Posts by baldeagle

51

I just watched the final video from this years convention. OMG!!!

by NikL in

jw
friends

i am shaking all over right now.

i think it's worse that the bunker video.. i used to think there was no way that these people would actually "drink the cool aid" if you get my drift, but seeing this video i am now not sure it could never happen.. having a wife who i love dearly trapped in this cult is really freaking me out right now...

baldeagle

While it is quite disturbing and very emotionally manipulative, it underscores that the WT leaders are having extreme difficulty in keeping members engaged and active anymore.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

32

Scary Effectiveness of Assembly Videos

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

well, i got to see the final day of this years regional convention.and i saw something that disturbs me.. the final, "summing up review" video.

it disturbs me because it was so well done.

(i wish i could remember the title of the song), to the strains of a solo vocalist singing in a fine "irish tenor", we see the actors from the previous videos of the last few days all assembling together in a clearing.

baldeagle

While it is quite disturbing and very emotionally manipulative, it underscores that the WT leaders are having extreme difficulty in keeping members engaged and active anymore.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

10

Interview with an Apostate - Scratchme1010

by scratchme1010 in

for what it's worth:.

tell us a little about yourself and your family.. i am one of 7 children in my family, three boys, three girls and me.

yes, i'm right in the middle, and i'm the pink sheep of the family (or at least the official one).

baldeagle

Thanks for sharing and enjoy your freedom.

66

Overlapping Generations

by JRK in

jw
friends

i remember when that came out, my mother didn't catch it in the original article in the wt.

it was in one of the review "do you remember" thingies that she caught it.

she asked me if it means what she thought it meant.

baldeagle

The retooling of the “generation” teaching in 1995, 81 years after 1914 was a red flag. This was a benchmark teaching that many Witnesses used to make crucial life-altering decisions. It was simply torpedoed out of existence and replaced. My lingering doubts were now crystalized that the leaders of this religion were clearly fabricating their doctrines. As the years and decades marched on with no end in sight, they were using a piecemeal approach to make modifications.

Regrettably, I remained active until the nonsensical teaching in 2010 that two groups of anointed from 1914, overlap to make up a continuous generation. I knew it was all a falsehood 15 years earlier, what was I thinking? Aside from the obvious fear of losing your entire family and social network in a heartbeat, something else is at play in the JW mindset.

It’s what is called herd mentality. This is defined as, “The inability or refusal to listen to one's own instinct or 'gut feeling' but to instead follow the majority for fear of being wrong, ostracized or ridiculed.”

While we are nurturing doubts, we feel guilty when we observe our fellow congregants and their apparent faithful lifestyle. We are surrounded by pioneers, elders, servants, CO’s and Bethelites etc. We go to large conventions and see literally thousands of people, many that we respect and admire that tirelessly soldier on in their JW activities. We wonder could all these families be duped and I’m right. On the other hand, could I be the one that is seeing things incorrectly?

Therefore, the direct anxiety of being shunned along with the “herd mentality” literally causes many years or even decades to go by, before we can break free from the grip this religion has on people.

The GB leadership whether today or 80 years ago has a lot to answer for; they have indeed ruined a countless number of lives of people who were mostly sincere and believed they were doing God’s will.

66

Overlapping Generations

by JRK in

jw
friends

i remember when that came out, my mother didn't catch it in the original article in the wt.

it was in one of the review "do you remember" thingies that she caught it.

she asked me if it means what she thought it meant.

baldeagle

66

Overlapping Generations

by JRK in

jw
friends

i remember when that came out, my mother didn't catch it in the original article in the wt.

it was in one of the review "do you remember" thingies that she caught it.

she asked me if it means what she thought it meant.

baldeagle

9

Interview with an Apostate - Passwordprotected

by passwordprotected in

father was raised catholic and converted to the jws in the late '60s.

my dad's side of the family are still catholics and are very nice to me.

my mum's side are all jws and they shun me (boo hoo).. were you a born in or a convert?.

baldeagle

Thanks for sharing passwordprotected I appreciated your openness and honesty telling it like it is. No one escapes this religion without some damage to his or her psyche.

For many it may be severe for others like a minor fender bender but there’s always some damage and regretful choices in one’s past for sure.

17