jambon1

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Posts by jambon1

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  16

  Shunning - do JW's simply turn a blind eye to the consequences of it?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  jambon1
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  5

  My change (Greek - Metamorpho) since leaving the Jehovah's Witness religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in greek, meaning to 'transform.'.

  i remember giving a talk as a ministerial servant which included this analogy.

  it was supposed to be an illustration of how one changes from the filth of the world to the beauty of being a christian.

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  jambon1

  In Greek, meaning to 'transform.'

  I remember giving a talk as a ministerial servant which included this analogy. It was supposed to be an illustration of how one changes from the filth of the world to the beauty of being a christian. I agree that in certain cases, becoming a christian is a beautiful thing. It wasn't my experience. This is why:

  I was a crazy worldly young lad. Seventeen & full of that selfish arrogance. But I was true. I was caring. I was sensitive. I was kind & loving.

  I remember when Live Aid was on the TV in 1985. I watched this as an 8 year old. In horror that people suffered in the way that was so graphically depicted at the time. My little mind couldn't understand it. I remember at christmas & new year being upset that my family had so much good food and that on the other hand, somewhere, others were starving. I remember crying like a little baby thinking about those poor souls that I had just seen in the summer TV documentaries & news edits.

  And so to the JW's. Offering peace & security to a kid that doesn't quite fit into society. A guy that is sensitive to the problems in the world around. Tailor made for the Jehovah's Witness religion. They had all the answers after all.

  But I had to trade my freedom to find those answers. As I cooperated with the reforming JW religion, I lost all sensitivity. I wasn't true to myself at all. I took those answers & grabbed them at the expense of literally everything around me. I traded it all for the JW religion.

  As I said, my freedom of thought & expression was all gone. I repeated the WTS lines of thought like a mantra. Yet I knew as I progressed up the theocratic ladder that things were not right in the religion.

  I had became estranged from my loving family. I had become obsessed with putting this world down. I had become depressed. I had become anxious. I was deeply unhappy.

  Not quite the 'metamorpho' that I had expected.

  I eventually left the WT religion after allowing it to influence my mind for just over ten whole years. At the point I left, I didn't like who I was. I was often suicidal. I was more often than not depressed. I was dejected. I had been let down. I had let myself down by being sucked into this racket of a religion.

  Having served 5 years outside the religion I can confidently say that my life really has 'morphed.' I began to trust people. I began to see the good in all people. Worldly people were not the sort to be avoided & despised. They offered friendship & reached out the hand of unconditional love. I took it.

  I became unsuspicious of everyone around me. Embracing diversity & enjoying the fact that I need not judge almost everyone around me.

  I regained my confidence & built my business. I gained self respect as I saw that I wasn't just a useless, faithless ministerial servant doomed for death.

  I was a father who provided well for my family, both emtotionally & physically. I even began to pat myself on the back for being such a good person, rather than putting myself down for being an unspiritual doubter of the 'truth.'

  Truely, I have changed. I am able to embrace life & love it. Every second that I spend with my 3 beautiful children makes me feel so happy that I am alive. I am surrounded by love. How lucky I am.

  Toward the end of my time as a JW, I would have happily driven my car into a tree. A twentysomething young lad with a wife & family! I felt like this because of the drip, drip, drip of that religion & it's criminal negativity.

  Now, I have changed.

  I have one life of which I am certain. I am living it.

  Best wishes to you all on your Journey.

  J

  
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  25

  The expression 'need greaters'. Anyone else heard this?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife gets emails from someone who is serving in another country.. he keeps on referring to brothers/sisters who are 'need greaters'.. if they are actually using this expression then i have to say that it is the stupidest 'title' that they have ever dreamed up.

  so full of their own self importance.. need greaters?..............

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  jambon1

  My wife gets emails from someone who is serving in another country.

  He keeps on referring to brothers/sisters who are 'need greaters'.

  If they are actually using this expression then I have to say that it is the stupidest 'title' that they have ever dreamed up. So full of their own self importance.

  Need greaters?.............

  
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  9

  JW's are more obsessed with sex than most people

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  always found this bizarre.. they have printed boundless amounts of information about this matter.

  they discuss sex and it's details in front of infants & young children (surely a criminal offense, no?

  ), they gossip about who has been doing it with who when someone has fallen into the trap of the 'sins of the flesh.'.

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  jambon1

  Always found this bizarre.

  They have printed boundless amounts of information about this matter. They discuss sex and it's details in front of infants & young children (surely a criminal offense, no?), they gossip about who has been doing it with who when someone has fallen into the trap of the 'sins of the flesh.'

  But above all of that, the outstanding evidence that JW's are absolutely obsessed with sex is when you realise that the world over, for many many years, three middle aged men have been holding 'comittees' with young women, asking all sorts of inappropriate questions about her sex life. And the congregation members think that this is ok!

  What is more wrong/sinful?

  • A young woman/man having sex

  • Three middle aged men asking her the details about it
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  6

  How can they say that every human DESERVES to die

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  religion generally sickens me.

  for various reasons.

  perhaps in my own case it is just because of my bad experiences.. however, in my own moments of deep thought i cannot help but realise how absolutely insane some of the teachings are.. how can jw's (and other religions) say that every human deserves to die.

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  jambon1

  Religion generally sickens me. For various reasons. Perhaps in my own case it is just because of my bad experiences.

  However, in my own moments of deep thought I cannot help but realise how absolutely insane some of the teachings are.

  How can JW's (and other religions) say that every human deserves to die. I mean, from the moment of conception, the existance of any human being is totally down to pure chance. Every human being did not ask to be born. So how the **** can anyone possibly be in any way responsible for their own 'sin' thus deserving to die?

  It just does not make sense.

  What does make sense is the way that the teaching really is religions 'trump card'. Ensuring that the believer forever becomes a slave to the religion. The believer sees that the only way to avoid the deserved 'death sentance' is to practice/put faith in god.

  No wonder so many JW's particularly have such low self-esteem. Being drip fed this shit ****s up peoples minds. Makes people punish themselves. Needlessly.

  Anone else see how manipulative & cunning this teaching is?

  J
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  17

  My last meeting at the Kingdom Hall. Here's how it went.....

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  nothing spectacular but you may relate to some of my emotions.. it was nearly 5 years ago now.

  i had almost left twice before but changed my mind at the last minute.

  this time i knew it was for real.

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  jambon1

  Nothing spectacular but you may relate to some of my emotions.

  It was nearly 5 years ago now. I had almost left twice before but changed my mind at the last minute. This time I knew it was for real. I had made my mind up, leading up to this particular weekend. I knew that the Sunday meeting was going to be my last.

  Although I was extreemly anxious about my wifes reaction & that of my friends, I really had made my mind up.

  I went to a football game on the Saturday which meant that I missed a JW wedding. I was pleased to miss the wedding but I had to go along to the 'party' at night. My wife had went to the KH for the ceremony, I was at the football. Happy as a pig in shit I was.

  No longer did I have to looka round at thousands of people & be confused and upset about the possibility of God killing them all one day soon. That was why I had left the org. I had concluded that there wasn't a god & that even if there was, he wouldn't do such a horrendous thing.

  I just sat there at that football game absolutely loving it. It was like being there when I was a kid. The pressure was off. I felt like a weight had been finally lifted off my shoulders. Freedom tasted great. My team won the match.

  So, later on I went off to the 'party'. I was there in body only. I looked around at some people. The nice genuine ones whom I would miss & the absolute arseholes who had contributed to making my life a misery. Judgemental, pious, horrible arseholes. I exchanged nice words with some people then left a few hours later. This would be my last JW function.

  The next day, Sunday, I got up. That night, I would break the news to my wife. I don't know why but I wasn't bothered about going to the meeting. I just went. I sat there with my head hanging down. Listening to this stuff that had made me so pessimistic, deressed & anxious. I no longer felt those emotions. I was just numb to it all. I looked around at all the familiar faces. Inside, I was shaking my head at everyone & everything.

  Why had I let this religion do this to me? Why had I let it harm my happy 17 year old mind?

  Ten years later, and this was it! It was over.

  I got up at the end having not answered all meeting. At this point I was a m/s & had been very active in our hall. I was supposed to be overseeing the book counter. I just got up & walked out. A couple of people asked me if I was ok. I said yes. I got in the car with my wife & kids & drove home.I knew that I had walked out of the kingdom hall for the very last time. Inside my elation was tempered with the fact that I had an enormous job on my hands to let everyone know. I dreaded this.

  I was so anxious.

  But, I was free! The mental bonds that I had been kept in by that religion were gone. I dindn't feel angry or anything at this point. That all came later.

  I just felt free. Free, free, free!

  Later on I was told all sorts by my JW friends. The most cutting remark was being told that my actions showed that 'I didn't love my kids.' My kds are my life. How could anyone say this? An act of desperation on their part? Maybe. But deeply insulting.

  The years have came & gone with a number of trials & upsets. The thing I protect & cherish through it all is my mental freedom.

  Don't be slaves to something that is doing you harm. I was an inch away from suicide at one point in my life. All because of the teachings of the JW religion. I nearly lost my life.

  Now, I embrace life & live it to the full.

  Be happy. Life is to short.
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  31

  I never want kids. I dont want my kids to get destroyed.

  by Joliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ...i went to a gathering a few weeks ago (a luncheon for some pioneer sisters).

  we had turkey burgers, salad, fruit salad, etc.

  one of the sister (an eighteen year old sister) and me were having a conversation (i'm not a pioneer by the way, and i wasnt going out in field service, just visiting, i live down the street from this sisters house).

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  jambon1

  After years out of this organisation, I can truly say that Jehovah's Witnesses are some of the most ****ed up people on the face of the planet.

  I have heard it all over the years.

  It takes me aback how so many people can stand to endure this sort of shit year upon year upon year. The constant drip, drip, drip of negativity.

  I mean, why is a young woman thinking about her future kids getting destroyed?

  No wonder so many are confused, miserable & depressed.
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  55

  shunning is love - Feb 15 2011 Watchtower

  by jj123jj123 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  18 if you face a similar situation, please remember that jehovah sympathizes with you.

  by cutting off contact with the disfellowshipped or disassociated one, you are showing that you hate the attitudes and actions that led to that outcome.

  however, you are also showing that you love the wrongdoer enough to do what is best for him or her.

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  jambon1

  Shunning a family member or friend is sub-human. People who actually do this are nothing short of filth in my opinion.

  What gets me is that the WT more or less says that the person may return to the org because of your firm stance on shunning. So they are agreeing that emotional blackmail is a tool that can & should be used against people to bring them back in line.

  ****ing disgusting.
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  19

  We don't baptize our children as infants, we let them decide - UTTER BULL****

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i always found that one particularly laughable.. the jw's would always look for plaudits because they don't christen/baptize infants.

  as if they are free thinking pioneers of christianity who let their children come to their own conclusions.. no, they don't baptize their children.. yet,.

  they would be happy to make a life & death medical choice for them before they are even old enough to think for themselves.they are happy to have their children 'fight the fine fight' on their parents behalf all the way through primary/high school.

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  jambon1

  I always found that one particularly laughable.

  The JW's would always look for plaudits because they don't christen/baptize infants. As if they are free thinking pioneers of christianity who let their children come to their own conclusions.

  No, they don't baptize their children.

  Yet,

  • They would be happy to make a life & death medical choice for them before they are even old enough to think for themselves.
  • They are happy to have their children 'fight the fine fight' on their parents behalf all the way through primary/high school. Being stigmatized as different or odd by all their peers.
  • They remove just about every aspect of a normal upbringing & replace it with boredom, fear & guilt.
  • Instead of 'letting the children decide for themselves' they make all the decisions when it comes to matters of entertainment, appropriate friends etc. Literally striking the fear of god into them if they choose for themselves something that is not 'approved.'
  • Bombarding their minds with thoughts of how inherantly bad/evil they are if they ever feel the urge to do something as natural as masturbate.

  Yea, JW parents. You got the lot.

  Sure, you don't baptize your infants. You control them for nearly 2 decades until you **** them up good & proper.
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  33

  A simple question

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  there is a lot of information available about questions to ask jws.

  it's a good thing to make them think a little more instead of being spoon fed all the time.. one question that could be posed is - where did the the 'new light' come from?

  (answer) so where did the 'old light' come from?.

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  jambon1

  In my experience, asking questions like that leads to a massive tantrum by the JW, ending in the statement 'why are you attacking me.'

  I guess it's easier to do/say that than actually think about the question & give an honest answer.