Posts by ABibleStudent

33

"Worldly" Friends vs "True" Friends

by DuvanMuvan in

jw
friends

hey guys i am new to the whole forum thing (long time reader, first time postererer) and i wanted to get some other opinions on something that has bothered me ever since i first became a jehovah's witness.. i was always taught at the kingdom hall that friends inside the orginisation were the only ones i could count on and that the ones out of it (mainly at school) were just being controlled by satan to trick me into leaving the religion.. however, i always found it to be the opposite.

my "worldly"friends were all accepting of my religion (back when i was ok with being a jw) and are the only ones i have really opened up to about wanting to leave.

the only things i have in common with the other teenagers in my hall (3 boys, 3 girls) are that we've all been raised in the truth and... well that's it.. i was just wondering if anyone else found the same thing when they were a teenaged jw or if anyone still in my age finds the same thing..

ABibleStudent

Welcome DuvanMuvan, Are you still living at home? What are your plans to become financially self-sufficient to reduce being pressured to get dunked? As long as you don't get dunked, your family may not shun you in the future - NO gaurantees though.

Although JWfacts is an awesome website about the WTBTS, you may want to visit www.freedomofmind.com to help you learn how to communicate better with JWs so that you can avoid being shunned. Reading Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs"), visiting his website, and/or watching his videos, should help you communicate better with JWs' authentic personas to minimize the possibility of being shunned by JW relatives and friends.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert.

36

An Anti-Witnessing Campaign, Please Join Me!

by What Now? in

in the past few weeks, the shunning issue has become a very personal one for me, and i have begun to realize that it is not just enough for me and my family to fade out.

after some recent events, i am motivated to start some anti-watchtower activism of my own.. i, like many others, have hoped that there would be a scandal of epic proportions within the organization, something that would wake others up and trigger a mass exodus.. while i am still hopeful that this may happen, it seems that the organization is too good at damage control, and heightening the paranoia surrounding apostates.. but what if the ex-witness community tried a different approach?.

what if, to borrow a hockey term, a sort of shut out situation was created?.

ABibleStudent

Hi What Now?, Most non-JWs think that the Watchtower is a kooky religion and should be avoided. Until you can show non-JWs that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult that victimizes JWs, and that under the right circumstances they could be indoctrinated into WTBTS (or another dangerous cult), non-JWs don't care.

If you want to improve your chances that householders will take action, IMHO the following flyer would be more effective:

Do Jehovah's Witnesses annoy you by knocking on your door or leaving their propaganda at your home? Do you want to stop being annoyed at your home by them?

Fill out the "Do Not Call" form at the bottom of this page and either politiely give it to Jehovah's Witnesses when they come to your home, mail it to the local Kingdom Hall, and/or phone the local Kingdom Hall and ask to be added to the "Do Not Call" list. Do not accept Watchtower and Awake! propaganda, because Jehovah's Witnesses will think that you are interested to learn more about their beliefs and will return to try to recruit you and your family.

The Watchtower is a dangerous cult that deceives and victimizes Jehovah's Witnesses. I know this because I once was a Jehovah's Witness. If you would like to learn more why the Watchtower is a danerous cult, please visit reputable websites like www.jwfacts.com, www.freedomofmind.com, etc.

DO NOT CALL

[Current Date] Jehovah's Witnesses [Address of closest congregation] Dear Sirs: This letter is to serve as formal notice that effective today you may not enter the property of [address]. This “No Trespass” notice will remain in effect until rescinded by me. Failure to comply with this notice may result in your arrest by police, citizen's arrest, and civil litigation, in which you will be named personally and as an organization. Furthermore, please do not contact me in any way.

Please refer to the following.

-[cite your state/local laws on trespassing here]

-[cite your state/local laws on citizen's arrest]

-Correspondence regarding trespassing from the Watchtower Society to you dated September 2004

Sincerely,

[signature]

[printed name]

Personally I feel that ex-JWs would be more effective in changing the WTBTS by writing to their political representatives, local news organizations, and other organizations that are politically active. Unfortunately it will take a lot of work, but the most effective way to change the WTBTS and other dangerous cults is to petition politicians to revise non-profit laws to add requirements that non-profit organizations must not promote discrimination, shunning, and hate speech; and/or report child abuse/molestation and rape to local law enforcement ASAP.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

37

How often do you see the Witnesses out on the ministry?

by rory-ks in

i only ask because i hardly ever see them out on the ministry.

it is a very rare sighting to spot them actively engaged in the house to house ministry.

or out on the street work, in the marketplace, etc.. the other reason i ask is because they are constantly pictured as being on the preaching work.

ABibleStudent

I see JWs going D2D around Thanksgiving in Northern Virginia when I visit my brother and in Southern California around March/April about every year.

Do you live in a rural area or metropolitan area? More JWs will probably go D2D in metropolitian areas, than in rural areas.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

12

How about a Lapel Badge ?

by Phizzy in

jw
friends

tt a tt.

i am sure you guys can come up with something better ?.

sorry, i had a better design that didn't get copied across, maybe big j thinks its a bad idea, so he's messing with copy and paste today ?.

ABibleStudent

How about a ribbon with "I'm a survivor - www.jwfacts.com (or www.freedomofmind.com)"?

It is better peak a person's curiosity so that they ask, "What did you survive?" instead of let the pin say it all.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

38

Really bizarre part on the meeting last night

by stillin in

jw
friends

on the service meeting there was a part covering a couple of pages from the tms guidebook chapter on warmth and feeling.

rather than coaching the r&f on how to make a school talk sound warm, it focused on the people that jws meet in their ministry.

basically, the part could have been labelled "how to fake warmth and feeling.

ABibleStudent

Hi stillin, If you cannot read Steve Hassan's books, at least watch the following videos at a coffee shop or other free Wifi location:

Strategic Interactive Approach explained 2003 (1:23:23)

NY Ethical Culture Society February 2013 (41:09)
NY Ethical Culture Society 2010 (40:56)

Randy Watters, ex Jehovah's Witness elder August 2012 (26:43)

If you are afraid your wife will discover your activities, just remember to clear your broswer's history.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

21

I want to picket an assembly UK.

by quellycatface in

jw
friends

i feel like going to picket an assembly this summer.how do i do this?does it still happen?

ideas most welcome.thanks.

ABibleStudent

Hi quellycatface, Although picketing an assembly will probably just feed the persecution complex of JWs' cult personas, I wonder if there are ways to present information to JWs that will not make JWs summarily dismiss it.

You probably would be better off attending the assembly and placing business cards with your favorite websites like www.jwfacts.com, www.freedomofmind.com, etc with QR codes in bathrooms or in WTBTS propaganda.

If you have JW family attending an assembly, I guess carrying a banner with "Hi Mum and Dad, Enjoying life free from the Watchtower" would not feed JWs' cult personas' persecution fears.

If you are willing to spend ~$200, you could set-up a literature cart with books by Steve Hassan, Raymond Franz, Don Cameron, and other cult experts and give away flyers/business cards where to buy books and/or e-books. I doubt many JWs would take any flyers, but displaying a large selection of books and giving away flyers with website names like www.jwfacts.com, www.freedomofmind.com, etc. may peak JWs' curiousity.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

15

My wife and i, cake for our daughters...hm

by Jon Preston in

jw
friends

so recently it was my daughters b-day and my wonderful wife thought of a great idea....lets get her a cake.

so some family came to town and we did cake and a few gifts.

interesting developments as my wife and i have not been to the meetings in abouuuuuut a month....and have been incredibly irregukar in attendance the past six months.

ABibleStudent

Becareful Jon Preston!! Encourage your wife to make new non-JW friends, compliment her and your children to do things that the WTBTS discourges, encourage her and your children to use the internet and critically think for themselves, and tell/show her and your children how much you love them and will not judge them, BUT do not tell your wife your doubts until she tells you that she will not attend meetings anymore and that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult.

The WTBTS's BITE control is very powerful, so don't take it for granted.

I wish you and your family the best.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

30

It's official too: I will be DF'd... probably next Wednesday

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

i will write my story soon... .

ABibleStudent

Enjoy the rest of your life ILoveTTATT!! It will drive JWs crazy that you are not as happy as they are slaving for the WTBTS.

Make new non-JW friends, post pictures of you eating wings and enjoying life with non-JWs as well as interesting links on your FB page, and don't forget to workout at the gym for the chicas caliente (or is it picante?)!! Here is a video from Steve Hassan's website that might interest JWs: Randy Watters, ex Jehovah's Witness elder August 2012 (26:43).

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

45

I am having trouble believing in God...

by thedepressedsoul in

i was raised a jw and i am still one but recently i have been having trouble believing in a god.

this is not meant to offend anyone who does, i am just curious to see if i am the only one who thinks this..... to start, i am a very black and white person.

if 1+1=2 it makes sense to me and i can agree with it.

ABibleStudent

Welcome thedepressedsoul, Depending on your frame of reference 1 + 1 = 10 in base 2, and 2 in base 10. Your religious beliefs are based more on WTBTS doctrine than the Bible. Since you were raised a JW, you have the rest of your life to explore your faith (or lack of faith in God). You do not need to rely on the WTBTS to tell you how to believe.

God did not give mankind a written text. According to the Bible, after Jesus Christ was resurected, God communicated with humans through the Holy Spirit. The problem is that humans are not perfect and some humans force their beliefs on others by yelling louder than the Holy Spirit (if you believe in God).

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

70

Jehovah's Witnesses Say They Are The Most Educated In The World. How Would You Prove Otherwise?

by minimus in

jw
friends

they claim their schools, literature and teaching are far more superior than any "worldly" education.

how would you counter that belief?.

ABibleStudent

Pacopoolio -"Helping people get EVERLASTING LIFE, which is the best charity that you can be a part of!"

Welcome Pacopoolio to JWN.

Response to JWs: How does recruiting people into a dangerous cult help them get everlasting life? [Shock-n-Awe to later show JWs their lack of superior education]

John 6:68-70 states to follow Jesus Christ's words (i.e., teachings) to have eternal life. The GB discourage JWs from following God's two greatist commandments (i.e., MT 22:37-40), as well as discouraging non-annointed JWs to partake of the symbols of the body and blood of Christ.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert