i need a vent guys, i hope you all don't mind!
i'm not sure what has happened to me today of all days, but i just can't fight back the tears.
i guess it must be the pretence fatigue kicking in.
Matty,
Vent away my friend. I wasn't in your spot. I just melted away until I was just a rumor. It sounds to me like you are carrying quite a burden - the burden of the conditional love foisted on the fatihful to use as a weapon against you. I am sorry to say that I don't think it'll change. I'ld be willing to bet that if you could think of a way to bring your family out with you, you would've done so by now.
Follow your heart. I am certain it'll take you in a wonderful direction.
hit my posting limit and am using my second account..... i don't know if anyone can help or not.. but i am in a desprate situation whereas i have to swallow my pride and seek out some help.. i am behind rent as well as my morgage ( i own a moble home on a lot rent).. need food as well.. phone needs to stay in service since i am deaf and need it as part my text communication for hopes of landing a better job.
sister can email me to let me know if a employer calls, so i can drive over and find out what's up from there.. i work at wal-mart and alot of us have our hours cut to 20+ hrs a week, so this is hurting me fianacially.. job hunts is hard since i am deaf since most employers seems to prefer hiring a hearing person.. i know of a deaf friend who is unemployed and he went thru 20 job interviews in a month.
none of them ever called or emailed him to say he got a job.. family can't help since they all have their own problems to deal with.. i can post all the info you need if anyone needs it, such as my landlord's address and my morgage address if anyone wants to mail a check directly to them.
Folks, I need to agree with Skeptic. I read the other threads started by this person's primary ID. There are two others from today and they have a completely different tone - and no hint of the trouble that seems to have suddenly burst onto Yiz' scene.
I don't believe a word and hope that the well-intended can find more worthy targets of their care.
do you know of former jw who were able to just leave the 'truth' and not being severely effected by that move?
are there any former jw who had no troubles after leaving?
Leaving was simple for me. There was no trauma. I simply stopped going. I still don't know if I am DFed, DAed, or what. But it helped that the rest of my family (mother and sisters and their husbands) was slipping away at about the same time. Yeah I left a few friends behind. But that was nothing more difficult than, say, moving to a new city.
i recommend to you phoe'be our sister, who is a minister of the congregation that is in cen'chreae.
romans 16:1 .
i thought it was only men who are ministers?
aChristian,
Well ask and I shall receive, I say. That is exactly what I was looking for. I was riveted as I read your piece on Paul's attitudes toward women. I had never read anywhere in the couple books I've read on Paul such an idea as that he was quoting false teachings, and not promoting them.
Tomorrow or Saturday, I'm gonna take a closer look and look up the passages you cited as I read thru.
Thanks again and nice work.
- Cliff
i've been visiting this site for about 6 months but haven't had the courage to post anything.
well here goes...... i was born and raised a jw.
although i never really enjoyed anything about the religion, i trudged along because i was afraind of losing my family, and of course afraid of being destroyed in armageddon.
Welcome.
I think you'll be impressed by the people here, especially those that have been in the exact same position.
i have never been on a forum before.
i was very happy to find this one while i was doing my research finding out the truth about the religion & just trying to heal from such a damaging religion.
i was raised in it from birth by a devout witness mother.
Welcome - this is quite an interesting group.
do you believe that the gb members, and the wt writers are consciously aware of their dishonesty and deceit?
i really can't imagine, after reading so many of their articles and books, that the manipulation is by chance.
it's one thing to really believe what you are writing will help people and try to maintain authority when doing so, but i've found too many examples of outright verbal abuse.
Gig,
I am certain that they are absolutly aware of the lies and deception they are foisting on the faithful. They are not just some set of equally self-deceived old fools acting in good will. Let me tell you how I came to thise conclusion.
I've been away from the WTS for some time now. When I decided a couple years ago to surf the web for J-dub stuff, I went looking for 1975 in particular. I was amazed at how easily they had sidestepped the issue for the next generation. They simply claimed that they had never foretold 1975, and that it was the fault of the overzealous faithful that took some statements out of context and 'ran with it' as it were. The GB, particularly Freddie Franz, stated that they had never said that Armageddon was going to arrive in 1975 - simple denial.
Well, I continued to surf and found plenty of stuff referring to 1975 in the pre-1975 literature. I found stuff in various sites throughout web - old watchtowers, Governing Body speech transcripts, and books right up to the early 70s. You wanna know something? If you approach the references from a strictly did-they-ever-say-'Armageddon in 1975' view, you will notice how close they get to that statement, but never actually make that statement. The faithful was clearly expected to infer 'Armageddon in 1975', but the GB maintained 'palsuable deniability.'
My point: No way could they have skirted so close to that line, so often, without knowing they were doing it. Bastards.
i just found this from
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1874.htm
i knew there was piramideology involved in their early hocus-pocus but it seems they could not even keep that lie a consistent one!!!
Sunshine,
No they don't believe in it any more.
But as recently as 1925, Rutherford claimed that the pyramid was in such harmony with God's word that it was obvious to all that Jehovah was the architect of the Great Pyramid. As recently as the mid-30's, thye still believed that God resided in a particular constellation - because the pyramid's top pointed to it. Furthermore, Satan (who lived in the constellation pointed to by the opening of the pyramid) was responsible for all the other pyramids - he was trying to confuse true followers.
Between 1925 and 1928, an absolute reversal happened. Rutherford declared that the great pyramid was not God's work. In fact it was the greatest and subtlest deception planned and executed by none other than Satan himself.
That was quite an abrupt turn-around for a belief that had stuck for 40 years.
i recommend to you phoe'be our sister, who is a minister of the congregation that is in cen'chreae.
romans 16:1 .
i thought it was only men who are ministers?
Joe,
Let me chime in and agree with Craig that your thoughts have been well-presented. But I am purposely staying out of sripture volleyball (though I know this is the 'Bible Research' topic). My point is that I have seen morons lead a group that included better educated, more intelligent, more caring, potential female leaders. I cannot get my mind around the thought that Christ intended to squander such assets.
i have a younger sister i've recently gotten to know as an adult (she's 10 years my junior).
i know that she was raised as a witness however i'm not real clear on the practices/beliefs.
i do know that she is currently living through a lot of turmoil.
The shunning (disfellowshipping for those on the inside) is a major component of the control the JWs have over the rank and file. When they are shunning someone, whether someone that has left or whether it is someone that is trying earnestly to get back in, they think they are accomplishing one or both of two things: they are teaching the offender to straighten out, and they are keeping the congregation clean.
This practice has the devastating effect of teaching JWs 'conditional' love. Yes, even a mother can can be unfluenced to shun here own daughter, a grandmother can be influenced to act as though her children and grandchildren do not even exist - and this can go on indefinitely. Its disgusting and it happens in every congregation every day.
This site has a search feature. Use it and read about how this cult splits families in order to control adherents. Please let us know your reactions.
And welcome 4.
