Posts by undercover

53

What an Anointed sister Said to me

by Cassandra Cain in

jw
friends

i cannot say how i got this info.

but this anointed sister was talking with my friend and me over the phone.

my friend informed me that she was an anointed sister and she was thrilled that she was calling us.

undercover

(undercover as for the invatations: my mother had wanted to have this gathering because the elders themselves were passing out invitations for their own children after bookstudies to a selcect few in their own cliques and many in the congragation were feeling bad. She wanted to do something that would help everyone feel better, and they would not do for her as they allready did for themselves.)

Now that's a whole nuther can o worms there. Hypocrisy raises it's ugly head yet once again. I see your point a little clearer now.

53

What an Anointed sister Said to me

by Cassandra Cain in

jw
friends

i cannot say how i got this info.

but this anointed sister was talking with my friend and me over the phone.

my friend informed me that she was an anointed sister and she was thrilled that she was calling us.

undercover

my mother went to the elders with invitations and asked if they could hand them out after their book studies....And they turned her down and said she would have to deliver them herself....

I never had a problem with this thinking. Elders are busy guys. Asking them to deliver mail for us seemed a little intrusive to me. Though the thought was well-intentioned, it infringed on the reason we were there to begin with. Now when they mentioned that the friends themselves shouldn't be passing invitations between each other at the hall, I wondered about that. If I see someone somewhere and I give them an envelope, it's nobody else's business. It was those kind of little rules that made it hard to be like a family at the hall(though the WTS wants everyone to think it is). I remember one elder saying we shouldn't pass out invitations at the hall, because someone who wasn't invited may see the invitations floating around and feel slighted. That summed up a lot about the witnesses to me right there. So many had such low self-esteem that it was wrong to give an invitation to a friend because someone else was going to get upest about it.

23

Are You Still Influenced By The Watchtower Society?

by minimus in

jw
friends

.

even if you've been away from jehovah's witnesses for years, do you still find yourself "under the influence"?

undercover

If they have any impact on my life, it is a positive one in that now I take the time and effort to expose them for frauds and prevent other individuals from being ensnared by the evil intentions of such a destructive cult.

That's kinda my point. They have influenced us and are continuing to do so. If we weren't influenced by them in anyway, we would not be here nor would we "take the time and effort to expose them...". Not that they like this influence that they have made, in fact they go out of their way to try to shut up those have been influenced the way we have been.

23

Are You Still Influenced By The Watchtower Society?

by minimus in

jw
friends

.

even if you've been away from jehovah's witnesses for years, do you still find yourself "under the influence"?

undercover

Interesting question. Influenced? Anyone who has spent time with JWs has been influenced. Still influenced? For some, I'm sure they have put it away and moved on but I'd say that anyone who frequents this board and posts/reads it, they are still influenced. Not that we believe or partake in their way of belief or whatever, but we come here for a reason. If we were not influenced, then we wouldn't bother coming here to vent/heal/research. For me, I have family in but I am completely inactive, going to one or two meetings every couple of months. I am met with situations that reflect upon my family still being active but me being inactive. That influences even everyday things that I do or say. I would love to open my mouth and slam the WTS, but I don't. I keep the peace. That is from influence of my family being in. I wish that I could walk away and never look back. If I had no family in, I could easily do it. But I can't and I won't turn my back on my family nor will I let someone else come between me and my family. So I stay under the radar though inactive and deal with the controversies as they arise.

22

We are not a cult!

by Nosferatu in

jw
friends

"we are not a cult!".

yeah, we've heard this one before.

how did/do the jws back up this statement?

undercover

I've never liked the word "cult" to describe the JWs or Mormons or any non-mainstream religion. Strictly speaking any religion can be or is a cult. Many exclusive clubs can be a cult. Hells Angels are a cult. My aunt's sewing group is a cult. Some are more dangerous than others. The word "cult" has taken on a meaning to the normal person that the dictionary doesn't always describe.

Mind control is the tactic that should be looked at by any group. Do they use it? Is it harmful? There is where the WTS is guilty, IMHO. Calling them a cult just lends itself to name-calling, but when you look at techniques and tactics and see a mind contol pattern, you can argue the point more effectively.

Anyway "The Cult" was a kick-ass rock group of the 80s/90s anyway.

48

Give A Sample Of What a Watchtower Magazine Will Say 10 Years From Now

by minimus in

jw
friends

any thoughts??

?

undercover

1-8-13 Awake!

"Millions Now Living Are Still Duped"

53

What an Anointed sister Said to me

by Cassandra Cain in

jw
friends

i cannot say how i got this info.

but this anointed sister was talking with my friend and me over the phone.

my friend informed me that she was an anointed sister and she was thrilled that she was calling us.

undercover

What amazes me is how some of you can turn something so inocent and turn it into an excuse to criticize the Organization!

See my post above and you'll see why it can be criticized. I'm not condemning them or claiming that they are in violation of Bible teaching but I can criticize it with good reason.

53

What an Anointed sister Said to me

by Cassandra Cain in

jw
friends

i cannot say how i got this info.

but this anointed sister was talking with my friend and me over the phone.

my friend informed me that she was an anointed sister and she was thrilled that she was calling us.

undercover

Every congo I've ever been in has had their own talent shows and gatherings. Why shouldn't those poor midwestern boys at Bethel get to do that too, if they really want to?

Large gatherings are discouraged by the WTS. "Congregation picnics" cannot be endorsed by the "congregation". Some one person has to take "responsibility". Locally where I lived once, talent shows were banned because the "talented ones" asked for donations to help pay for the rental of the facility. The elders thought they were trying to make money. Costume parties were banned. I don't remember the reason. Pick-up football games were discouraged. Somebody "might" get hurt. Group of brothers had motorcycles and would go riding together on weekends. That got squashed too. Worldly people might think that they were a MC gang.

What it boils down to is, "you can't do this and you can't do that. But since we are in God's house doing his work and we have made more sacrifices than you, we can do this though we have told you that it shouldn't be done." Very hypocritical. Who was in charge? Who was responsible? Who endorsed it? Was is on WTS property? Don't tell me I can't do something and then turn around and do it yourself. I take offense at that. I am not a child and I refuse to let someone tell me I can or can't do something that any responsible adult should be able to decide for themselves.

42

I saw a JW Elder at X-Men 2 Movie this weekend!!

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

i nearly fell off my seat.

this 30ish jw elder came strolling in the movie theater with his wife and a huge tub of pop corn in his arm to watch x-men 2: xmen united.

i couldn't believe the hypocrasy.........they teach not to even watch much tv, much less go to a movie.

undercover

Ultimately, the decision to see any movie (like so many things in life and within the Organization) should be a matter of individual conscience and blanket prohibitions or endorsements should not be made by anyone.

Excellent post. Unfortunately though, life inside the JW structure does not allow for this. If you are a pioneer, an MS, an elder or higher, it is expressly forbidden to watch R-rated movies(in the US). If you are a publisher, you may not be forbidden but you will be encouraged to follow the example of those with responsibility and if "reaching out" should abstain from watching/listening to anything questionable. There are former Behethlites here. They'll tell you. No R-rated movies allowed at Bethel. No conscience decision there. Forbidden.

I saw an MS friend of mine get called in on the carpet because another brother saw an R-rated movie at the MS's house. This movie wasn't lying around, it was in a closed cabinet. The brother got snoopy and looked in it. If he was offended he didn't do the right thing by saying something to the brother who owned the movie. No, he went straight to the elders. The elders of course came down on the MS. He eventually was removed because he would not get rid of certain movies and music. While the elders have not seen fit to use this former MS thinking it is punishment, this former MS told his buddies about what happened and the actions of the super-righeous brother backfired on him. He was formally included in recreational stuff with the MS and his friends. After that he was never included for fear he would always report back to the elders. As this event unfolded, it made me question what happened to using our christian conscience and this rationalization of running around telling on people. I saw a brother who did no wrong get in trouble while the tattle-tale was rewarded(by the elders; they started "using him") for being "zealous for fine works". Talk about being hypocritical.

42

I saw a JW Elder at X-Men 2 Movie this weekend!!

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

i nearly fell off my seat.

this 30ish jw elder came strolling in the movie theater with his wife and a huge tub of pop corn in his arm to watch x-men 2: xmen united.

i couldn't believe the hypocrasy.........they teach not to even watch much tv, much less go to a movie.

undercover

Many JWs have a balanced view on movies/TV etc. But that is despite the fact that the WTS pretty much trys to make you feel guilty if you should partake in any kind of this entertainment. They don't come out and say it word for word, but it is there between the lines. More so at Conventions and Assemblies.

At the last meeting I went to(couple of weeks ago) some people were standing around talking about going to see the X-men. Not one of them was concerned about it being good or bad. Then one of them mentions The Matrix Reloaded and how he was looking forward to seeing that. An elder overheard and mentioned about it being rated R. The brother feigned ignorance and said he didn't realize it was R. As soon as the elder was out of earshot, he rolls his eyes and says, "I'm still gonna go see it." You can look at this two ways. He was being hypocritical and sneaky, not living up to his dedication which makes him no better or worse than any other "religious" person or maybe it's a good sign; JWs(at least some) are starting to realize that they aren't going to allow other people make their decisions for them and are starting to question their leadership.