This is for you steve2...Mr. Reeder was a contributor to this site at one time; that is, before he took his own life as a result of being shunned by his family. One "death by disfellowshipping" is one too many in my book...
Penelope1
JoinedPosts by Penelope1
-
30
Should I send this letter to my non-JW cousin who refuses to listen to ANY criticism of our JW relatives?
by nicolaou insome background here; non-jw family members who are overly respectful and protective of the jw's.. i thought i might try a completely different tactic.
what are your views on my letter below?
i thought i'd let it sit with her for a couple of weeks or more before following it up .
-
-
-
30
Should I send this letter to my non-JW cousin who refuses to listen to ANY criticism of our JW relatives?
by nicolaou insome background here; non-jw family members who are overly respectful and protective of the jw's.. i thought i might try a completely different tactic.
what are your views on my letter below?
i thought i'd let it sit with her for a couple of weeks or more before following it up .
-
-
Penelope1
Dear Steve2,
I'm a bit put off that you have accused me of fear-mongering. Can you be more specific about that please? Is it not true that "God's organization on earth" is leaving behind a trail of tears, a trail of broken families, broken lives(including many children who have been sexually abused) mental and emotional problems, suicides, etc.? I was a jw for nearly twenty years so i speak from experience my friend. But hey, don't take my word for it; research these things yourself.
To imply that i should be more "soft" in communicating these matters is far worse than the fear-mongering you accuse me of; in fact, considering the reality of what is taking place within the Org., I find it shameful.
I will not stop speaking the TRUTH (very differerent from fear-mongering) until: 1. there are no more human fatalities at the hands of the Watchtower Org 2. child abuse policies change in favor of the children, not the pedophiles 3. WT Disfellowing policies are no longer used a weapon 4. the flat-out lies and propaganda are silenced.
Lastly, and maybe you missed this part--i did not tell the gentleman what to put in his letter; rather, i stated that i felt he should send it and gave my reasons why. Ephesians 4:25a
Sincerely,
Penelope1
-
40
Subtle wording in today's study article (3/15/13 WT)
by leaving_quietly inw13 3/15 p. 28 par.
"first, we must proclaim that name to others, recognizing that only those who 'call on the name of jehovah will be saved.
' (rom.
-
-
Penelope1
Hi Heathen (lol)....In response to your post (6/2), which was a response to my post about "the great mountain" that gets hurled into the sea (Rev. 8:8; compare Jeremiah 51:25,26), that is definitely not what the Org. believes about itself! Check your Revelation Climax book if you still have one (pages 135-136, paragraphs 24-26).
The Org. states that this great, burning mountain represents the worldly governments that "make waves in the sea of mankind"; however, i believe it's the Organization itself--a counterfeit that claims to be the "visible part of God's Mountain-like organization". It is not only a fraud that "seems" or "appears" to be a genuine part of God's symbolic mountain (Isaiah 2:1-4), it is a foe and enemy because it acts as a decoy to attract and decieve the chosen ones (Matt. 24:24; 7: 13,14). Those that fall for it wind up commiting spirtual idolatry, i.e, "defiling themselves with women" (Rev. 14:4) by giving exclusive devotion to the Org., not Jah; they lose their crowns as a result (Revelation 3:11).
-
30
Should I send this letter to my non-JW cousin who refuses to listen to ANY criticism of our JW relatives?
by nicolaou insome background here; non-jw family members who are overly respectful and protective of the jw's.. i thought i might try a completely different tactic.
what are your views on my letter below?
i thought i'd let it sit with her for a couple of weeks or more before following it up .
-
-
Penelope1
The WT Org. is a very dangerous cult that is killing in the name of God. Of course, they don't need physical weapons to do that -- their disfellowshipping policies alone are often as effective as the electric chair.
For this reason, I believe I have a social responsibility to warn as many as possible about what goes on inside the Organization. Complacency is simply not an option when so many lives, families, are at stake. Like many others who contribute to this site, they put me through hell, and I don't want one person more to have to suffer as I did. Thankfully, I got out of that hostage situation without the loss of any family members (I was the only JW), but many do not, and this has often led to tragic consequences. I realize I am not going to change the world by warning others, but if I can help even one person avoid potential death by disfellowshipping, I will be accomplishing something noble and worthwhile.
With that in mind, should you send your letter? By all means, as far as I'm concerned! However, I do agree with some of the others that a different strategy is needed because a defensive response is likely if you send it as is. Do you know of anyone that can help you revise it so that a light bulb goes on (hopefully) rather than her thinking faculties switching off? Either way, PLEASE don't rush it. Carefully think about the things that matter most to your cousin then use this information to develop an approach that will have the greatest chance of success in reaching her.
You are to be commended for caring enough to do something about what you know is terribly wrong. In the end, whether you reach your cousin or not, at least you did your part to sound the warning about the many social injustices that are being committed by the WT Org. on a daily basis.
-
40
Subtle wording in today's study article (3/15/13 WT)
by leaving_quietly inw13 3/15 p. 28 par.
"first, we must proclaim that name to others, recognizing that only those who 'call on the name of jehovah will be saved.
' (rom.
-
-
Penelope1
Good point, leaving quietly! The Organization thinks it has a monopoly on salvation but that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, some believe, including myself, that the WT org. is the "great mountain" that gets hurled into the sea (Revelation 8:8; Jeremiah 51:25, 26).
-
11
JW,s contribution to the human race, zip, nothing, not anything.
by jam ini was thinking about this at a close friend memorial.
service the other day.
i was thinking, my 66 years here.
-
-
Penelope1
Hello Jam! In my book, to love and inspire others is the greatest gift one can impart in this life. Afterall, the political issues in South Africa are not the real sources of human suffering in the world; its all the hate, greed, narcissism, stupidity, intolerance, etc. that make life seem like a scene from Water World at times. And the really cool thing is, you don't need a Bachelor's degree to help your fellow man, nor a PHD to inspire a child in some way --big or small. In fact, there are plenty of men and women who have made their marks on the world in various ways, yet had little to no formal education to speak of. Take Fredrick Douglass for example. He was not an educated man- not formally educated at least- and yet he improved the lives of many with little more than a passion to alleviate human suffering. And although he's been dead for over 100 years now, his positive influence lives on. Over the last five years of my life, I have been to Hell and back and yet through it all, hung in there and pressed forward because of something he once said:"Without struggle, there is no progress". Imagine that! Six basic words inspired me to not give up, to not throw in the towel. One brief sentence reminded me daily that accomplishing my goals requires hard work and strong determination. So as you can see, qualities such as love and compassion can go a LONG way, and truly inspire and help others. Teaching a valuable skill, making someone laugh til their face hurts :-), helping a depressed soul feel valued, needed and wanted, and reading a book with a little kid are all small ways that you too can make a mark on the world. Sure, college degrees are useful but they really don't mean a whole lot beyond a bigger paycheck. As time wears on, your friend will be remembered, not for his PhD and research fellowship at USC, but rather, for his "passion for the greater good" and for his accomplishments in behalf of his fellowman. (who wants to remembered for a damn college degree anyway?? Not me...lol)
You seem like a thoughtful, caring person so I think you have a lot more going for you than you give yourself credit for! Please hang in there Jam and try to start looking ahead and stop looking back because even though, like me, you are no longer a JW, we still have a great future that awaits us! Take care my friend
-
24
Watchtower tricks and deceptions
by slimboyfat inone of the first things that shocked me when learning the truth about the truth was how the organisation uses tricks and deception to fool their own membership.
i guess we all have our own favourite examples, like the quotes in the publications that make outside sources look like they oppose the trinity/support the nwt/disprove evolution, when in context the intent of the original source is quite different.
or the grossly exaggerated experiences delivered at conventions: if we happen to know the person or were present at the events described we know it's often garbage what they say on stage, more closely resembling a desired script emanating from headquarters than anything that actually happened to real witnesses in the circuit or district.
-
-
Penelope1
The Watchtower Organization is a highly effective propaganda machine as far as I'm concerned. I used to get so aggravated during the meetings that i often felt the urge to stick my fingers in my ears and go la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.... In fact, i got soooo ticked off during one Watchtower study, i got up and left right in the middle of paragraph 12. When I had finally had it up to my hairline, I left for good.
The Org. is not above using questionable and outdated statistics--sometimes several years old, and other information that they realize is no longer accurate (considered unethical). And as mentioned in an earlier post, they have been caught quoting out of context as well (considered highly unethical). But what's far worse is the liberties they take with the bible. Over and over again they twist verses to shade their true meaning; they include certain scriptures and omit others in their articles and public talks in order to tweak them to their liking, not God's; and they flat out lie to gain and maintain support for their erroneous dogmas, policies and procedures.
What's the ultimate objective behind all this deception? In a nutshell, it's to promote the ideologies of eight men (i,e, Gov. Body) and recruit and hold hostage as many idolators as possible--sorry suckers who are dupped into worshipping the GB, not Jah.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sort of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie...God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will all beleive the lie..." 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 11
-
53
Why elders' wives are such gossipers...
by Calebs Airplane ini have a theory as to why elders' wives gossip so much.
i believe a big part of it has to do with the conversation running dry (between themselves and their elder husbands) after so many years of marriage.
since they don't get to spend too much "quality time" together (because of the elder husband's hamster wheel schedule), when they do have some intimate time alone, the elder's wives will invaribly attempt to engage their husbands in any kind of interchange.
-
-
Penelope1
Hi Quendi...My old hall was really clique-y because of all the nepotism and cronyism--it was sickening! When i mentioned the JW hierarchy in my previous post, this is what i had in mind. Elders and their wives always seemed to be at the top followed by reg. pioneers. but then their were others who recieved a higher placement simply because they were friends of individuals in one or both of these groups. Those who were known for having relatives and/or several generations of JW's in their family tree recieved a better ranking as well; like the other groups mentioned, they could push the envelope with impunity so long as they did a decent job of keeping up appearances. Married couples faired better too, generally speaking.
As someone mentioned previously, a certain amount of this is to be expected in any similiar type of religious organization --say, 7th day adventists, LDS (mormons), Lutherans, etc. The real problem is, those on the outside are told that JW congregations are "spiritual paradises" where newly baptized ones will inherit "houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields...". And by all APPEARANCES, this seems to be the case. The reality however couldn't be further from the truth, especially for those who do not fit neatly into one of the higher levels of the JW hierarchy. In the nearly two decades that i was an active witness, I never felt so alone, distrustful of the people around me (thanks to the rampant gossip and backstabbing) and unsafe. And mind you, i was never counseled, disfellowshipped nor publically reproved. To the contrary, i was known as a serious student of the bible and good with the public when out in service. It was a living hell, a nightmare-- and not just because of the social issues mentioned in this post, this forum. Needless to say, the best day of my life was when i finally decided to walk away.
-
53
Why elders' wives are such gossipers...
by Calebs Airplane ini have a theory as to why elders' wives gossip so much.
i believe a big part of it has to do with the conversation running dry (between themselves and their elder husbands) after so many years of marriage.
since they don't get to spend too much "quality time" together (because of the elder husband's hamster wheel schedule), when they do have some intimate time alone, the elder's wives will invaribly attempt to engage their husbands in any kind of interchange.
-
-
Penelope1
I was a JW for nearly two decades and i have to disagree with the idea that "most" sisters gossip only if their elder hubbies gossip first. Now I'm not saying that elders don't gossip of course, but in my experience, the sisters were typically the ones setting fire to the great woodland with their unruly, injurious "thing"(s). the worst offenders seemed to be the middle-aged pioneer alpha-females (you know the type) AKA "menopausal mean girls" in my book. They really stirred the turds with their politicallly motivated bad-mouthing and often passed this talent on to their young daughters.
-
53
Why elders' wives are such gossipers...
by Calebs Airplane ini have a theory as to why elders' wives gossip so much.
i believe a big part of it has to do with the conversation running dry (between themselves and their elder husbands) after so many years of marriage.
since they don't get to spend too much "quality time" together (because of the elder husband's hamster wheel schedule), when they do have some intimate time alone, the elder's wives will invaribly attempt to engage their husbands in any kind of interchange.
-
-
Penelope1
In my congregation, the gossip mill was turned by the large group of mostly self-righteous pioneers (sisters primarily including some of the elder's wives) who went out in service several days a week, week after week. I was often one of their targets because my "worldly" husband and i were viewed as materialistic ("she works but doesn't have to"). When i decided to go back to college after losing our business and splitting from my husband, the rumor mill kicked into high gear; i was then shunned and/or treated like a low-life by many in the hall because i was seen as an even bigger heathen than before. But I wasn't the only one of course. Depending on where each individual was situated within the congregation hierarchy, he/she was either left alone or viewed as potential fodder by the loose-lipped ladies who took it upon themselves to sit in the judgement seat of God. Once i decided to leave (for many reasons besides the rampant back-stabbing), it got even worse of course. But the gossip served a positive purpose at that point because it helped to reinforce the idea that i was making the right decision.