Posts by cultBgone

34

Feeling disloyal

by stirred but not shaken in

i've been visiting here for about a year or so, but didn't really feel compelled to participate other than reading the various posts that interested me.. there's been that uncomfortable feeling of being disloyal to god, the organization, many friends and relatives.. i've been associated since birth.

after 65 + years of service within this organization and actually enjoying that time, it troubled me to find myself wanting to express feelings that were contrary to all that time of "faithfulness".

those years were filled with progressive "privileges and responsibilities" even at a high level, and there was considerable success in our evangelizing activity.

cultBgone

Stirred, thank you for this wonderful post. Many of us have experienced that feeling of "something isn't quite right" and the resultant "waiting on jehovah" for clarification that never materialized.

The fact that you and your wife were so deeply embedded in the activities of the organization and yet found your way out is truly heart-warming and encouraging. I look forward to reading your suggestions as to how we can assist our own loved ones in waking up and realizing that "something isn't quite right".

Love and (((hugs))) to you and Mrs Stirred!

cBg

16

Counting tracts as placements on reports now?!

by stuckinarut2 in

ahhhhhh......man....... .

so now we have to count all tracts / leaflets / meeting invitations etc as placements on the monthly report slip???.

is this just another method of control or accountability!

cultBgone

Are they counted in the Brochures column?

85

My Elderette is returning today to CONDUCT another conversation...

by Faithful Witness in

she has had 42 years of training and indoctrination.

i'm feeling sort of nervous, but also looking forward to it.

this will be our second scheduled session together, and we never did agree on a topic.. i'm assuming she will come with an agenda and another prepared presentation.

cultBgone

Dear Faithful -

Please consider your own words on this matter:

Unless they can be more respectful to me, I don't see why I should continue to study with them. I have no intention of ever becoming a JW, and I know that cultBgone is correct. They are not doing me any good, but really just wasting my time, as I spin my wheels.

The lies and insults can be saved for someone else. I don't know what I am going to say yet, but I realize that I do have to get myself out of this situation, after reading my own description of what is happening here. When she confirms our appointment, I am going to make sure and tell her that I need to keep it to less than 90 minutes this time. I need to grow a backbone, between now and next Friday. I really am not sure why I agreed to let Miss K into my home, but now that I see how it is going to go, I have changed my mind.

I think I just need to be firm and honest with them. My time and my own sanity have more value than this. I almost wish that I didn't have to wait a week for her to come back, so I can get this over with. I'm guessing that the length of time between BS sessions, is all part of the process. They don't want to come back while you are still "hot." They wait until you cool off and allow it all to start over again. The day AFTER the BS session, is the most full of awareness of what just happened, at least for me.

Several well-meaning people have suggest how to "handle" them next time and you now appear to be ready for another go at it. Please don't be such a people-pleaser that you continually allow others to direct your life! Because, dear one, that makes you Prime jw Material. They look for followers who will bend to their will, and the longer you continue this charade with them, the more danger there is that you will begin to believe their nonsense. Make no mistake, this is how they work!

Please stop listening to suggestions as to "how" you should control the "next" study brainwashing session. A lovely polite No More, Thank You, and Please Don't Come Back as I Have No Interest in Becoming a jw But I Was Just Leading You On in an Attempt to Get You Out of the Cultwill allow you to get on with YOUR Real Life. Just Call Them and Cancel Forever. You don't owe an explanation as YOUR LIFE IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS! You don't owe them another meeting in your home. No more drama. Just Say NO. Do NOT let them talk you into one more meeting. Be kind to yourself and find something more upbuilding to do with your time. End this now, for your own sake.

With much Love and (((hugs))), cBg

2

EXAMPLES OF CULT MIND CONTROL AND COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

by ADJUSTMENTS in

i want to thank ms concernd and leaving quietly in advance for the idea for this topic.. .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_dissonance.

this is an example of an article on emailing and how mind control is done through the wbats which leads to cognitive dissonance.

cultBgone

saving for later

37

The genius of the new donation arrangement

by thedepressedsoul in

ive given this new arrangement a lot of detailed thought and how greatly it benefits the wt and how much it puts a strain on each congregation.. first, let me explain how the old arrangement worked.. you had 3 donation boxes in each kingdom hall.

one for worldwide work, one for kingdom hall construction and one for congregation contributions.. the congregation contribution box accounted for about 60-75% of all donations.

the world wide work box probably accounted for 20-30% and the kingdom hall construction for about 5% of the contributions.

cultBgone

saving for reference

14

Interview on YouTube with a former Bethelite who ended up homeless

by RayPublisher in

this is one of the most extraordinary interviews i've done on youtube to date and i'm not just saying that.. shawn "zen" dean shared his harrowing story with me of being raised in the jw "truth", going to watchtower farms and then getting his teaching degree only to end up homeless... lots of stories along the way, told with humor, sincerity and a heart full of love.. this is a tender-hearted guy that has had the ass-end of the stick his whole life... that's "the truth"!.

http://youtu.be/ub1wx3yarf8.

cultBgone

saving this

6

San Fran apostabeerfest NOW

by besty in

jw
friends

who's in?

i'm staying near chinatown until friday.. .

cultBgone

So not fair, I'm on the other coast or would join you!

11

RIP: Timothy Campbell

by Wild_Thing in

jw
friends

this is old news, as it happened six or so months ago, but i just found out today.

timothy campbell died of kidney cancer in november of 2013. he started one of the first ex-jw forums, beyondjw.

i met him in person once.

cultBgone

(((hugs))) for his friends and family

7

For those of us who still attend

by jonahstourguide in

i wanted to repost this, i inadvertently posted it in members but all need to see it i think.. .

bible highlights this week.

exodus 25:2.

cultBgone

Keep us all posted! Kudos for your voices in the wilderness!

67

Raising kids - JW mother, agnostic father

by Zana in

my wife and i have two wonderful children aged 1 and 3. i was raised as a lutheran but stopped believing in my late teen years.

my wife is what i would call a liberal jw (yes, i believe such people exist .

sooner or later our children will have questions about religion and the differences mom and dad show towards it.

cultBgone

Roberto, I love it:

I compare them to al qaeda cells, they sleep for 15 years and all the sudden they speak to a family member or friend of yours that are, maybe, facing a difficult moment promising a solution for all the problems.

Hahaha, what a superb analogy! And a bit scary, too.

(((hugs))) to you and your family