Posts by Bonsai

30

Life after the witnesses, friends, faith etc

by Theburstbubble in

jw
friends

hi everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me :) i have been a witness all of my life (i'm 37) and truly believed it until 3 years ago.

my husband and i had become spiritually weak and over time i began to question more and more until i came to the conclusion that the witnesses were not the true religion but just one of many religions and that if god is there then there are many paths to get to him.

anyway, i've battled with keeping going as my husband still believed and i didn't want to be in a divided household as we have a young daughter and thought it would be very confusing for her (and us).

Bonsai

Welcome. I hear what you are saying about things becoming complicated when a little child is in the picture. Your religious views are evolving, but love for your child should not be affected by the changes in your life. If your child can feel the unconditional love from both her parents, then it's very likely that all the other changes will have very little effect on her. I have a little girl, too. i think we are doing them a favor by leaving this "captive organization" and the conditional human relationships that it offers.

I am a fourth generation witness, and I have seen how this religion has influenced and screwed up/divided four generations of my family. The cycle ends with me!

Making new friends can be a tough hurdle for some (like me). It's hard to trust again. But if you put in the effort and take the initiative to start new hobbies or volunteer work friends will start coming out of the wood work.

Wishing you and your family the best!

37

Remember the two elderly sisters?

by John Aquila in

about a month ago i posted what had happened to two elderly sisters who were reprimanded by a couple of elders for crying because the jw broadcasting was going to be stopped at the kingdom hall and it was up to each publisher to learn how to use the internet.

if you recall the sisters got together with my mom and talked about it and it resulted in all of them declining to make meals for the pioneers.

here is the link.

Bonsai

Two thumbs up!!

78

I believe that the greater percentage of JWs-You Will Not Be Able to Help, no Matter What Facts You Show Them.

by John Aquila in

so i ran into this brother whom ive known for a while and the conversation led into me being invited to come back to the kingdom hall.

we talked for about an hour during which time i explained to him 607 being the wrong date and a lot of other stuff including the child abuse cases in australia.

but what i wanted to relate was the last few minutes of our conversation.

Bonsai

Secretslaveclass, I get what you are saying and I am perplexed as well.

If I can be receptive to new facts, why can't others?

As we have all come to know so well, The GB demonize all new facts that don't come from them and their literature. I feel pity for the JW stuck in fear of the GB just as the North Koreans are afraid of the regime, or the Japanese were afraid of the imperial government. We've overcome our fear and are free, but we must try to be patient with other JW's who haven't woken up. It's a process I think.

John Aquila, don't stress yourself out. Don't let their buffoonery rob you of your joy and energy.

78

I believe that the greater percentage of JWs-You Will Not Be Able to Help, no Matter What Facts You Show Them.

by John Aquila in

so i ran into this brother whom ive known for a while and the conversation led into me being invited to come back to the kingdom hall.

we talked for about an hour during which time i explained to him 607 being the wrong date and a lot of other stuff including the child abuse cases in australia.

but what i wanted to relate was the last few minutes of our conversation.

Bonsai

It's not so hard to understand. Humans have been ridonkulously superstitious and fearful of death since the beginning. JWism is just an evolution of beliefs built up over time. There will always be that element of society that chooses to be dominated by wishful thinking and wish to subject their lives to imaginary fairies and flying spaghetti monsters. Some people can't accept their mortality. They can't accept that life only has meaning through the hard work you put into it. They want the easy way. Ihey want a quick trip to Valhalla.

20

Do you think the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a war crime or a terrible act of war ?

by truthseeker100 in

i believe that the bombings shortened the war in the pacific and probably saved countless lives.

i am not an expert on this subject but given the times it was probably the correct and moral thing to do.. what say you all?.

Bonsai

I agree with LoveUniHateExams. It was a terrible thing to do, but in the end it most likely saved lives. I've lived in Japan for years and spoken to many who fought and survived the war. It's very interesting to hear the Japanese side of things. The common people were petrified of the government and of displeasing the emperor, but by 1944 most people could see which way the wind was blowing. The Japanese people wanted out of the war long before it ended, but the government had too much power over them. I wish America had detonated a bomb over a non populated area to give the people a chance to override the government. By the time the U.S. dropped the bombs the Japanese navy was non existent and the U.S. had time to try various things. Hindsight is 20/20.

My wife was born in Nagasaki and I've been to Hiroshima a few times. The changes and the goodwill between America and Japan today is nothing short of miraculous.

45

New Inactive One Saying Hello to all

by Lostwun in

jw
friends

lostwun here, i joined 2 months ago but am now just finding the courage after doing more research to formally introduce myself to the board and embrace my new beginnings as an ex-jw.

i am a second-generation jw.

i grew up with parents who are well known and very respected in many circuits.

Bonsai

Welcome! Hope your hubby can eventually see the light, too. I remember how hard it was on my wife when I quit, cold turkey, last fall. Now she's by my side! Take it slow, keep showing patience, love and respect to your hubby and good things will happen!

22

I watched Mr. Jackson last night with my super cult minded parents

by Magwitch in

i have seen some ask on this site how the active jw's are handling what is happening in australia.

here is my little experience from last night........ my parents were baptized in the late 30's as children and have never faltered in their determination to survive the great tribulation and live forever in paradise (even though they actively associate with all their df'ed kids).

my father is still actively serving as an elder and my mother has always been by his side.

Bonsai

Magwitch, your experience confirms my worst fears - that this testimony only serves to heighten the zeal and obedience of the sheep to the magnificent seven in Brooklyn. I was really hoping that the sex abuse problems would weaken the hero worship status of the Watchtower leaders. I was hoping it would expose the inappropriate, even dangerous, unchecked power that the Watchtower leaders have over their flock. It was also my hope that the mishandling of sex abuse cases would spill over into the abuse that is caused by the organization's shunning, isolating and unusually cruel punishment policies.

It seems that Jackson was able to pull the wool over many people's eyes because of his skillfully cherry-picking scriptures to support the society's arcane policies. The whole thing leaves me feeling disappointed and unsatisfied. Kudos to you for the respect you have shown your parents, though.

46

exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

jw
friends

now that enough time has passed and i've moved away, i think i'm overdue to share some of the stories from my fade.

i've mentioned some of this before, but i think it deserves its own thread.. we all would like to be able to freely ask questions about jw beliefs and get our family and friends to really think about certain questions.

however, when you're a baptized jw, you really can't ask any good questions or you'll get the "apostate" label slapped on you!

Bonsai

In the RC public hearing, Geoffrey Jackson apologized a dozen times for various reasons. He thus demonstrated the GB has an ability to apologize.Why then, have the GB never apologized to the sheep for harmful mistakes that they made?

A good question to put to a JW.

449

Labeling one self "Atheist" is Unscientific

by LAWHFol in

i have not meet all atheists, and it would be foolish for me to assume that all atheists, share the same prototypical view points.

i am inclined to feel that this classifies the views of a large percentage of atheists.

"atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities.

Bonsai

I think atheists are immoral! The bible says they are bad!

9

What Do I Smell Like (Happy Friday All)

by freemindfade in

so i just smoked a cigar, then came back into the office to wash it down with some bourbon... for whatever reason i was telling cappy what i smell like now, here is the list, please add your own .

fmf: .

i smell like an old leather chair in a civl war era library .

Bonsai

I smell like the sushi and sashimi that I just ate. Something smells fishy!

Bourbon and sushi - the stuff heaven is made of.