Posts by Loris

9

To Lurking JWs

by somebody in

jw
friends

3/15/98 wt pages 10 and 11.. dangers of following men.

a "sect" has been defined as "a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader.

" similarly, those belonging to a "cult" have "great devotion to a person, idea, or thing.

sombody - excellent post. I had read that magazine when it first came out. But of course I still had blinders on. It is indeed facinating that so much proof of cult behavior is included in that very same issue. WOW

Oroborus21 wrote;

The problem is that we cannot use the basic definition of cult or sect (using your definition outlined) to make any kind of real analysis.

Indeed almost every religion has some person or group in a leadership position.

Maybe it’s time for you to think outside your box.

Did Jesus come to start a new religion or did he come to help mankind develop a personal relationship with the Creator? Did he set up guidelines for setting up a church hierarchy? Or did he give instructions for going to your Father in prayer in your inner room?

Just a thought

Loris

14

Where to get assistance

by Anthony From St Pete in

jw
friends

is there a member in the st pete, fl area that can help me?

i am on social security disability and my check does not come until april 21st.

i need either cooked food until then, gas money ( i am homeless, i stay in my van) or whatever you can help with.. email [email protected].

Loris

I am in Tampa, just across the bridge from you. I would suggest a pawn shop. You could get a few dollars for that computer you are using. Is it a laptop? Where do you plug into the net from your van?

I heard someone say once, "It's a sorry dog that has only one hole to crawl into." There are plenty of options in the Tampa Bay area for homeless people. Look at the bright side it is 70 degrees outside and no rain expected for a few days.

Loris

19

Bought 'True Believer" and 'Illusions'

by Satanus in

jw
friends

i bought 'the true believer' by eric hoffer, and 'illusions' by richard bach (started reading it).

among other things i did, i also bought a pound of starbucks coffee, and watched the sunset.

not a bad day.

Loris

I like to go to the local library when they have a used book sale. People donate books and the sale benefits the library. I found "The True Believer" at one of those sales. I had never heard of it before but the title caught my eye.

The one that I have was published by Time Magazine. In the Editors' Preface it starts out by saying, "Dwight Eisenhower is not a man who goes about insistently recommending books on political philosophy. When, during his Presidency, he pressed Eric Hoffer's book, The True Believer, on his associates, some expected to find it a handy expression of Eisenhower's own beliefs. The book is certainly not that, and many other readers before and after Eisenhower have delighted in The True Believer while disagreeing with much of it."

To me I found that tidbit facinating. I am sure that the editor missed the point of Eisenhower's interest in the subject matter. Was it the threat of Communism or was it the JW experience from his childhood? Did he see the similarity of the JW experience with what Eric Hoffer wrote about?

It was a sort of depressing book to read since I am newly out of the Watchtower Prison. I am still at the "How could I have been so stupid." stage.

Loris

38

When The Circuit Overseer Visited, Why Did You Do More Than Usual?

by minimus in

jw
friends

was it pressure, the desire to conform, was it because you thought that you could work in service with him???

were you trying to get appointed?

did you really think it was a "special week of activity"?

Loris

Doesn't this all smack of creature worship? Who made them King for a day anyways? It always made me feel uneasy. All the fawning and butt kissing. I rarely went in service the week of the CO's visit in 37 years. Just too weird for me.

Loris

81

Hello, I am Vivamus' Mum and new to the board

by Country_Woman in

jw
friends

i am vivamus' mum, and i have heard so much about you, that i'd like to meet you all myself.

i joined the witnesses in 1998, but i have always doubted the organization, but not the faith.

i am still jehovah's witness, but i am sure that the elders will kick me out as soon as possible, should they know what my real thoughts about the organization are.

Loris

Welcome Country Woman

Don't be scared we will not give you the bootlike those other folks you hang with.

And if any of them want to join us we would welcome them too.

Loris

46

Do You Now Appreciate Your Worth Since You Are Out Of The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so many people that are witnesses feel down and unworthy.

do you still feel this way about yourself??

?

Loris

If a brother is "reaching out", his qualifications are based on not the good man that he may be, but the number of hours he spends in service

If we miss some meetings or service, we are labeled as "weak

It was a struggle when "in" to try to explain to those who thought that I did not do enough in the way of field service why I felt that my family of eight children was my territory. I saw my role as provider and mentor of those young minds as my top priority. I was labeled weak for years. But who did the brothers come to when they needed help with errands or odd jobs? My children as they reached adulthood were capable and willing to help those ungrateful @#%%^. My children were labeled weak also because they did not spend every waking hour slaving for the Master race GB.

I knew I was worthwhile and so were my kids. But it was like swimming up stream. What a chore. Now I am kicked back and floating with the current. I can feel good about myself without the guilt. It is soooooo good to be free!!!

Loris

13

What's your weather like?

by Sadie5 in

jw
friends

it is unusually cold here in oklahoma.

it was near the freezing point last night and will be again tonight.

had to grab and bring in all my hanging plants i had put out last week.. april is usually the start of hot weather here, time to start running a/c, but instead we're running our heat.. how's the weather is your area?

Loris

It rained a little this morning. Now it's sunny about 75 F with a few puffy clouds. It's a shame I have to work. A day like today should be spent in a garden.

Loris

7

Next-door.

by Vivamus in

jw
friends

for the most part of my life, i have lived in this small community, in this quiet street, next to this older couple.

i think i have lived next door to them for almost twenty years.

in all that time the only contact i had with them, was when we both were in our garden at the same time, or when we saw each other at the grocery store.

Loris

This is so sad. to think that our neighbor could be ill or even die and we not know.

I am a hermit. I rarely speak to my neighbors also.

Undercover said:

But I was raised to not have anything to do with neighbors (bad influence and all).

That made me think about what Brummie posted recently:

I was wondering what consequences you personally suffer for having been a JW? Depersonalization, depression, keeping people at a distance, none...etc?

JW's are the first to claim love of neighbor but in actual practice do not show it. We were all trained to distance ourselves from our "worldy" neighbors. In our recovery from the indoctrination perhaps this has been overlooked.

I am going to bake some cookies and go meet my neighbors. Thank you Vivamus for bringing this to my attention.

Loris

31

Hi

by Mystery in

first i want to thank robyn for answering my email regarding the forum.

i was having (technical) problems becomeing a member.

someone on "meet-up" posted the site and i have not been able to stop logging on to it.

Loris

Welcome Mystery,

I am a recent escapee from Watchtower Prison. I sent a DA letter in July 2002 after 37 years in. My escape path was Dateline, the UN debacle, Crisis of Conscience, In Search of Christian Freedom. Now I am FREE. Six of my eight children are out. Two of my daughters are still hanging on to the Lie. They are not baptized but just can not seem to break free yet.

Stick around and heal your wounds.

Loris

14

Do you Represent God or a Magazine Company ????????????????

by nightwarrior in

the question of whos faith , built the j.w organization ,as we know charles taz russell the founding member, whom started the organization,what did he beleive in,why was he considerd apostate ,what conections astrology of and pyramidology led him to use the pyramids as defining the dates jehovahs witnesess recognise as being evident in there calculations,did jesus use the stars to calculate any significant events pertaining to mans future, why was the founding farther terminated by the society, why were most of his written works suddenly deemed apostate,e.g the aid book ,used when i came into the truth or so called truth ,what is the difference between a magazine printing company and the modern day watchtower organization, one claims to work in gods name ,the other doesnot make any claims at all.. is your faith in jesus or the organization /???

check out the founding farthers history,.

as you owe it to yourself.are you really serving jehovah or just a magazine money mad organization.

Loris

The Aid Book became apostate literature the same time it's main researcher/writer was DF'd. The new and improved Insite Volumes 1 & 2 were it's replacement. Of course they were mostly word for word copies of the Aid Book. with color pictures. I do not think it was ever put into print that the Aid Book was apostate. It was a well known rumor.

Loris