Dinosaurs in religion

[LittleBoo]

I feel a little picked on due to revealing I am an ex-jw…

Jehovah Witness Stuff (Read at Your Own Peril)

Some stuff from my missing post, for the benefit of shanandboc and any others with JW ties (or just curious!) I have references for everything I am sharing, and I am sharing my personal story but it may offend you if you are a JW because it does not cast the religion in a very good light. Read at your own peril

I did not leave the JW religion lightly. It may come as a surprise, but I really did not want to find our my childhood religion was false. I wanted to live forever and have a pet lion and all the things the JWs teach. I wanted my dead friends and family to be resurrected and to spend forever with them in paradise earth. Who wouldn't want that?

Unfortunately wanting something doesn't mean it is true, and over time I became more and more disillusioned with the JWs. Some things I learned shook me to the core, here are some of those things….

Sexual Child Abuse Coverups: Elders (priests) covering pedophiles asses and threatening parents of abused children with disfellowshipment* for slander if they spoke out. Many more kids were needlessly molested due to this. (See silentlambs and freeminds)

Women Can Be Disfellowshiped for Being Raped: The Watchtower would teach that a woman who was raped could be found guilty of fornication and be disfellowshiped for it. (WT 1964, Jan 15) (WT 1968, Jun1) (Awake 1974, Mar 8) (WT 1980, Oct 15) (Awake 1984, Feb 22) (Awake 1986, May 22) (Awake 1989, August 22) I think they may have stopped disfellowshiping women for rape now, but I am not sure.

Watchtower Society Being a Member of the UN: when the JWs are told the UN represents the harlot on the beast in Revelation (Red revelation bk; WT 1963, Nov 15; 1991 June 1) (Insight book Vol 2 p362 Mediator) (WT 1991 Feb 15)

Jesus IS NOT the Mediator for Jehovah's Witnesses: All you Christians will be familiar with the words at 1 Timothy 2:5,6 . JWs are taught that Jesus IS NOT their mediator but the faithful and discrete slave is. Most JWs don't even know this is an official teaching (I didn't!!) (WT 1979 Apr 1)

*Disfellowship: is the word JWs use for someone kicked out of the JWs. All JWs, including close family members are to shun this person forever (or until they grovel back). And I quote a JW publication "not even say a greeting to such a person" (WT 1981 Sep 15) (Keep Yourself in Gods Love 2008 pp 207, 208) (WT 2007 Jan15) (KM 2002 p3) (WT 1988 Apr 15) (WT 1998 Sep 15) (WT 2011 July 15) (WT 2011 Feb 15) (and way more references, but you get the idea!)

When I left I lost a lot, and that is understating it. People, financially, support network etc. I had to move away as I couldn't function due to the psychological torture of shunning. JWs believe I am evil, wicked and selfish for leaving. I have been told that I deserve the shunning because I turned my back on God and other lovely things like that (but JWs don't judge )

"Choices" as a Born In JW

These are the so-called "choices" a born in JW faces if they discover they no longer agree with the JW religion and/or it's doctrines:

1/ Lie to yourself, pretend and go through the motions. As long as you keep attending meetings (Church) and reporting your preaching each month no-one will get suspicious of your true feelings and you will probably stay out of trouble. Miss out on many things in life that have restrictions or are prohibited but should really be personal choice (Xmas, birthdays, tattoos, personal dress style, voting, blood transfusions and much more)

2/ Be true to yourself and take control of your life, for this you will be slandered and one by one your JW "friends" will stop speaking to you as you are "bad association". Depending on how staunch your family is, they will probably limit or cut of contact with you too. If you go from "bad association inactive one" to "disfellowshipped" your friends and family will definitely shun you. Emotional blackmail at it's best.

... Bible stuff coming soon

^ Actually what you've said is true, I've a few ex-JW friends. Anyway, I'ma tell one story that I know is true, as I know both the girl this happened to (ex JW) and her mother and father (still JW).

A left the religion, her whole family turned against her. She had been married at 17, and a few years later, suffered a miscarriage. Her own parents told her this was her own fault for leaving. She later had successful pregnancies. Her parents (and other members) told her her children would die, bugs would devour their brains. Her own family, about their grandchildren. All because of a f**king religion. This girl now suffers extreme OCD, she still speaks to her mum and dad because well, she's just a lovely person. She wouldn't tell lies about the religion, it's just not who she is. But the things she HAS told me are shocking.

Besides, I'm not sure why but in my head I just can't help but see the similarities to the Children of God (cult).

Sorry, think I may be waffling

 

[mrsthomas623]

I feel a little picked on due to revealing I am an ex-jw…

Jehovah Witness Stuff (Read at Your Own Peril)

Some stuff from my missing post, for the benefit of shanandboc and any others with JW ties (or just curious!) I have references for everything I am sharing, and I am sharing my personal story but it may offend you if you are a JW because it does not cast the religion in a very good light. Read at your own peril

I did not leave the JW religion lightly. It may come as a surprise, but I really did not want to find our my childhood religion was false. I wanted to live forever and have a pet lion and all the things the JWs teach. I wanted my dead friends and family to be resurrected and to spend forever with them in paradise earth. Who wouldn't want that?

Unfortunately wanting something doesn't mean it is true, and over time I became more and more disillusioned with the JWs. Some things I learned shook me to the core, here are some of those things….

Sexual Child Abuse Coverups: Elders (priests) covering pedophiles asses and threatening parents of abused children with disfellowshipment* for slander if they spoke out. Many more kids were needlessly molested due to this. (See silentlambs and freeminds)

Women Can Be Disfellowshiped for Being Raped: The Watchtower would teach that a woman who was raped could be found guilty of fornication and be disfellowshiped for it. (WT 1964, Jan 15) (WT 1968, Jun1) (Awake 1974, Mar 8) (WT 1980, Oct 15) (Awake 1984, Feb 22) (Awake 1986, May 22) (Awake 1989, August 22) I think they may have stopped disfellowshiping women for rape now, but I am not sure.

Watchtower Society Being a Member of the UN: when the JWs are told the UN represents the harlot on the beast in Revelation (Red revelation bk; WT 1963, Nov 15; 1991 June 1) (Insight book Vol 2 p362 Mediator) (WT 1991 Feb 15)

Jesus IS NOT the Mediator for Jehovah's Witnesses: All you Christians will be familiar with the words at 1 Timothy 2:5,6 . JWs are taught that Jesus IS NOT their mediator but the faithful and discrete slave is. Most JWs don't even know this is an official teaching (I didn't!!) (WT 1979 Apr 1)

*Disfellowship: is the word JWs use for someone kicked out of the JWs. All JWs, including close family members are to shun this person forever (or until they grovel back). And I quote a JW publication "not even say a greeting to such a person" (WT 1981 Sep 15) (Keep Yourself in Gods Love 2008 pp 207, 208) (WT 2007 Jan15) (KM 2002 p3) (WT 1988 Apr 15) (WT 1998 Sep 15) (WT 2011 July 15) (WT 2011 Feb 15) (and way more references, but you get the idea!)

When I left I lost a lot, and that is understating it. People, financially, support network etc. I had to move away as I couldn't function due to the psychological torture of shunning. JWs believe I am evil, wicked and selfish for leaving. I have been told that I deserve the shunning because I turned my back on God and other lovely things like that (but JWs don't judge )

"Choices" as a Born In JW

These are the so-called "choices" a born in JW faces if they discover they no longer agree with the JW religion and/or it's doctrines:

1/ Lie to yourself, pretend and go through the motions. As long as you keep attending meetings (Church) and reporting your preaching each month no-one will get suspicious of your true feelings and you will probably stay out of trouble. Miss out on many things in life that have restrictions or are prohibited but should really be personal choice (Xmas, birthdays, tattoos, personal dress style, voting, blood transfusions and much more)

2/ Be true to yourself and take control of your life, for this you will be slandered and one by one your JW "friends" will stop speaking to you as you are "bad association". Depending on how staunch your family is, they will probably limit or cut of contact with you too. If you go from "bad association inactive one" to "disfellowshipped" your friends and family will definitely shun you. Emotional blackmail at it's best.

... Bible stuff coming soon

^ Actually what you've said is true, I've a few ex-JW friends. Anyway, I'ma tell one story that I know is true, as I know both the girl this happened to (ex JW) and her mother and father (still JW).

A left the religion, her whole family turned against her. She had been married at 17, and a few years later, suffered a miscarriage. Her own parents told her this was her own fault for leaving. She later had successful pregnancies. Her parents (and other members) told her her children would die, bugs would devour their brains. Her own family, about their grandchildren. All because of a f**king religion. This girl now suffers extreme OCD, she still speaks to her mum and dad because well, she's just a lovely person. She wouldn't tell lies about the religion, it's just not who she is. But the things she HAS told me are shocking.

Besides, I'm not sure why but in my head I just can't help but see the similarities to the Children of God (cult).

Sorry, think I may be waffling

I don't usually get into discussions about religion because honestly, I don't know enough to debate. But I think in any religion, you will find extremist and it is harsh to judge an entire faith by the acts of a few crazies. So sorry your friend has gone through that.

 

[nomadlife]

Aaargh!! I just removed that post cause of the offense that was taken over it, but to reply to you ladies

@LittleBoo your friends story, and my story are unfortunately just all to common

@mrsthomas623 I agree all religions have there extremists ... but sadly cutting off your family and shunning them because they don't tow the line in the JWs is the rule (see ref's above) In the JWs it is an exceptional person that maintains contact.

Shunning former members is a very bizarre practice. I will admit when I was a JW I shunned people and most times I had no idea what they supposedly did wrong. I really hope that those people have forgiven me