by RollerDave 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I've got an older sister who is a decent sort.
She remains within the congregation and is married to the PO, but still treats me like a human being despite having inklings of my true views.
She was coming over to discuss a few family things so I 'tidied up' my Ray Franz books by turning their spines to the wall and carried a smaller and less obvious gun in my pocket than usual.
I viewed it as courtesy to an invited guest, but wondered if it might be a typical behavior.
Any thoughts?
Roller
Yes Roller, we too have seriously tidied up this weekend due to visiting relatives, all is out of sight, but not out of mind!!
It's OK to avoid unnecessary controversy. I used to do that; eventually I just didn't care any more and I figured out that I wasn't fooling anyone and then I started leaving out the christmas decorations or the birthday cards or whatever incriminating evidence was lying around. This constant examination of one's motives is a hangover from JW days - you don't need to look at all of your actions under the JW microscope. There is a whole lot of stuff in the world that just doesn't matter, and anyway you get to live your life the way you want to and if that includes avoiding unnecessary controversy, go ahead.
I no longer have any JW relatives, but I make it a point to tidy up - as in making my home presentable - when anyone visits. As far as reading material or anything else goes, I keep the private parts of my life in the private parts of my home. I just don't feel that anyone who happens to walk through my front door needs to know everything about me.
W
I guess I do in my own way.
I never invite Dubs over around the hoildays.
I live in a fairly clean house, by nature. My inlaws live in something that would scare small rodents away, it is so gross. So anything better then trash piled in the living room, is better then them. So, no, I do not tidy up. I am already tidy.
My JW family haven't been over here for close to a year. And since my mom called me the other day seemingly wanting to know how me and the kids are doing, if she wanted to visit with me (even though she knows my views); I'd still tidy up just so they are not uncomfortable. Especially because she is starting to lighten up and I don't want her to close up again. I also don't want to get into a debate with religion discussion, so I avoid it as much as possible.
Before I was out I had to "tidy up" in the sense of hiding all my Harry Potter books and movies, Lord of the Rings, etc all so I wouldn't stumble anyone. I still remember my mortification when we moved and the local sisters came to help unpack and discovered my Narnia books (doubly heinous because some view them as a parable of Christianity AND because they include magic). Now, no dubs come to visit, or at least, the uninvited ones don't get to come inside the house. The invited ones are decent enough and know to mind their own business.
