John Aquila

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Posts by John Aquila

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  10

  Please, share your abuse story.

  by Aprostate Exam in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  greetings to all, i am new to this site and am enjoying the topics.

  briefly, my family suffered my older/deceased brother's molestation when he was 13, in the congregation.

  to this day, my mother still defends the elders that dealt with this situation.

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  John Aquila

  Thanks for sharing bro, The pain never seems to go, hang in there.
  
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  71

  What went through your mind when you saw this Picture?

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

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  John Aquila

  NewYork44M

  I saw the picture and a few of the posts. Where on earth did this picture come from? I do not remember this from any of my JW memories. Is this new, what is the context? I am confused, and slightly disturbed.

  This was the time when they came up with the book of Revelation I believe in the 80s. It was a big deal back then. Then we studied the book for about 4 or 5 times. It depicts the situation after the 1000 years reign of JC when many will not like the situation of a paradise earth and rebel.
  
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  14

  Education is 'HARD', first test after 27 years

  by The Marvster in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well, in an effort to completely rebel against all things 'watchtower', i decided that since i gave all my years since leaving school to the borg, and listened to their admonition to avoid 'higher education' i have just started... right from bottom.... today i took a 2 hour maths test to see if i would be eligible to go on a course to re-take my gcse maths exam (this is the qualification you study for here in england in the last 2 years of compulsory schooling from ages 14-16).

  back in may 1988 i did no revision, and didn't study hence a complete flop of all exams.... and seeing that 'education' wasn't on the agenda back then, and has always been warned against, (unless it was perhaps trade oriented) it was wiped from my mind... yep a jw mind-wipe occurred here, i've decided to go back to school, just for the challenge of it, f**k the org, i might have wasted decades swallowing their philosophy, but i don't have to let that past control me now... the test was 'really' hard going... and i don't think i passed, but can still get on a more basic course to start me off if i don't get on the main course.... the tutors were so warm and enthusiastic about me taking up the study at aged 43, it was so nice to hear someone get excited that i'm going to study (never in 29 years with the borg) .

  i've also learned something else; jw's talk about the 'highest education' that the watchtower supposedly teaches... bullshit, that 'call and response' crap that you do in watchtower study and other meetings, that parroting, has got to be the lowest form of education there is, you don't use your brain, you don't have to analyse or think or deduce or calculate, or use savvy... it's just call and response, and nothing more, pure repetition, answer what's in the paragraph.

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  John Aquila

  Congratulations, I went back to school at age 40. Had to take remedial classes in basic math and writing I had no idea how to work with fractions, percentages, etc. I was going for engineering so you can imagine how I felt when I was taking tests in calculus. Switch majors to business and it took me ten years to get my degree at age 50. Went back to get a second degree in science and need about 3 classes to get a second degree. You can imagine how I felt as a 40 year old man going to classes with 18 year old kids.

  Your right, the education the WT gives is about 3rd grade level. That's why they can’t figure out 607 vs 587.
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  9

  I talked to an elderly lady, but she is not a Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was coming out of sams club and i bumped into an elderly lady, probably late 70s early 80s.

  (i wasnt about to ask a lady what her age is.

  ) one of the workers was pushing a cart full of rib-eye steaks.

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  John Aquila

  umbertoecho

  You sound like a very friendly person who could talk to anyone.

  You know the great thing about waking up, is being able to talk to people without having to cram any WT doctrine down their throats. People for the most part are friendly and will talk to you for hours, as long as you don't try to cram religion down their throats
  
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  9

  I talked to an elderly lady, but she is not a Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was coming out of sams club and i bumped into an elderly lady, probably late 70s early 80s.

  (i wasnt about to ask a lady what her age is.

  ) one of the workers was pushing a cart full of rib-eye steaks.

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  John Aquila

  I was coming out of Sam’s Club and I bumped into an elderly lady, probably late 70s early 80s.

  (I wasn’t about to ask a lady what her age is.) One of the workers was pushing a cart full of rib-eye steaks. She must have had about 40 steaks. That’s a lot of $$$$. I walked with her to the car and WTF---she’s driving a Lexus IS 350 F SPORT. Aren’t grandmas supposed to be driving some type of 4 door Grey-Buick Sedan?

  As it turns out she bought her grand-kid this car. We started taking and she tells me she lives in Florida, has another home in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County and one of her great grand Kids or grandkid, don’t remember what she said, lives in my area, so she came to visit him.

  She starts asking me questions and the subject of my divorce, the JWs, the WT, Apostate, blah, blah, blah comes up.

  She says, “I know those people, they’re the ones that go door to door saying the world is going to end, right?” I say, “Yep”

  She says; “You know, I lost one of my best friends in school to those people. We both had plans to go to school and be somebody. Back then it wasn’t easy for girls to go to a University, but we were rebels. Then she got involved with those people and she didn’t want to do anything anymore. She even gave up birthdays and Christmas, can you imagine that.

  She continues; "So when I got married the first time at 18 and then divorced before 20, she convinced me to go to her church because according to her; “All the Good Men” were there. So I went to check it out, and all the boys I met in her church, were kind of weird. None of them had any ambition to be someone in the world and make a difference. They just wanted to go preaching and do odd part time jobs. So I told my friend, NO WAY. I tried to convince her to come with me and attend school and see if we could become nurses, perhaps even doctors, what the hell. But she decline. She was seeing some young fellow in her church.

  The next time I saw her was about 10 years later. I had married again to a young boy who always wanted to be a surgeon and he's dream was starting to pan out. I already had a couple of kids. She on the other hand, had married that fellow, had 3 kids and gotten divorced.

  She still tried to encourage me to go back to her church and she wanted to study the Bible with me. I said NO WAY. So we left it at that and didn’t see each other for about another 20 years. This time someone knocked at my door and when I opened the door, it was her and her new husband. They were soliciting landscape services. I invited them in but only she stayed and her husband took off. You could tell she had- had a hard life. She was probably in her 50s by now.

  Would you believe she still invited me to her church, and she still wanted to study the Bible with me? I asked her, “Sweetie, do you realize your life is almost over and you still believe the end of the world is coming? She looked at me with these hypnotic eyes and said, “I have faith the end is coming in my lifetime.”

  I knew then she was in a cult.

  This nice elderly lady told me her husband had passed away 10 years ago. He was a surgeon, made lots of money, and was a good investor. She said he left her with so much money, that she could live her life over about 5 times and not have to worry about a thing. She said she is leaving it all to her kids and grand-kids and great grand-kids. She said she had lived a very good life, had a great loving husband, great kids that have great careers, and great grand-kids with good futures ahead of them.

  I was thinking, what a difference your life will be if you NEVER LET THE WATCHTOWER INTO YOUR LIFE.

  It makes all the difference not only for yourself, but for your spouse, for your children, for your grand-kids, and even your great grand-kids.
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  54

  August Study WT "Prepare Now to be a Good Little Drone in the New Order"

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i thought paradise was supposed to be a delight?

  not according to the august study wt, on page 20 paragraphs 4-12 it outlines how much paradise will be exactly like being in the org today.

  still following rules, waiting on jehovah and obeying those taking the lead.

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  John Aquila

  according to the August study WT, on page 20 paragraphs 4-12 it outlines how much Paradise will be exactly like being in the org today.

  
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  48

  The elderly sisters are at it again.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  awhile back, about a year and a half ago, when i was starting to wake up, i explained to my mom that when the circuit overseer is in town, they schedule shepherding calls after lunch, not because they care, but because they dont want to work door to door in the hot summer or cold winter.

  and they know that a prepared call means some nice hot chocolate and cookies or some ice cold tea and snacks.

  i remember her looking at me kind of funny so i ended the conversation and left it at that, and never brought it up again.

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  John Aquila

  Magnum

  Even though this is anecdotal, it helps. The more anecdotes I hear, the more I can generalize and get a grip on the bigger picture.

  The things that are happening in the org. today I would never have imagine happening just 3 years ago. Loyalty to the Org. is disappearing right before our eyes. Sometimes its hard to believe but it's happening.
  
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  48

  The elderly sisters are at it again.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  awhile back, about a year and a half ago, when i was starting to wake up, i explained to my mom that when the circuit overseer is in town, they schedule shepherding calls after lunch, not because they care, but because they dont want to work door to door in the hot summer or cold winter.

  and they know that a prepared call means some nice hot chocolate and cookies or some ice cold tea and snacks.

  i remember her looking at me kind of funny so i ended the conversation and left it at that, and never brought it up again.

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  John Aquila

  clarity

  when I was much younger & good looking the circuit servant (co) was at our hall, sitting with an (head honcho) elder. I was sitting to the side of them & up a row. Every time I looked in that direction, they were staring at me.

  Sorry you had to go through that. Did you ever see the movie "Me Myself and Irene" I think that's what that CO did with pictures of young sisters that committed fornication.

  
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  48

  The elderly sisters are at it again.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  awhile back, about a year and a half ago, when i was starting to wake up, i explained to my mom that when the circuit overseer is in town, they schedule shepherding calls after lunch, not because they care, but because they dont want to work door to door in the hot summer or cold winter.

  and they know that a prepared call means some nice hot chocolate and cookies or some ice cold tea and snacks.

  i remember her looking at me kind of funny so i ended the conversation and left it at that, and never brought it up again.

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  John Aquila

  Crazyguy That's so true. Every time I visited some of these sisters with the CO, he never shared a scripture with her. The poor sister would just cater to his needs. Filling his drink, getting him more cookies, etc.

  Never realized this till now.
  
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  48

  The elderly sisters are at it again.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  awhile back, about a year and a half ago, when i was starting to wake up, i explained to my mom that when the circuit overseer is in town, they schedule shepherding calls after lunch, not because they care, but because they dont want to work door to door in the hot summer or cold winter.

  and they know that a prepared call means some nice hot chocolate and cookies or some ice cold tea and snacks.

  i remember her looking at me kind of funny so i ended the conversation and left it at that, and never brought it up again.

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  John Aquila

  LongHairGal

  Regarding elderly giving money and property to any religion, I cannot help but wonder if these elderly women had a non-JW husband who worked for 40 years to provide them with a pension. I doubt they earned this money themselves. Easy come, easy go.

  As somebody who worked full-time, I can say I would never do this.

  You know, that is exactly right. In my case, my marriage was going on 30 years, my ex-wife who left because she felt I had turned into an apostate started giving away our savings to the WT while going through the divorce. She must off worked about 3 years out of 26. She pioneered the rest of the time. I supported her. It was tough seeing my savings go from about 1,000.000 to 900,000, then 800,000, then 700,000, then 600,000. When it was all over I was left with about 80,000.

  She is still pioneering and will turn 60 in about 5 years. She had no concept of how hard and how long it takes to save a million dollars. Because all she’s done all her life is pioneer.

  One of her family members told her to trust in Jehovah because he will provide her with a wealthy good-looking Spiritual Brother.