Posts by TheLiberator

20

Being Positive around family that are still in.

by freddo in

jw
friends

if you are a fader or you have reduced activity markedly - say resigned as a pioneer or an elder or ms or gone inactive and still have some relationship with your immediate family or spouse - how do you stay positive around them when you feel like shaking them out of their stupor but believe deep down it would be counter productive?.

thoughts from all most welcome..

TheLiberator

I just take interest in my wife's activities. I ask her if there were a lot of people at the meetings. I ask who she worked with in service. And every now and then, I ask how so and so is doing. I just keep things lite and positive. She's happy and so i must accept this and it makes my life easier.

1

Common mistake of almost all religions

by elbib in

common mistake of almost all religions is that they presented religious founders with superhuman abilities.

they thought people would care for one another if someone with superhuman abilities told them to be good.

this has been proved wrong repeatedly because people would feel ‘he can say whatever he feels like, he is superhuman whereas we are puny human beings.’ it is like gold trying to inspire iron saying: ‘look at me, and learn from me: i never rust out.’ on the contrary, if an iron piece remains intact, this can inspire other iron pieces..

TheLiberator

Totally agree with what you are saying. A church or study group should be just a group of people that are simply and sincerely trying to understand the scriptures.

On YouTube, spike r had a video that has really made me ponder after I left. The key point was that as humans, we always think someone else must have special knowledge. Publishers look to elders. Elders to co's, and it goes on and on. We do this in many areas of life. The gb are just like you and I. No visions. No voices. Just opinions.

It is strange to contemplate how as witnesses we would ask how does the gb know what to write? What happens at there meetings? We acted like it was supernatural. Then we suspended this thought, and moved on thinking everything is from Jehovah. But of course, tv.org has revealed them as not only human, but psychopaths.

150

Evolution: The Deal Breaker

by Hadriel in

first off i do believe there are some evidences of evolution or i should probably say adaptation.

i do believe this exists in various forms.. however the deal breaker for me with evolution is the chick or egg problem.

there are tons of theories that get passed around as proof of evolution however these are usually examples much further down the evolutionary chain.. what i mean is let's start at the beginning!

TheLiberator

Cofty, have you read your own comments? "Science of the gaps" is more appropriate. You are just a puppet of the system that parrots everything. "God of the gaps", "evolution is a fact", "fundamentalism", "creationism"....this is nothing but loaded language. Millions of people reject all the nonsense you spew out for good reason.

150

Evolution: The Deal Breaker

by Hadriel in

first off i do believe there are some evidences of evolution or i should probably say adaptation.

i do believe this exists in various forms.. however the deal breaker for me with evolution is the chick or egg problem.

there are tons of theories that get passed around as proof of evolution however these are usually examples much further down the evolutionary chain.. what i mean is let's start at the beginning!

TheLiberator

Hadriel: Just so you guys know I believe it to be rather convenient to not want to concede that because you can't explain the driver or abiogenesis that somehow it doesn't matter

Yes. You got that right. "Abiogenesis" is that magic word that turns a "nice" evolutionist into a bipolar monkey.

Evolution is irrelevant. Abiogenesis is the real issue. Have you read comments from those who believe in evolution and try to explain possibilities of abiogenesis? They remind me of junior high students who have an answer for EVERYTHING. Oh, and they remind of the Watchtower...apparently... most likely...obviously.. without a doubt... Evolution/ Abiogenesis theories is a book that you make up as it goes along. Such ones are in a bubble. The idea that nothing exists beyond your physical eyes is the essence of close mindedness.

God being the beginning is natural. We are hard wired to believe in a higher power that started the whole process. That is what verse 19 is all about.

Romans: 1: 19. because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse."

Those words bring chills to me everytime. So powerful. So authoritive. So definitive. So natural.

32

what sort of reactions have you gotten when talking to other jw when telling them the "truth about the truth"?

by AmIright in

its funny ive read some stories on here about how they have become so infuriated by what logic dictates as being true and their own denying of it because it completely screws up their belief and shows how hypocritical it is xd some look like a nuclear reactor about to blow xd.

share you experiences here :) .

TheLiberator

When I was really hurting, a car group of women stopped by to encourage me. They said they miss me. I immediately showed my disappointment with the society. I said, "I seen the lies with my own eyes! Here I will give you an example from the "Faith in Action" video! They lie all the time and I can prove it!"

At that moment, there faces turned to fear and they literally rushed out my door. Another couple in there 50's came by some time later, to figure out what was going on. I simply told them that I read some old publications and I didn't want to influence them. Then they fished around mentioning the pyramids. I finally told them that i can show them, but it takes a strong heart to handle it. The wife said, "It's probably best we don't know. We really need to get going."

I have said it before, if you were a die hard witness and then you vanish, the people literally fear you. Cognitive dissonance kicks into higher gear because they know you wouldn't leave without a good reason.

28

Since leaving WTTS have you joined a new church or just continue with the new beliefs you have discovered under no religion?

by AmIright in

share your thoughts ?

TheLiberator

Joined? I hate that word. The Watchtower lies and says they have no membership. Of course, baptism is the membership. I do attend a small Bible study group. These groups are scattered throughout the world. No membership. Not even baptism. No gb. No actual leader. The group i attend, an exjw is now "taking the lead". I just now started assisting him. In fact. I have met several exjws. It is absolutely not a high control group. We have about ten core beliefs in common. It is recognized that we live in the midst of the wheat and the weeds. No one can claim absolute truth. So much in the Bible is a conscience matter that the Watchtower wanted to control. It reminds me of what Russell started. But I feel like anything else in life, you need to be aware of your surroundings. If Rutherford steps through the door, jump out a window as fast as you can!!!

http://www.scatteredbrethren.org

14

The Kingdom Hall

by TheLiberator in

i know i have mentioned this on other posts.

as a born-in, i was obsessed with the watchtower.

it was god's organization.

TheLiberator

I know I have mentioned this on other posts. As a born-in, I was obsessed with the Watchtower. IT WAS GOD'S ORGANIZATION. I would of done anything for it. Indoctrinated is an understatement for me. The kingdom hall was a part of our life. Like many of you, it was our life for decades. It was a place where I felt secure. Even the smell of a kingdom hall gave me a peace of mind. When I was a kid, I was somewhat scared of the dark. However, I told my brothers, that if I was ever locked in a dark kingdom hall, it wouldn't bother me. I could sleep there all alone without any worries. After all, wasn't it God's house? I know many of you must still attend the hall even though you are awake. I believe that once you actually leave, the place gets weirder the more you reflect on it. As I said before, my awakening was sudden. One day I was "on fire", a week later, I was falling a part due to finding out what I was really a part of. It was scary. Cults like the Moonies have always scared me, even when I was little. Maybe it was the level of indoctrination and how serious I took it, or maybe it is the fact that I left for spiritual reasons and remain a Christian today, but I am now scared to death of a kingdom hall. As I posted before, the one week I said I would support my wife right after learning TTATT, I immediately started having panic attacks and needed to seek a safe place in my car. I stopped supporting her that week. SUDDENLY, I could hear the "cult talk". It now seemed so weird. I seen a new one "love bombed". People suddenly looked artificial. It was like a spell had been broken within a day. Even the word "Watchtower" seemed out of place with Christianity. Elders would give comments saying "the slave" wants us to do this and that. Thay now freaked me out. The Watchtower's dark and mysterious history which was always passed off as "the early days" of "spiritual growth", now grew darker. The history had nothing to do with God. Much of it bordered on the occult. The history was dark and the Watchtower was now presently in darkness. All these thoughts, raced through my mind. I even had nightmares for about a month. The thought of "undue influence" of any sort terrified me. "You mean I was not really thinking on my own?" Learning all this overnight, was like being hit with a club. Because something has been a part of our life for so long, it may not seem so weird or we may not view it as too harmful. That is not the way I feel. Today, as an adult, if you were to lock me up in a dark kingdom hall, i would be terrified. In my mind, this organization is scary and dangerous. They are only thinking of themselves and their survival. I will NEVER enter a kingdom hall again. Not even for a funeral. I know that if my mom was willing to listen to me, she would feel like me. I often send her texts telling her she has no idea what she is a part of. And if she knew, she would be running to the door. I end all my texts with these words:Matthew 6:23 "If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"My feelings may seem extreme to some. So I was just wondering if anyone feels like me. I will now shut up.

35

Going to meetings to "save face."

by Darkknight757 in

going to make this short and sweet but i need some advise again and i kinda need to vent a bit so sorry.😢.

so it has been weeks since the wife and i have been to meetings.

it has been nothing short of wonderful!!!

TheLiberator

I need to add to my last post. I believe you need to make your own decision. You can't live your life because of your wifes parents. She needs to decide if parents or freedom is worth more. I chose freedom and i lost my mom. I wouldn't have it any other way. The sadness actually turns to anger and you begin to feel better.

I believe over time that supporting the org will wear her out mentally and physically. She will have to make her own choice. And one other thing, I was close to my mom.

35

Going to meetings to "save face."

by Darkknight757 in

going to make this short and sweet but i need some advise again and i kinda need to vent a bit so sorry.😢.

so it has been weeks since the wife and i have been to meetings.

it has been nothing short of wonderful!!!

TheLiberator

Vanish without a trace. Do not talk to elders. It may seem difficult or mean, but just keep in mind that it is the organization you hate. Even if elders or "publishers" try to seek you out, just say "I love all the brothers and sisters but I don't care to discuss this. We would rather be left alone."

It builds curiosity as to what is going on. They will probably figure it out, but who cares. They can't actually "convict" you of anything. I personally did this. It felt empowering. That feeling has never left me.

43

Evolution is a Fact #34 - Hiccups and Tadpoles

by cofty in

hiccups are a weird phenomena.

they are a combination of two involuntary actions - firstly a rapid inhalation of breath followed 35 milliseconds later by the glottis at the back of the throat suddenly closing off our airway.. our normal breathing is controlled by a "central pattern generator" in a small region of the brain stem close to the boundary with the spinal cord.

a signal is sent along the vagus and phrenic nerves resulting in a rhythmic contraction of muscles in chest, diaphragm and throat.. these nerves branch off right at the top of the spinal cord and follow a convoluted path through the chest cavity.

TheLiberator

"Just because an idea is true doesn’t mean it can be proved. And just because an idea can be proved doesn’t mean it’s true. When the experiments are done, we still have to choose what to believe."

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/13/the-truth-wears-off