Posts by scratchme1010

31

What is this "religion"?

by Kom 197 in

jw
friends

for a long time, i was convinced jehovah witnesses were just people preaching the word of god in a different way than other christians.

i was shown the real truth over the past few months.

i've been friends with this guy for over 5 years.

Thank you for sharing, and welcome to the forum. Some people have been very direct in their advice. I'd too say RUN! However, seems like besides dating, you have a history, he seems more than just some guy you started dating. To me that makes a difference.

If you care about him as a human being, and as a friend, you might need to decided what kind of relationship, if any at all, you want to have with him. He is in cult, and as such, he might need to make certain choices himself, if he wants a relationship with you.

So I'd say RUN! from the nonsense of that organization, but keep the lines of communication open. This experience that he's having with the elders might making reconsider his relationship with that organization. If he decides to leave, he will need our support. However, leaving has to be his decision.

49

How old's the human race?

by Freedom rocks in

hi does anyone know any good articles or videos about how old mankind and the earth are and carbon dating?

.

i've just started looking into it but there seems to be a lot of conflicting ideas over accuracy so i'm unsure what to think.

scratchme1010

I've just started looking into it but there seems to be a lot of conflicting ideas over accuracy so I'm unsure what to think.

I'm not sure you will get a definite answer on this. However, you can make your most educated conclusion yourself.

7

Spot the signs of a toxic leadership.

by Lost in the fog in

i came across this article in the magazine psychology today.

it is about the traits of poor leaders in the field of employment although you could easily think it had been written about the gb.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shrink/201607/8-traits-toxic-leadership-avoid.

scratchme1010

1. Unwillingness to listen to feedback
2. Excessive self-promotion and self-interest
3. Lying and inconsistency
4. Lack of moral philosophy
5. Rewarding incompetence and lack of accountability
7. Cliquishness
8. Bullying and harassment

Sounds like some of my coworkers. In all seriousness, I encounter one or two of those things in places I belong to, but I believe it's a problem when those are the driving principles and values of an organization.

I agree that it fits Donald Trump perfectly.

40

After leaving the JWs - Has anyone stayed with Christianity?

by rulehayl in

i recently made the decision to stop studying with my study conductor, due to a situation i found myself in that led to a high possibility of my unbaptized publisher "rights" being taken away from me.

i have since told my study conductor i have joined a new church (to which she dropped me like a hot rock, of course).... last time i posted on here, i was progressing nicely towards baptism, and was well into it.anyhoo, i like my new church, very hillsong-esqe.

so just wondering if anyone else has stayed the course of christianity after leaving the jws, and if so - where did you go?

scratchme1010

Anyhoo, I like my new Church, very Hillsong-esqe. So just wondering if anyone else has stayed the course of Christianity after leaving the JWs, and if so - where did you go?

Interesting post. I left long ago, and through the decades I decided, out of curiosity and for my own self-discovery, to take a closer look at other denominations. I didn't stay a christian.

5

Talking to the people under the steeple

by Giordano in

i haven't found religion viable after we left the jws some fifty years ago.. oddly enough i will be conducting a session at the oxford forum which is put on once a week on a sunday by the presbyterian church.

they invite scholars, professors, artists etc.

people of interest to expose their congregation to what else is going on in this community.

scratchme1010

I am going to be honest and factual, no anger, nothing exaggerated. I will start by telling them that I still have great memories of the JW'S I grew up around. That my wife and I faded ourselves in an era where you would not be shunned. Of course we have a different situation to deal with now. Going to shine a little light on the situation these days.

That's great, and the best way to get people to listen.

33

Self indulgent attention whore thread....

by _Morpheus in

today is my birthday :) in happy to be able to say that guilt free!

.

scratchme1010

Happy birthday.

14

2 Kingdom Halls burned in Washington

by Lynnie in

on the local news last night it was reported that two kingdom halls in olympia wa were set fire to.

i wonder who has a grudge with those congregations?

unfortunately we know the jw"s eat this crap up and enjoy the "persecution.

scratchme1010

2 Kingdom Halls burned in Washington

Wasn't me, I swear.

16

What are you most passionate about?

by SplaneThisToMe in

i had an interview today and was asked a question o have gotten in the past: what are you most passionate about?

it was a struggle to come up with an answer on this one.

as a jw, the things i was passionate about were chosen for me.

scratchme1010

It was a struggle to come up with an answer on this one. As a JW, the things I was passionate about were chosen for me. It’s alarming that I still am working on finding my answer to this.

I hope you were able to answer it. Just a hint. Those are what they call behavioral or competency-based interview questions. The answer per se is not what they are after, but your capacity to articulate things that are related to people's qualities.

Sometimes good, well prepared job interviewers ask questions like this out of HR manuals that contain a number of "competencies" that a given position require, other than the basic skills and level of education.

Of course, some poorly prepared or unprepared interviewers, or people who have no clue, ask questions like that just to sound like they know what they are doing.

Best wishes in your job search. If that doesn't work out, that means you're a step closer to the right one.

22

Disfellowshipped/disassociated – How did your parents handle it?

by Richard_I in

to those who were disfellowshipped/disassociated – how did your still-in parents handle it?.

i don’t want to fade, so i am thinking about disassociating soon – i don’t care if i’m playing by the org’s rules, i just want out.. however, i am concerned about how my parents will react.

i don’t want them to become super depressed or whatever due to me leaving the org.. i don’t want them to be hurt by my decision to leave the org, but i feel like there is no way of avoiding this..

scratchme1010

To those who were disfellowshipped/disassociated – how did your still-in parents handle it?
I don’t want to fade, so I am thinking about disassociating soon – I don’t care if I’m playing by the org’s rules, I just want out.
However, I am concerned about how my parents will react. I don’t want them to become super depressed or whatever due to me leaving the org.
I don’t want them to be hurt by my decision to leave the org, but I feel like there is no way of avoiding this.

I wasn't, but some members in my family were. My parents just followed JW protocol.

What I'd suggest is to look into your own particular situation. It may not make sense to you at this point, but trust me, as much as the WT and the JWs try to convince and claim that all JWs are the same "sheep", we all are individuals with our own individual needs, feelings and family circumstances.

Whatever happens in your case, make sure that you look/find support from people who really appreciate you no matter what you believe.

Also, don't rely exclusively in this forum or other ex-JW places. Many ex-JWs still shun others that don't share their own opinions. Force of habit, I guess. Sometimes some people still feel like they are in the congregation and expect everyone to behave as such. Keep that in mind.

There are many good things about these places since there are people who perfectly understand where you come from, but the world is much larger than your life as a JW and your belief system after.

14

Jehovah`s Witnesses / Parasites On Christendom ,they need to thank them for the membership they have today.

by smiddy3 in

jehovah`s witnesses claim that all their beliefs are based on the bible.the bible clearly states early on in deut.4:2 not to add to the word....and rev.22:18 re-iterates much the same thing in not to make additions to the word of god.. i think we could agree on that the organization has raised the bar on that one with their "weasel" words on so many issues that have already been thrashed out on this forum.. so a few other things that come to my mind are : with regards to j.w`s being parasites on christendom.. 1. they claim christendom apostatized itself from true christianity by the 3rd century , yet they accept apostate christendoms determination of what books are to be included in the bible as gods word as if they were governed by holy spirit to do so.?.

2.jehovah`s witnesses have only ever followed in christendoms missionaries footsteps where they have gone preaching and poaching off of the work these missionaries that have laid the groundwork before them .. 3.jehovah`s witnesses have never opened up virgin territory and gone where no other christian missionary has ever gone before .

{ not to my knowledge anyway i stand to be corrected if i am wrong on this point}.

scratchme1010

So I stand by my statement that if it wasn`t for Christendom Jehovah`s Witnesses would not have anywhere near the membership they have today and that they are parasites on Christendoms religions,

I agree. Great line of reasoning.