Posts by Piph

56

What Made You Leave The "Truth"? Was It False Prophecy, People, Blood, etc.

by minimus in

jw
friends

jw's like to believe that people who leave the organization do it for selfish reasons or due to impatience and not "waiting on jehovah".

there's a variety of reasons for persons making the decision and saying, "that's it!

i'm not doing this anymore".

Piph

regarding the symbolic heart, I sent 2 letters to the Society regarding my question as to how they could possibly think that it was a literal heart that is spoken of in the Bible. It seemed obvious that it had to be a symbolic heart that the Bible writers referred to. The first letter I sent recieved no reply. So about 7 months later, I sent another letter asking the same thing. I did get a response and it was for me to be patient, spend my time in the life-saving ministry, and wait for the "slave" to bring out any new information to us. The next week, we got "new lite". The heart was symbolic after all. (Hey, I knew that and I'm not even professing to be anointed.)

You've got to be kidding. They really said the Bible was talking about the literal heart??

I remember when the article came out saying it was figurative, and giving all this 'proof' of it and everything...I didn't realize it was 'new light'. I remember thinking, "Why are they spending so much time trying to convince me? Isn't it obvious? Duh?"

56

What Made You Leave The "Truth"? Was It False Prophecy, People, Blood, etc.

by minimus in

jw
friends

jw's like to believe that people who leave the organization do it for selfish reasons or due to impatience and not "waiting on jehovah".

there's a variety of reasons for persons making the decision and saying, "that's it!

i'm not doing this anymore".

Piph

Thanks Swan! I searched for the link, here it is.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/55273/1.ashx

56

What Made You Leave The "Truth"? Was It False Prophecy, People, Blood, etc.

by minimus in

jw
friends

jw's like to believe that people who leave the organization do it for selfish reasons or due to impatience and not "waiting on jehovah".

there's a variety of reasons for persons making the decision and saying, "that's it!

i'm not doing this anymore".

Piph

Hidden pictures of demonic faces in the Watchtower illustrations, even though the Watchtower was a letter from God.

I've never heard that one before...do you mind elaborating? Or giving me an example? Sounds interesting...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: One naked woman in your dorm room is better than thirty years of pioneering.
Two naked women at the same time is better than any amount of "paradise earth" promises.
Now, three naked women... well, it would probably beat being one of the 144,000, but I haven't had a chance to arrange such a theological experiment. Any volunteers?
CZAR

Are you saying you've had two women at the same time? Too cool!

12

Question for those who still occasionally attend meetings

by unique1 in

jw
friends

do you do things just to piss the brothers off when you go to a meeting?

like just to be rebellious i always wear a skirt above the knee and cross my legs to make it even shorter, because i enjoy the disapproving looks.

i even wore pants to the meeting when i was feeling extra sassy.

Piph

I've started wearing shorter skirts and less modest shirts. If I get disapproving glances, I don't notice them. There's only one elder I dislike enough to want to see a disapproving glance from. But I haven't noticed...actually I haven't been paying attention anyway. I just am enjoying wearing what I like to wear.

29

Old Crow Birthday 7/20/03

by oldcrowwoman in

birthdays

i would like to hear from others and feelings with experiences with birthdays.

and what ways you choose to celebrate or not since being out of the org.

Piph

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

God, it felt good to say that.

Although I've never celebrated my birthday, my parents did celebrate milestones with me, just never on the exact day of my birthday. My dad took me out to dinner when I turned 13, my mom took me out when I turned 16, they bought me a present and took me out when I turned 18, and my pioneer buddies took me out when I turned 21.

I have on occasion sent birthday cards to my witness friends as a joke, and always made it a point to remember people's birthdays and acknowledge them without actually saying "Happy Birthday" LOL. When my dad turned 50, I bought him a dozen donuts and a card.

I'm really looking forward to genuinely celebrating birthdays though.

33

Do You See In Yourself Continuing Jehovah's Witness Traits?

by minimus in

jw
friends

for all of those either out or on their way to the freedom exit door, do you still see traces of your old jw self that rears its ugly head?

Piph

I haven't been able to say "Happy birthday" yet.

Funny you should mention that...I had occasion to say 'Happy Birthday' for my first time today, and I couldn't do it. I just stood there with my mouth open trying to force the words out. LOL Next time though, I promise myself that I will.

Next month I will get to celebrate my first birthday. I've been singing "Happy Birthday to meeeeeee" a lot lately...

I tend to shy away from political discussions

Because of JWs I have hated politics, and now I know absolutely nothing about them...I ignored Government classes in school because I figured they were all going to be destroyed in a few years anyway... Now I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do.

I've only been free for a month and a half, so I have a lot of experiences ahead of me. I have already been working on dissolving the critical, judgmental attitude I used to have and it's been pretty much gone for the past few years.

But I have a feeling that whenever I hesitate of feel afraid of doing something new because of my JW upbringing I will drive myself crazy. I hate carrying around other people's (and other organization's!) fear. I will fight it for as long as it takes.

24

How do you feel towards JW's and the organization ? on July 18,2003

by run dont walk in

jw
friends

some of us have been out awhile, some of us may have just left, some of us still on the fence.. how do you feel towards the jw's and the organization right now, july 18, 2003.. compassion, hurt, hatred, anger, sorry, bitterness, helpless, robbed, cheated, or any other feeling you can think off.

which one describes your situation best ???????????.

all of us feel and handle situations with family differently, yet we are so much the same.. the day may come when family comes to you and says those dreaded words ........... " i can no longer have any association with you, not even on the telephone.".

Piph

i am seriously considering getting some counselling even though i hate that sort of thing

I just wanted to note I'm considering seeing a counselor myself. I've seen one before when dealing with sexual abuse issues, and she helped me as much as she could. I found out later my issues went even deeper...but that's another story...

My fiancé suggested I look into counseling specifically for people trying to get out of a cult. I'm sure there's special, specific anger in people like us who grew up under the influence of mind control and I think it would be helpful me to maybe join a support group and spend time with other people who have been victims of mind control.

As far as my feelings toward JWs and the borg, I really have no beef with specific witnesses. Well...OK...I can think of one...but most of the elders I know are sweethearts, just a little dense. Seeing as how no one in my congregation knows I'm leaving yet, though, I haven't been the focus of concerted efforts to get me back. I'm really dreading that.

As far as the teachings, though, I've been able to tune them out until recently... We went to our DC last weekend and I still feel enraged when I think about the new release for children...how many millions of young lives are going to be damaged now...???????? I can't even think about it without being filled with rage. I want to BURN that book. (It probably wouldn't burn LOL) Now I can barely even sit through a meeting...

64

Were You Ever Put On Restrictions?

by minimus in

jw
friends

as a jw, were you ever put on restrictions?

how did you feel when you were told that a certain "privilege" was being taken from you?

were you given any warning by the elders in charge that what you did merited a removal of some sort?

Piph

I haven't lost any priveleges (yet), but I almost did once...

When I was pioneering, my pioneer buddies were a bunch of young teenage homeschooled guys. (I was the only girl, and in my early 20s) Service was great...listening to Adam Sandler and the Beastie Boys, checking out girls, telling dirty jokes, and swearing.

Well when one of their parents went out of town, the group of them got together (there were six of them total) and raided their parents' beer. They all got drunk, and two of them went out drunk driving (lucky they didn't kill anyone or themselves; they were so wasted). The next day one of them told me the story and we laughed over it...

One of them snitched, the elders went around visiting all of them, and one of them suggested that since I knew about it, I should come forward as having known about it but not telling. Here comes the guilt! I couldn't even sleep or eat. I told my dad, who said he was disappointed in me (after I prompted him to tell me so...I'm such a masochist) and he told the elders involved.

They met with me and read that Leviticus scripture and said that since I knew but didn't tell I was a sharer in their sins. They thought long and hard about whether or not I should still pioneer and decided it was OK for me to keep pioneering, as long as I never did anything like that again. The rest of the boys were no longer allowed to pioneer, four of them were restricted, and two of them DF'd. Only one of the DF'd ones came back, but he's inactive now.

I went into a depression after that, and have been struggling with depression ever since. It only occurred to me, like, last year, that how they treated me was wrong. Stupid JW mind control.

9

How to start up your own cult

by refiners fire in

jw
friends

becoming a cult leader is not as tough as you might think.

all it takes is a little charisma and some insecure, feeble-minded followers.

the reasons you might wanna become one are many -- it pays well (and all of it tax-exempt), you get lotsa nookie, you can get other people to do your laundry, etc..

Piph

LOL Reminds me of the evil overlord handbook.

14

JWs never really learn how to research

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

remember when you were in and you needed to "research" something?

we turned to the "publications" and simply believed whatever they told us to believe.. as jws, we never were taught how to go out and really research something by looking into the history.

we were always spoon-fed what they wanted us to think and believe.. *** w67 6/1 p. 338 move ahead with jehovahs organization ***.

Piph

It was during those courses I began to realize just how poor the research of the WTS was/is. I eouldn't even call it research. It is down-right pathetic and totally biased
But you all already know that - right?

Right! ...or so I've been told by people who tell me they know how to research...

Seriously, though, I really appreciate your advice on going to a learning center, Lady Lee, and for others' suggestions on how to do research. It sounds great. Sometimes I get discouraged by my seeming inability to think, but when I think about really being able to learn and continually moving toward really breaking free, I get really excited!!