Board of bitterness (page 8)

1009

Frazzled UBM
I wondered how the organization found out about that [pornography] - 1009 did you confess? If all elders came clean on that score I bet none of them would have any privileges.

Yes, I felt guilty and confessed.

" Yes, I felt guilty and confessed." - Would you consider yourself "dumb" as well? After all you confessed to something that these guys told you to confess to them. Those same people you called dumb are people just like you. There were misguided into thinking that they were doing the right thing by the GB.

" You say it is 'rotten at the top'. Do you know those men personally? I think they are sincerely trying to lead an organization according to their believes."

Again HITLER... did you know him personally? I also think he was sincerely trying to lead his organization according to his beliefs as well. I would think that organization was rotten at the top... WOULDN'T YOU

Muddy Waters

1009, you speak with muddy marbles in your mouth. You don't seem to "get it".

Have you read Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz? He was a member of the GB for 8-9 years. When you read that book, the lies, deceit, and duplicity of the WTS is laid bare. Highly recommended.

Iown Mylife

You DOUBT that the leaders of this cult are CONSCIOUS they are using mind control? Out of all the things you have written here, imo that is the most important point.

Do some more research just on that subject; to me their use of mind control is the entire basis of all the conversations concerning the WT.

DATA-DOG

" Yes, I felt guilty and confessed. "

A Mistake that I will never make again. In one of my Elder's meetings I was discussing the failure of the Elders to warn parents of predators in the KH. The Elders said that they must maintain confidentiality. Then one Elder said, " Well, YOU have had problems ( porn ) for decades. Aren't you glad that we keep that confidential? " To be fair, I was exposed to some things as a child, and have had some issues. My "decades" of problems were actually 2 times that I voluntarity spoke with the Elders because I really felt guilty. ( Besides, NEVER seeing porn is nearly impossible) This was after years of having no issues, hence the guilt. So, my coming to the Elders because I thought it was the right thing to do, turned into "decades of problems with pornography" in my publisher records. Not only that, but when I was trying to get them to see the need to protect children, they essentially held the "sin" over my head.

So much for gaining forgiveness for confessing to humans......

Gopher

You said you read "parts" of Ray Franz's books and it never raised any doubt in your mind. So did you already know about the organization's tendencies to rule by raising fears, and to govern and make rules and laws in a Pharisee-like manner to maintain their control over their sheep? Did you already know about the Malawi-Mexico dichotomy in the 1970's where they applied two very different sets of rules to Mexico (more leniency to those closer to American headquarters and a country with more JW's) while practically inviting terrible persecution on their Malawian brothers?

Here's the deal about so-called "bitterness" 1009: If and when the Watchtower stops writing defamatory articles about ex-JW's and apostates and quits speaking at their conventions like we are the worst plague upon mankind, then I will leave them alone and stop talking about their hypocrisy.

I know there are other cults and cultlike groups that are equal to or greater than the Watchtower in their control tactics and "us against the world" ideology -- Scientology is one that immediately jumps to mind. I will also speak out against Scientology, but I don't know much about them. Someone who has been on the inside like actress Leah Remini can better define and describe their environment and their tactics. As for me, I know exactly what it feels like to be a JW in good standing and also a shunned ex-JW who is viewed as evil. So I will mainly talk about my experience with Watchtowerism.

tornapart

I'm not bitter. My family are JWs, my friends are JWs and I love them.

Do I have the truth? No... I find the more questions you ask the more there are to follow.

Do they have the truth? No! therein lies the problem... because they believe they do. Because they believe they have the truth it makes them very dogmatic and not open to any debate. You cannot question, you cannot doubt. if you do then you have to keep it secret.

They proclaim the organisation as God's. His channel of communication by which means we gain our salvation. The bible tells us that Jesus Christ is our salvation. This poses a dilemma to me.

Ultimately, I do not want a group of men in some other country telling me what I should do, think and say.

Sammy Jenkis

Why are you such fierce opponents?

I think the majority of those that post in opposition aren't fierce but instead honest and it might come across at times as agressive. The fact being that many of us were lied to and wasted countless years for a fruitless cause warrants some anger, don't you think?

Gopher

Why are you such fierce opponents?Why is the Watchtower so fierce in its denunciation of ex-members as bad association and so-called apostates as "evil"? The language they used this year at their convention really crossed the line. It is intended to stoke fear and hatred.

When people are pushed really hard, it's human nature to at least give a little shove back.

Frazzled UBM

confusedandalone - I really connected with that story about you and your wife - the fact that after 10 years of marriage having to worry about whether your wife's first loyalty would be to a bunch of old farts in Bethel or you speaks volumes. I know that fear about lack of loyalty - your wife's response though gives me hope. cheers

The question of whether the leadership know that are using psychological control techniques is an interesting one - these techniques have been honed by the organization over many years so the existing leadership is only perpetuating practices that are deeply embedded and were themselves subject to those techniques BUT sa they are the leaders and they get considerable benefits from the positions they hold I beleive they have a responsiblity to examine the practices of the organisation and their consciences and decide whether those practices are ethical but most of them are incapable of doing so (after all one of the main criteria for progression in the organisation is conformity to organisational dogma) and probably have some excellent rationalizations for not doing so.

Board of bitterness

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