Posts by scratchme1010

6

My first paid comedy gig

by usualusername1 in

jw
friends

after 5 months of struggling, yesterday i was paid to perform.

for those who saw the last video i hope you see an improvement.. would love feedback as always.

the first 2 minutes is on my life as a former jw.. cheers.

And then it hit me: we were abused

by Anders Andersen in

from a psychcentral (run by mental health professionals): a familiar item on a list of 7 types of parental abuse :.

spiritual abuse.

has the child experienced:dichotomous thinking – dividing people into two parts: those who agree with the parent and those who don’t.

I want to add that aside from the well know forms of child abuse inflicted in children way too many times by way too many adults, there is such thing as spiritual abuse. It's important to recognize that not only it exists, but also affects both adults and children.

A good book on the subject is one written by a ministers named Leo Booth, entitled "When God Becomes a Drug: Understanding Religious Addiction and Religious Abuse". I like his description and also how religious abuse is manifested based on the different social classes in families.

He goes on explaining that in what he calls "blue collar religious families" there are more incidents of violence and physical and emotional abuse using god or the bible as an excuse, whereas in what he calls "country club christians" the abuse is more covert as those families tend to be more into saving appearances. Either way, the religious and spiritual abuse happens in the families and is very damaging. In fact, the reasons why so many people can't leave religion altogether is similar to battered people who are submitted to domestic violence and still don't leave the abusive relationship. However, it's a lot more difficult since it is accepted/expected that people are supposed to want to remain in a religious organization than in an abusive relationship.

This is a great topic, Anders Andersen.

Personally I know that some people react strongly to some of the things that I post but I believe that many (not all, I admit I have been a little bit of a jerk in some of my posts and replies) of those times people are just under the influence or religious abuse, a similar reaction to what they would have if I punch the domestic violent person who is abusing them.

7

A new way to boost hours

by neat blue dog in

it seems that metro witnesses have beeen directed to now have a total of 5 people at each location, as well as 'encouraged' to witness on their lunch breaks, (thus being able to count their time all the way through).

these 2 things should help boost the yearly hours..

scratchme1010

I'm feel sorry for those current active JWs who are starting to see and feel what they are really all about.

13

US vs THEM

by Anders Andersen in

i still remember that feeling.

thank god it's gone for good.

i used to be part of us witnesses.

scratchme1010

For a drunk non-poet that was fabulous. Great. Hope the hangover isn't too much.

19

I think the CO just knocked on my door.

by schnell in

i can't be too sure, because i didn't answer, but my mother had called me this morning and said this week is our co visit.. it's been a while since i last had elders at my door.

last time that happened, i posted about it, so it was only a few months.. i really don't want to talk with them.

is there a chance i'll be announced as "no longer one of..." after he's left if i don't?.

scratchme1010

A loss is a loss. If I opened my mouth to talk about the weather, they probably wouldn't listen to me now. Naturally, I'm trying to fill that void in other areas (online, at work, etc.). Is that unfinished business? Oh, it's just a set-up for a future adventure, whatever that may be.

In my probably unwanted, unasked-for opinion, sounds more like part of the process of reducing their influence to the minimum. That's not unfinished business. If there's no need for you to communicate and can let them go, considering that the conversation with them that many of us would love to have will never happen, doesn't seem like unfinished business.

I felt the same way when I started going to college and I'd hear people talking about the clubs they belonged to in high school the extracurricular activities they were involved in, the number of experiences that they all had that i never did. Looks exactly like what you describe about your friends that you departed from.

A few decades later now, looking back I realized two important things: (1) When I started taking a closer look at the realities of many of those people, not everything was great and fun. There were social pressures, family issues and a number of things that were not as great as they claimed their lives were, and (2) Most importantly, I now have a history with new friends, new experiences and pretty much an entire life that I now have after leaving.

How we move on and what we do really can help create an entire new wealth of good people and experiences.

19

I think the CO just knocked on my door.

by schnell in

i can't be too sure, because i didn't answer, but my mother had called me this morning and said this week is our co visit.. it's been a while since i last had elders at my door.

last time that happened, i posted about it, so it was only a few months.. i really don't want to talk with them.

is there a chance i'll be announced as "no longer one of..." after he's left if i don't?.

scratchme1010

I really don't want to talk with them. Is there a chance I'll be announced as "no longer one of..." after he's left if I don't?

I think you shouldn't either way. The WT has no power or authority over you. None.By now I'm quite sure you have to be aware that their efforts to reach out to you have nothing to do with your well being. They may just want to check the box, or as many of them, they just want to have the last saying. They hate hate hate people leaving and cutting ties with them in their own terms.

Well, that is the rational part. However, I'd like to ask you, do you feel that there are unfinished business between you and them? I ask because on one hand you are not answering the door, but on the other you are mentioning things you'd like to tell them.

I know that as we build confidence and a life outside the WT we become less and less interested in whatever they have to say, so I guess I'm asking where do you feel you are in relationship to them as of now? I think that matters since the degree of attachment (or detachment) does affect your reaction to them.

40

What if Fred Franz had never existed?

by Magnum in

what if fred franz had never existed?.

those of you who weren’t around in the days when he was the oracle of jwdom or who at least aren’t familiar with the deeper publications he was responsible for probably won’t be able to comprehend the significance of the question.

i believe he influenced jwdom greatly, and the whole feel of jwdom would have been different without him.. during the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s (not sure about 50’s), he was considered to be almost superhuman by some (a lot?

scratchme1010

But what would it have been like if Franz had never existed? What would the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s have been like? What would the literature have been like? Would there have ever been a New World Translation? What about doctrine? I assume there would not have been a 1975 debacle. Would JWdom have had the momentum that it did in that period if Franz hadn’t been in the picture? What would have been the look and feel without him?

So many possibilities. I tend not to indulge myself in this hypothetical scenarios as they are, well unreal and pure speculation, but in this case I'll speculate that we just don't know. As Finkelstein points out, Franz was just one of the many BS-ers around. There's no way to know is things will be different, the same, better or worse.

20

Witness weddings

by dothemath in

recently went to a witness wedding, and after the vows the bride and groom were introduced as "brother and sister".....(then last name).....(then the big kiss).

this is likely not unusual (i've heard it before), but with lots of "worldly" people in attendance it seems out of place to me.. i was just wondering if that's the way it is most places?.

scratchme1010

I was just wondering if that's the way it is most places?

I never saw that in the KHs I grew up, but that may be due to cultural differences. In my culture they don't get introduced that way.

That said, it is a cult. As such they will use every single opportunity to push their agenda. Look at how they use funerals to preach to people who are mourning.

17

Flip Flops to Nowhere

by Lostandfound in

how long until wt has flip flopped its way back to anything of the faith many of us knew?

who are the now dead ones giving evidence of their non captivity to babylon etc?

i would not recognise what goes on in a kh now and i was in since 60s when we had firm beliefs, now being eroded little by little.

scratchme1010

Or is this a plan to constantly adjust things to keep faithful busy so constant money fraud can continue in new circumstances.

You got it.

Yes, i remember the books from the 60's and 70's and how it used to be. Personally I don't see the changes as anything outrageous. What I see is an overreaction to the changes based on the fact that people have been indoctrinated and brainwashed to accept and believe everything and anything that comes from them. It's obvious that they have always been about their own interest and never about their people, but that's only evident to those who are well aware of how it used to be.

47

What did you regrettably not do because you were a Jehovah's Witness ?

by minimus in

jw
friends

jehovah's witnesses cannot do a lot of things.

i remember pioneers having to quit their jobs because they could not work in a convenience store and sell cigarettes.

i know of a young man who was offered a scholarship to any college or university if he wanted to go to because of his football abilities.

scratchme1010

What have you given up because of being a JW??

Getting my father arrested.