Posts by wheelwithinwheel

33

Wanting Less Involvement (long newbie story)

by DepthsResounding in

i was raised a jw and am currently pioneer in a foreign language congregation.

i have been unhappy on and off with my involvement in this religion and am ready to step back again.

growing up i was always active but extremely reserved and a low hour publisher.

wheelwithinwheel

The big problem with JW.Org is the amount of control exerted on its member’s lives. That’s why it’s classified by many as a cult. But let’s be frank, much of the control is self-inflicted. Is anyone obligated to pioneer or go out carting?

Can a JW go to university, get a PhD, find a high paying job, marry a worldly person, buy a big house and lots of toys, drink and go on numerous, long vacations? The answer is many elders could fit a good part of that description.

Think of this year’s convention videos. Does the sister who loves to paint have to forego a good part of her ‘painting day’ to accompany another sister on a call? She could actually be “inactive” and paint for a week straight if she wanted to, and still be part of the JW club. It’s her JW.Org cult- mind that obliges her to believe she needs to cancel part of her day to accompany that sister. Is Gloria obligated to quit her job? Does Ricky have to shave off his beard? Should Tina get her hair back to being theocratic? Who’s making Joe and Gloria stand on the street with a cart?

I’ve always observed that JWs living on the edge seemed to be the most fulfilled in life. The sister with the non-JW husband who didn’t pioneer, lived her life and used her husband as her excuse seemed the most happy. The more devoted always appeared to be slugging through life, somewhat overwhelmed.

If you are OK living with frowns, I think it’s possible to live on the edge. It’s possible to still be part of the club quite happily, unless you really want to exercise a disfellowshipping freedom….in which case you might have to sacrifice one ‘happiness’ for another. But hey, that’s life. That’s freedom. Decisions. Choices. Your choices not a cult’s.

My advice: Stop worrying about status and what others think about you and begin by taking back some control of your life. Stop that ridiculous pioneering. You’ll feel a weight lifting off your shoulders. Did I say stop thinking about what others think of you? Repeat to yourself, “I don’t care what they think”. Take back more control and get full time work. Get your own place. You’re 30, almost at the ½ point of your life. Next, decide who you want to date and if you want to get married. He doesn’t have to be a JW. Stop being a wuss. You need to do more than dip a toe. The world is full of great people. The “world is so bad” is a JW.Org fallacy…a controlling cult falsehood. If you decide you want to be married, be extremely careful that you are compatible. A mistake can really mess up your life.

You can be happier. Good Luck!

...And the weak ‘brother’ from another country? Experience has taught me it’s always good to look for someone ‘genuine’. Hope you get my drift.

26

JW's Changing Tune

by SickofLies in

i left the religion back in the early 2000's, tell you the truth it's been so long now i've been out i don't remember exactly when i left.

i definitely used this site a lot when i first left and it was a great asset.

when i left i somehow managed to get my parents to come with me.

wheelwithinwheel

Last year's convention: Pioneer and you will get to pet lions, eat fruit on the beach and welcome departed loved ones to have fruit and pet lions.

This year's convention: Pioneer or you will be turned into a pillar of salt.

Sound any different?

34

Finally ready to join the crowd.

by Silent Knight in

jw
friends

hello, all you damn dirty apostates!

please, allow me to join this community of diseased minds.

i have been lurking here for over 2 years and tonight i decided it's time to come out of the shadows.

wheelwithinwheel

It's really encouraging to hear more and more are escaping the jail cells. It doesn't seem the escape can be made without any trauma. You will succeed in dealing with it.

Welcome to your new life without the shackles and chains.

20

Begining of freedom???

by JW-AWAKED J17 in

hello every body!.

it's my thirst time here.

i'm verry glad to tell you my resignation as an elder in my local congregation.

wheelwithinwheel

Excellent.

It can be difficult to step down. My wife began missing her pioneer hours and told the elders she felt she needed to stop pioneering. The elders told her she needed to talk to the C.O. first. The C.O. stepped in and said he did not want my wife to stop pioneering. He proposed to stay on the pioneer list and just not do the hours. She was shocked and actually mad that he did not want to respect her decision. She had to argue her case telling him she felt not doing the hours was dishonest.

Next she stopped service all together and began missing a lot of meetings.

Then we moved to the next step of our fade and I told the elders I needed to resign because I felt that my wife's situation was not a good reflection of my spiritual shepherding. Once again the C.O stepped in and said her situation had nothing to do with me. He said "She is not a bad reflexion on you. You do not need to step down and the body does not want you to step down."

Funny how they use the rules as they want. I've seen pioneers taken off very quickly when the elders want them off. I have also witnessed elders lose their privileges for a minor problem with their family.

Anyhow I fixed my problem by handing an announcement to the brother giving the announcements just before the meeting. It read: "For the present time, Brother Wheels will not be serving as an elder." He read it. Everyone was shocked. They looked at me with a 'what sin did you do look?'

When I stopped pioneering they had seen the writing on the wall and did not argue with my decision.

Congratulations and welcome to a new chapter of your life!

14

Can we talk confidentially?

by wheelwithinwheel in

jw
friends

the lot video shows what most elder’s offices are like.

actually it a pretty well-equipped one and with the video context is, without a doubt, org-approved.

but let’s face it.

wheelwithinwheel

The Lot video shows what most elder’s offices are like. Actually it a pretty well-equipped one and with the video context is, without a doubt, org-approved.

But let’s face it. There’s a big problem. Any discussion in this office is not confidential.

This family is well off compared to what ours was. My elder dad would just pull the telephone cord into our hall closet. I think we would have felt it was sinful to glue our ears to the paper-thin closet door but we didn’t have to worry about it. We overheard most of the conversation as if we were in the same room with the elders. Our whole family knew pretty much everything going on in the congregation, or at least all that was discussed in my dad’s ‘office’.

I remember being quite traumatized when I once overheard dad delivering a 6 month committee’s menace to the father of 2 very young girls who I considered my friends. The family had immigrated to Canada and bought a bakery. Dad’s conversation indicated they had been reported to have sold cakes decorated with pagan icing and chocolate Santa Claus’. The committee was giving them 6 months to sell. It was the reasonable and loving thing to do. They were already missing a lot of meetings just to keep the bakery going. Now they missed even more. I worried as the clock ticked. The family didn’t sell. The reason isn’t clear. It wasn’t discussed in dad’s ‘office’. Perhaps there were no buyers. Probably it was their only income. The mom and dad were disfellowshipped. The family stopped attending the Hall all together. I felt really bad but asked Jehovah to help me harden my heart against the wicked.

The lesson, which I’ve shared over the years…refuse to discuss anything you don’t want overheard and repeated over the phone… and don’t meet in an elder’s ‘office’.

19

Spiritual Welfare

by wheelwithinwheel in

jw
friends

this year’s “don’t give up” convention encourages theocratic welfare.

brother pioneer is doing a lot of carting and having trouble making ends meet.

his landlord doesn’t get it and decides to evict him and his wife.. .

wheelwithinwheel

Here’s something new. This year’s “Don’t give up” convention encourages theocratic welfare. Brother Pioneer is doing a lot of carting and having trouble making ends meet. His landlord doesn’t get it and decides to evict him and his wife.

Brother Elder likes brother Pioneer’s talks and is impressed by his ministerial school credentials. So when brother Pioneer confides in him that money’s tight, but that he pays his rent on time and his landlord wants to evict him for no reason (??? sure, we’ve all heard that one), bro. Elder doesn’t even consider clarifying the situation. The Christian principle of coming to an agreement between 2 parties doesn’t even cross his mind. Nor does he mention God’s principle of working to support your daily necessities. No, the answer is just to put the able-bodied couple on spiritual welfare. He explains to the couple how it works.

Next bro. Elder decides the best course of action is to screw that worldly landlord and get the congregation to move bro. Pioneer and wife to another apt.

Bro. and sis. Pioneer marvel at Jehovah’s generosity.

and bro Elder smirks at how simple it was for Jehovah to fix that situation.

New light shared, but not too surprising when you consider the video’s producers have been living on Jehovah’s spiritual manna for decades.

75

Confused trying to understand JW GF or soon to be EX

by James87 in

i dont know where to start so why not at the beginning.

i was seeing this girl and we hit it off great chemistry.

it went from a physical to a deeper relationship.

wheelwithinwheel

I’ve seen your situation several times over the years. JW girl meets nice non-JW boy. Elders find out. Girl is told “Remember, Jehovah wants us to marry only someone in the Truth™. Let’s see if this guy is really a good, sincere future JW. Keep your distance until he’s studied and gets baptized. So that way you will know he is getting baptised for Jehovah, not to get married to you. Then you are free to marry him”.

JW girl follows the rules and distances herself (at least in front of fellow believers). Boy really likes this girl and believes he can change (help) her. He too follows the JW rules. He studies. He gets baptized. Sometime after his baptism they get married, blessed because they followed the congregational rules.

Then….the marriage becomes a total disaster. The guy was interested in the girl, not the religion. The girl wants to keep the religion and the boy. There’s a lot of finger pointing and fighting. All the JW congregation nod knowingly and say to one another “See, a “worldly” guy. Can’t be trusted. He came into the Truth just to marry her” and “She went out into the world™ just to get a guy and look what happened. She should have known better. She disrespected Jehovah’s rules”.

Want grief - get baptized. Want to clear everything up? Tell her you have done a lot of research and have positive proof she is in a mind-controlling cult and you will NEVER join - NEVER. Show the elders and your GF the proof. See where it goes from there.

10

Watchtower Paranoia and Russia

by jwleaks in

compare.. the below image is from the july 17, 2017, issue of the watchtower (study edition).. link: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2017/.

the below image is a still shot from a watchtower propaganda video about governments turning on the jws:.

now compare the above two images with the following recent photo of the russian police:.

wheelwithinwheel

Interesting detail on the uniforms. I also wonder about the videos of Sergei and the fake Russian accents. Seems like the GB are making a special effort to connect to Russia, get noticed and “bring it on”. It could be they are hoping for ‘all that’ world-wide press coverage or maybe they simply believe it’s time for them to help Jehovah start the Great Tribulation.

Really not a good time to plan a massive letter avalanche. Putin is already dealing with rising dissent and public demonstrations this week. He won’t be in an understanding mood on April 5th.

On another front I also question the timing of Sanderson’s Russian speech. He comes off as a spy leader sending coded messages to Russian operatives. This at a time when anti-Russian sentiment and talk of Russian spying is rising in the US. You have to wonder if the GB want to incite the Americans to suspect them of working with the Russians. Perhaps there’s also a plan to provoke a US ban.

You’d have to give it to them. For the second time in their history their prophecy is seeing fulfillment. And this time it won’t be invisible.

23

Amazing Video, modern-day miracle: "Chairs for Thousands"

by neat blue dog in

god provides.

https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/vodourorganization/pub-jwb_201703_4_video.

wheelwithinwheel

Yep no money for venues with chairs now. More cost savings. "Come sit on these free chairs you brought along. More evidence of Jehovah's blessing. And don't forget to donate. Uh Warwick? Yeah thanks bros...we're loving it. Just support your RC and keep those donations coming!"

10

Why I Refused To Go To Gay Son's Wedding EXCLUSIVE

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

front page of the sunshine coast daily, friday 17 march 2017. yvonne, the mother of chris on bride and prejudice, has for the first time explained why she couldn't attend her gay son's wedding.

https://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/bride-and-prejudice-mum-denies-sons-church-control/3155773/.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5714189639221248/_post/5672317399072768.

wheelwithinwheel

"We have the greatest respect for whatever decision people make."

Disfellowshipping is now called "respect" in jw.land? No wonder Spinks was used to represent the Watchtower. He is like "the original serpent"!