Antioch

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Posts by Antioch

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  10

  Hi Im Out At Last

  by nikiparker in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  well its been a hell of a ride but im out at last.. .

  my bio will be posted soon.. .

  but for now check out my new facebook page.. .

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  Antioch

  Great job! Now the hard part starts. Choosing who you are instead of being told. Go get 'em!
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  76

  The Jehovah's Witness religion has gone for good !!!

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am not sure how you all feel as we all left at different times for different reasons.... but this new bible seems to have put some final nails into a coffin that was once my jw life.

  the religion is so far and so different to the religion i grew up in that it has become something i feel no affiliation with anymore, no bond, no shared ideas or even sentimental views.

  different teachings on when the end is coming.

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  Antioch

  Wow, you really captured those old feelings! Thx for the poetry of sorts.
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  45

  If anyone is interested in my 'Coming out' video on Youtube....

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hx5mghrvbs.

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  Antioch

  Thank you for posting that video. I'm very happy you had the strength of mind to stop using the JW plan for life. It's just wrong and wasteful isn't it? Now I'm going to watch your daughter's video. Ciao!
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  21

  My first gun

  by LivingTheDream in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my first gun.

  i realize that not all jws avoid guns.

  if you live where they hunt for food, it was ok to have guns as a jw.

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  Antioch

  Thanks for sharing! I know exactly what you're talking about. After I left the JWs, I became a FireFighter and wooooo-boy, it is a "macho" culture. I know exactly how you felt being surrounded by people who loved guns and being the one guy who had barely touched one. It took nearly 4 years out of the JW religion to break my train of thinking and realize guns are not evil and they can even be a responsible part of your life security plan.
  
  For me, my first gun has been a Springfield 1911 Loaded. It's gorgeous. It's heavy. And it is versatile. It works for a strong home defense and is easily portable. Next I plan on getting a carry license and purchasing the Sig P238 because it is compact carry size that is modelled almost exactly like a 1911 so my familiarity will transfer automatically. After that (or before) I'm gonna get a Remington 870 to round out my collection.
  
  IMO, every piece of your self defense and fire-arm collection should A. hopefully never be used lethally B. transferrable to other activities (hunting) and C. be of such quality as to pass on to family (ha! Like many of us have that).

  Best luck out there!
• 
  36

  Dat da da da: Justitia Themis Law School Graduate

  by crmsicl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  congratulations to justitia themis on all her hard work at putting herself through law school.

  after being raised in the watchtower organization and having survived all of what that entails she has picked up the pieces, analyzed her strengths and has made choices to better herself and the community.. .

  i am so proud of her.

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  Antioch

  Congratulations Justitia Themis! Go get what you earned!
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  11

  Leaving the Borg > rebuilding your Life > How to erase your time as Bethelite, Missionary, FTS?

  by BluePill2 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, here i am almost 5 years after the big exit.

  life during this time has been tumultous, joyous and sometimes full of tears.

  got new friends, social circle moving well (i am an outgoing person), new girlfriend (after messy divorce of jw wife), own business.. but i knew something would come back and bite me into my rear-end:.

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  Antioch

  Watch Don Draper in "Mad Men." It's an entire storyline about a man hiding his past. There are strong connections between his sucessful recreation of his life and an Ex-JW's recreation of a life. Especially this scene where he gives advice to a workmate:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kEMe3wj-QuM#t=74s

  Counter-example: I'm a few weeks from finishing my bachelors and I met this kid who entered college at 16 years old. Completely wrecked his GPA. And everytime I saw him talk about his educational path with a new person, he would confess it like he was looking for absolution from them. Like he just wanted them to understand. But they won't. We are what we tell people we are.

  I remember when I first left. For years I felt like it was all over my face. I didn't understand others and they didn't understand me. We wish we could explain ourselves to others. We want a starting point where we are reaching out to meet others halfway from where we come from. That just does not work for two reasons. 1) it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where you feel like a stranger from the desert and therefore they treat you like one. 2) the best way to reintegrate is to observe how "normal" (non-JW) social interactions work by keeping people at ease and acting "normal."

  I know that doesn't apply to your database situation, but it applies to the general thought of this thread. Regarding the specific questions, I just say I was a minister or missionary for those 10 years. They don't need to know what religion. I also don't volunteer that I'm now agnostic unless they ask. I just say that I wanted to explore other ways of helping people (now a FireFighter/Paramedic). The point is, I never insult my past in general conversation. Nobody wants to hear that and it makes you look foolish.

  Much love,

  Adam
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  26

  Redhorsewoman from DriveslikeJehu

  by Antioch in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi redhorsewoman,.

  i doubt you still log on here but i wanted to try.

  i just wanted to thank you for arguing with me all those years ago on beliefnet.

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  Antioch

  Hey TheListener,

  AdamN = DrivesLikeJehu. I forget why I rebranded to DrivesLikeJehu, whether it was mischievous or simply a change. My name is Adam N***e, hence "AdamN." I actually forgot I went by that on Bnet!

  I was just wondering tonight, who was my 607 discussion partner on Bnet? It started with a "P" I think. Also I'm very glad those discussions led to more than one person being freed!

  Much love,

  AdamN, Antioch, Driveslikejehu
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  26

  Redhorsewoman from DriveslikeJehu

  by Antioch in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi redhorsewoman,.

  i doubt you still log on here but i wanted to try.

  i just wanted to thank you for arguing with me all those years ago on beliefnet.

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  Antioch

  I believe it Cofty. It seems like the online friction between JWs and everyone else has reached kind of an equilibrium.
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  26

  Redhorsewoman from DriveslikeJehu

  by Antioch in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi redhorsewoman,.

  i doubt you still log on here but i wanted to try.

  i just wanted to thank you for arguing with me all those years ago on beliefnet.

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  Antioch

  Yeah, she does have a great name. Also, nice to hear that some of us who interacted with those boards all those years ago are still around! Hi all!

  It seems like the frenzy of JW apologetics is kinda over, am I right? Is there anyone at the intellectual forefront anymore? Back in that day everything was a fresh argument to explore but now it seems like everyone has shown their hand and the cards have been set for awhile. No new damning revelations to help JWs break free?

  AnnOmaly, thanks! You were right on target. I did a search and there she is. What a small world. I'll say "hi" to her via that website.

  P.S. I actually saw "Marvin Shilmer" over there at JW Topix. Is that guy a machine or what? haha

  - Adam
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  26

  Redhorsewoman from DriveslikeJehu

  by Antioch in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi redhorsewoman,.

  i doubt you still log on here but i wanted to try.

  i just wanted to thank you for arguing with me all those years ago on beliefnet.

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  Antioch

  Hi Redhorsewoman,

  I doubt you still log on here but I wanted to try. I just wanted to thank you for arguing with me all those years ago on Beliefnet. Back when the great world of sincere JWs and apostates/survivors-of-the-JWs/Evangelists collided online in the early 2000s, I was at the forefront having a blast. I had a hay-day exploring the new battles to be had about real issues and on an intellectual level that Field Service and meetings just couldn't satisfy. Beliefnet, Touchstone, CARM, Yahoo groups, and all the other places where a great argument was to be had, I was there. It was a fun time for JW apologetics with books being published (Stafford, Furuli, etc), we were developing more refined arguments that the WT never got into and we were hitting hard against the Evangelist wing if Christianity. I was never so sure about the more doctrinal side of JWs (Trinity, Paradise, Kingdom, etc).

  However, I was the true pupil because I was forced to really really dig and try to put the whole puzzle together. You were one of my sparring partners as I fought for the message that would be read by onlookers and visitors. I just wanted you to know I finally figured it all out. I left the JWs in 2006. I became a FireFighter/Paramedic and I'm about to finish my bachelors degree. I'm determined to repair the damage that the JWs wrecked on my extended family. I would not have exercised my mind and heart had you not been there to give me a reason to. Thanks.

  -DriveslikeJehu