"Stone the infidels", erm ... I mean apologists (IMPORTANT)

Thanks Simon.  This stuff must create a real headache for you at times.

Sorry Simon it won't happen again.

  SIMON-  Good thread. Glad you are bringing this up.  I like the quote you used in the format instructions , or whatever, " Forums may be moderated to make sure they stay friendly & welcoming. " Exactly - I agree.

  Things that annoy me at times is how people even doubt the authenticity of new posters and the stories they bring about hard situations they have overcome exiting the witnesses. It's like some posters think they have a handle on EACH PERSON'S situation and that some people's situations have been so bizarre - they couldn't POSSIBLY be true ! It's ridiculous.  Any of us who were in the JW organization KNOW how bizarre peoples circumstances get- ESPECIALLY when you decide to leave a high control group like that ! Hell- I could make a movie about my life in the last 12 years or so- ( though I don't think anybody would want to watch it . )  LOL !   

  The other point I wanted to make is most of us go through so much pain leaving the witnesses in the first place, i.e., shunning from JW relatives, questions of what we now believe, what our future will be, etc. - that the LAST thing we need if newly posting on a board like this is for people to be unwelcoming or doubting our authenticity. Didn't some of us get enough harsh treatment as witnesses ? So I feel we need to give these folks a soft landing place and a hearing ear so to speak in order to help them see the availability of new options for them gaining information which they did not have access to in the Jehovah's Witnesses. So just my 2 cents. Peace out, Mr. Flipper

I'll be more freindly to apologists, but I don't think I was unfreindly to the newbies. If I was I'm sorry.

Simon:  how is that ignore feature coming along?

S

LOL Satanus

Must give that feature a try as soon as it is installed.

It would help avoid some problems.

S

It would help avoid some problems.

S

yep, it would help a lot- thanks

Thanks Simon for all you and your good Lady do, and the other Mods. 

This is a wonderful life-saving site, and we need to keep it thus.

It does annoy me when some come on here with the obvious intent of disrupting threads,sending them off topic, and when they will not debate, will not answer a question because either they have no answer, or more likely their answer would be exposed as pathetic.

But as has been pointed out, they only do harm to their cause by such techniques.

It is up to old hands on here to bring the thread back on topic, and ignore those who will not debate, perhaps just drawing attention to the fact that a question still needs answering.

Many many thanks again,

Love

Wobble

YAY!!!

Sylvia

(and may you all have peace!), but I would like to comment, if I may... as well as thank Simon (thank you, Simon!) for this thread.  I don't normally post elsewhere besides "Friends" (usually) and "Beliefs & Doctrines" (rarely)... because there's just too many "places" and I'm a fairly simply girl (give me chocolate or vanilla, apples or oranges, white or wheat, 'cause after that I'm like a deer in the headlights)... so, I really just accidentally stumbled on this thread. 

I have to say that I am sometimes very surprised... and confused... and even hurt... at how "new" folks are treated, given how the WTBTS treats those that are not "like" them.  I often open threads where someone's authenticity, genuineness, and sincerity are being severely questioned... based very often on the [lack of] content of their comments... and such person being labeled a "troll" seemingly very quickly.  In such instances, I can't help think but that some of "us" learned from them very well.  Perhaps TOO well.

Truthfully, I don't really understand what a "troll" is (I apologize but I haven't kept up with the terminology for Internet activity like this forum) but it doesn't seem like a GOOD thing.  And so I think, "Why are they treating this person this way, why are they questioning this particular person's motives?"  Isn't being able to come here and post, well, almost whatever one wants to one of the BEAUTY'S of this place?  I mean, I have seen some posts... even by "long-timers"... that have seriously caught me offguard... and would make me think long and hard about who I send here.... and they have absolutely nothing to do with JWs, the WTBTS, or anything related (in spite of the site's declaration of the purpose for its existence). 

IMHO, however, due to Simon and Angharad's "tolerance" this place could be considered, at least as far as physical places to "gather" are considered, the exact opposite of that WTBTS, at least to the extent that what you believe... or don't... is not a prerequisite to participation:  believe... or don't believe... what you will but be prepared to back it up somehow as you most probably will be called to do so by someone.  Fair enough.

But by attacking those who have one foot in the WTBTS and the other on a banana peel...but have not yet perceived this for themselves... I fear that  some have actually ran such ones BACK to the captor that "we" are now free (to some extent) from.  Is that what such folks REALLY want... to send them BACK?  Yikes!!  No, I can't believe that that is the TRUE underlying desire.  Rather, I think a lot of the "tit-for-tat" is merely the result of [very] hurt feelings... particularly on the "older than the newbie" posters' side. 

Dear ones, now... NO ONE should be able to "hurt" our feelings... without our permission.  Not anymore.  Certainly not any of them.  If they (the WTBTS) truly no longer have a hold on someone... that someone ALONE then has the POWER to control how they feel about such things... including the overt "pushing" of WTBTS propoganda.

One thing I notice is that many newbies who visit here but are still "in" the WTBTS share the very familiar trait of not knowing how to properly spell, punctuate, comprehend, read, and/or properly express themselves in writing.  Heck, they barely know how to THINK.  For the most part, they merely know how to regurgitate and restate what has been taught them... "INCULCATED" in them. 

But we KNOW this... we KNOW most of them are uneducated in a secular sense (some of us were, as well)... and should all remember how that was:  virtually everything we ALL said at one time in our lives was prefaced by "the Society says," "the WT says," "my CO, PO, the DO" or someone else "said"... or similar.  And when a "householder" countered with a legitimate question, we either looked to the Reasoning Book or some other publication, or the prepared and practiced statements we learned at the TMS to respond.  God forbid they ask something that the publications didn't/hadn't directly addressed...or that we didn't exactly agree with the WTBTS' teaching on:  we either had to set up a return visit (so that we could bring an elder... or "more experienced" brother/sister... back with us)... or we deftly changed the subject.  Or we found a reason to leave the door altogether ("Well, it doesn't seem like you're interested in what this article/scripture is saying, so we need to take our leave now"... or some other non-sensical, almost deceitful response).

Look, most of them are just simply doing the best they can.  YES, the WTBTS propoganda is transparent... to US.   It is not, yet, to them, however.  But we WANT it to be, right?  Perhaps, then, "we" should take a bit more CARE... not let "ourselves" become easily offended... and let them get it out.  "We" all understand that they THINK they're doing the right thing.  At one time, we thought so, too.  Now, we can CHOOSE... to "return evil for evil" when we feel like they're trying to "bait" "us" (as we did with when "in" the WTBTS)... OR we can give them the benefit of the doubt, that they simply DON'T know any better... yet.  And eventually perhaps it is one of "us" who can at least help them see the false "light" of the WTBTS... if not see the TRUE Light that is Christ.

Bottom line:  maybe you don't feel compelled to lead them to Christ.  Okay, fair enough.  But do you really want to be responsible for running them BACK to the WTBTS... just beause your [very] tender feelings were hurt?  Of course, not.  If they stay or go back on their own... that's entirely on them.  But if they do it because one of us pushed them in that direction because WE were "offended" by something they posted, well... I would have say "we" should start looking... at the "man in the mirror"... and ask ourself if we really DID learn anything after leaving them.  Whether leaving was our choice... or theirs.

Again, I bid you all peace... thank Simon (and Angharad)... and thank you for letting me get this off my 'chest.'

YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,

SA

I can't say it has been fun biting my lip with a certain poster who used to post the same response to several of my posts. The response was usually so off topic I generally thought it prudent not to respond.

2 Corinthians 12:10 (New International Version)