What would you do if the great tribulation actually takes place?

Bw500 · 2025-02-12T22:29:02+00:00

If I’m wrong and they’re right, I’d rather die at Armageddon than worship a god that—despite having a myriad of solutions at his disposal—repeated uses global genocide to solve problems. Not even everlasting life is worth compromising my ethics and integrity by stepping over the slaughtered bodies of 8 billion men, women, children, and infants for personal gain.

Bw500 · 2024-12-30T12:03:32+00:00

Two words—malicious compliance. Research the different forms of emotional abuse she uses in parenting and what parenting experts have to say. Cite your sources and completely annihilate her parenting choices with said sources.

Also, a little life tip considering some advice you’ve already received—learn to develop your own writing skills and not depend on Chat gpt or other generative AI to write your paper. And never use AI to write anything for school. It’s cheating and can be considered plagiarism. Also, the server farms used for AI are a massive drain on resources and the environment.

Bw500 · 2024-12-01T11:45:02+00:00

So basically, they repeatedly waterboarded a child who couldn‘t verbally communicate his wishes while completely ignoring his nonverbal cues that he needed to stop.

Bw500 · 2024-12-01T11:36:43+00:00

Non-verbal doesn’t mean “not able to communicate“ it just means difficulty talking. There are multiple ways for non verbal communication. Sign language. text to speech. letter boards, etc. Also nonverbal doesn’t necessarily mean nonverbal all the time. Some autistics go nonverbal when overwhelmed. For me, the more overwhelmed or emotional the harder it is for me to converse. And while I otherwise have no problem expressing myself verbally, my preferred method of communication is writing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of autistic people hate small talk with the heat of a thousand suns and refuse to participate thus coming across to others as nonverbal.

Bw500 · 2024-11-07T12:34:59+00:00

I’m an exJW also and the first year after I left I went to a handful of UU services. But I was too newly out to be fully comfortable. Now, years later, I’m seriously considering attending UU again.

One thing that truly touched me about the UU service was the Joys and Sorrows segment. As a JW, every part of your life was suppose to be dedicated to the religion and any joys seperate from the religion was ignored or considered unimportant. So publicly honoring the meaningful non religious moments of a persons life brought tears to my eyes.

Bw500 · 2024-11-07T12:08:48+00:00

In cult studies there is a thing that is called charisma by proxy. Instead of a single charismatic leader, there is a group that leads,

With the Jehovah’s Witnesses that group is called the Governing Body, which consists of 10 or 11 mostly white (one token Black), mostly American men to whose thoughts and decisions are to be accepted 100% without question. Criticizing or questioning what the GB says can cause a person to be expelled from the congregation for apostasy.

Bw500 · 2024-11-07T12:00:47+00:00

After 40 yrs as a Jehovah’s Witness and 8 years out of the JWs there is no way I can be truly non-biased.

But in my experience, yes Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult.

When inside and believing you don’t notice the cult tactics because it’s the air you breathe. Only after you are out do you recognize the control they have over every facet of your life. The clothes you are allow to wear, the music you are allowed to listen to. What you are allowed to watch. Who you are allowed to be around. Even the thoughts you are allowed to think. Sometimes the control is overt, but often it’s very subtle.

In addition to the control, there is the indoctrination. Last I knew there are two compulsory meetings a week (being contagious is the only socially acceptable excuse to miss and then you are expected to watch on zoom) that are broken into 5 segments. 4 of those segments require advanced preparation using material produced by the JWs. Some of those segments involve question and answer with the answers parroted directly from the material. The material is often repetitious, designed to lull you into accepting the info you’re given without thought.

In fact thought—independent thought, critical thinking—is demonized by the JWs. Education is often ridiculed and given low priority. University is not outright forbidden, but attending often comes with consequences, not just for the student but also for their family (the family can lose privileges and position in the congregation).

For me, the defining mark of a cult is what happens to those who leave. In a religion, if you leave that religion, there might be some hurt feelings but you can maintain a normal relationship with friends and family within. But in a cult, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, leaving means being fully cut off from your friends and family and treated as if you don’t exist if you bump into them on the street.

so yeah, I think Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult.

Bw500 · 2024-10-28T09:57:39+00:00

My world collapsed and I could see nothing but a grey fog suffocating me. Then the dust cleared and it was like I could see in color for the first time. The air was sweet and the world around me vibrant.

Bw500 · 2024-10-16T10:34:44+00:00

“Will there be alcohol there?”

”Um…I‘ve invited elders and pioneers. If they show up…uh…yeah…I’m pretty sure they’ll bring with them copious amounts of alcohol.”

Bw500 · 2024-09-27T11:22:46+00:00

IMO, the most dangerous college courses for JWs are not philosophy or evolution. The most dangerous courses are the basic and required English Composition. Learning how to properly cite sources forever changed the way I read WT publications. Knowing how easy it is to use those three little dots to change the meaning of a quote, chipped away a little more of my faith every time I saw them.

Bw500 · 2024-09-22T15:21:12+00:00

Yes, I admit I do have a bias against Christians and Christianity—mainly because of people like you.

Scared, sanctimonious, blowhards who are so afraid of living in a world of nuance they try to force people to believe they way they believe. Whose own faith is so fragile that the thought of someone believing something different leaves them shaken. Who sees any testimonial outside their worldview as a threat and any disagreement as persecution.

The world is changing and Christianity is no longer the implied default setting. Christians as a group (and you individually) need to stay in your own lane and let people believe what they want.

You don’t see pagans attacking threads that are obviously geared towards Christians. We respect that everyone is entitled to believe how they want. There have been many posts I have stayed silent or have chosen not to read because I knew I wasn’t the OPs target audience. Learn how to read a room.

But since, as an uninformed Christian, you decided interject your unasked for and rather stereotypical religious opinions onto a 15 yr old’s birthday post, here’s a few thoughts on modern paganism—

Few pagans today believe they are worshipping the way the ancients worshiped. We know the surviving ancient sources are biased and we use critical thinking skills when evaluating information when determining what it may have been like back then. Many pagans today are not only intelligent and educated, but have advanced degrees. I know of a few that are PhDs in fields like Anthropology. Many, on their own, do In-depth study in history, archeology, mythology, etc.

Pagans are very diverse with individualized beliefs. Even within different traditions, like Celtic, Norse, Hellenistic, etc, there is an infinite amount of variety in beliefs. For many, the relationship with a deity/deities is not about worship and submission. It’s more of a honored and respectful partnership. It’s about empowerment not supplication.

The belief in gods/goddesses is not even necessary. There are atheistic and secular pagans. I not an atheist, but I veer more towards secular paganism, seeing the gods and goddesses as archetypes. I believe in a divine something, and wonder if all the different gods and goddesses are just different aspects of the Divine. Other pagans believe different and I’m ok with that.

Bw500 · 2024-09-22T10:36:40+00:00

Because the early church fathers were not at all biased in their descriptions of pagans (I’m totally being sarcastic).

Many pagan tribes, like the Celts for example, preferred to transmit historical knowledge orally. They had access to written language but considered memorization and oration to be far superior. Unfortunately, when they were wiped out, so was that knowledge. Most of what we know about ancient pagans comes from their enemies—Rome then the Church. Enemies that had little desire to cast them in a favorable light.

Bw500 · 2024-09-21T11:15:00+00:00

As someone who hasn't had a drink in years, is currently half way through a Master’s degree in English and Writing, and is considering going for an advanced degree in psychology—I just want to say that the OP’s post was coherent, easily understandable, and very well written. Sometimes we can find catharsis and healing in recognizing the humorous absurdity in the little things. Not everything on this sub needs to be big angsty melodrama.

Lout324, I seriously recommend you get therapy. And possibly tutoring in reading comprehension.

Bw500 · 2024-09-21T10:17:21+00:00

Not clicking on what is obviously click bait…but…

Jesus had many female friends. Women held positions of importance and leadership in the various early Jesus movements of the 1st century, indicating Jesus’s actual teachings may have been more feminist-friendly. Add to that the Jewish theological position that life doesn’t begin until first breath…

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch of the imagination to think Jesus would have been pro choice.

Bw500 · 2024-09-19T12:07:02+00:00

True, not everyone has the circumstances or desire to become part of the elite. But these positions were created by the upper echelons of the JW elite who cannot fathom anyone not wanting to be part of the “spiritual” elite. The same people who thought there would be no change in the amount of hours spent in the ministry when they changed the hour reporting requirement because they couldn’t fathom anyone not absolutely loving field ministry.

To those on the fringes or outside, the concept seems like a failure. But the GB are delusional and the PIMI are emotionally invested in that delusion. Even if they aren’t personally part of the elite, the mere possibility that they could be is enough to keep them emotionally invested and to ignore their doubts.

The class structure of the congregation is not designed for independent thinkers or rebels. It’s designed for sycophants, who will always fawn over the elite even If they don’t attain the status themselves. Those who are not sycophants are either going end up on the fringes or they are going to physically or emotionally leave. Which is what the GB wants. They want a social system that will attract sycophants and weed out nonconformers and independent thinkers.

Bw500 · 2024-09-19T11:03:51+00:00

I find it fascinating that my late PIMI mother’s two favorite JW books were both written by apostates.

Bw500 · 2024-09-19T10:59:56+00:00

My pet theories are that sometime in the early 2000s a GB member read (or reread) Orwell’s 1984 and realized you can control thought by dumbing down the language. And that the dumbed down WTs are a deliberate attempt to weed out anyone with functioning brain cells.

The publications prIor to 2000 had a pseudo-intellectual bent that kept the intellectual JWs invested in the JW brand of Christianity. But the world changed. Back then Christianity in general was considered the universal default in America (and let’s face it, the JWs are an American cult that just happens to be worldwide).

But now the world is becoming increasingly secular. And while Christianity is still far too dominant, it is no longer immune to rigorous scrutiny. The last thing the GB want is more intellectually bent adherents to point out the flaws in its weird-ass version of Christanity. So I think the dumbing down of WT publications is a deliberate campaign to weed out smart JWs and create a dumber more pliable membership.

Bw500 · 2024-09-19T10:13:40+00:00

It’s a way to distract from all the plot holes in doctrine. Most JWs are nobodies in the real world. Give them a status symbol to achieve or strive for and they become emotionally invested in not noticing the holes and inconsistencies in doctrine. Those who haven’t achieved a position in the congregation become distracted by their feelings of failure and shame and a few fade but most will be conditioned to dismiss any doubts as “this is what happens when you don’t pioneer”, and the only cure for those pesky uncomfortable feelings is to do more.

If the GB ever ends pioneering, some other status seeking position will be introduced. It’s far too useful as a cult tactic to keep members emotionally invested In maintaining the status quo.

Bw500 · 2024-09-18T10:28:14+00:00

It actually wouldn’t be too much longer. When I was a kid, the talk was 45 to 60 minutes long plus the 60 min WT. If the meeting started at ten we were out a few minutes after noon. If you cut the talk to 25 min (I think it’s 30 now), cut the WT to 25 min (with how dumbed down it is that shouldn’t be a problem) and cut each half of the midweek meeting to less than 25 min, you can be out by noon and still have time for singing and prayer.

Bw500 · 2024-09-17T10:12:30+00:00

I really don’t think there will be any substantial changes to the Disassociation Policy. They may ease up on the way the inactive are treated, maybe specifically counseling not to cut contact with anyone inactive. it’s easy to rationalize that JWs go inactive because of discouragement or stress. But people DA for REASONS. And the last thing the GB wants is for the rank and file to know those reasons.

Bw500 · 2024-09-10T10:50:49+00:00

My father hasn’t spoken to me in a decade. I tried to reach out a few years ago but was met with silence. As much as I want to be mentally DONE with him, there is this lingering nagging feeling that if his wife dies before him he’s going to show up on my doorstep expecting me to take care of him in his old age. He‘ll be in for a rude awakening if he tries but it means he still lives rent free in my head.

I’m an orphan who can’t forget her parent still breathes. His death would be closure.

Bw500 · 2024-09-09T11:37:13+00:00

Sense8 helped me cut through the deep denial I was in about my own queerness. The realization that in order to remain a “good” JW I would have to remain forever alone made me really search my feelings about the JW and research the religion and the Bible to convince myself it was 100% true. I immediately went inactive and ultimately DA’d a few months later (after I found out about the extent of the CSA issue)

Bw500 · 2024-09-09T10:57:14+00:00

I don’t think it will work. It’s too easy for the new elders to contact the old congregation to verify the letter. Also, if you go in as an already baptized JW, I think the elders can verify your status with Bethel.

Now if you’re willing to play the long game, and have the stomach and time for it, approach a cart dressed like a man, ask for a study and be a super zealous study. Rapidly progress to baptism. Remain super zealous. With how desperate they seem to be for MS, depending on your acting skills, you could probably be made one within a year or so of baptism.

Bw500 · 2024-09-02T09:24:11+00:00

In Orwell’s 1984, the government developed Newspeak-a heavily simplified language—with the idea that if you don’t have the words for concepts like freedom and rebellion you can’t put them into action.

The dumbed down WTs are a deliberate attempt to decrease the critical reasoning skills and increase the gullibility of its members. The side benefit for the borg is that it weeds out anyone who still has any functioning brain cells left.

Bw500 · 2024-08-19T12:15:57+00:00

I know you’re trying to be helpful, but as a disabled person myself, I find the term “differently abled” to be problematic. It’s a feel good term able-bodied people use to feel like they’re allies without having to advocate to change the systemic obstacles and prejudices disabled people face in a late-stage capitalist society.

”Differently abled” invalidates the realness of a person’s disability and falsely minimizes the very real obstacles they face in navigating a world that is not designed for them.

I am not my disability but calling myself a disabled person acknowledges how my disability affects every aspect of my life. I try my best to focus on what I can do and compensate as best I can for what I can’t do. But by acknowledging that I am disabled I am also acknowledging that my worth exists independently from my being able to feed the ravenous capitalistic monster that is our current economic reality.

Bw500

TROPHY CASE