You are welcome cedars .
This is a very interesting topic and I am intrigued to know what other ex dubs found most irritating during their time 'inside'.
ambersun
JoinedPosts by ambersun
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Your top 5 most irritating doctrines/practices?
by cedars init's clear that virtually everyone on here is infuriated by wt teachings/doctrines/practices, but i would really like to know what is of most concern to people who frequent this forum.. here is my top 5, number 1 being the most significant/infuriating:.
the disfellowshipping practice - expanded to include family members (but not parents) who are old enough to leave home.
wrecks families and creates abject fear once people find out the truth about the organization.the blood issue - another unmerciful teaching, but one that costs lives.unquestioned authority of governing body - a handful of men make life-altering decisions as representatives of a larger group of people who they never see or speak to, and yet they demand unquestioning obedience on pain of being disfellowshipped.failed prophecy - the fulfilment of huge swathes of bible prophecy, including revelation, has been attributed to the events of the early 20th century, and the actions of a small group of men.two-tier christianity - faithful and discreet slave are anointed who go to heaven to whom ransom provisions apply directly, whereas remainder, or "great crowd" stay on earth and form a sub-class, only access benefits of ransom through fds.i realise that many of these issues are inter-related, but that's roughly how i would put them.
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68
Your top 5 most irritating doctrines/practices?
by cedars init's clear that virtually everyone on here is infuriated by wt teachings/doctrines/practices, but i would really like to know what is of most concern to people who frequent this forum.. here is my top 5, number 1 being the most significant/infuriating:.
the disfellowshipping practice - expanded to include family members (but not parents) who are old enough to leave home.
wrecks families and creates abject fear once people find out the truth about the organization.the blood issue - another unmerciful teaching, but one that costs lives.unquestioned authority of governing body - a handful of men make life-altering decisions as representatives of a larger group of people who they never see or speak to, and yet they demand unquestioning obedience on pain of being disfellowshipped.failed prophecy - the fulfilment of huge swathes of bible prophecy, including revelation, has been attributed to the events of the early 20th century, and the actions of a small group of men.two-tier christianity - faithful and discreet slave are anointed who go to heaven to whom ransom provisions apply directly, whereas remainder, or "great crowd" stay on earth and form a sub-class, only access benefits of ransom through fds.i realise that many of these issues are inter-related, but that's roughly how i would put them.
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ambersun
My personal top 5 from when I was a dub:
1. Disfellowshipping and shunning
2. The blood issue
3. Not being allowed to celebrate anything involving tinsel or cup cakes.
4. All females being treated as second class, inferior citizens in subjection to all males, regardless of their maturity, life experience, ability or intellect.
5. All males being encouraged to devote their young lives reaching out for 'privileges' that would lead to them becoming Elders in their mid 20s and ruling shepherding the congregation, regardless of any possible lack of maturity, life experience, ability, or intellect.
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My bf said me too fat for this dress!
by mrmusicmr inpic of me.
the picture is way recent.
from the last two weeks.
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ambersun
I agree with mouthy. Don't let that comment from your bf knock your confidence, he is probably worried about the effect you will have on other men who see you wearing a dress like that.
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jw alternate book titles.
by Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice. ini called into a tip shop today and noticed amongst a pile of books an old jw publication - "things in which it is impossible for god to lie" (or something like that).
does the title mean that there are things in which it is possible for god to lie?.
anyhow, i chucked the book back on the pile, but my mind starting ticking over as to some possible alternate titles for some jw books from the past.. so here goes.
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ambersun
Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work (to the Watchtower's Advantage)
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Stupid suggestion from Study Conductor
by roxanesophia inhi everyone, first i just want to say if it wasn't this forum, i'd be baptized!
i haven't managed to successfully end my studies with a zealous jw.
she uses everything against me to brainwash me into believing i need the org.
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ambersun
It has all been said, but I will add my own voice and agree you HAVE to stand your ground and say firmly but politely "Thanks but I won't be coming".
I spent 25 years being ordered around and having my life completely taken over by JWs, being too polite to say no in case I hurt their feelings or got into trouble for falling short of the mark. During my single years my health suffered greatly as a consequence but no-one seemed to notice, or care, how much I was struggling just as long as I was out pioneering, attending meetings and convensions and doing whatever I was expected to do. It helped when I got married and my husband stuck up for me when I was poorly.
Believe me, the only person being hurt here is you, and from personal experience my advice is to get out now while you can, and don't look back.
Good luck
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Saw some JWs this am! Couldn't stop laughing
by Free!! inthis morning on my way to the office i decided to stop at the gas station to get some coffee.... as i am pulling into the parking space i see this woman w a haircut from the 80's the typical below the knee skirt and long sleeve shirt (is a 105 degrees over here in the shadow).... i immediatly knew she was a jw... she had the latest wt in her hands..... she skipped me and approached a group of young mexican laborers that were resting in the back of a truck... but... as soon as i walked out of the gas station... guess who was waiting for me???
the jw!!!
she wanted to do a presentation.. i looked at her and w/o saying a word i started laughing so hard the guys in the truck started laughing as well... she just looked at me and still kept trying to push her literatrash!!
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ambersun
I agree with freetosee. As I was once a humble JW sister, wearing the 'modest' clothes befitting a woman on the ministry as was required by HQ, I felt mortified when I read this: i looked at her and w/o saying a word i started laughing so hard the guys in the truck started laughing as well... .
Without being there and seeing what happened, I don't know exactly what you were laughing at but I sincerely hope you did not humiliate her.
If it had been a couple of guys you were laughing at, especially elders who often think they are above everyone else anyway, I might have joined in the mirth thinking they could take it on the chin, but please remember that many JW women lack self esteem and already feel like second class citizens due to the way the Society treats them, and for a bunch of men to openly laugh at her in public might have been enough to push her over the edge.
I can understand why you did it, but at the risk of being a kill joy please think carefully before doing this again. Thank you
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Foreign language groups. OK to dress in a Saree Sisters?
by punkofnice inin the uk we have 'urdu' groups which are usually english people learning urdu and going to preach in mainly muslim areas.
(most who speak english perfectly).. some of the white/non asian sister dress in sarees.. is this disrespectful?.
downright idiotic?.
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ambersun
I can remember that Assembly in London, hotspur! It was summer time and even in England the weather can be really hot and stiffling in those football stadiums.
Some of those brothers from other nations were wearing colourful long, loose fitting robes and kaftans instead of the uncomfortable dark suits and restricting shirts and ties our poor brothers had to wear. The thought went through my head as to why these visiting brothers were allowed to wear their 'national costumes' with pride when we were all supposed to be neutral and seperate from worldly things. It seemed unfair that our own brothers were not allowed to turn up to the sessions wearing something more suitable for a long day sitting in stiffling heat instead of their uncomfortable suits, shirts and ties.
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Paradise Earth for JW's the same as Heaven for other Christian groups?
by punkofnice ini've often thought it weird how jar hoover was going to lovingly murder all non jw's soon (terms and conditions apply and are subject to 'overlapping').
then the good ones would live in paradise happy that their family, friends and loved ones all died because jar hoover would mess with their minds.. recently i've been worshipping in a church but the same scenario has posed itself in a different way.
if good christians go to heaven whilst family, friends and loved ones who don't believe go to hell...........what's the difference from believing that to believing the jw nonsense???????.
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ambersun
I may be wrong but I always thought that Christians generally believed only really bad people went to hell. If they simply lack a faith in God but live an otherwise good life being helpful and kind to others, they would still qualify for a place in heaven. Also, I didn't think other religions (maybe there are few exceptions) believed that God would come and strike down everyone in one fell swoop who didn't share their particular belief system.
On the other hand, JWs believe anyone who is not an active JW will be destroyed horribly en masse at armageddon, including their inactive JW relatives and regardless of how nice, kind, self sacrificing and loving these inactive relatives are. Yet somehow, the active JWs who are saved by Jah will not care about the horrific death of their nearest and dearest when the time comes because Jah will take away all pain and suffering.
Those WT illustrations of JWs with glassy eyes and huge satisfied grins on their faces as they look towards a bright light representing the New System while behind them is the death and destruction of an entire world, including their own kith and kin who may be crying out to them for help, are really creepy!!!
Yes, believe me in my mind there IS a big difference.
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I have decided that I am a now a "No-Hova Witness", how about you?
by Wasanelder Once ini've gone from being indifferent to becoming an full fledge non believer in anything much.
i guess i'm now a "no-hova" witness.
there's nothing about the wt or the bible for that matter that holds any importance in my life or death.
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ambersun
Thanks Wasanelder Once. It constantly puzzles and amazes me that my highly intelligent and otherwise sensible mother and sisters seem unable to see through the scam despite the fact we are still all here in this old system, with ridiculous excuses from HQ that 'New Light' has shown that the generation is 'evidently' an overlapping one.
My mother seems to have conveniently forgotten how close the 'end' was back in the 1960s, hence the need for me and my siblings to give up all career dreams and pioneer. No, I am afraid you could take the sisters behind the scenes and give them complete access to all the things brothers have access to, but if their minds are closed it will make no difference at all, unfortunately. Yet, if a sister has an open, enquiring mind, she will not be able to stop herself looking into things in her own way as I did.
Today we have the internet with this wonderful site and others like it, which were not around 40 years ago but it didn't stop me from finding out the truth about The Truth.
So, come on you sisters, the facts are all here for you to read. Wake up to reality!!
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I have decided that I am a now a "No-Hova Witness", how about you?
by Wasanelder Once ini've gone from being indifferent to becoming an full fledge non believer in anything much.
i guess i'm now a "no-hova" witness.
there's nothing about the wt or the bible for that matter that holds any importance in my life or death.
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ambersun
i realized if most sisters had access the way brothers did..most of them would be gone themselves. it's so much easier to keep them deluded, because they are really really stifled from getting any kind of access to facts, while inside.
I was a pioneering Elder's daughter back in the late '60s. There was no internet back then and sisters were kept just as much in the background as they are today. However, I had a naturally enquiring mind and was already very troubled by the shunning rule which I found totally obhorrent. Also, I was troubled by an order from the platform that we were no longer allowed to keep Society books on our shelves that were written before a certain date (including all Russell and most of Rutherford's books) as they were out of date due to all the 'New Light', and could therefore damage our spirituality if we read them. What???!!! Mere, lowly sister that I was, I still smelled something fishy.
I found out the truth about 'The Truth' by reading my way through a collection of Russell and Rutherford's books that I found on an elderly brother's bookshelf when I was helping to care for him. He had either not heard this order or simply ignored it. I could not believe the things I was reading. I was truly shocked at the changes that had taken place in the basic doctrines and right there and then I sussed out the truth about The Truth! My faith started to crumble away and from that moment on I was finding faults in all the doctrines, reading Watchtower literature with a critical mind instead of just absorbing it like I should have done. I was well on my way to becoming a concious 'No-Hova Witness' as you put it, even though it took another 20 years for me to eventually escape, luckily with my husband. I have never had any desire to join another religion and feel the bible is a collection of books written by men for power and to keep women in subjection.
So please don't give up on the sisters as being lost causes. In the end it all comes down to having a naturally enquiring mind and being able to think for yourself despite the constant brainwashing and being told how small and insignificant our brains are compared to the men.