Posts by scratchme1010

he is guilty of genocide for the attempted and succesful ,killing off other nations not leaving man woman or child alive.. he is guilty of barbarism against women for not living up to his rules or regulations such as cutting off a womans hand for defending her husband in a brawl with another man.. he is guilty of condemning the whole human race for the misdemeanor of the first human pair for eating a fruit he said not to eat ?

a bit over the top dont you think ?.

scratchme1010

If Jehovah God was in "Human Form" with his Theocratic Nation on earth in todays climate he would be facing Human rights issues.

He would be arrested and tried for all the crimes, but found innocent for insanity, and probably committed to a mental health institution.

9

What the craziest thing you have heard of someone hauled before a judicial committee for ?

by Chook in

anything that's true

scratchme1010

In one of those lame JCs (I was called a lot at the end), the elders pretty much identified every single gay man they knew in the congregation by asking me if I had sex with any of them. The list was quite long and surprising.

14

One Year Past Disassociation - An Appraisal

by EdenOne in

two weeks ago marked one year over my disassociation.

time for an appraisal.. quick summary of my story for those who came in lately: my mother brought me into the witnesses when i was 4, grew up the role-model jw boy, baptized at 16, married a zealous reg.

pio.

scratchme1010

Thank you for your update. I found this part something I relate to, and I'm sure this can be a very powerful thing for many who are in the process of fading:

...having someone who believes on my skills is something that has a profound effect on me, because it is deeply ingrained into me that unless I give myself some credit for my own achievements, no one ever will...

Thank you for sharing that, and everything else.

25

I Give Up!

by pale.emperor in

im giving up guys.

i've reached the end of my patience and now i finally refuse to waste any more time on part-time witnesses.

i've text all of my active jw family members and told them to delete my number from their phone and never contact me again.

scratchme1010

I've done nothing but support him when he complained to me about witnesses pressuring him to attend meetings, when he didnt want to study, when elders wanted to "shepherd him" and i've not once asked him for anything. And now he wants to just drop me?

Sorry to hear about that unsavory experience with another ex-JW. I myself have been through that, and you certainly don't deserve such treatment.

However, you have us! There are plenty of other people in this planet to choose if you want a good friendship without having to deal with the JW crap.

Trust me, I perfectly understand your feelings. Reminds me of quite a few JWs and ex-JWs who would do everything and everyone at the gay clubs, but talking to me. It is not a pleasant feeling, and one gets rejection when expecting solidarity. However, better sooner than later.

You will continue moving on. The rest is just the rest.

45

What did NOT get you out?

by problemaddict 2 in

i realize this is odd, but a "how you woke up" thread and the personal stories that are told which i know we all enjoy, made me think of this.

in helping my wife and a couple others get the ball rolling, i realized the thing that resonated with me, didn't even move the needle with them.

i wanted to rail on and on about blood, because that was my conduit to waking up, but for my wife it was about shunning.

scratchme1010

Everyone has their brick. The rest of the wall could be stable.
Thoughts?

For some bizarre reason, people keep going on and on and on and on and on and on, ad nauseam trying to reason with JWs, and looking for reasons regarding doctrine and teachings that make people leave. Although it has happened, the reality is that the vast majority of JWs are brainwashed, and reasoning alone doesn't work at all. Reasoning does work when addressed properly along with what they FEEL. Experts, people who have dedicated their lives to research of cults, brainwashing and the effects of groups like the WT continue stating what the most common reasons for people to stay are:

They continue to believe in the helper - some people do believe in Christianity, and for as long as the WT keep making them believe that they are the one and only true Christian religion, they will feel like they are being disloyal to God. This alludes to a sense of loyalty, a feeling.
To protect their investment - A sense of safety and comfort in what they have taken years to build is not going to go away by just seeing facts and truths. If they don't find another source of comfort or safety, or otherwise if they do not admit to being in a false sense of safety and comfort, they are not going to leave. Sense of comfort and safety are feelings too.
To hold onto family - Being shunned and accused of disrupting family relations, whether it is true or not, is not something that people want to put up with. Leaving means losing some family ties and otherwise close relationships. Loving family members is another feeling.
Because their relationships are real and solid - Same thing but with other people outside family.A sense of camaraderie, belonging to something, being part of a community, sharing a same belief system or practices, etc, those are things that people feel, not just reason and learn.
Pride and embarassment - Admitting that one has made the mistake of making so many important decisions, and raising your own children to do the same is no small thing to admit. Saving face out of pride and embarrassment is sometimes a very strong need, too much to handle to do otherwise, and are also feelings.
Fear - of the WT being right, or fear of not having anything to live for if leaving, fear being shunned, fear of finding themselves alone, fear of the uncertainty and realities of the actual world and where it is going, the list of fears is almost endless, and fear is a feeling too.

Look at your list now under those things (I highlighted some things in italics):

Apostates with signs (the angrier, the more i felt they were just fullfilling prophecy) - continue to believe in the helper
Christians with signs (they were usually rude, and talking about the Trinity......next) - continue to believe in the helper
UN scandal. I didn't care. - continue to believe in the helper
Old friends trying to get me to think about why I wasn't allowed to go to college or play sports - protect their investment
"bad" Elders. I actually grew up around and with some really good guys. Guys I felt really believed, and tried their best to be balanced and extend mercy. - relationships are real and solid

Your own reasons have nothing to do with reasoning or facts, but with feelings. I am quite sure that many of us did not leave just because of change in doctrine, but for the feeling of being fooled by their change in doctrine.

I am a strong believer that the "brick" that needs to loosen is the one that makes the feelings that made people join go away. They have to feel:

Betrayed by the leader(ship)
Disillutioned
Rejected, left out, not counted due to personality differences or lack of "coolness'
Bored (the excitement is over)
Scandalized over something that happened that touches something that one is sensitive to
Unable to continue rationalizing

6

Has anyone on here " stumbled " any one out of JWs

by Chook in

we were forever told to not stumble anyone but looking back it would of been their blessing if the stumbled out.ll.

scratchme1010

When I was on my way out I was giving studies to a person who had a lot of interest. He was the first person I told about my plan to leave, and he was surprised. The he started asking me questions, and although I didn't give him any information about my private reasons to leave, I told him that I grew up in that organization and I needed to experience the world outside, and that I just have no interest in being a JW.

He became a good friend later, and he never became a JW.