Eman, I totally agree with you. If people read this board (at times) I think they will appreciate exactly what the WT. has been telling them about "apostates". If I were a mixed-up lurker, I'd be very cautious about coming on board.
In Your Opinion, What Is The Purpose Of This Board?
by minimus 41 Replies latest jw friends
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Gopher
"There can be life outside the WT" -- good point, and also to help reveal the fallacies of the WT itself. When the facts present themselves, they often confirm some of the doubts we may have secretly held before coming here. Or we learn new things that are out of the radarscope of the average JW, such as the controversy surrounding the 1992-2001 affiliation with the UN/DPI.
What do you mean by "mixed up lurker"?
When I first came on board in 2001, there were good topics here and also a lot of foolish arguing. But you know what, I really appreciated the support given to those leaving the JW's here, and also the "food for thought" that the good topics had. I think many or most lurkers will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, and not be scared off or return to the Kingdom Hall just because some goofball stuff happens here. Every week we still have people coming on and thanking Simon and the board participants for "helping them" -- so something good must be going on here, even in 2003 !!!
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minimus
I mean, by "mixed up lurker", a person that may feel certain things just aren't right with the organization but are not sure how to proceed. They are told that these" apostate" sites are wicked, vile and awful. If persons that read this site see some of the comments and attitudes, they may very well not look at the forbidden fruit and just stay away due to confusion or fear. Or they could simply just try a lighter site.
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Gopher
You may be right about the "lighter site" thing.
For me to be prepared for sharing myself and my thoughts on this site, I first had to read "Crisis of Conscience" and then read Randy's freeminds site. Then when I felt more sure about my decision to not go back to Jehovah's Witnesses, this site provided the emotional support & further information to expand on what I had learned and felt before.
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Mystery
For me it is helping free myself from all I firmly believed in.
In the past 20 years, I still haven't found peace. I still don't know what to believe.
Even on this board, I still haven't. It has helped. It has made me think. It has let me know "that I am not alone".
I know I have to find peace within myself. No one can do that for me, but today - especially today - I still don't have the peace I am searching for.
Maybe some day I will.
For theses that are selfishly here.... I feel sorry for you.
For those who joke about being here... I feel sorry for you.
For those who are here just be Emperor or whatever the highest category is... I feel sorry for you.
For those that are here to "slam" others... I feel sorry for you.
I am here for understanding. For something to touch my heart that will release me from all of the misery that I felt... am still feeling about myself.
Minimus - I read your thoughts on this forum. I feel you are here to help us think. If you aren't then your are a deceiver as JW's are. But you have shown nothing to me to feel that way.
I am here simply to know that I am not alone. -
minimus
Mystery, as repugnant a thought, for some, that I "am here to help you think", it is the truth. Some persons may feel that either they know all the answers or that this board's purpose is to have primarily, serious debates. I am hopeful that everyday while we're here, we can benefit from each other's questions, experiences and viewpoints. Many questions that are posed are for the purpose of getting feedback, with the view of understanding. At times, I may ask a question so as to learn myself about different perspectives. This board can be a wonderful place to learn from each other.
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Jayson
To pretend that this site is about "them" is disingenuous at best. It is about us. And asking why we are here without admitting that we share the same marks that were left by the aura of mind contol is to refuse to look at the truth of things.
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minimus
Jayson, are you referring to anything I said???
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Francois
Now be real. You know damn well that there's no such place as one where current dubs and ex-dubs are going to get together for a spot of syncretism or anything resembling it.
francois
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minimus
I think that all sorts of people can form a reconciliation, if they so desire. Why wouldn't they be able to?