Posts by Sevan

32

Poor Sisters

by Darryl in

jw
friends

i really felt for you sisters i mean i really did.

when you showed up at the sunday meeting and found out the subject of the talk was going to be -and i can't quite remember the exact wording- but something to the effect of marriage and headship, or honoring and obeying your husband, or something like that how many of you wanted to jump right back in your car and head home.

i mean 45 straight minutes of beating down you poor ladies and telling you that you are not worthy of making one decision, taking the lead in anything, don't question the man be obedient and keep quiet.

Sevan

And for any Bay Area residents:

Yes I know the Cow Palace is technically in Daly City, but I said San Francisco for the benefit of non-residents. Close enough.

32

Poor Sisters

by Darryl in

jw
friends

i really felt for you sisters i mean i really did.

when you showed up at the sunday meeting and found out the subject of the talk was going to be -and i can't quite remember the exact wording- but something to the effect of marriage and headship, or honoring and obeying your husband, or something like that how many of you wanted to jump right back in your car and head home.

i mean 45 straight minutes of beating down you poor ladies and telling you that you are not worthy of making one decision, taking the lead in anything, don't question the man be obedient and keep quiet.

Sevan

Smiddy, that is Sam Herd's talk. That is the same talk where he talks about how women's brains are smaller than men's brains and that women don't have the brain capacity to lead and are overly emotional. Then in the *same* talk, he told sisters that are smarter than their husband to play dumb. So one minute sisters are too dumb to lead and the next they are smarter than their husbands and should play dumb so as not to insult their fragile egos.

I remember that talk. Sam came to the Cow Palace in San Francisco and gave that talk sometime either 2006 or 2007 at a convention I went to. Sam Herd and Stephen Lett especially love coming to Cali for Circuit Assemblies and Conventions. We get some of the other GB members from time to time, but we've had those two a bunch of times.

Anyway, that was one of many talks and articles over the years that made me really mad or that I could see was unbiblical and illogical.

Yet, you have to understand the cognitive dissonance and the high stakes of leaving. It has nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with FOG (fear, obligation and guilt) and personal relationships. I just kept hoping they would change and kept telling myself that I should "wait on Jehovah." I let myself believe that I could take the good reminders and ignore the bad. That I didn't have to believe everything to still benefit and be of benefit as a JW. Recently, I realized that the GB was not going to change and that "waiting on Jehovah" was an exercise in futility as Jehovah is in no way involved in this organization. That is why I left. Thanks to all apostates that helped me leave. You really are doing good work!

72

Paranormal Warning

by Cold Steel in

i've heard some weird stories coming from jws about the paranormal.

i know about the warnings about items that come from unbelievers -- those don't interest me as much.

what i am interested in are actual experiences in stories of the paranormal you've heard or experienced yourself.

Sevan

I hear what y'all are saying. I had a very difficult childhood and was badly abused, so it's possible that some of my experiences were due to my fragile emotional state as a child.

However, let me ask y'all this: without Satan and the demons, how do you explain all the true, inhumane evil in the world? Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot? Sadistic serial killers and serial rapists? People that torture and starve innocent children and animals? Evil that is so grotesque and unfathomable. Evil that it seems impossible for a human to possess? Do you think that it is possible for humans to actually be this evil and inhumane on their own, without any demonic influence? How? Why?

72

Paranormal Warning

by Cold Steel in

i've heard some weird stories coming from jws about the paranormal.

i know about the warnings about items that come from unbelievers -- those don't interest me as much.

what i am interested in are actual experiences in stories of the paranormal you've heard or experienced yourself.

Sevan

Satan gets blamed for a lot that is just people doing evil things.

However, I myself have had supernatural experiences, so have countless others. I am a very sane and rational person.

There is a vast universe and probably other dimensions that we know nothing about. So to say definitively that the supernatural does not exist, I feel, takes a lot of hubris. Just because we have not discovered something or cannot scientifically prove something, does not mean it does not exist.

Love, for example, cannot be measured or proven, but it is a very real force that permeates our universe.

19

Shunned by family

by Ruth in

my fiancé is an ex-jehovah’s witness.

when he was 18 years old, his 17 year old brother was killed in an accident.

his parents having previously lost an infant daughter were understandably distraught and were therefore highly susceptible to an organisation which seemed to be able to supply definitive answers where more mainstream religion seemed to fail them..

Sevan

Also, see John Cedars videos on shunning on YouTube.

19

Shunned by family

by Ruth in

my fiancé is an ex-jehovah’s witness.

when he was 18 years old, his 17 year old brother was killed in an accident.

his parents having previously lost an infant daughter were understandably distraught and were therefore highly susceptible to an organisation which seemed to be able to supply definitive answers where more mainstream religion seemed to fail them..

Sevan

But beyond that, the whole concept of shunning as a way of bringing someone back to Jehovah is all kinds of illogical.

Consider this: if you really believe in God and Armageddon and believe the JWs have the only true religion, you will come back regardless of whether your family talks to you or not. Your family talking to you is irrelevant if returning is a faith based decision. Your family not talking to you is not going to somehow make you suddenly believe in God and the JWs. The whole concept is ludicrous.

The only reason that family shunning causes some people to come back is that they miss their family, not because they believe. It is due to the psychological torture and emotional abuse. Not due to faith.

Maybe if his parents understood what they were actually doing, that they are actually being brainwashed into participating in group psychological torture of their own child, not doing anything godly or loving, not helping their child spiritually, maybe that would help. Maybe if they understood the many scriptures that show how unbiblical and un-Christian the JW shunning policies actually are.

Jwfacts.com has a good break down of the scriptural issues. I plan to eventually write up my treatise of the Biblical issues with shunning that is a little more concise and digestible.

Good luck and let us know if you make any headway.

19

Shunned by family

by Ruth in

my fiancé is an ex-jehovah’s witness.

when he was 18 years old, his 17 year old brother was killed in an accident.

his parents having previously lost an infant daughter were understandably distraught and were therefore highly susceptible to an organisation which seemed to be able to supply definitive answers where more mainstream religion seemed to fail them..

Sevan

This is a good link that may give you some ideas:

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php

28

Necessary Family Business (NFB) is now acceptable according to the weekly WT Study

by Quarterback in

during the last decade i've seen so many articles, and top speakers try to downplay that nfb policy.

now, this weeks wt study mentions a positive experience of someone applying having, "contact and applying nfb with a df relative".

Sevan

I have never met a reinstated person who felt positively about the way they were treated while DF'd. I know that my husband's relationship with his family will never be the same.

Not to mention that once DF'd you are forever looked down upon and treated with suspicion even after you are reinstated.

This religion is such bull. I could tell so many stories.

Dozy, you are right, I think a lot of the "experiences" from the WTS are completely made-up bull.

103

JW and the Sabbath

by Andromeda in

hello brothers and sisters and truth seekers,.

i am an active jehovah's witness.

i don't believe in 1914 and i'm tototally against their way of dealing with abuse cases.

Sevan

2 1/2 years ago, I was sitting in San Francisco General Hospital watching my sister nearly bleed out from a gun shot wound. She was an innocent bystander of a gang shoot out. As they gave her bag after bag of blood as she tenuously hung on to life, I remember praying to Jehovah that she would live and being deeply thankful at that moment that she was not a Jehovah's Witness.

That was one of the events that contributed to my waking up. I just didn't realize how devastating the no blood doctrine was until I faced it myself.

And if anyone needs to know, she is doing very well now and has her whole life ahead of her thanks to those blood transfusions.

103

JW and the Sabbath

by Andromeda in

hello brothers and sisters and truth seekers,.

i am an active jehovah's witness.

i don't believe in 1914 and i'm tototally against their way of dealing with abuse cases.

Sevan

As for the blood issue:

jwfact.com does an excellent breakdown of the actual scriptural statements on the use of blood. Really worth a read.

Not to mention that the JW stance on blood is completely hypocritical as fractions and medications that require liters upon liters of stored blood to produce and add up to 100% of whole blood are allowed. Not to mention that the organization has flip-flopped multiple times on this issue.

I have a question for you? What is more important, the symbol of something or the actual thing? For example, what is more important, the symbol of marriage (for example, wedding rings) or marriage itself? What is more important, the symbol of life or life itself?

How do you think the God of all mercy and the giver of life would feel about parents sacrificing the life of their children over a symbol?

If you read the gospel accounts, you will see that Jesus consistently put human life above the law and gave many examples and parables about this exact subject. Jesus stated that the Sabbath was created for the sake of man, not man for the sake of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Further Jesus stated, "Go, then, and learn what this means: 'I want mercy and not sacrifice'" (Matthew 9:13). Jesus further said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles a man, but what comes out of a man that defiles him (Matthew 15:11).

Moreover, the pouring out of blood is always done in connection with the death of that animal. It is to show respect for the life of that animal and respect that life comes from Jehovah. There is no way to fully bleed an animal, but pouring out the blood was symbolic for that dead animal's life (Leviticus 17:13, 14; Deuteronomy 12:15, 16). Consuming no blood was not the point as that is impossible, but rather the symbol showing respect. This is highlighted when David poured out, not blood, but water, showing respect for the life of his men (2 Samuel 23:15-17).

Further, blood transfusions are a totally different scenario, as no life is lost when blood is donated. There is no blood to pour out in respect for lost life as no life is lost. In fact, life is often saved, which is the highlight of respect for life.

Finally, Acts 15 read in context and in context with other scriptures makes it clear that this was a one time compromise to make peace between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Jewish Christians were trying to force Gentile Christians to adhere to Mosaic Law and this was a compromise for the sake of peace and unity. Paul and Jesus Christ himself both make it clear elsewhere that eating things sacrificed to idols and in fact eating anything was not a sin (Acts chapter 15; 1 Corinthians chapter 8; Romans chapter 14; Mark 7:15-19).

The point is, the JW stance on blood transfusions is unscriptural and perverts the message and purpose of Christ. It does create human sacrifices and martyrs, which is what the organization wants. Once you find out the truth about the truth, you will see that the organization does not care about the flock, the "rank and file" Jehovah's Witness, and will gladly sacrifice them if it suits the organization's purposes. The blood issue is just one example. How many innocents died due to the former stance on vaccines and organ transplants? On selective service? In Malawi (research Malawi vs Mexico)? There is so much more. I suggest you research more both about Jehovah's Witnesses and about the Scriptures.