Posts by OnTheWayOut

31

We are giving too much power to the watchtower

by sinboi in

i am just 17. many of you here are much older than me.. i do feel that offering advice here is like teaching my father how to fuck.

but seriously, i do see the problem here.

we are focusing more on the problem than the solution.. i have been reading mind power books for quite some time.

OnTheWayOut

I am just 17. Many of you here are much older than me.
I do feel that offering advice here is like teaching my father how to fuck. But seriously, I do see the problem here. We are focusing more on the problem than the solution.

Often, we need the refreshing viewpoints of young ones. Sex for the father of a young adult or old teen may be good, but there's nothing like the passion of people just starting out. And we are not really talking about sex.

I am a bit of a pessimist due to a lack of results from my efforts to free my wife and mother, and from reading of similar outcomes. But I need reminders from young ones that my situation or that of some others is not always the case. I am reminded of another male elder with his entire family in who made great strides in waking up his family by remaining in the organization long enough to influence them. They are all out now. So reading suggestions from a young one are always welcome. Just don't be surprised if someone like me shoots down what you say because "we feel we know better." Not always true.

I find that many, perhaps most of us, have given too much power to Watchtower. ...and they did it so easily and willingly.

The pessimist in me will remind you that many cannot show their family how they are happier after leaving because their family totally shuns them. And sometimes that shunning is the very thing that makes them unhappy.

But otherwise, I wholeheartedly appreciate what you say and hope those of us that can show family how much better off we are, do so.

I have met many former JW's who put love for their family ahead of privileges and then eventually came out of the Watchtower because of the treatment they received for doing the right thing.

29

Loosing your Privleges and Scumbag elders

by Addison0998 in

so 9 months before i started pioneering, i had a hot and heavy moment with this player witness who was just trying to string me along and talked to a lot of different girls.

we made out and he grabbed my goodies a few times you know the regular stuff all teens do at least once.

anyways i never saw him again because when i refused to send him nudes he dropped me.

OnTheWayOut

Privileges schmivleges. Beyond the touching the boobs, you don't have to say anymore.

Yes, they can take away such a privilege just based on an accusation and your denial to meet and clear it up, or based on your confirmation of the accusation. I think you already came to terms with losing your pioneer status and will be fine with that.

If you desire to avoid a judicial committee, you can deny anything else happened. No matter what the guy says, you say "HE WISHES THAT HAPPENED." Stick to your guns with "I never saw him again and went straight to Jehovah with this."

You may never get past the judgement of the elders and the whispering. So make what you will of it and get on with your life. I hope the best for you.

23

Dating as a Jehovahs witness has made me PIMO

by Addison0998 in

hey, i would like to share my experience, it is kind of long but i really appreciate whoever reads.

last year i was a devout pioneer sister.

well, i am naturally an imperfect 20 year old women.

OnTheWayOut

The local rules are beyond organizational rules. Yes, the things are what they call good suggestions, but chaperones are not definitely a requirement and the only solid rule about being alone is actually that you would be guilty of (some technical form of) fornication if you spent the night alone together. But even the harshest enforcement of the suggestions allows for publicly being alone together and riding in the same car together without a judicial matter being formed.

I would give you my opinion on continually dating a PIMI, but you are young and probably in love (or something close to it). You may know how close he is to getting out and hope to help him. So I will just say good luck with that.

26

Affected by assembly

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

hi - first some context - i have been pimo for about 20 years now and so have been to a lot of assemblies in that time.

last weekend i went to a circuit assembly and for the first time afterwards i was able to talk directly to someone who knows i'm out.

i realised then that although i didn't agree with any teachings (i sat picking holes in the arguements as usual) the experience of being there had affected me - the way of life started feeling normal as did the overall way of viewing the world.

OnTheWayOut

I recently went to a "memorial talk" for a person I knew in my mother's congregation. Because of the confusion with the recent annual Memorial of Jesus' death, I had to refer to it as a funeral talk. When I slipped and did that in front of active JW's, they would correct me. (You know, calling it something normal would make them freak out.)

So that allowed me to see how the typical talk, the familiar scriptures, the love-bombing, all that contributed to the feeling that "this is the place to be." Oh, it didn't get to me. I was immune from deprogramming, but I was able to see how they want people to keep going to meetings and keep being bombarded by this stuff to keep them from having free thoughts about doubting it.

27

The right to record your judicial committee meeting

by UnshackleTheChains in

ok.. we have often heard secret recordings online of jc hearings.

but, what i would like to know is if individuals are entitled to the right of officially recording their judicial hearings?.

supposing i was to attend a judicial committee and i explained up front that i would like to record the proceedings and then place a dictaphone on the table.

OnTheWayOut

I would figure that any group of 3 elders would not let a JC proceed with a recording device.
So I would not even insist/suggest such a thing.

I would instead insist on rigorous note-taking. I mean, one of the 3 is going to take notes, so I would say that I am going to do so also. "If YOU take notes, why can't I take notes?" I would slow the process down extremely in order to get in writing, whatever anyone says. They would probably want to halt the process because of how much I would slow it down.

23

Does the Watchtower have an official position on Alcoholics Anonymous?

by JeffT in

jw
friends

i ask because i'm working in a 28 day residential addiction treatment center and one of my co-workers is studying with the jw's.

he does not know i'm an xjw.

i suspect that at some point they're going to tell him he can't go to aa meetings anymore.

OnTheWayOut

Adding to what Blondie has said, Watchtower officially takes no stand against such groups as AA.

In order to prove that a particular person was involved in interfaith or false worship, someone would have to attend the AA meeting he/she also attends. And they would be violating the anonymous part by reporting to any group of JW elders what took place with another AA member. Too many problems for them. I am sure Watchtower lawyers would say to "drop it."

Keep in mind that no matter what reasons they give, such as not wanting to interfere in treatments, the real reason Watchtower would take no stand is so that they are not sued over preventing such a needed personal treatment and someone committing suicide or a crime afterward or being disfellowshipped for their drunkiness alledgedly because Watchtower banned their needed help.

26

How to "turn the tables" on still-in witness who pry about our status.

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

so many of us have had (perhaps well-meaning) jws ask us questions about our inactivity, or lack of attendance at meetings.

they may pry about why..... how is this for a simple, yet straight to the point response?

to a sincere person, it may play on their mind and make them ask more questions.

OnTheWayOut

"Thanks, but my God-given Bible trained conscience doesn't allow me to associate, now that I know a multitude of disturbing facts"

All most will hear is that you "disassociated."

8

I want to talk with other people

by Sammy12 in

i want to talk with people who are witnesses.

i’m 17f and wanting some company.

get in contact with me please.

OnTheWayOut

Whether you said 17f or 17m, I would say be careful. While I am pretty comfortable with the vast majority of people here, this is the internet. Pretenders can be around. You are a teen. Watch your back.

117

Lloyd’s new book

by jwfacts in

i see there has already been discussion over lloyd’s new book how to leave the jehovah's witnesses.

this includes discussion around his personality, motives and financial gains.

i have written a foreword for this book, because it is an important topic that has not been covered in such a complete format before.

OnTheWayOut

Opening post: ...When it comes to financial gain, their is very little to be made out of the exJW community, so I find it disturbing that people keeping bringing this is as motivation.

Thank you to Las Malvinas son Argentinas for answering to that. Whether someone can make money hand-over-fist in ex-JW activism has yet to be demonstrated, but I hope it is clear that Lloyd would like to make a go at what he is doing as a paying career.

As this thread starts to disintegrate into personality issues, the primary posting purpose was to address Lloyd's motivation.

Opening post: Support the efforts that you approve of, ignore the ones you don’t, but don’t second guess others motives or attack others, when most here are doing their best to move on and help where they can.

There is the problem. Lloyd could not ignore the efforts he doesn't approve of. Lloyd was not motivated to "help where they can" but was willing to hurt others in attempts to salvage his own goals.

I hope everyone is okay with people making money on their "activism." We just know that some people who have done much damage for personal gain can change or contribute worthwhile things later, but that doesn't mean they are off the hook. Plus, in this case, no change in motivation has ever been demonstrated. Perhaps Lloyd can apologize for not delivering an apology that many could accept, but I am confident it will still say he is blameless and the fault is with those holding a grudge.

5

Genesis to Revelation = Failure for God

by pleaseresearch in

no matter how i look at this.

god comes out losing.

the first humans on earth.

OnTheWayOut

So much is wrong in that Bible.
How about Lot's two daughters getting him drunk enough to not know he's having sex with his daughter TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW? Yet he was a righteous man.

I have similar problems as you mentioned with millions dying at the flood and with the same at Armageddon.