Plesse take pictures/videos of you encounters.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
ABibleStudent
JoinedPosts by ABibleStudent
-
23
Off to Edinburgh With JWFacts.com cards
by cofty inwe are going to edinburgh today to see what's going at the festival, go out for a meal and probably see a show.. i have made up some cards with the jwfacts.com logo to hand to jws on the trolleys.
there is nothing on the cards part from the logo.
ttatt is only a click away..
-
-
-
42
My Elderette returns for a final Bible Study session, after I avoided her for 2 months (very long post)
by Faithful Witness insome of this will be repeat, since it's been a little while since i posted about my "bible study" sessions with miss k, my elderette.
we are talking about the name of jehovah.
thanks for talking with us today.
-
-
ABibleStudent
Awesome try Faithful Witness!! At least you and Diana cared enough about Miss K and her friend to help them to critically think for themselves. Sometimes you just have to realize "Let the Blind, lead the blind into a pit." It sucks that the WTBTS's BITE control is so powerful and victimizes so many JWs.
About the only thing that you could have done differently was to ask Miss K what were her criteria for a cult after Diana responded to her, and then share with her what Steve Hassan's criteria are. Who are you going to believe more? The WTBTS who promotes itself as a religious organization, or a recognized cult-exit counselor.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
44
Freaking out a Jehovah's Witness
by jgnat inas you know, my husband has physically left the witnesses.
he nevertheless clings to many of the beliefs like a protective cloak, and every once in a while i trigger a dissonant episode where my reality clashes with his.
recently he listened in on my work research, a video of a futurist describing the a potential "disruptive change" event in the next fifteen years, as our culture shifts to autonomic (driverless) vehicles.
-
-
ABibleStudent
jgnat - Can you give some examples of overcoming the platitiudes, ABibleStudent? Off the top of my head, I'd try to appeal to their empathy, get them thinking outside themselves. As in, "Really? Put yourself in our neighbour's shoes for a moment. Do you think that Harry is hopelessly condemned?"
Hi jgnat, To overcome thought-stopping platitudes ask short and simple questions that question the validity of the platitude. Depending on the situation, you can ask direct questions or stealth questions like Billy the Ex-Bethelite wrote about in exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed.
The following are examples of overcoming thougth-stopping platitudes that I have written on other threads:
"Where else would we go?" platitude:
Don't you mean, " to whom shall we go ?" Simon-Peter answered that rhetorical question in John 6:60-70 when he said "(Lord) You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Why do ask "Where else will we go?" (wait for a JW's answer)
Do you follow teachings and examples of organizations made by men or the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ?
"They are the channel God is using." platitude:
(Must say in an innocent and inquirying tone of voice)
"How do I respond to Christians, who say, "How can JWs follow God's Greatest Commandment to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’? If the Watchtower requires JWs to blindly follow the Watchtower’s leaders, how are JWs able to follow the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ when it differs from the Watchtower teachings to fulfill God’s Greatest Commandment?”
(Pause for JWs to respond)
“Please help me to find Scriptures where Jesus Christ condones shunning and not associating with non-believers. I need scriptures to counter what is written in Mt 15:21-28, Mt 22:37-40, John 6:60-70 to prove to Christians that the Watchtower does have the “Truth” and does follow the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ. How can I save other people, when they say that JWs are like the Jews in Mt 15:1-20, who do not use their minds, do not follow the Holy Spirit that God gave each of us, and instead blindly follow blind guides?”
"The End must be soon, because there are sooo many earthquakes (or another natural disaster, war, grisley murder, etc)" platitude:
Are there more earthquakes, natural disasters, deaths from war, and violent crimes? Have you done any independent research using the internet to justify your belief? . . . (pause for JW to respond) I have. I learned (insert what you learned).
"The light keeps getting brighter!" platitude
If God is perfect and doesn't change, how can the light get brighter by the Watchtower changing its doctrines? Have you read James 1:16-18? Have you critically thought about and researched the WTBTS history and "New Light"? . . . (pause for JW to respond) I have. How can the Watchtower be God's organization on earth with its flip-flopping changes in doctrine?
"Millions Now Living Will Live Forever! (and Billions of non-JWs will die!)" platitude:
Don't you mean billions will live forever in the spirit? According to 1 John 2:1-2, Jesus Christ sacrifice atoned for the sins of the whole world. . . . (pause for JW's response) Why would God kill Billions of non-JWs and only save JWs?
You can read how to overcome other thought-stopping platitudes or WTBTS slogans by other JWN members in the thread For JWs: Bible Verses Contradict Watchtower. How would you overcome the following thought-stopping platitudes?
- "They (GB) are just imperfect men."
- ""True Christians" need an organization to lead them" (or someting similiar)
- "We are waiting on Jehovah."
- "Only JWs do life-saving work by preaching door-to-door like 1st Century Christians."
- "JWs are the happiest (or most loving, most trust-worthy, most caring, most giving, etc.) people in the world."
- "All JWs behave the same."
- "JWs are the most knowlegable about the Bible." (or something similiar)
- "The End is soo sooon."
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
44
Freaking out a Jehovah's Witness
by jgnat inas you know, my husband has physically left the witnesses.
he nevertheless clings to many of the beliefs like a protective cloak, and every once in a while i trigger a dissonant episode where my reality clashes with his.
recently he listened in on my work research, a video of a futurist describing the a potential "disruptive change" event in the next fifteen years, as our culture shifts to autonomic (driverless) vehicles.
-
-
ABibleStudent
When a JW feels cognitive dissonance, s/he probably will recite a thought-stopping platitude to reduce it. Learning how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes may help empower the authentic persona of a JW. At least it is better than agreeing with a JW or saying nothing.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
-
-
ABibleStudent
Hi Melchisedek, Americans are not prohibited from traveling to Cuba, but there are many limitations to travel to Cuba legally (i.e., not freely) (read http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/cuba/a/How-To-Travel-To-Cuba-If-You-Are-An-American.htm). Americans can also travel to a third country and then to Cuba as long as the American passport does not have a Cuban stamp on it.
Thanks for clarifying what the "iron barrier" was.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
23
Please contact me if you're in the US and between 18 and 40 and want to be on TV telling your story.
by AndersonsInfo incontact me through my website at: http://watchtowerdocuments.org/contact-barbara/.
thank you,.
barbara.
-
-
ABibleStudent
Hi Barbara, Have you visited the website http://www.apostatechick.com/? I would recommend contacting Apostachick because of her video blog experience, her age, and her on camera appeal.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
-
-
ABibleStudent
Melchisedek - In Russian there are many articles and books written about JW Russian exJW ... We in Russia are trying to help JW begin to think critically and to be free from the cult of WT
Hi Melchisedek, What do Russian articles and books recommend to help JWs to critically think for themselves? How effective have those Russian articles and books been for you and other exJWs to help JWs to critically think for themselves? In the US JWs avoid reading information that criticizes the WTBTS or talking with people who criticize the WTBTS. The WTBTS's BITE control is very powerful.
Although I like Steve Hassan's methods a lot, it is very difficult to ask simple questions of JWs, to invite them to do fun non-WTBTS activities, and overcome thought-stopping platitudes, when they run away if they feel their beliefs are threatened. I have not personally been successful helping JWs/exJWs overcome the WTBTS's BITE control, because the one JW who I care about avoids talking with me. An exJW, who I know, does not believe in the Bible but does believe that the WTBTS has the "Truth". JWs who knock on my door try to just drop off WTBTS propaganda without having a conversation.
To make sure that I understand what you wrote about the "iron barrier", after the USSR collasped the Russian Federation passed laws to prevent Russians from immigrating (or traveling?) from Russia to other countries and to create barriers to freely trade outside of Russia. I do not like it when the US government prevents me from freely traveling to countries like Cuba. I would never immigrate to Cuba or most other countries, but I like to visit other countries for a vacation.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
-
-
ABibleStudent
Melchisedek - I thanks to the Internet is no longer a JW, thanks old books Watchtower - Russell, Rutherford, Knorr. A great influence on me have the book Raymond Franz, Don Cameron, Carl Olof Jonsson and others. In Russian there is a lot of truth about JW)))
Hi Melchisedek, Although reading books by Raymond Franz, Don Cameron, etc to learn more about the WTBTS's history and doctrines was very important to you, most JWs believe in the WTBTS for emotional reasons and do not critically think for themselves.
Have you read books by cult-exit couselors like 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"), visited his website www.freedomofmind.com, or watched his FREE videos on his website?
Do you want to help JW family and friends to critically think for themselves so that they can live life free from the WTBTS? If you do, it may be better to ask them simple questions instead of showing them what helped you to see TTATT, encourage them to do time consuming non-WTBTS hobbies that they love, and to learn how to overcome thought-stopping platitudes that the WTBTS teaches them.
By the way, what is an "iron barrier" and why is it good? I have not read "Iron barrier" in Western media sources. I have read articles in English on Russia Today, but do not remember the phrase "iron barrier".
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
-
-
ABibleStudent
Hi Melchisedek, I appologize for asking about whether you knew about on-line language translators. Since you wrote that you are trying to learn English, I was trying to help you translate English to Russian . I was not implying that Russia is a banana republic. Russians have made many important contributions and scientific advances in medicine, space exploration, aviation, as well as literature and peace.
I admire Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost and perestroika, because they helped end the Cold War between the US and Russia. What are your feelings about Gorbachev?
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
-
12
Wife and Kids at Meeting
by lambsbottom inso wife and kids went to meeting while i stayed home because i am on a religious cleanse.
i feel really sad and lonely but i know that it is for the best.. on a side note, doe anyone here still agree with jw doctrines?
trinity being false?
-
-
ABibleStudent
Hi lambsbottom, How has the WTBTS made your life better? Slave for the WTBTS now distributing propaganda and donate your money to the building fund now. In the future you will live on paradise earth if you survive Armageddon. Sounds like a pipe dream to me as well as you won't be living and enjoying life now.
Show me 1 conditional loving JW and I will show you 10 unconditional loving non-JWs, who are having a lot more fun living life now.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert