Posts by scratchme1010

8

Facing Existential Dread

by Brokeback Watchtower in

the watchtower corporations main appeal is a everlasting life, this makes it possible for one to avoid existential dread.

this type of anxiety is a part of the human condition, and it explains the appeal of many religions to the human condition as it offers some relief from the anxiety about our life ending.. psychologist show the importance for facing this dread/anxiety.

my feeling is that the more you can accept the fact that your life is very very temporal, the better you will live your life as you accept that you are very temporary and try to live life to the full and not be duped by religions appeal to calm this anxiety.. https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/types/existential .

scratchme1010

This type of anxiety is a part of the human condition, and it explains the appeal of many religions to the human condition as it offers some relief from the anxiety about our life ending.

Either I'm not human, or such anxiety isn't really part of the human condition. I can't care less about the fact that I will die one day. I don't dread my existence. I don't worry about the fact that life is fragile and can end at any moment. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I have no control over it, so why worry? I am aware of it, but that's all I have, awareness, not anxiety or dread.

7

Happy 1st PIMO Anniversary To Me: A Look Back

by neat blue dog in

it was just about a year ago exactly that i really and truly decided in my mind where i stood and as rutherford would say "face the facts".

before that, there was a period of about two years where i almost felt like i had a dual personality, vacillating between pro and anti jw, a very confusing, draining mental state to be in.

and it all started over seven years ago in 2010, when i read "apostate" material on the internet.

scratchme1010

Happy PIMO birthday.

92

Does Morality Exist?

by Fisherman in

some people believe that stealing, lying and killing, is not moral.

some people don't.. does morality exist?

if so, prove it..

scratchme1010

Some people believe that stealing, lying and killing, is not moral. Some people don't.
Does morality exist? If so, prove it.

It exists, not the way you can define an object or even an idea. That's not what a definition of morals is.

27

Out of the world, into the Truth

by apalro in

for some background - i studied on & off as a child with a jehovah's witness who has been patiently working on lots of our family for more than a decade and never gave up on any of us.

as a middle-schooler and a highschooler, my love for jehovah and any association with my childhoood bible teacher... faded.

disappeared.

scratchme1010

- God does exist. You just have to seek him and he will seek you.

No, he doesn't. And I see no need to seek him for anything.

- I had a taste of the world and was not satisfied.

You had a taste of making bad decisions, which not everybody does. The world, as much as the WT claims that they are not part of, is both inside and outside that organization. Same bad things can and have happened to people inside that organization, and have made the same bad decisions.

- It is rewarding serving Jehovah instead of Satan

Nonsense. Neither of those two exist.

- you can come up out of any circumstance, even if it seems impossible at the moment. Dont give up!

That has nothing to do with being a JW. I can tell you way more about that than you could in your entire lifetime.

- by your conduct, others will follow

More nonsense. People are not robots. If people decided to copy another person't behavior, they are still responsible for their own decisions. Enough with the guilt trips.

Have a nice life.

7

What is the Baptism all about?

by Old Navy in

does the act of baptism make us a "member" of any group or organization?

or, is it something much greater in its purpose?.

when we as former jws came to the truthful conclusion that what the wtborg cult inc. was teaching/preaching was not an accurate representation of the word, many of us decided to look into every nook and cranny to see if we could discover the real truth.

scratchme1010

Interesting. And I agree; it's impossible that an organization can only teach false things. Teachings aside, I think that the worse is their intention, their lack of regard for the needs of the people who follow them.

22

Parents who try to make you feel guilty.

by NJ501 in

when parents say all the things we've done for you and your not doing anything for us in return like going to meetings, witnessing, answering up etc... how do you respond to parents?.

scratchme1010

When parents say all the things we've done for you and your not doing anything for us in return like going to meetings, witnessing, answering up etc..
How do you respond to parents?

I was too young to be able to come up with something, and sadly I believed that crap. Knowing then what I know now, I think the best response is nothing. Let them be and don't buy into that nonsense. They are not doing you any favors, it's their responsibility (morally and legally) to take care of you properly. However, those guilt trips are useless, and certainly not inviting to conversation. So say nothing, ignore it and concentrate in leaving them as soon as you can.

26

Planning Your Exit

by minimus in

jw
friends

did you have a plan to leave the organization?

i did.

it took a couple of years but we did leave and never had a desire to go back!.

scratchme1010

Did you have a plan to leave the Organization? I did. It took a couple of years but we did leave and never had a desire to go back!

I did, and it also took years. Something that I try to emphasize when people are in the process of leaving is not to think for a second that fading is just to stop attending meetings, especially for those like me who are born-in. There was a process of education, planning and building support and a sense of direction outside, and also, in my case, knowing that I was going to walk away from the first 23 years of my life without looking back, That is no small thing and does require planning.

I have learned that in other people's cases it has not taken them that long, and in other cases some people have not had the luxury of affording the time to plan, especially those who were disfellowshipped but also had other ties with JWs (such as being employed by other JWs). In those cases the change is rather sudden, and things have to be dealt with rather quickly.

Whenever possible, building a good support system outside the JWs is essential (IMO), and that takes time.

44

"exjws" and money making Ponzi schemes.

by Thisismein1972 in

ok i want to pose a question to those who care to discuss this.. imagine a scenario.

you hear of a exjw writing a book, however, before writing this book this exjw is requesting money to publish said book.

you go along with it and help to get this book out to the public as you think that it will be beneficial.

scratchme1010

If you were one of the ones that donated money to this cause, would you also donate money again to aid the publishing of a second book?

No. And I wouldn't have helped in the first attempt, unless I see a business plan, a strategy, a good publishing house, a plan for self-publishing, anything that makes sense, and of course, THE DAMN BOOK! And I have to like it, and I have to be sold on it, and I have to see that the person is really making the right efforts to make the book successful and has a clue of what (s)he is doing.

If others choose to do otherwise, as the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you..." Don't some of you ex-jws are fed up with being taken advantage of based on some nonsense story?

11

Is this a World Wide Pattern?

by Slidin Fast in

jw
friends

hundreds baptized at jehovah's witness convention.

at first sight this afican rc looks as though it's acheiving the quantity of baptisms of another era.

348 is a substantilal number and impressive until you see the sunday attendance 28,300. so a baptism rate of 1.2%, in africa.

scratchme1010

They are in fact doing well in third world countries, in developing nations and in places where there's not lot of technology infrastructure. As soon as the Internet catches up...

40

How Are Ex Elders Treated In The Congregation?

by minimus in

jw
friends

are they pretty much left alone?

are they respected for their having been elders at one time?

are they treated like crap?.

scratchme1010

Are they pretty much left alone? Are they respected for their having been elders at one time? Are they treated like crap?

Depends, for what I remember. In the congregation where I grew up the elders hated each other and they were constantly involved in political fights over who was the most stuck up righteous hardcore JW. When one of them lost their "privilege" over something stupid like their son/daughter participating in some kind of extracurricular activity, the others were completely vicious.

In other congregations the process was handled as if it was the disclosure of the nation's nuclear codes. In others it was more a laid back, careless event.