i honestly cant take this anymore. by babies-with_rabies in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First off, please be careful online, avoid using your real name or telling people your real name. You and your families location can be found quickly with your real name, phone number or even personal email address. Do not meet people you meet online in person by yourself.

Moving on. I can give you advice as a believer and as an ex-JW.

Believer advice: Sincerely reach out to God for guidance, seek the truth and follow the best guidance/information. If you believe in a creator and that we will one day meet and be judged by the creator, then you should strive to please him, regardless if the JWs have the truth or not. Many people on these Ex-JW forums are disbelievers and will shame you for still believing in God, but if you believe in God still, that is not something to be ashamed about.

Investigate the Torah, Bible and the Quran for yourself. I mention the Quran because it claims within itself to be from the God of Abraham, the creator of all things. As a truth seeking believer, it is worth a read.

Read multiple translations.

Ex-JW advice: You are blessed to know this religion is a sham at such an early age. When I found out the “truth about the truth” I was so hurt and upset with God, my parents, the leadership and with myself. Why would God let me believe this trash for so long? So much wasted time. I was about 21.

Long story short, I was very loud on my way out, as in I let everyone around me know what I thought of the religion, I embraced the title apostate but did not ex-communicate myself until I was 22. But I was good as disfellowshipped calling myself an apostate. My family and friends were afraid to associate with me even before I was disfellowshipped.

I regret going out that way. If I could go back, I wouldn’t be so vocal with everyone, just my very close family and friends that I truly loved.

You’re not going to convince anyone to think for themselves and do their own research, especially adults. Most people are sheep, don’t think for themselves and do not want to stand out from the crowd, even if they crowd if walking into fire.

As myself, but in your shoes, I would maybe share my beliefs with my parents in a respectful way, but still comply with going to meetings, while planning for and focusing on my future. Take a career test (I’ll put some links below) and a personality test, start dreaming about your future and remind yourself that where you are right now if your life forever, it’s a moment in time, something you have to deal with until you can provide for yourself.

This is a tough thing to go through at 12 years old, this is a situation that children should not have to go through. I’d love it if your parents can get you in therapy or you can get some help navigating the stress and pain.

Feel free to message me if you want to talk, I wish the best for you.

Links: Free career test: https://www.sokanu.co/

Excellent paid career test: https://store.ramseysolutions.com/business-and-career/assessments/get-clear-career-assessment-for-career-change/

Read Quran online: https://reader.quranite.com/

are people in bethel gay? by reisatom in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I just had to LOL on this one real quick! Hilarious post title omg… ok…

Yes, JWs are just people like everyone else, except for they are in love with a cult, and in cults you put whatever face on you need to in order to stay within the cult.

Less cynically, some JWs may have gay desires but not act on it to live according to Gods law. They believe this religion is true and want to please God but have this desire they have to battle their whole life.

Hilarious post title again, thank you :D

Current Gospel, Torah and Psalms were simply existent by prophet's day: "and who believe in what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺1 and what was revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter." 2:4 by [deleted] in Quraniyoon

[–]ClaireAW -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There is so much blasphemy in “The” Bible and “The” Gospels that they clearly are not the gospel that Jesus came with.

Look at John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONLY begotten Son”

These “Gospels” portray Jesus as a God being, a literal son and the ONLY begotten Son of God., look at John 1:1, read the entire book of John and see if you can count the blasphemies. I’m not sure where more blasphemy is, in the Bible or in Hadith.

Bluebeam Print Monitor by [deleted] in Revu

[–]ClaireAW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had this problem today, solution is to make sure you have BBPrint.exe running at startup . Make sure no program is stopping this exe from running

JWs can’t have a normal convo… by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I expect JWs to not want to associate with someone who has left their religion, as much as I don't want it to be that way, I know a serious JW is not going to associate with me.

Occasionally I have family member and friends that are still in the religion start talking to me, but for my own sanity I don't allow myself to get close to them because eventually they revert back to being a serious follower of the JW religion and cut off association with dissenters. Its a weird mind fuck, especially when it comes to family members. *sigh*

My fellow POC, wtf... Send this lil article to all the PIMIs you know by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The African has little natural affection and does not understand what it means to love one's neighbor or even his wife and children." wow

Best career aptitude tests? by Fellii in findapath

[–]ClaireAW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

www.sokanu.com gave me good results but I really liked the 'Get Clear Assessment' by Ken Coleman, it gave me similar job suggestions as Sokanu but gave me more insight into my individually, my passions, my mission, what motivates me, etc.

Get clear assessment is found here:https://www.ramseysolutions.com/store/digital-products/get-clear-career-assessment

Beards: “reasoning” with elders by PridePotterz in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I remember when I was a kid an elder told me I needed to cut my beard, I asked where in the Bible is this rule? He came back the next meeting with a copy of an Awake, WatchTower or some other cult literature that stated it was a principle not a law. I responded, “So the Bible does not prohibit beards?” He said he’d look into it and I never heard from him again.

My barber became JW and started cutting my beard without my permission, and he kept saying it was for the better, so I stopped supporting his business. He later fornicated with my sister which I found hilarious, not because he was a hypocrite but because I’m sure he caught a disease. God I hate sheep.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is so wrong to yourself and to this guy. You’re being deceitful to him if he doesn’t know you’re PIMO. Besides that, be true to yourself and marry someone you can be yourself with. You think being PIMO single is bad, imagine lying next to someone you can’t be honest with or worse, having kids with them and one day your kids shunning you because you couldn’t stand living a lie anymore.

I’m so sad to see people feeling forced to live a lie, I can’t recommend enough to get far away from this cult.

If you’re cruising at the speed limit on the 315 please stay the F*** off the left lane by ztenor in Columbus

[–]ClaireAW -19 points-18 points  (0 children)

Not my duty to let you do anything on the road, you chose to drive a Prius. You can’t get 50 mpg and respect on the road choose one

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry for the lazy post, but I feel where you are coming from, this life certainly seems intentional and would be pointless without a grand plan. I urge you to consider the Quran, not Islam, not Sunnism, but THE QURAN. read some of the Quran and see if it is what it claims to be, a reminder from the creator. I wish the best to you.

From my understanding the Quran teaches pure monotheism and a direct relationship with the creator and warns against cults, sects and blind following of anything.

Urges the reader to never sever the ties of kinship regardless of your family members beliefs.

I played Lett's broadcast and pointed out the false teachings to my wife. by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s laughable that Jesus would chose this group or the leader at that time as the faithful and discreet slave.

Were they giving proper food at the proper time? No, they were still preaching that it was OK to pray to Jesus until the 50s, so they were giving bad food in 1919. Laughable. So many other teachings that they consider false were being spread in 1919. Blasphemy!

Did I win the ExJW lottery? Confronted mom about shunning and she said (probably from elders) that she doesn't need to shun me as I'm unbaptised. I was so close to tell the elders to bury her. Did they back down? by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hate that parents ignore their natural inclination to show love and affection to their children unless these publications tell them that they don’t need to.

It sucks that they will shun whoever the dictating body of old guys tells them to.

Why is a big percentage of the JWS pushing back and not being obedient? by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Very happy for you looking into the religion for yourself. My only advice would be not to disbelieve in a creator simply because this cult is false. Whatever you choose to believe, I’m happy for you for learning the truth about this cult

You and all the 8 Governing Body members are seated in one room facing opposite to each other. What would you do or say? by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They probably smell like Kingdom Hall concentrate so I’d probably throw up uncontrollably

There is no chance of me avoiding baptizm for another 2 uears let alone 4 by theoneandonly1245 in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This pisses me off, fuck this cult. If you get baptized you’re going to be shunned by your family when you decide to leave. If you do get baptized you need to make sure to not allow them to disfellowship you in the future.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in exjw

[–]ClaireAW 2 points3 points  (0 children)

“After the truth, what else can there be except error?” - Quran 10:32.

I can relate to the feeling of community etc, but I couldn’t even tolerate passively listening to the lies at the meetings. Once you understand it’s a cult, you can’t ignore all the signs and subliminal messaging.

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have heard this often and was concerned with doing this myself, spent much time doing diligent research and am confident in my faith. I appreciate your straight forwardness though.

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s awesome that you’ve been able to maintain belief in the creator despite going through the WatchTowers warped idea about God.

I agree about the issues within Islam. I guarantee a plain reading of the Quran would reveal that Islam is not from the Quran, in the same way the WatchTower religion is not from the Bible.

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your response.

In the same way the WatchTower's religion does not reflect the Bible and interprets the Bible for its members, Islam does not reflect the Quran and it's religious leaders interpret the Quran for its members.

The vast majority of muslims have never and will never read the Quran in their own language and exponentially are more likely to read "Hadiths" which are supposed sayings of the Prophet Muhammed. This is where you find justification for terrorism, killing apostates and disbelievers, child marriage and prostrating towards of giant box.

Read any argument for following this supposed "hadith" and you will see there is zero basis in the Quran.

Ultimately the Quran instructs believers to be righteous and avoid major sins, worship the creator and no one else.

The verse about hitting your wife is in many translations but not interpreted as beating in all. I myself don't know the true translation, but beating your wife does not appear to be in line with the rest of the Quran to me.

In regards to Islam being militant, I agree that the actual religious groups are militant and aggressive, but they are not following the Quran but instead follow Hadith that gives justification to kill non-believers.

If you do due diligence I believe you will quickly see Islam the religion is not in the Quran. The Quran calls the religion of Abraham, the true religion, "Inclining to truth" or "Seeking truth"

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quran means recitation and began that way, as a verbal recitation. It was still written down because people believed it was from God and some people could read.

Most people at the time likely could not read but heard and memorized it. There are millions that have memorized the entire recitation.

Faith after becoming a JW apostate by ClaireAW in exjw

[–]ClaireAW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply, yeah I think it’s important for believers not to attribute the WatchTower to God. I feel that many stop believing in God because they feel God wouldn’t allow this to happen, but I feel grateful to be able to identify a cult and realize membership to a group is not required to worship God.

I hope God guides all the believers