MLMs are an interesting sociological phenomenon.

  You have the least educated group of people in the country (by religious affiliation) who are kept busy during all, or most, of their free time with “the ministry,” both of a which make it difficult for the majority of JWs to earn a decent living. So naturally they are ripe for this kind of scam because they need to earn more than they do, and they’re not educated enough to recognize the futility of any “get-rich-quick” schemes.

  But it gets better. JWs are not supposed to “conduct business” at the Kingdom Hall and are discouraged from having relationships with “worldly people.” So who will be their customers?

  JWs are easy targets for getting involved in questionable business dealings which have little chance to succeed.

  It’s just a recipe for frustration!