Posts by LevelThePlayingField

22

The point at which you think this may not be the truth

by LevelThePlayingField in

i remember one of the nights that i found out the truth wasn't the truth, that is after finding out about the united nations, i remember riding my bicycle from like 1am till 5am in the city night.

it was rather chilly, maybe about 55-60 degrees and i was playing pink floyd's dark side of the moon album in my earbuds.

just riding and riding, not really tiring because of the thought that 7 men in brooklyn had duped me, duped me for like 20 plus years.

LevelThePlayingField

I remember one of the nights that I found out the truth wasn't the truth, that is after finding out about the United Nations, I remember riding my bicycle from like 1am till 5am in the city night. It was rather chilly, maybe about 55-60 degrees and I was playing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album in my earbuds. Just riding and riding, not really tiring because of the thought that 7 men in Brooklyn had duped me, duped me for like 20 plus years. How could this happen? Where did I go wrong? Why didn't I see it from the beginning?

How could they? How could they commit this treason? This treason of being in bed with the United Nations for ten years? At the time, it hadn't dawned on me that they really didn't care at all. At that time in 2013 I thought that they were still a caring group who had my best interest at heart, or I thought that it just had to be that way. How could they be any different, for in fact, to me, they were the ones representing the faithful and discreet slave for 20 plus years. In my mind I was thinking, "they just really effed up on this one...." But some how I knew that really wasn't the deal. They more than effed up. They did this United Nations thing on purpose and in my mind I just knew, I just knew it.

But how do I rationalize it? How do I make it make sense? Why doesn't it make sense, after all they are the faithful slave? So I just rode and rode, crying sometimes. Why just why? How could they? But they did, and did for 10 years. It was deliberate.

Now I need to look at them differently. And I think it was at that point that I crossed over a line that I have never come back from. I never looked at the men as the faithful slave the same ever again. It was at that time, for the first time, that I said, 'maybe they are actually not from God.'

And the rabbit hole was before me. Do I dare go down this hole? What if I find out that this isn't the truth? How in the world will I make sense of anything if that's the case? How will I do this? Can it be done? What if I'm wrong? Now what?

But I must go on, I have to. I asked God that night to show me the truth, no matter what. Good, bad or ugly. And over the last four years he has shown to me that the truth as JW's know it isn't the truth. And now, I know. Now it's so simple.

All the times I used to cringe when someone on this site would say that they are a cult, I thought, no, don't have to go that far. But now after 4 years I have nothing to say but yes, if you study the whole religion and really pay attention to everything, you too will see that they are indeed a cult.

Wow, what a difference four years can make. So now what? I still have faith in God, but not the JW way. I am much happier now, and much freer now. I have nearly mo mental, in fact no mental problems anymore. I don't have a guilty conscience about any thing, but yet still live a moral life. I used to have a guilty conscience about making money. Now, today I made time and a half for working on July 4th and loved it. I said, "happy 4th" to many people, and they replied the same back to me. It all made sense, good sense. I feel good working. I used to feel guilty for working and not being in field serve-us. Then when in field service I would wonder how I would make the bills. Now, I rarely turn in time, and it feels really good. It feels good to feel good.

Finally.

Thanks faithful slave for being so hypocritical. Now I have my life for me and not you! What a wonderful life I have in front of me.

My only regret is that I should have found out much earlier.

So, the next time you see a guy on a bicycle, maybe he's riding to reconcile the truth about the truth, who knows...

As Pink FLoyd would say, "Us and them. And after all, we're only ordinary men..."

15

Observation of Sam Heard at Regional Convention in Dayton, OH

by LevelThePlayingField in

heard gave 3 talks at the convention.

one thing i noticed rather quickly was how stuck he was to his notes.

he rarely looked up.

LevelThePlayingField

One other thing of note, was that Heard has the last part on the last day of the convention. It was about how we know the end is near. He said absolutely nothing about how we know the end is near. Really. He didn't read Matt 24 or anything. All he said was "all the prophecies in the Bible, as all you dear brothers and sister know, are being fullfilled right now. So we know the end is very close". That was it. Nothing about imminent or anything, well, that is until Tony tight pants had a video at the last minute. He said the end is imminent.

Yeah, Tony, I know. It's been imminent for 138 years. So what's new.

12

Doing your own research

by Reazon22 in

jw
friends

we all know watchtower doesn't encourage their members do research for themselves.

can anyone point out any articles where it mentions this?

any help would be appreciated.

LevelThePlayingField

I was once told, not to Google things, but only stick to WT library or JW dot orgy. So I asked the elder, so I can't go on weather.com and check the weather? Or go to cnn.com and look up the latest news? He had nothing to say.

26

Where were the present GB members in 1975 and their ages the

by Lostandfound in

42years have passed since the great 1975 expectation delivered nothing.

blame for the expectations laid at feet of the faithful, 'it's your fault , you believed us so you are responsible for the let down'.

i have asked this previously and repeat the point, where were the current members of the governing body, 43 years ago.

LevelThePlayingField

I know this much about Heard, he must be feable minded because he gave 3 talks at our convention and and he reads everything not looking up at the audience for nothing. Even common scriptures like Matt 24:14, he reads it with out looking up.

15

Observation of Sam Heard at Regional Convention in Dayton, OH

by LevelThePlayingField in

heard gave 3 talks at the convention.

one thing i noticed rather quickly was how stuck he was to his notes.

he rarely looked up.

LevelThePlayingField

Heard gave 3 talks at the convention. One thing I noticed rather quickly was how stuck he was to his notes. He rarely looked up. And then I realized that, he was actually reading everything word for word. But he was literally reading everything. He held up his notes, the audience could clearly see them. He read everything, including scriptures.

One of his talks was in order to release a new Bible story book. So he was reciting about 4 or 5 bible stories. And you would think that he would be able to just look at the audience and recite the story right? No. He read each story word for word. Every once in a while he would loose his place, and it was on something so simple, like "So Daniel was about to....(3 seconds later... be eating by the lions, but no, Jehovah..." It was stuff like that, that got me really looking at this guy.

He never just talks. Never, unless he cracks a joke. My first thought was, 'this guy's loosing it in his old age, so he has to give manuscript talks only'. He kept shuffling the pages, one to the other and at the end of each talk he would read things like, "Well, friends, we truly have been instructed by Jehovah...." but he would read those words and NOT look at the audience at all when he should be able to extenperaniously (spelling) speak those things. It should just come from the heart right?

I mean, the guy has like 150 years of full time service, right? So why doesn't he have an idea of his own like all the other speakers that were before and after him. My thought, is that he's getting to the point where he's so old he can't have thoughts that just flow like that. If he gave a talk like any of the three he gave at the convention, he would be pulled aside after the school and counseled. But everybody just lapped it up. :(

9

Any dave ramsey fans here?

by c5 in

jw
friends

hey!

long time since i have been here.

lots and lots of new posters.

LevelThePlayingField

I wanted to bump this thread. Reason why is that, in the "truth" I was never shown how to handle money, ever. Just work enough to get by and put all the rest toward's the organization. But Dave Ramsey is a whole lot about how to actually get ahead of things as far as money is concerned.

I truly believe that if I would have know about the Dave Ramsey baby steps back when I first started to know about the JW's by now I would be nearly a millionaire. He really knows his stuff well. Here's a link to the baby steps video. And for all those out there that say, I don't have time or the money actually to invest, well, if you only invest $5 a month (yes, that's five dollars a month) from age 18 and then continued until age 68, you would have over $74,000 put away based on 10% earnings, even though you would have only put in $3,005.00 of your own money at $5/mo.

I know that Simon had put out a very nice post about how JW's and ex-JW should consider putting money away for retirement. Hey, y'all, we are the ones who are awake, right? Well, let us think clearly about our potential future. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU7HEIs3IWw

71

Wow i do not reconize this religion anymore...

by _Morpheus in

had the misfortune of stopping by the "regional" convention yesterday.

i promised my daughter i would come to sunday afternoon so she wouldnt have to ride home with her mother.... holy crap it was weird!

im sure all of this has been covered on the forum but to actually see it.... just wow.

LevelThePlayingField

Gee, I can't wait, as I have an in wife that I attend with. I will end up going to all 3 days in a bit.

16

They should show this 2 minute video about 1975 at the convention

by LevelThePlayingField in

if only there was a way to hack in and play this.

:).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bmca1qdhho&feature=push-u&attr_tag=3yku113wrp-khxdt-6.

LevelThePlayingField

If only there was a way to hack in and play this. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bmcA1qDHho&feature=push-u&attr_tag=3yKu113wrp-KhXdt-6

35

Is JW.org unbreakable

by UnshackleTheChains in

i ask this question for good reason.

let's face it, despite all the books, videos, forums, court cases, hearings, protests etc that have been exposing the society for many years.

jw.org continues to roll on almost 'it seems' unscathed.. for example, just walk into any kingdom hall there is not so much as a whisper about anything that has been exposed outside of jw land.

LevelThePlayingField

I agree with Magnum and Chook, JW's are just not the hard core people they used to be. They used to talk doctrine with people. Now they tell you to go to jw dot orgy. What a bunch of garbage.

65

My Younger Brother Has Left The Witnesses!! :-D

by pale.emperor in

absolutely thrilled to give you the news that my younger brother, a zealous full-time pioneer has left the witnesses!!.

i haven't seen or spoke to him in a year.

i'd lost all contact with him, no facebook, no mobile number, i didn't even know his address because he'd moved house.

LevelThePlayingField

I have noticed for myself too, that the less I do for the Watchtower the better I feel. Happy for you.