Hi there! (page 3)

Mrs Smith

Hello and welcome to the board. It's good to see who amny new ones there are. It gives me hope that my friends and family will also see the light!

jgnat

Welcome! I love meeting newbies.

Stories like yours me wonder, when I join my husband at the meetings, how many others feel like you do.

Congrats for breaking the mental chains!

James Free

They think all the problems in the congregation are human failings localised to our area and that overall we are Jehovah's Happy People living in Satan's World.

Welcome to JWD. Unfortunately the view expressed above is typical. When JW's read one thing in the WT and yearbook and hear happy experiences at conventions, and compare it to their own experience, they often conclude all the problems they see must be local. What they don't realize is the WT creates an idealized JW world that is not found anywhere, even in Bethel, and the experiences in the yearbooks and from the convention platform are edited and sanitized so much that they cease to be real.

For example, there was an experience of a father who had a few kids who still managed to Pioneer by reducing his working hours to a bare minimum. It was suggested the family all made sacrifices etc....what was left out was that he was a skilled tree surgeon, and made more money in one day than most made in a month. So, everyone feels guilty they are not more like brother X, when in reality he had a cozy life with time to spare. This is typical of JW false reporting.

Don't give up hope though, however old they are, they might one day see something that begins the wakeup process.

oompa

Welcome Breakingfree! I am still a newbie, but talkative. I could not shut up for awhile about the real truth, but was always careful to only refer to and cite WT material, so stayed pretty safe. Everyone thinks I am apostate or crazy though (including my hardcore wife and son), so it really has not done any good. It is tough to shut up, and I dont see anything wrong with careful seed planting with appropriate questions or answering someone honestly when questioned as long as you are careful. Crazy isn't it? Cant really state your own opinion. There is no short or long term advantage to meeting with the CO. If you just say "thanks so much but now is not really a good time" or "not really necessary right now".....nothing bad will happen....it is not the same as telling them to... fluck off you crazy a$$hole$!

I am amazed a the patience shown and quiet reasoning shown by this poster:

Dagney: I am from the camp of "less is best" as regards any communication with the congregation or CO. I wasn't on JWD when I left, I didn't have my answers sorted out when I faded, and had to go on my instinct. I used personal health and circumstances, which were truthful, to successfully avoid confrontation. By laying low, it took a while for the news to reach relatives and friends which gave me the time to be sure of my decisions.
As far as the family is concerned, I've avoided all discussions of my new found truth. I put myself in their shoes and know I would defend the WBTS to the death if I was in that mindset. So I'm of the opinion that unless one is searching or questioning, it does no good. And I feel if they are questioning, they will be able to find what they need to start their journey on the "dreaded" internet.
Remember, anything you say cannot be taken back. And once it is relayed from person to person, through time, as will happen, it will not resemble anything you originally said in the first place. To my very best g/f who is in, I have said over and over to her "I have issues with the corporation, not the congregation." And she doesn't ask, and I don't tell unless I'm asked.

Very cautious approach here, but I am starting to really agree. Until someone is questioning on their own, doubting, most of what we say is going to be immediately rebuffed..............oompa....so lucky to be a like-minded couple

Pioneer Spit...oh, i mean Spirit

Welcome.

ex-nj-jw

Welcome to JWD

nj

OnTheWayOut

Welcome and hello. Your third post seems to be in line with the advice most common here:

But maybe I won't even say that much

Sweet Pea said it about the best:

I personally would avoid meeting with a CO - just say you're ok, struggling with some personal issues, depression, tiredness, work stress etc and thank him for his concern - he'll soon move on to someone else and the visit is so short anyway.

The C.O. really doesn't care about "wasting time" actually visiting those that probably won't
start selling magazines again. He will put forth an effort but it will wear thin in just a short time.
If you give the brush off for a couple of visits, he will eventually stop asking. If there is a
C.O. or an elder who really cares, you might have to always give the brush off every few months,
but it will get easier and easier to just say, "I am fine, no thanks."

BIG D

welcome break,

we are certainly among friends that are like minded, honest hearted persons that are truly worn out by the wtbs, and its unloving daelings with the publishers

big d

nvrgnbk

Hi.

Hi there!

momzcrazy