Hi from a newbie here

tere1998

I joined this site about a week ago and have enjoyed reading all the posts and chatter. I was raised in the JWs, baptized at 17 (didn't know any better) but once I got married and had a baby, I just didn't have enough time to go to all the meetings during the week. We got the "shepherding calls" and pretty much were looked down on for not going to all the meetings. Anyway, I ended up "fading" about 20 years ago, my marriage ended, then I tried to make an honest effort to go back about 7 years ago. However, since I was working and going to school at night for my Master's degree, I was still shunned and looked down upon. How dare I try to be successful in this system of things when the end is so near? I must have just been materialistic. LOL I finally got pissed and never went back. It's funny how so many "brothers and sisters" can be on welfare, food stamps, disability (when they are not truly disabled) or milking the unemployment, but as long as they go to the meetings and door to door, they are held in high regard. Me? I was worse than an unbeliever... raising my son alone with pretty much no support from his dad, but making it on my own without government assistance. Since then I read a lot of "contraband" and "apostate" literature out there, and I found it was all true. No wonder the JWs are not permitted to read it!!

Well, it was bothering me that I am still regarded as an "inactive publisher", so I wrote the WTS last week and asked that I be removed from their member list and that I am disassociating myself. I figure that whenever my judgement day comes, I don't want whatever god is out there to judge me as an evil person because I never cut the ties with that horrid cult. I guess I should expect a judicial committee to come knocking on my door any day now! LOL

I am glad I found you guys. It's nice to know there are others who feel the same way about that evil organization.

Hugs,

Tere from Phoenix, AZ

R.F.

Welcome to JWD tere! We're all glad to have you!

Thank you for sharing your experience. It's another wonderful example that gives me hope to acheive my goals after leaving the organization(even though i'm technically "still in"). Definitely stick around, you can be an inspiration to many.

Robert

REBORNAGAIN

Welcome Tere! So nice to have you among REAL friends.

In regards to JW's on welfare etc. etc. It just blows my mind at how they tell us to not have any part of this world, including the Governments and yet they sponge off of our Government BIG TIME! Such A***** Hypocrites!

LINDA

OnTheWayOut

Welcome, welcome.

Sounds great that you found your freedom. I hope you do well with your master's degree.

As far as the JW's go, don't be surprised if they do little or absolutely nothing.
The current elders either don't know you, or have forgotten about you.
You gave them a disassociation letter, no need to form a committee.
They really aren't very good at shepherding any unwilling sheep, only the docile believers.

It really is an evil organization. Thanks for sharing that.

reneeisorym

Thanks for sharing your story. I hope you have many happy days ahead!

snowbird

It's funny how so many "brothers and sisters" can be on welfare, food stamps, disability (when they are not truly disabled) or milking the unemployment, but as long as they go to the meetings and door to door, they are held in high regard.

Hi and welcome, Tere. You're in good company. What you just noted about being on assistance used to bother me, also. I suffered a nervous breakdown in 2005, and one JW offered to tutor me on how to fake the extent of my illness so that I could qualify for a medical disability. It's just amazing how this organization works.

Welcome again and I hope you will stick around.

Sylvia

tere1998

As far as the JW's go, don't be surprised if they do little or absolutely nothing.
The current elders either don't know you, or have forgotten about you.
You gave them a disassociation letter, no need to form a committee.
They really aren't very good at shepherding any unwilling sheep, only the docile believers.

Do you really think so? I was very well known in many congregrations when I was a teenager. I played the kingdom songs for the congregation to sing and I even got to play the piano at a convention and participate in a "demonstration" at a convention where we bashed worldly clothing styles... like stirrup pants! hahahahahaha ... man I was so stupid, but then I was only 16 then. My mom hitches a ride with some friends on Sunday to the KH still, but she hasn't gone door to door in many, many years... and we have the same name LOL. Even though I haven't attended since 2000, I'm sure people still remember me. It was such a drama when I was dating the guy I ended up marrying... everyone was involved in our business. It was so wierd. I'll share one of my experiences in "the little room" with the elders... it should give you a chuckle.

I was 18, my boyfriend (later husband) was 17... The elders were encouraging us to go door to door in the evenings because more people were home. So we did.. I asked my BF to go to a door with me where I had talked to a guy before about creation/evolution. So we talked to this guy for a while. And when we left his house, everyone else had gone home! I had my car, so I gave my BF a ride home and then I went home. Someone saw us driving down the street and turned us in and we got lectured. I was so mad and I asked why the people that left us in the territory weren't getting lectured when it was their fault. Was I just supposed to leave this guy stranded in the neighborhood? It was getting dark!!

I have so many stupid stories like that... I could write a book, believe me. At one of those elder's meetings for a different "lecture", I flat out told the elders they were a bunch of hypocrites and they shouldn't be yelling at us when they didn't even know what their own kids were doing (which was true). I thought this one elder was going to pop an artery on the spot! I left that congregation and joined another one, so the lynchings stopped hahahahha.

I laugh because it's such a STUPID organization... I can't believe how many people are sucked into it. I was in my early 20's when I started to fade and now I'm almost 40.

Thanks for letting me ramble on lol and for the kind words. You guys rock.

Tere

REBORNAGAIN

TERE.....a pure case of assuming on their parts. It's like they look for reasons to get back at members, just to show who is in authority. You did the right thing in taking your BF home. Reminds me yet again how my Ex did the right thing in allowing me to stay in his home for a couple of weeks after our divorce. It took me that long to find an apt. What was he supposed to do, throw me out on the streets? I got DF for that.

LINDA

Gopher

Welcome to the board Tere.

The elders love bossing people around (especially those who are a failure in the other parts of their lives). Thanks for sharing that story about how they set you up for trouble. Bastards! It's so good to be away from them.

Whether or not your write a book, please share some more of your JW horror/comedy stories. I enjoyed the ones you've already shared !

eclipse

You're awesome Tere!

Welcome to JWD, I look forward to reading more of your engaging posts!

Hi from a newbie here

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