Posts by scratchme1010

13

Can the cult really fold ?

by Chook in

i had the shocking thought that wt may never die due to its free labor realestate building empire.

an the lawyers drain the swamp quicker than the new building program..

They seem to be changing focus. Scientology in USA changed their model from a controlling cult to a rich empire that doesn't do what it used to. So in that sense, yes, it may never go away. It seems to be changing their model.

5

Newbee here - question about baptism validity and special circumstance

by MrRoboto in

i would like to thank the operators of this website and all the others here who support those who are walking up.

perhaps i'll share some personal story stuff at another time but i've been lurking here for a while, maybe 2 years or so.

finally got the bearings to create an account :).

scratchme1010

Any thoughts on this? My friend was thinking to just write bethel but before going through the obvious avalanche of nonsense that would bring, they wanted to ask in a more drama free setting.

Welcome to the forum.

I never heard of annulling their baptism, and in my opinion, that may be because of the arrogant JW position that they are right in everything that they say and do.

However, I do know of a person who was "re-baptized". Not sure about the particulars, but apparently she confessed to something she was doing that disqualified her from her first baptism. I was very young and not paying attention when I heard about it, so that's as far as I can go with that information.

My own baptism was a complete sham. I never took it seriously, and it showed all the way until I left. Nobody in any of the congregations I belonged to since I got baptized, ever questioned it nor made any fuss about it. Nobody questioned my reasons and motives behind my decision of baptizing.

I guess that what I am saying is that if there is a person questioning their standing with the WT based on their baptism, please know that such "dedication" is not binding you to anything. At the end of the day the WT has no authority and no saying over people's lives and decisions. It's all an illusion.

1

A TED talk. "I am working to change my church" x Chelsea Shields.

by zeb in

jw
friends

hey friends!

go look up ted talks on you tube.

the above one speaks much of the wt.

scratchme1010

Thanks for it. Interesting thoughts. It's good that there are conversations about it. That can help some people who care about organized religion but still feel left out for feeling discriminated.

I should add that I know of some religious organizations that are more welcoming of diversity of thought, so Chelsea Shields should feel happy that she's not along in her attempts.

Thanks again, zeb.

12

What is your happy or comforting memory from your childhood?

by MissFit in

when i think of my childhood i tend to organize my memories based on the houses i lived in.

the house i remember the most was the house on the hill when i was 6. i can still picture it in my mind.

it had a big porch with a porch swing.

scratchme1010

Did you have a memory or place that comforted you or made you happy?

I used to spend some time with one of my sisters in her bedroom, talking and playing. Then also playing with my little sister when she was a baby. Nothing outside those walls even existed.

41

What woke you up?

by MrRoboto in

for me, i think it was just the right time as i was starting to wake up on other fronts as well (anyone who had went through these will know what i mean).

but it started when i was looking for what info goes on a publisher card, which led to me reading one person's story (ex bethelite) which was pretty crazy to an all-in jw but who trusts those apostates...?.

then i started watching videos on cults, as if my subconscious was trying to tell my concord mind something... when i saw a particular one about a young man in lds getting ready to start their 2 year preaching campaign, including a school, social activities etc, i realized that i couldn't tell the difference between the folks of this mormon cult and the jws (save for some religious differences) .

scratchme1010

That's my awakening story... What's yours?

I am born-in, so I cannot frame my story around reflecting on making a decision to join. However, to me, waking up means making the decision to walk away from that nonsense, a difficult decision that most born-in have to face, because that means leaving your entire life up to that point behind.

So my "waking up" was my realization that I don't belong in that organization. Growing up a JW and having a strong skeptical gene in my DNA, along with my natural curiosity for knowing about many things, analyzing things from different perspectives, all that combined with having a strong sense of who I am and who/what I am not, was the perfect recipe for not belonging in the congregation. Reflecting back, most of my unsavory experiences with the JWs were pretty much them pushing me not to think for myself and pretend to be something I am not.

It was never about my well being (or anybody's for that matter). What I had to say never mattered, how I felt about things never mattered. It was a constant attack against me being honest about who/how I am. At some point I was just flat out told that I can just look the way that pleases them, that the rest doesn't matter.

Then there was the hypocrisy of some people who somehow always seemed to find a biblical reason for rules not applying to them. It was not ok for some people to go to college, but somehow there was a perfect excuse for some others, who happened to be children of the "in" crowd in the congregation, for them to be entitled to do that.

I was never seen as valuable, but I was ok with that since many of those horribly judgemental people were very simple minded people with no other thing to do than being in the congregation and getting into other people's business. I didn't want anything to do with them anyway.

The WT couldn't cage me. They did everything possible to make my life miserable, but I left, and I left because I said so, when I said so, and in my terms. Of course, if you ask them, the story they will give you is... I'm sure I don't have to tell you about that.

I was a young adult with a lot of dreams, plans and things to learn and do, and making other innocent people suffer by entering a heterosexual marriage just to please their stupid Jehovah was not one of my dreams.

60

Who Do You Think Is HOTTTT?

by minimus in

jw
friends

what attracts you in a male or female?

give me an example or better yet a pic to tell me what you like.😈.

scratchme1010

What attracts you in a male or female? Give me an example or better yet a pic to tell me what you like.

Some people here are already horrified by some of my posts. I don't want to further traumatize them. I prefer to keep that to myself.

22

A woman wearing a head covering in subjugation of men - absolutely mental

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

how did they ever get away with that and how does it go down now, in today's society?.

its fucking mental.

.

scratchme1010

How did they ever get away with that and how does it go down now, in today's society?

Its fucking mental.

My thoughts are that just like with mistreatment of gay people, the mistreatment and subjugation of women was easier because most of the rest of society has similar, the same, or worse believes around women. That's one of those things that is also reinforced with many other aspects of society.

The farther back you go in contemporary history, the more you find about how bad women were treated. It was not something that only the WT came up with, they just took advantage of an existing societal perception and norm.

I imagine that by mental you mean traumatic. If that's the case, I agree. It was horrible in my JW house because my mother was more intelligent than my father, and that caused a lot of problems.

In congregations what you normally see are a lot of passive/aggressive bitter women, many channeling their anger by backstabbing gossiping and making very person that comes across them as miserable as they are. Many have issues around food, and a whole lot of them are depressed.

9

Overcoming deeply ingrained false beliefs. (short video)

by UNCONDITIONAL LOVE in

jw
friends

the jw cult systematically teaches doctrines, which in turn become beliefs, that hinders a persons mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

here are some great pointers on how to overcome deeply ingrained false beliefs.. .

1 timothy 4:2. such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.. https://youtu.be/agywceulbx0.

scratchme1010

The JW cult systematically teaches doctrines, which in turn become beliefs, that hinders a persons mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

Actually, for some reason people continue to perpetuate that learning something (or about something) is what causes harm. They keep addressing doctrine without pointing at the reasons why people join or stay, which have nothing to do with doctrine or teachings. As jp1692 mentioned, Lovability, Adequacy, Helplessness are feelings, not doctrines.

I'd add to that list Ego. Some ex-JWs feel ashamed of talking about being fooled to believe the WT crap based on what they thought it was offered to them. Some people joined because they are made feel important, or they will have opportunities to lead, etc.

You can perfectly understand how ridiculous is to believe all the teachings of the WT, but without addressing the reasons why one joined or stays, which have to do with what one feels, the influence continues. That's why so many ex-JWs continue talking and acting as if they are JWs even decades after they have left. They keep discussing doctrine and teachings, never address what the WT made them feel that made them joined or stay.

35

Is JW.org unbreakable

by UnshackleTheChains in

i ask this question for good reason.

let's face it, despite all the books, videos, forums, court cases, hearings, protests etc that have been exposing the society for many years.

jw.org continues to roll on almost 'it seems' unscathed.. for example, just walk into any kingdom hall there is not so much as a whisper about anything that has been exposed outside of jw land.

scratchme1010

Thoughts?

Cognitive dissonance, brainwashing, controlling group.

For example, just walk into any Kingdom Hall there is not so much as a whisper about anything that has been exposed outside of JW land. JW.org continue to roll out their slick broadcasts unhindered. It's all so bizarre!

You get the same effect in the republican congress.

9

New Tool To Help Cult Survivors. From an EXJW

by TTaTT4U in

.

https://bonniezieman.com/2017/05/09/cracking-the-cult-code-for-therapists-what-cult-victims-want-their-therapist-to-know/.

scratchme1010

There are plenty of help and information out there for survivors of those groups. Many therapists that don't specialize or understand cult dynamics, however, may not be helpful at all to many people under the negative influence on one of those harmful groups.

Personally I don't think that limiting the practice to JWs is a good idea as that perpetuates the idea that the JWs are this unique group that no one else understands, which is just not true. That belief is part of the brainwashing.