I was still somewhat 'in' when I joined, but had doubts and was questioning everything. And thus scared shitless about being found out. So I had to stay undercover as much as possible.
undercover
JoinedPosts by undercover
-
116
What is behind your choice of forum user name?
by stuckinarut2 injust curious how we all think.. what prompted or influenced your choice of username for this forum?.
there are some really amazing names, and it would be great to hear the stories behind them.... mine was nothing fancy.
i just felt "stuck in a rut too" along with so many others.
-
-
-
52
What "Rules" Did The Elders In Your KH Make?
by minimus insome congregations were known as liberal and others were considered very conservative.
back in the 1970s a nearby congregation made all speakers who gave public talks a white shirt to wear.
if a speaker came in wearing anything but white they were brought into the library and were given a white shirt!
-
-
undercover
Hah! What rules didn't they make would be a shorter list.
From movies to music to cars to clothes to hair to where you were allowed to sit in a KH, they covered it all.
A couple of notables: no necklaces or bracelets for brothers. Gay men wear them, thus, it was wrong (no one ever asked about pirates). I used to give a pioneer sister a ride home from service. She had to ride in the back seat. The age difference wasn't insurmountable, but she was...
-
20
How many JWs would Disassociate if their were no family sanctions?
by Chook ini think the swamp would empty overnight .
-
-
undercover
I think it was Farkel that once said that if DFing/DAing and shunning were not part of the make up of the JW religion, there would be no exJW forums and groups.
There would be no reason to bemoan our fate at having learned the truth about 'the truth'. There would only be minor, if any, debates or arguments with family still attending. We'd just drift away, no different than people who drift away from the Baptist church they grew up in.
-
28
Have You Ever Found Yourself Really Not Liking Someone Here?
by minimus ini've been on this board for years.
99% of the posters here i do not personally know.
a few, maybe not so much...lol..... do posters here get you upset to the point that you really don't like them?
-
-
undercover
There once was a red dot
Who asked questions a lot
Mostly likable he could be
For those who chose to see
His opinion mattered not
-
22
Jehovah's Witnesses denial of what they are supposed to believe from Watchtower
by jambon1 inone of the most frustrating things.
when you confront jw's about what they believe they will often deny it.
such as "if your child is disfellowshipped then you can't have contact with them ever again".
-
-
undercover
They're actually embarrassed by their own beliefs, so much so that most will deny or water them down.
Cognitive dissonance: psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously
-
5
Armenia’s Jehovah’s Witnesses: ‘enemies of the state’
by AndersonsInfo intp://oc-media.org/armenias-jehovahs-witnesses-enemies-of-the-state/.
http://oc-media.org/armenias-jehovahs-witnesses-enemies-of-the-state/.
armenia’s jehovah’s witnesses: ‘enemies of the state’.
-
-
undercover
While I abhor religious (among other kinds of) intolerance, I find it hard to sympathize with this:
After she decided to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses, her life changed.
When Kristine’s in-laws found out that she had embraced a new faith, they first tried to convince her to abandon it. Later, they stopped visiting her family home.That reads like it's right out of the WTS playbook. If you leave our faith, we will shun you. Wait until you raise your kid, and he leaves the JWs. You gonna treat him just like you were treated?
-
48
US Republican congressman, others injured by shooter in Washington DC
by sir82 intragic occurrence:.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/steve-scalise-shot-in-virginia-aide-also-hit/ar-bbcfakv?li=bbnb7kz.
i saw another report indicating that the gunman may have targetting gop members.
-
-
undercover
What they needed was a good guy with a gun. How's it feel when the gun is in the blue hand now?
But, yes it is a tragic occurrence. I hope the victims will be okay, and the shooter is prosecuted to the full extent of the law (if still alive).
-
30
Why is the approval of family so important?
by jwfacts inone of the reasons people remain pimo is fear of losing family.
those that are disfellowshipped and shunned regularly comment about how devastated that they have lost the approval of their parents.. when i respond to emails from people saying how difficult it is being estranged or looked down on by their parents, i would like to say that over time they will come to terms with it, except i not sure that people ever do.
i cannot shake that feeling either.
-
-
undercover
For me, it's not the acceptance or approval of parents. I really don't care if they accept me or not. They're the ones that raised me in a cult. While they're victims themselves, they're responsible for a lot of my issues being raised this way. I haven't spoken to either of them in some time... and they live within just a few miles of me. I reach out to check on them occasionally, trying to be a dutiful son caring for elderly parents and all that, but they don't appreciate it. They never contact me for anything. So life goes on.
My wife is my importance. I con't crave her acceptance as much as I crave our relationship as a couple. And if I can get her mind free and clear of WT influence, then I will have accomplished my mission.
But I am not PIMO, I am POMO. So maybe that has something to do with it.
-
29
Disfellowshipped for being complicit in someone else's sin - really?!
by Isambard Crater ina close friend of mine who is pimo (only staying in for family reasons) in a neighboring congregation called me in tears tonight saying her dad (elder) is telling her he is seriously considering reporting her to her local elders and she could get disfellowshipped.. the reason?
because she is complicit in a gross sin, according to him, by going with her best friend (not a j.w.
) when the friend had an abortion.
-
-
undercover
The "sin" is committed by a wordly person. Compare it to go with a wordly person into a tobaccoshop buying Cigarettes.
Not quite the same transgression. More like, 'compare it to being with a worldly person who murdered someone'. That makes you an accomplice. (Abortion being murder to Bible thumping folks)
However - 'worldly' laws are not addressed or punished in the congregation. Only 'theocratic' (JW version) laws are upheld. An example as told by a Circuit Overseer one time. He asked the elders what should they do if they found that a brother in the congregation was in possession of stolen goods. It was agreed by the elders and MSs that a judicial committee meeting would be in order. The CO said, 'wrong'. There is no biblical law broken by being in possession of stolen goods. While a crime to Caesar, it's not a 'crime' in the congregation, therefore would not be in the elder's jurisdiction to do anything about it.
This case though, a biblical law was broken in the presence of the JW (PIMO or otherwise). But, again, there is no 'accomplice' biblical law (that I'm aware of), so technically there's nothing they should be able to do, other than give her 'counsel'. But, then again, anyone can get DFd for anything three elders can decide on, so you still have to be wary.
-
23
Is there anything recent in the publications about Jesus only being the ransom for annointed?
by NikL ini was trying to find something recent that i can show "still ins" in my sphere but it is proving harder than anticipated.. most of what i am seeing is couched in confusing goblygook wt style prattle.. my wife argues that it's not even true and i think that's the case with most jaydubs.. so i guess if it is a teaching that is being allowed to fade, maybe it's not worth pursuing?.
any of you scholars out there got anything recent clear and handy?.
-
-
undercover
As convoluted as most WTS doctrines are, this is one of the more convoluted. Jesus is ransom for all followers, but mediates only for the anointed. The anointed make up the Christian congregation; the rest are just supporters of this heavenly class of spiritual brothers to Christ.
This confusing teaching is why on one hand, you could argue that JWs (non-anointed) are not true Christians. They're just supporters of the anointed, and followers of Christ, but not technically members of their club.
On the other hand, the WTS never makes this definitive statement, but purposely leaves it obtuse. JWs consider themselves Christians based on their acceptance of Christ as their ransomer and leader. On that basis, then yea, they can be considered Christians.
I think this goes back to the early days of the WTS when they expected Armageddon early on, with only a limited number of adherents and survivors. They outgrew that expectation, and had to rewrite doctrine. But in true WTS style, they created a bigger mess than what they already had.