Posts by emperorslaundrist

23

Innapropriate for young children? Scare tactics?

by The Quiet One in

gods word for us through jeremiah page 128 '..his mother bought a ram and a ewe.

he looked after them, and the ewe produced two lambs a year, so the flock began to grow..."early one morning while i was still in bed," he recalls, "i heard them bleating.

when i finally did, i saw a pack of wild dogs running away from my lambs, which had their bellies ripped open.

emperorslaundrist

Something rang true for me in your post WT Wizard.

Lately I've had a sinking suspicion that Jehovah is something diffrent from what he claims to be. I didn't expect my beliefs in Jehovah to alter, Draw close to Jehovah was my favorite book and just hearing his name gave me the feeling of being in love, a sort of flutter in my chest.

But while I've never been attacked by a demon, even reading books that are big no-nos to JWs -at the moment of my awakening I was getting bizzare coincidences which seemed designed to influence me towards staying a JW. After apostacizing, I started getting strange physical/financial/personal problems, not the stuff I was used to dealing with. And according to JW theology 'Satan' should attack me less not more after 'leaving Jehovah' Then after a part fall out of my well-maintained car while singing to Jehovah. My gut feelings told me to just talk to the 'Father' from now on.

I know there are less fantastical explainations for my experence, jungian psychology for example... still there is a part of me that suspects something paranormal. Thanks for posting.

4

you mean I don't know everything?!!!

by emperorslaundrist in

jw
friends

i was a true blue dyed-in-the-wool starry-eyed believer until six months ago.

i've since been on a reading binge, everything my 'spiritual diet' never allowed before.

bible commentaries, 'apostate' books, occult, evolutionists, taoism, shamanism, philosophy and even my first trashy romance novel .

emperorslaundrist

I was a true blue dyed-in-the-wool starry-eyed believer until six months ago. I've since been on a reading binge, everything my 'spiritual diet' never allowed before. Bible commentaries, 'Apostate' books, Occult, Evolutionists, Taoism, Shamanism, Philosophy and even my first trashy romance novel

Apart from my suprise that I haven't grown fangs or a tail, and that my prayers haven't been listened to any more or any less then before- It's starting to dawn on me how arrogent and ignorant I was/am. I never made worldly friends because I knew they were all going to die and deserved it, I never participated in fun activities because I was above such silly things. I didn't need college, what could it possibly have to teach me? Oh, those silly scholars of christendom, how suprised they are going to be to learn they were all wrong. Also, since the level of research and scholarship among JW's is soooo low I used to be able to do a little 'research' and be regarded as an expert by the adults around me. It's seems like such an obvious thing but now I'm realizing that this doesn't cut it as 'proof' in the 'world'. No wonder my teachers were annoyed by me.

Strangely, now that I am less 'spiritual', people in my kingdom hall like me a whole lot more (in for hubby, proceeding cautiously). People in general like me a whole lot more actually, and for a person with aspergers this is a huge deal. As I'm showing more empathy and acceptance to others It's starting to spread to how I treat myself, and I'm finding lots and lots of emotions I had completly cut off from my awareness.

The keys to my mental prison was knowledge, letting go of specialness, and accepting others. Being a JW we were taught that we knew better then everybody else on earth. No wonder they had to define humility as submitting to the GB- what other type was left?

Thanks for listening

-Emp of the happy-to-be-an-apostate class :)

32

NLP, Subliminal Messages and the WT Writing Department

by 00DAD in

a few years ago i became interested in the subject of neuro-linguistic programming (nlp).

while the core concepts of nlp have been largely discredited as new-age pseudo-science, there is no doubt that there is at least some validity to the idea.

words and images remain the key way we communicate.

emperorslaundrist

I'm not sure if it can be categorized as NLP or subliminals, but I definatly think there was some screwy mind programming going on with the phrase "don't distance yourself from Jehovah."

In that article that phrase and close variations of it appeared about 2 dozen times. For a 19 par. study that's seemed excessive.

To give "distance from Jehovah" the appropriate amount of shock and horror they say in the 1st paragraph that this is the original sin. Therefore, distance from Jehovah=death non-resurrection, pain and suffering to others.

Going to college? It's not wrong but it might 'distance you from Jehovah'

Missed an assembly session? Missed some meetings? Couldn't make time for Aux. pioneering this year? Be careful brother/sister not to be distancing yourself from Jehovah.

Such an innocent sounding phrase- but it tightens the control, ups the paranoia, and makes J-dubs phobic of slacking off. At least I think they hope that it will.

I'm sooo happy to be mentally out :)

7

Not on JW.ORG: Ken Lanning, FBI Profiler "Molesters commonly turn to Religion to rationalize their behaivior". Re: Phillip Garrido story.

by Balaamsass in

sex offender phillip garrido's twisted path often led to godpublished september 12, 2009. ap.

san francisco three decades ago, a convicted kidnapper named phillip garrido stunned a leavenworth prison psychologist by turning down an offer most prisoners would leap to take help with a transfer to a mental health facility.. instead, garrido opted to spend at least three more years doing hard time so he could complete his religious studies.. along his twisted trail of drugs and sexual violence, records and interviews show that garrido invoked god at every turn before he was arrested aug. 26 and accused of kidnapping, raping and imprisoning jaycee dugard for 18 years in his backyard.. photos: missing girl found 18 years later.

again and again, he claimed he had found god.

emperorslaundrist

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this thread and the recent Watchtower article about Manassah and David. In their eyes if you feel reeeeally bad about your sin then you're truly repentant and Jehovah forgives you. Wasn't Ken Lanning repentant? Did Jehovah forgive him?

BS! repentance is more then a feeling, it's trying to make restitution to the victims. It's openly admitting the wrong and not making excuses or demanding forgiveness. It's loving justice more then the self.

I think the Watchtower's warped view on forgiveness gives themselves a free pass. All they have do is feel sorry and pray to Jehovah, instead of the morally right thing to do. Come clean, apologize to the victims, change policy! grrrrrr.
sorry i'm getting foaming-at-the-mouth-a-pasta-itis

35

The final and most important question concerning the Watchtower Corporation ???

by Finkelstein in

the final and most important question ... were the wts.

doctrines specifically created to attract the.

attention to the organization's printed literature and to proliferate that literature to its fullest possible.

emperorslaundrist

I was thinkin' about this yesterday...

Simple and unchanging doctrine doesn't require a publishing company. You need NEW INCREASING LIGHT through Gods ONLY APPROVED CHANNEL to justify using all that paper. Otherwise a religion can make do with a couple of books, word of mouth, maybe a newsletter at the most.

A month or two ago I was reading the watchtower where they placed all the scriptures of the NT having to do with donations next to each other--- It blew my mind that in the 1st century money was collected to help real People!!! There was no organization to collect money for producing monthly parchments, to invest in real-estate, to give them legal representation to the Roman government. It's a heavy load to have to support the Watchtower Society.

47

New "Jehovah's Friend" video - Lesson 3: Pray Anytime

by cedars in

here it is folks.... http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/pray-anytime/.

sophia takes center stage on this one.. .

cedars.

emperorslaundrist

eek! the scene where she is alone on the bus hit me in my gut

Jehovah's Witness+Aspergers+hostle/dead family members=no human contact

Jehovah and the family cat were the only one's I talked to- then the cat got ran over.

but hey, at least I could pray!

sorry went to a dark place for a sec

1

KM Bible Readings

by emperorslaundrist in

jw
friends

back in 2009 jws started a new bible reading cycle with genesis.

i remember being really excited about the new schedule because with only 3-4 chapters a week we would really be able to dig deep into the scriptures.

i remember i couldn't wait until we got to my favorite parts of the bible- prov, ecc, psalms, jesus etc.. well, now with 2013 this bible reading cycle is concluding... and it was so disappointing.... .

emperorslaundrist

Back in 2009 JWs started a new bible reading cycle with Genesis. I remember being really excited about the new schedule because with only 3-4 chapters a week we would really be able to dig deep into the scriptures. I remember I couldn't wait until we got to my favorite parts of the bible- Prov, Ecc, Psalms, Jesus etc.

Well, now with 2013 this bible reading cycle is concluding... and it was so disappointing...

(numbers are the number of chapters studied each week)
2008
Gene 5

2009
Gene 5, 6, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4
Exod 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3,
Levi 5, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3,
Numb 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 4, 4, 3, 4,
Deut 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 4, 5, 4, 3,
Josh 5, 3, 3, 4, 5

2010
Josh 4,
Judg 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3,
Ruth 4,
1Sam 4, 5, 4, 2, 3, 4, 3, 6
2Sam 3, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3,
1Kin 2, 4, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2
2Kin 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3,
1Chr 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 4,
2Chr 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4

2011
2Chr 4, 3,
Ezra 5, 5
Nehe 4, 4, 3, 2
Esth 5, 5
Job 5, 5, 5, 5, 7, 5, 5,
Psal 10, 8, 7, 8, 4, 7, 7, 8, 9, 5, 5, 8, 5, 10, 4, 4, 9, 1(119) 15, 7, 9,
Prov 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Ecc 6, 6
SoS 8,
Isai 5, 5, 6, 7,

2012
Isai 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4
Jere 4, 3, 4, 5, 5, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 2
Lame 2, 3
Ezke 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3
Dani 3, 3, 3, 3
Hose 7, 7
Joel 3
Amos 9
Ob/J 5
Mica 7
Na/H 4
Ze/H 3
Zech 8,6
Mala 4

2013
Matt 6, 5, 4, 6, 4, 3,
Mark 4, 4, 4, 4
Luke 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 4, 3
John 4, 3, 4, 5, 5
Acts 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3
Roma 4, 4, 4, 4
1Cor 9, 7,
2Cor 7, 6
Gala 6
Ephe 6
P/CO 8
1/2T 8
1/2T 10
Ti/P 4
Hebr 8, 5
Jame 5
1/2P 8
123Jo and Jude 8
Rev 6
Rev 8
Rev 8

We went painstakingly slow through Moses, David, and the Kings, picked up the pace at Esther and Job. Flew through Psalms and Song of Solomon (no lingering over poetry /sigh ). Plowed through Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (the closest we ever get to philosophy /cry), went back to a medium pace through the prophets only to finish off the New Testament at lightening speed...

Why does the gospel of Matthew get the shaft this time around? Why give Acts a more careful reading then Jesus? Why give the list of names in Chronicles such a careful reading?

I've no Idea why they decided to use the schedule they did, but maybe it gives a clue to which parts of the bible the WTS feels are most important Most of the witnesses I know who read the bible only follow along with the weekly bible reading, and they're more likely to do 'research' when the number of chapters to be read is small.

Anyways, hope you found this interesting. I like what others posters here have said, they manage to suck the life out of everything :(

57

Anyone with Happy Memories from being a JW born in, please post here....

by SkyGreen in

first up, happy new year .

hi everyone, ok i guess this is controversial, but im doing it as therapy for me - so im not bitter about the way i was raised.

plus i want to see if i can be the op of an "epic thread"!!.

emperorslaundrist

-goody night :)

-bookstudies with fireplaces

-reading the bible for the first time

-the awe of believing there was a divine intelligence behind creation

-meeting my husband

26

On the Eve of 2013, Predictions

by breakfast of champions in

jw
friends

not predictions for 2013 per se, but a couple i could see happening in the not-too-distant future:.

the society takes the hundred year anniversary of 1914 head-on with more spin and disinformation.

already laid the groundwork with the "100 years ago" feature in the new yearbook.

emperorslaundrist

my 10 predictions :)

1. Quarter machines installed on all bathroom doors

2. more foreign language groups with smaller territories

3. tracts counted as 'placements'

4. pioneers become able to count the time they spend helping elderly witnesses

5. Young People Ask 'Should I Cosplay?' NO!

6. emphasis shifted from growth in the end-times to the 'remnant' of loyal ones who don't betray their brothers or leave

7. Nu lite on the ransom

8. ditching the 5 minute talks for sisters, gets replaced by more short demos

9. tithing, small at first to test the waters

10. 'kingdom halls' are heretofore to be known as 'temples'... oops that one's taken

happy new year

32

Why are Regular Pioneers Increasing?

by Gayle in

jw
friends

we know the "bar" for pubs.

was lowered, 15 min/month pubs are counted.

increases in pubs are decreasing annually, 1.9% worldwide, .9% u.s. .

emperorslaundrist

a few years ago i bought 2 books on emergency medical procedures for 3rd world countries and started putting together a basic emergency supply kit. I wasn't obsessed, I just put a few things by every month.

when other people found out they told me i wasn't putting enough faith in Jehovah. It confused me because the wts had just put out a recommendation that we follow FEMA emergency guidelines, and we are only promised survival as a group not individually. I guess my lack of faith was in that I wanted to live instead of being resurrected.

reading apostate literature has been the first time my religion hasn't confused the hell out of me.

Pioneering DOES prepare JWs for the Apocalypse though WTWizard- we've got the zombie shuffle and brain eating down to a science :P