Absolutely....
Idolization of 8 men... Money sent to them, money spent on them, and every word spoken by them is quoted, analyzed and revered.
we couldn't celebrate birthdays because that was self-idolatry.
young boys couldn't have posters of sports stars because that was idolatry.
young girls couldn't have posters of their favorite rock band, same reason.. however, as "pioneers" we were told to memorize the names of the governing body members and the names of the wts presidents.
Absolutely....
Idolization of 8 men... Money sent to them, money spent on them, and every word spoken by them is quoted, analyzed and revered.
i just caught this in an upcoming study article which will be "studied" in the congregations the week of 11/18-24/13:.
he and his wife were elated when their eldest daughter, age ten, told them that she loved her parents, loved the brothers and sisters, and loved jehovah very much.
she said that she wanted to dedicate her life to jehovah and get baptized.
The brutal irony here in JW-land, is that the minor cannot change their mind and yet the WTBTS can capriciously change their policies, doctrines, teaching,--hell: they can change whatever they want with absolutely no repercussions.......
But once again, in JW-land, the rules of commons-sense and fair-play are completely ignored in favor of the WTBTS. It's a promise for a promise: I keep mine, you must keep yours; you break yours, I do not have to keep mine......
No matter what happens, you are bound forever by the terms of that agreement and the WTBTS never, ever has to do anything or keep any of their promises....
This is what burns in my soul... and it is hard to articulate, but you did a great job Oubliette! (I will save this in a Word document.)
I was thinking about how much money they spend "flying across the world, to 'bless' the masses with their presence in dedicating an Assembly Hall, a Branch Office, etc... and the little kid in Africa, who went without food, sold his crop and donated his 25 cents to the WT... Yay team...
I hate what these evil, money sucking, cold hearted machines (disguised as "God's channel of communication") do to people.
i came across this article today and really appreciated it's positive message; and so i wanted to share a few choice excerpts that i thought were particularly relevant for this group:.
7 things remarkably happy people do often1.
make good friends - make real friends.
Thx Oubliette!
When you get to do things you enjoy, you really are a happier person!
i'm cleaning up my home of unnecessary magazines/newsletters that i have accumulated over the years.
while i was working as an employee i did not feel like i had the time to read them.
now that i'm not working as an employee but work as a volunteer to network and maintain workplace skills, i seem to have more time to read.. after reading many threads by former jws, i thought that the following article might help some to heal.
It's just too cumbersome if it is in conflict with our own personal sense of morality ... and without that burden of necessity, then there is no stress... and without stress "forgiveness" no longer becomes a physical health issue.
I would feel like a LESSER person if I forgave someone who didn't earn such. But I would be an inexcusable person if I allowed these atrocities freedom they do not deserve to have.
Well said BSD! This puts into words the way I felt when I had to "forgive the brother" who told me "I am not sorry, I am not repentant'...
Forcing myself to "forgive" only gave me Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome... and gave me terrible health issues.
Having the freedom to decide, the "dignity" to "make my own choice" took me out of the WT's stronghold, the "cognitive dissonance," the guilt you face when you are the innocent party. A huge weight was lifted from me.
My health improved!! I "owed it to myself"
i definitely look like a worldly person by jw standards... however i went to my old hall because they are remodelling and they are in the final p[hase.
it was not on purpose.
i had bnusiness on the street and happened to drive past.
Haha, Steve, thanks for the chuckle!
You should have been more considerate to the brothers by wearing a full contamination suit and the following statement emblazoned on the back and front of the suit:
"DO NOT TEST YOUR FAITH FOR YOU ARE IN THE SAME VICINITY AS AN APOSTATE. ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY!"
"Run away! Run Away"
i'm cleaning up my home of unnecessary magazines/newsletters that i have accumulated over the years.
while i was working as an employee i did not feel like i had the time to read them.
now that i'm not working as an employee but work as a volunteer to network and maintain workplace skills, i seem to have more time to read.. after reading many threads by former jws, i thought that the following article might help some to heal.
Anger, forgiveness, repentence, forgetting...... justice....
For me, the hard part was being told "Don't be angry"... not that I would be angry my whole life, only when necessary. I am angry when I see wrongdoing... If you saw someone being beat, would you be angry at that action?
Forgiveness.... for me, that word was used as a "get out of jail free card", the word the WTBTS used so that you could not question their sin... So, in the context of the WTBTS, 'forgiveness' was a cheating kind of word. People, individuals, are quite different, and can merit forgiveness. I ask for it.
Repentence... demanded of us all, in detail! Not so of the GB... the words/ phrases "evidently," "apparently," "it seems as though," upon further examination" are the closest the GB lets themselves get to admitting the wrongs, the lies, the inhuman weights and burdens they have placed on 'their children,' by a 'mother' of no conscience and no knowledge of 'sin'.
Forgetting.... only to the extent that you can move on with your life. Never forgetting the past, so that you can always learn from it, protect others with it.
Justice... requires letting people feel these emotions, support them in their solutions, not putting them down as they work thru things.
As does Willow... I try to use my experiences to make myself better, as does any person who goes thru trials. Use your experiences to improve, survive, grow and have a better life. ;-)
i'm cleaning up my home of unnecessary magazines/newsletters that i have accumulated over the years.
while i was working as an employee i did not feel like i had the time to read them.
now that i'm not working as an employee but work as a volunteer to network and maintain workplace skills, i seem to have more time to read.. after reading many threads by former jws, i thought that the following article might help some to heal.
Exactly, BandontheRun!
I too feel that anger and action has a place in finding justice.
I hated the articles by the Society regarding forgiveness....as I view them as a machine that spews information to the masses to further their cause.
"We told you not to take blood fractions and your mom died?" Forgive us.
"We didn't change the policy on child abuse? We didn't tell you to report to the police? Another child got molested?" Forgive us.
"Some brother stole your money? He didn't say sorry? didn't return it? The elders say forgive him? Get PTSD?" Forgive us.
"Send your money for K Halls, even when they are paid for, spend your time building Assembly halls, pay for the CO visit, pay for this, then that, give us your money in a will... No retirement? No Social Security? Oh, we were wrong about our 'prophecies' " Forgive us.
"Don't go to college, before you graduate, or can use what you have learned, it will be paradise" OOooops, forgive us.
"You won't get old in this system of things, the new order will be here before the end of the 20th century" Oops, forgive us.
It is like letting an alcoholic parent/ spouse get drunk, beat you up, and do nothing but "forgive".... The story continues, never changes.
Get angry, call the police, put them in jail, move out, move on... now the story changes.
Cha Ching! Cha Ching! u aint getting none of my bling!
i went to a small non-denominational church yesterday - first time in a church since i left the borg 4 years ago - and this is how i observed several of the members singing.. .
boy... do those people love to sing.. .
i try not to judge the sincerity of others but i was a little put off by the experience because it looked fake, showy display-ish.
I have noticed that people who really love to sing open their mough widely, and feel free to express themselves.... i.e. "opera singers"
Singing CAN evoke a lot of emotion..... and it is fun!
i definitely look like a worldly person by jw standards... however i went to my old hall because they are remodelling and they are in the final p[hase.
it was not on purpose.
i had bnusiness on the street and happened to drive past.
Bravo!
It's great when you can be so cool, calm and collected!
whats in a name?
posted on april 15, 2014 by barbara anderson http://watchtowerdocuments.org/whats-in-a-name/ .entry-meta-icons .entry-meta .
.entry-header one morning at bethel in 1989, after the usual text discussion before breakfast, there was an announcement to the staff about the legalization of jehovahs witnesses in poland.
Great name for your article, Barbara! So verrrrry well written, and entertaining!
This little piece is what stood out to me:
"Ciro Aulicino, a senior staff member in the Writing Department told me in 1991 that a press-pass to access the UN building and events would be provided to any publishing company that requested one and that’s how he obtained his. Ten years later, I learned what Ciro had wasn’t just a press-pass – it included NGO status along with many perks provided by the UN."
Quite a ‘sly guy’…. ( A guy that is very very sly. So sly to the point where your jaw drops when he does his cunningactions. Cunning: someone that’s tricky, devious, sly or shady)
Somehow, the more I read and hear about the Watch Tower/ Watchtower/ Zion's Watchtower/ Jehovah's witnesses/Jehovah's Witnesses/The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society/ the more and more I realize how cunning and sly they are.
Haha! and I looooooovvvve the "jw.borg!" Sooooo apropos!
(great pic Outlaw! I will definitely save & share this ;-)