I would rather be in the JW cult than the ex-jw cult

by questioningmyfaith 60 Replies latest jw friends

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  questioningmyfaith

  I have posted one other time on this website. Just for the mere fact that I wasn't anger and bitter and ready to declare the GB the sociopathic criminals that so many here ascribe to, my initial question digressed to bickering over ad hominem attacks against the GB and not my beliefs that I'm questioning. Some did give me some help on my questions. If you notice though, I get a lot of down votes. Mainly because I am just not bitter or angry against the WT. I pretty much do not believe in god. This gives me a peace of mind concerning the false things I have been taught since I was a boy. I sometimes wish that I wasn't raised a witness but I know that I learned a number of great lessons as one. And maybe witnesses are a cult by definition. But really, ALL religions are cults. Jesus was a cult leader. IMO, ex-jw's have become their own cult. You all have THE TRUTH.... about the truth. If anyone came on here and dissents then they are obliterated by the community. My first post simply asked that the acrimony be left out, I just wanted facts, and that was enough to set off a firestorm on my thread. My favorite is the people who post quotes like oneeyedjoe from Socrates The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Actually, Socrates never even said that.

  I also have found one poster on here that I know. And reading their posts *gasp* they lie a lot! Now, I am not making a blanket statement that all ex-jws are liars. But I am pretty damn skeptical when I read stories that I'll never be able to corroborate. I am happy and at peace with my JW past. I am still attempting to find a general belief in god, but I doubt I'll come to that conclusion. But I have come to this one, I am not interested this ex-jw cult. Having people to get your back when you're down is a good thing but commiserating on end over pedantic dribble is a waste of time. I am going to use the extra time I have from not being a witness learning a language or maybe even just watching tv. Because I know this endless cycle of trying to preach to the choir is a waste of time.

  Sorry if my post is offensive. I honestly just don't like it here
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  bohm

  Hello and welcome. You seem very smart and I agree with everything you write but I disagree that we ex-jw's are a cult, we are simply a humble organization who works for the betterment of humanity. You seem very stressed. As a member of the ex-jw community I would like to say we offer free anti-stress training. Please pay-pal me 50$ to get free material on our free ex-jw anti-stress courses.

  Can I get your contact information we will not contact you?
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  WingCommander

  Tell ya what, Pal: You like the JW cult so much? You think their behinds smell like roses after they crap Tiffany cuff-links? Well then, you can have it! In fact, you can take it and SHOVE IT!

  I was never so happier in my life, than when I realized what for a mind-job CULT I had been raised in, and that I was finally free from these abusive, manipulative, uncaring - psychos! Good Riddance.
  
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  dubstepped

  You have to weed through a tremendous amount of attitude on here. If you care to do so you can find interesting points to consider that will be presented as fervently as "the truth" as what we were taught as JWs. Don't you dare disagree because you'll be buried under attitude or word vomit. With that said, this place helps teach me just to move on and ignore those that insist on their version of life and their interpretation of evidence that currently exists. I like to come for the current JW events and personal experiences, many that I realize are just as embellished as the parts on the conventions were. But that's people. As you move away from a cult it is hard to deal with lots of differences because they never existed before in your life.
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  jookbeard

  I seem to be hearing this term "exjw cult" or a particular exjw has created a cult of exjw's which really is nonsense, there are vast subgroups where people are welcome to believe what they want, weather they be atheist, christian, groups for gay exjw's bible student groups and they are free to support whatever group they like, there is no "membership" of any of these groups, I would like to know about all these so called lies though, a world wide child abuse cover up policy?, ,membership of the UN?, holding investment stock in companies what produce military hardware? former GB members who were predatory abusing homosexuals? please respond.
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  Pistoff

  Questioningmyfaith:

  Have you been in a mind controlled group so long you can't see a difference between the KH and this forum?
  

  Here you can express your opinion, we can agree or disagree, and move on.

  Try that in a kingdom hall, or with family or friends, and see what happens.

  Here are markers for a cult: (from CARM; note that I am not in any religion or religious group, I just think this is a pretty good list)
  

  1. Submission:
     
     1. Complete, almost unquestioned trust in the leadership.
     2. Leaders are often seen as prophets, apostles, or special individuals with unusual connections to God. This helps a person give themselves over psychologically to trusting someone else for their spiritual welfare.
     3. Increased submission to the leadership is rewarded with additional responsibilities and/or roles, and/or praises, increasing the importance of the person within the group.
  2. Exclusivity
     
     1. Their group is the only true religious system, or one of the few true remnants of God's people.
  3. Persecution complex
     
     1. Us against them mentality. Therefore, when someone (inside or outside of the group) corrects the group in doctrine and/or behavior, it is interpreted as persecution, which then is interpreted as validation.
  4. Control
     
     1. Control of members' actions and thinking through repeated indoctrination and/or threats of loss of salvation, or a place to live, or receiving curses from God, etc.
  5. Isolation
     
     1. Minimizing contact of church members with those outside the group. This facilitates a further control over the thinking and practices of the members by the leadership.
  6. Love Bombing
     
     1. Showing great attention and love to a person in the group by others in the group, to help transfer emotional dependence to the group.
  7. Special Knowledge
     
     1. Instructions and/or knowledge are sometimes said to be received by a leader(s) from God. This leader then informs the members.
     2. The Special Knowledge can be received through visions, dreams, or new interpretations of sacred scriptures such as the Bible.
  8. Indoctrination
     
     1. The teachings of the group are repeatedly drilled into the members, but the indoctrination usually occurs around Special Knowledge.
  9. Salvation
     
     1. Salvation from the judgment of God is maintained through association and/or submission with the group, its authority, and/or its Special Knowledge.
  10. Group Think
      
      1. The group's coherence is maintained by the observance to policies handed down from those in authority.
      2. There is an internal enforcement of policies by members who reward "proper" behavior, and those who perform properly are rewarded with further inclusion and acceptance by the group.
  11. Cognitive Dissonance
      
      1. Avoidance of critical thinking and/or maintaining logically impossible beliefs and/or beliefs that are inconsistent with other beliefs held by the group.
      2. Avoidance of and/or denial of any facts that might contradict the group's belief system.
  12. Shunning
      
      1. Those who do not keep in step with group policies are shunned and/or expelled.
  13. Gender Roles
      
      1. Control of gender roles and definitions.
      2. Severe control of gender roles sometimes leads to sexual exploitation.
  14. Appearance Standards
      
      1. Often a common appearance is required and maintained. For instance, women might wear prairie dresses, and/or their hair in buns, and/or no makeup, and/or the men might all wear white short-sleeved shirts, and/or without beards, or all wear beards

  Or this list, from the Atlantic:

  1. Opposing critical thinking

  2. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving

  3. Emphasizing special doctrines outside scripture

  4. Seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders

  5. Dishonoring the family unit

  6. Crossing Biblical boundaries of behavior (versus sexual purity and personal ownership)

  7. Separation from the Church

  None of those traits are found here; if someone doesn't agree, they will say so.

  If you want to stay, you can stay.

  The forum does have rules, like any forum.

  Do I agree with everyone here? No, and sometimes I (and others) have clashed with Simon, who owns the forum.

  But this is no cult, just a place where BS arguments are going to get called out.
  
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  TTWSYF

  So is this something that the WTS teaches now? That they're the best cult around? A better cult than the educated TTATT cult?

  Whatever...Good luck
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Just for the mere fact that I wasn't anger and bitter and ready to declare the GB the sociopathic criminals that so many here ascribe to - but the GB has some very serious questions that they must answer in court(s) of law. I'm thinking of deaths of minors from refusal of blood, the paedophile 'issue' ...

  Not everybody here at JWN is 'bitter'. In fact, most are victims of WT policy.

  Here's the good thing: the WT organisation will have to answer for its misdeeds in courts of law, one way or the other, in the end.

  If you don't like this, if this ruffles your feathers and hurts your precious feelings, then you can ...

  Don't let the door hit you on the way out ...
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  Heartsafire

  Questioning,

  Sorry to hear you're feeling down about the site. There are days when I get the dreaded down votes too. I'm pretty sure everyone has. When I browse the website I try to take the helpful stuff and scrap the rest. This is the Internet after all, and it is full of all types.
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  breakfast of champions

  Has someone been forcing people to join this forum and hold them here against their will lately?

  Strange.