http://www.salon.com/2013/09/10/richard_dawkins_defends_mild_pedophilia_says_it_does_not_cause_lasting_harm/.
All arguments aside...
No one who has been abused in any fashion can possibly know whether it affected them adversely or not. Everything that happens to us makes an imprint on our brain, therefore we can have no idea of who we might have become had the abuse not happened.
if there was a pill you could give to your jw family members that would awaken their eyes to the truth about the cult, would you give it to them?.
most would probably say yes.. but what about those who are completely institutionalized, the elderly, the super zealous, the geeky kids who have no friends, the misfits?.
some people need "boundaries", they need someone to lead and give them directions, they need a sense of belonging, even in an organization that has no social programs.
I have to agree with OTWO. Who among us doesn't regret not knowing TTATT sooner? The less of a lovely life wasted inside a cult, the better. As for the elderly, they will still have each other as friends. And they won't be leaving all their monetary wealth to the borg.
i have some questions about nathan knorr, the third president (1942-1977) of the wtbts.
accurate answers are welcome.. 1) how did it come about that knorr was made president of the wtbts in 1942 after the death of joseph rutherford?
rutherford as we know was an usurper inheritor of russell's wtbts in late 1916 after russell went to his reward.
Bttt
in the last 6 months my family and i have stopped attending cold turkey.
it is incredible to me to see how our so called friends have dropped us like we were a snake covered in spiders.
we actually havent really said anything to anybody about why we stopped.
Skinned, congratulations! Much love to your family. You have a bright future ahead!
these 2 options are before me right now-.
1. write a letter to the elders and my family, not da myself but basically saying i have too much going on in my life and am confused, so that they will stop bothering my wife and stop asking me questions all the time.
after i write the letter continue to go to the hall less and less.... 2. appease my wife.
I agree: NOTHING IN WRITING. It's the same as handing your enemy a box of bullets.
Using scriptures to debate still brings on the "A" label, so if you go that route you must be inordinately calm and not appear to be upset. Just ask her opinion on the discrepancy and see where she takes it.
UNSEEN made-up illnesses are the best. Migraines bring on great sympathy (perhaps triggered by mold in the kh ductwork? someone's perfume?). Irritable bowel or repeated bouts of diarrhea bring instant sympathy. Depression is a hands-off area for the elders so that works if you are not overly cheerful.
Best wishes for your fade/withdrawal journey!
in south africa we have mandela day on the 18th of july - it was his birday and people in sa celebrate it by spending at least 67 minutes helping someone or helping a cause.
this year, my friends and i are helping out a horse sactuary in desperate need of food for their animals.
we are ording in hay, shandy chubes and hay presto.
Great thread!
Wouldn't it be cool if we grouped together to assist others in similar ways? Many good-hearted people are duped into the borg because they truly want to help people. We never lose that inner desire to help others, and it's true that there's no better way to make yourself happy than to help others.
This could actually serve dual purposes:
Associating with other helpful people would also provide an open platform to calmly (no wild "apostate" behavior that would allow gb to finger-point) explain how we love to help people but were not "allowed" to do this type of work when we were under the borg's influence. People need their eyes opened and this would be a nice side-effect, perhaps.
last weekend while i was checking out garage sales, i swear i saw about 10 "pairs" of dubs doing their important work.
they were handing out the pamphlets for the convention.. i've never seen that many in one weekend.
was there some sort of special, motivational request for doing the preaching work last weekend?.
Seems to have been another one of their "special" campaigns to invite everyone to the District Regional Convention.
i have been inactive for going on five years after an accerated fade.
my wife followed shortly after.
we recently went to visit her parents that know that we don't go to the meetings, and it bothers them but they don't know what to do, as they really can't do much.
I like your logic, Problemaddict!
well after an almost 4 year sucessful fade including a move, they found me.
i was not home at the time, but they were asking all sorts of questions about me and my family, who lives where etc.
of course it was one of the busybody families in my former congregation.
Vivere, they only have the power you give them. Try to move out of your jdub persona and think like a free person (I know what it's like to feel the instant panic, believe me). They are just nosy busybodies without the nerve to leave the cult. Try to feel sorry for them rather than fear them, and politely inquire about them and brush off attempts to query you. Take the high road. You have the strength and the smarts to live life as you deserve. Sad they do not.
as a former jehovah's witness, i now sit back and marvel how well i had been suckered into this religion.
and to think that their own worst critic was their own publications.. in 1968 some 43 years had lapsed since their last firm prediction on when armageddon would occur.
they had predicted 1925 would see an end to the worlds suffering and a new world for the true believers, i.e.
Saving this, thanks!
