Posts by ABibleStudent

29

Hi

by LucidChimp in

jw
friends

i've been lurking here for a year or two now (since i stumbled across ttatt and was stumbled by it), i even started an account some while back and asked a couple of questions.. but i never actually stood up and said hi... so hi, my name's jon and i'm a dubaholic.. .

i was "born in" in the 80s - and grew up on a liquid diet of cheap suits and revelation book pictures (i mean really, group after group just staring at the pictures while not listening, i must have spent more time staring at those pictures than i have any work of art in my life, literally hours at each lurid picture).

i "left" in my teens, but apparently lacking any kind of actual sense, returned to studying with a childhood friend from the congregation in my twenties (although i was never baptised, my entire small family were dubs, so i saw more witnesses than "worldly people" on a regular basis.. they love bombed my arse for years!)..

ABibleStudent

Welcome LucidChimp, Since you have been visiting JWN for awhile and hoping to help JW family members to critically think for themselves, have you read any of 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, and/or watched his videos on his website?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

40

1st Time in 3 Years JW's call at our Door - Two 30 yr. long Time JW's

by flipper in

jw
friends

i thought i was back on the jw radar after my jw daughter had a local elder call on me back in 2011 - but apparently not.

he obviously didn't let his elders know i lived here, no record was kept for posterity and just called my daughter telling her that her " dad has differences with the organization " because he never called back on me as he promised to talk again.

as i'm just inactive for 10 years.. so these two older jw ladys come knocking yesterday - one lady about 57 and the other lady older about 71 yrs.old ( i asked how long they had been jw's and told me they both have been in 30 years.

ABibleStudent

Hi Flipper, Great job of reverse witnessing!! You were empathetic and compassionate while keeping the JWs on topic and trying to reach their authentic persona's by talking about the Mormon child abuse incidents. About the only thing that you could have done to improve the chances of them starting to critically think for themselves, would have been to write a couple of websites on the printouts that you made for them like www.jwfacts.com, www.watchtowerdocuments.com, www.jwsurvey.org, www.freeminds2.org, and www.freedomofmind.com

I hope that they return to learn more from you, but it may be awhile.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

6

Talk with my parents!

by Kool Jo in

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hey folks...had a skype conversation with my parents (hard-core, extremist jws)...and the cult still has a tight grip on them....like others on here, youre perhaps just watching your parents, growing older, giving to the cult more and more....with nothing in return.. they were happy to tell me how theyre enjoying their new bibles and how this provision is fantastic and show jehovahs blessings blah blah blah.. we then spoke about how their congregation will be getting a new khall, although many persons in the congregation didnt agree with its location.

ABibleStudent

Hi Kool Jo, If you can help your parents to think for themselves, that is a good thing. It seems like you are subtly planting seeds of doubt that may bear fruit someday. Who knows maybe someday with your help of asking simple questions, they will really start to question the WTBTS more. Have you asked them what are their retirement plans and also explain what yours are?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

16

TOUCHED BY AN APOSTATE, ONE YEAR AFTER EATING THE RED PILL.

by AuntConnie in

touched by an apostate.

i cant decide if i want to curse or hug and kiss all the friends on jwn for giving me a bite of the red pill and allowing me the clarity i never had growing up.

we were raised one hundred-percent cult and our family obeyed all the rules that we could, some rules from the cult my mother refused to obey for a greater-good, like humanity, helping disfellowshiped ex-jws who were poor or depressed, she did not follow the cult's code of treating weak or mentally ill people like shit.

ABibleStudent

Hi AuntConnie, I'm sorry for how the WTBTS has influenced your life. Abuse is bad no matter who does it or how. As long as you are alive you can make changes to your life to live a happier life. LIfe is too short to be abused by the WTBTS or your husband without making changes. If you have any feelings of love for your husband and you feel counseling would help him make changes, I recommend seeking counseling.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

35

TTATT in a can

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

so... i have been working on an excel spreadsheet that has "ttatt in a can"... i have it both in spanish and in english.

here's a preview:.

category / year1879188018901891name?bible studentsbible students "time of the end" starts in the year?17991799 "parousia" (presence)?18741874 jesus enthroned?18781878 end of the harvest?19141914 earthly resurrection?

ABibleStudent

Hi ILoveTTATT, I feel that you would be able to get across how frequently the WTBTS changes its doctrines by making a time-line like paleontologist use to show human/life development on earth. Most people relate better to pictures/graphics (i.e., 1 picture is worth a thousand words). A single-page stating what the WTBTS promoted in the beginning and then on the back a time-line of when doctrines changed in 5 or 10 year segments, which ever is less confusing and shows how frequently WTBTS's doctrine changes.

I wish I could recommend software to help you, but I can't. Your best solution might be publishing software or Microsoft Word.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

10

My mother came for a visit

by Faithful Witness in

she has not visited us in over a year, except with my dad.

we have not had a chance to talk one on one in a very long time.

she is an actice jw.

ABibleStudent

Hi Faithful Witness, Have some faith in unconditional love, yourself, and in your Mom's authentic persona. It sounds like you had a great conversation with your Mom. You just need to learn how to turn on your Mom's authentic persona and control her cult persona. It makes it easier when you realize you have time so go slow until your mother starts asking you which websites to visit to learn more about the WTBTS.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

45

What's with all the JWs unleashing the hate!?

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

most of us here on jwn, while we can get a bit narky at times, can put forth intelligent arguments and sound observations.

sure we can get bogged down with our opinions, but generally we back up our opinions with examples and evidence, and if someone has a different opinion with examples and evidence, we accept that without recriminations.

that's what adults do.. so my question is, why in the last week or so, have a couple of posters claiming to be jws come onto this forum and berated, spewed hate and judgement, and in some cases verbally attacked members personally?

ABibleStudent

Stand for Pure Worship - In fact I have some fellow JW apologists planning on registering to make these discussions more even. As far as it being wrong for me to post here because the Slave said so, show me where?

COOL!!! More JWs who will be starting to critically think for themselves.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

24

So the people with the REAL truth are apostates!

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

i have been on this site for around two months.

in those two months, i have learnt a ridiculous amount of jw history and i now have insight on how humongous of a scam the jw's are.

at first, maybe even a year ago, i would have thought, yeah... the apostates have half-truths and they utilize some truths and then lie about the rest.. well, for the benefit of all the lurkers in here: trust the apostates!

ABibleStudent

A little skepticism can be a good thing. God gave you a brain so why not use it!!

Do your own independent research and critically think for yourself. It can be hard at first then it gets easier the more that you use your brain to think for yourself. Visiting the following websites will help you: www.jwfacts.com, www.watchtowerdocuments.com, www.jwsurvey.org, www.freeminds2.org, and www.freedomofmind.com.

Ask yourself, "Why is the WTBTS so afraid of JWs reading non-WTBTS sanctioned material (that includes the "Older Light" of the WTBTS)?" Would you trust a used car salesmen selling you a "Yugo"?

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

5

Help with making a "timeline of beliefs"

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

i would like your help in making a "timeline of beliefs" for jw's... for example, i want to start with:.

"a jw/bs would have believed the following in 1880:.

the last days started in 1799.. jesus's parousia occurred in 1874.. jesus started reigning in 1878.. the end of the harvest will be in 1914.. the end of the gentile times will be in 1914.. the end of the world will be in 1914.. belief in the ransom sacrifice is vital for salvation.. hell is not a bible doctrine.. .

ABibleStudent

Hi ILoveTTATT, Have you read the following webpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_doctrine#Doctrines_unchanged_since_1879?

I use Wikipedia for a quick and dirty search for references to do further research. Don't take anything for granted.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

26

Wife update

by problemaddict in

jw
friends

if you want the short version, scroll down to "short version".. .

so i am at 1200 posts or so (only about 6 were probably of note), and i still havenlt told my story and probably won't for some time.

basically, i was a born in who has served in other countries, as an ms, and given talks etc... my wife and i were in foreign language, have co's we have counted as close family friends, and were basically the golden boy and girl of their respective areas.

ABibleStudent

Congratulations problemaddict

You may have set a record 10 months from "Spiritually Strong" (non-thinking JW) to thinking critically for herself. I hope that you, your wife, and children live free of the WTBTS's influence!

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert