I give them a 10.
The image that really sticks in my mind is that of the child martyrs on the cover of their Awake! (TM) magazine.
first off, i certainly agree the jw's are a cult.
but i'm sensitive to black-and-white thinking now.. so, where do they rank on the scale?
think of a cultish religion scale from 0-10.. consider the likes of unitarian universalism vs baptist vs amish vs charles manson.. where do you think jw's fall on the scale?.
I give them a 10.
The image that really sticks in my mind is that of the child martyrs on the cover of their Awake! (TM) magazine.
i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?
was it the wts and all its crap?
was it something you read?
Though I didn't get to finish High School (as a kid), I loved science, and learned about evolution in school. Also, I questioned how God could LOVE us, and allow us to suffer so much.
When I left the JWS, at age 18, I investigated other beliefs (Xtianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Daoism, etc.), and realized that John Lennon "God is a concept by which we measure our pain" and Marx "the opium of the people" were right. By my early 20s, I was over it. It was an easy transition for me. : )
in page 10 of the correspondence guidelines, in the section of apostasy" i found the following:.
one who has sincere doubts orquestions should be kindly aided inthe spirit of galatians.... i am forced to conclude that many of you didn't get any aid because your doubts were fake.
so according to the wt manual, your main sin may have not been doubting, but faking having doubts.
Let's go back to your original assumption,,, that we are all 'apostates'.
Some of us, are just 'normal', and don't want to be a JW ....... ie, we don't CARE about the JWS, we don't WANT to be part of it, and can't give a FF (sorry, that's a north American term) about the JW or 'apostacy' or any of that shyte.
My label is not 'apostate' .......... it is 'average person...... Jehovah's WHO? They have no meaning in my life.'
Thanks! : )
"what's my line mystery guest maureen o'hara" by loco muskrat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmentzzb1we.
"the quiet man (1952) full comedy movie | john wayne full movie" by bryantwashington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rwx8mafdhk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/maureen_o%27hara.
She was an amazing "girl next door" ............ I shall always remember her from "The Quiet Man", loved that flick. RIP to an icon and true American Beauty.
xo
tal
(thanks, Glenster, for being our movie expert, and all the great links. I really appreciate YOU. xx)
after some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.
thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.
i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.
thanks, VI ........... it was just too much to read. xx : D
tal
after some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.
thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.
i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.
I dunno why this thread is 36 pages long! But happy to see you here, SBF.
**** hearts and flowers ****
: D
the other day the glass in my oven door exploded and sent glass into the next room, fortunately i wasn't peering in at the time.
about a year go the previous oven door shattered one morning.
the oven was cold.
My microwave exploded about 3 years ago.
May I just say that DANBY makes really cheap appliances, and as a review : don't buy their product! Nuff said.
I would be to 'die' to have an awesome propane stove. *sigh*
:) Oh, I no longer have a microwave. I steam my veggies the old-fashioned way. ; )
About 10 years ago, I *did* get a burn from my stove. Electric, 220 wiring, it was not working right. When cleaning it, I got a shock and burnt my belly. FINALLY, the slumlord had a small appliance man out, and he said ' lucky that's all you got '...........sheesh. Yeah, be careful .. when they get old and shorting out, can be VERY dangerous! xx
jehovah's witnesses announced today the use of hover boards to spread the good news of the kingdom.
in a statement released by a jehovah's witness spokesman from brooklyn headquarters.
he set out the use of this revolutionary technology.
I can see it now, in the swamps of FLA and LA,,,,,, preaching to the gators!
ahahaha!
continuing a topic that is dear to my heart because of my experience as both a shunner and a shunnee .... some people seem to get very agitated when i talk about the responsibility people have to make the right choices and that despite all the wrongs within the wts, people themselves have a role to play and some personal responsibility for the experience.. notice i said "some" responsibility, not "complete" - this doesn't absolve the wts for the things they do wrong in any way shape or form.
so please don't get argumentative about possible meanings and absolutes - of course the wts has a significant role to play but we need to decide what we're trying to achieve here and why the personal choice is so important.. i'm also not talking about actual crimes that the wts should answer for.
if they cover up child abuse for instance, they absolutely should be reported immediately.
Xan, i recently found out that my mother entered a mental institution, when I finally said "enough!" (albeit in a kind way) to her shunning.
As I said to my room mate "I guess she couldn't handle it when the truth came up and slapped her in the face."
You are absolutely correct!
xx
tal
continuing a topic that is dear to my heart because of my experience as both a shunner and a shunnee .... some people seem to get very agitated when i talk about the responsibility people have to make the right choices and that despite all the wrongs within the wts, people themselves have a role to play and some personal responsibility for the experience.. notice i said "some" responsibility, not "complete" - this doesn't absolve the wts for the things they do wrong in any way shape or form.
so please don't get argumentative about possible meanings and absolutes - of course the wts has a significant role to play but we need to decide what we're trying to achieve here and why the personal choice is so important.. i'm also not talking about actual crimes that the wts should answer for.
if they cover up child abuse for instance, they absolutely should be reported immediately.
I think there are are least two types of people who shun. There are those that do it because of brainwashing, WT and family pressure - they suffer a lot of remorse, because they are 'forced' to go against their natural instincts. I empathize and feel sorrow for them.
Comversely, we have the natural sociopaths and narcissists, the abusers, who USE the WT, as do pedophiles, as a cover-up and excuse for their own inclinations towards abuse. They deserve to be exposed for what they are: abusers hiding in a cult, who find easy victims in their children, mates and 'friends'.
If you have a mother/father/family like that, don't feel guilty because you can't 'forgive' them. In the JWS, as in any cult or closed group, sociopaths will thrive. Be HAPPY they are not part of your life. Realizing this, makes it easier to see and forgive those true 'sheeple' who are just naive, and to know that the 'brothers and sisters' who were kind to YOU when you were growing up, were sincere. Does that make any sense?
tal ; )