Is this a site for active JWs or for ex JWs?

by ><> 43 Replies latest jw friends

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  Frannie Banannie

  
  Fish, while you're on your fact-gathering mission, please realize that any member or former member that disagrees with WTS teachings, doctrines, policies and practices, whether written or by word-of-mouth, will be painted as a disgruntled dissenter and apostate (parallels Satanic) by current active JW's.

  Anything you learn as fact that's not from the WTS publications or from the mouth of a current active devoted member is ALL lies, unsubstantiated lies, in their eyes.

  To them, all the victims of child molestation, rape and abuse within the WTS are liars and apostates (Satanic).

  To them, the proven fact that the WTS joined the United Nations (claimed for decades to be Babylon the Great in their publications) in 1991 as an NGO and only resigned their UN membership ten years later when the so-called "apostates" online caught them and called them on it, claiming lamely that the WTS had only joined to get access to the UN library (poppycock), is a lie or unsubstantiated or excused.

  Frannie
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  ferret

  Welcome ><> Keep posting and learn the real truth about the truth.
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  ><>

  You all have been so helpful. Everything you've all stated shows the exteme deception you've all lived, and this is just one board! I can, as could anyone, sense the pain, frustration, anger and best of all the peace you seem to have. Althought you've all left, you have ties there still with family members and friends, that keep you bounded, as it would anyone. There's the frustration!

  ONe of you posted about continuing to show "love and kindness". That's interesting. I understand now, thanks to your post, the reason they are nothing more than cordial with us.

  ><>
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  jgnat

  Yes, nelly, that's a great find. "Jehovah's Witnesses Christians are not Anti-Social". But of course they are.
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  nelly136

  and we know what theyd like to do about apostates, frannie

  shortened to save space

  http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm

  When a man in Corinth was unrepentantly immoral, Paul told the congregation: "Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man." ( 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 ) The same was to occur with apostates, such as Hymenaeus: "As for a man that promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition; knowing that such a man has been turned out of the way and is sinning." ( Titus 3:10, 11 ; 1 Timothy 1:19, 20 ) Such shunning would be appropriate, too, for anyone who rejects the congregation: "They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out that it might be shown up that not all are of our sort."— 1 John 2:18, 19 .

  What About Relatives?
  

  God certainly realizes that carrying out his righteous laws about cutting off wrongdoers often involves and affects relatives. As mentioned above, when an Israelite wrongdoer was executed, no more family association was possible. In fact, if a son was a drunkard and a glutton, his parents were to bring him before the judges, and if he was unrepentant, the parents were to share in the just executing of him, 'to clear away what is bad from the midst of Israel.' ( Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ) You can appreciate that this would not have been easy for them. Imagine, too, how the wrongdoer's brothers, sisters, or grandparents felt. Yet, their putting loyalty to their righteous God before family affection could be lifesaving for them
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  Frannie Banannie

  and we know what theyd like to do about apostates, ; frannie

  Yes, we do, Nelly. I'm really glad you brought that up and included the scriptures. I wonder what JW family members would do if they put DF'in and DA'ing in the perspective that they would be expected to participate in the actual killing/murder of their disapproved relative, as the WTS would like to do AND fully expects to be able to do in the "new system."
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  nelly136

  the best source is always their own

  http://www.watchtower.org/bible/index.htm they've kindly added an online nwt (bible) to their site now, sooo considerate
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  free2beme

  This site is for active Witnesses who have a level of spirituality that would get them accepted at Bethel and possibly even anointed. I swear I am not lying!!!!
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  nelly136

  roflmto free
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  codeblue

  
  Welcome to the board (fish symbol)

  You asked why do so many JW's stay in the faith?

  I was raised as one. The whole nine yards: 5 hours of meetings a week and at least 2 hours of door to door and all the studying required for those meetings. When you are immersed in that cult(ure) you have NO clue that it is a cult. You are constantly told not to trust "worldly people" only the "brothers and sisters". The "world" is a bad place and our security lies at the Kingdom Hall. You are told to put up with unloving acts from the "brothers and sisters" because it proves you love Jehovah and Satan is testing you to make sure you love Jehovah.

  ok...so how did I at the age of 46 realize it was a cult? The lack of love. They professed one of the 10 reasons we know we have the "true religion" is BROTHERLY LOVE. It was obvious they only wanted my "time card": the way we keep track of our volunteer hours in the door to door work. I have moved around quite a bit, and found this to be very upsetting. The final straw was on our last relocation when the elders came to give us a "welcoming visit" to their congregation at our house. Everything was great for 5 minutes, and they looked at my husband and said: we are here because you are an irregular publisher(he moved 3 months ahead of me, and never went in the door to door). I had to raise my hand in MY own house to get the 2 elders attention: I said: I am turning my time in to my last congregation and when I feel comfortable here, you will get my card. They could have cared less what I said. They cranked their head at my husband and acted as IF I wasn't in my own house. One elder then said: WE need to see your publisher cards, because YOU might be PEDOPHILES.

  May of 2002 I had also seen the last 10 minutes of the Dateline Special about JW's and pedophiles. I almost fell off the couch. My entire life they bashed the Catholic Church and their priests for commiting this sin. I found out the religion I supported did not protect our children and pedophiles are calling on you at your door! HYPOCRISY!!!

  ok...this is brotherly love? Accusing me and my husband of being pedophiles? I tried to go for 3 months, sporadically and had to quit.

  I added up through the years all the acts of unkindness that I went thru. LIke my non JW dad died and I had to leave for his funeral. I came back and was grocery shopping, an elders wife asked IF my DAD were a JW. When I said no, she walked away from me. NO support or love from her.

  I have many more stories if you wish to hear, but I finally decided that as I am a parent and I wouldn't be unloving to my kids, God wouldn't expect us to be shown unkindness just to prove we love him.

  I read both of Steve Hassan's books: 1. Combatting Cult Mind Control 2. Releasing the Bonds (Empowering People to Think for Themselves) It was obvious after reading these books that JW's are a cult. The pressure to stay in the fold was just like the movie: The Village. My husband and I watched that and had a cringe go up our spine. He was raised as a JW like me.

  I also read the book: The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse. It was very validating and healing to read.. As a result of this experience, I am not involved in any religion and I never will be. I think that being a kind, loving person to whomever I come across is way more important then being in a religion. My relationship is with God and I don't need a religion to do that either.

  One word of advise, you can not make them see it is a cult. Which Steve Hassan's book #2 deals with, please proceed carefully. Their rose colored glasses will have to be cracked on their own. With me, it was seeing the Dateline Pedophiles in the JW---that was a crack that could NOT be ignored.

  Hope this info helps and please keep posting!

  Codeblue