active and happy jw

by scumgrief 151 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  teejay

  SG,

  I think my experience is not uncommon. I was raised in the truth like you. Was a very active believer for more than thirty years. Then I was df'd. The elders didn't even BEGIN to play by the rules... played favorites; showed little (no) mercy; showed no interest in gaining a brother. One of the committee elders even told me as much after I was reinstated.

  So far, not a problem. I was raised to have a deep faith that everything was within the full control of Jehovah and in the end, matters would work out. Of course, the problem came when I began to research the organization's history. Sorta like I always told householders to do with THEIR religion.

  At that point, changing congregations, looking for one that's even as cool as yours, was not something I was interested in doing.

  later,
  tj
• 

  ashitaka

  Scummy-

  Simply put-you rock. You're a cool guy and you've only been here a day. I hope to have a real conversation with you soon. Feel free to email me any time to shoot the breeze about anything. Have a good nite.

  I didn't want to be an ass in my earlier post to you, but I've had a rough nite....read the thread-"Wanna hear some horses**t?!?!??!", and disregard the 'active JW' reference...it has nothing to do with a sensible fellow like you.

  ashi
• 

  JT

  4horse says:

  I mean that. Any JW who can be civil in their discussion of religion, read, and post to a board in which basically they are forbidden, represents to me someone who is at least not afraid to think. Congratulations.

  #########
  so many former jw seem to forget that point so quickly- they often jump
  on some newbie jw with both feet- after awhile you would think that the former jw would learn the basic patttern of jw coming to the net-

  and THERE IS A PATTERN and for former jw who don't learn it the chance to at least get the JW to stop and think GETS BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER

  i think that in time most former jw who post will get it down to a science as to how to address, what issues to raise, etc with a new jw ONLINE

  They make the avg jw defense system kick in the minute they put up thier first post

  to me it is good to see a jw risk being here- for like you stated it shows they think

  to me any jw who comes into a forum like this has already taken the first steps to becoming a former jw

  I MEAN LIKE FOR THE MOST PART WE ALL STARTED where this person is right now for the most part

  great post

  james
• 

  JT

  Fran says of Scum

  Perhaps this is your first step out of the Borg

  ######yep and the funny part is HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT YET

  SMILE

  JAMES
• 

  Derrick

  "we will hunt you and hurt you and beat you and injure you and harm you and maim you and crappy B movie death scene you and you will not like it! (we mean it!)"
  http://scumgrief.com/

  Gee, I got a similar threat back in 1996 when starting a site called [L=H2O] http://www.geocities.com/hourglass2.geo/[/L] for JWs and other interested ones. :)

  <i>Derrick</i>
• 

  Joyzabel

  Sounds like you are enjoying your social life. Please take time to read the Bible and see what Jesus meant at Mtt 24:4, "becareful that no one misleds you".(Phillips) There are many stories on this board to learn from and there are many "active JWs" who are really reading God's word and not just what is regurgitated for us. J2bf
• 

  4horsemen

  SG,

  Did I read right? You hunt? And so do many in your congregation?

  With what? Bows? Guns?

  I ask because I used to hunt in my younger days. How does you BOE get around gun/bow ownership? You know swords into plowshares et al etc.

  You're in a band too? The things you are decribing are not unheard of in my experience but lets just say you'd be totally browbeaten into submission or accused of "indepent thought" if you persisted in such 'unapproved' activities.

  Let me give you an example of just two things that made me go Hmmmm
  both told to me from a still active elder who studied with me and who I call friend. This was some years back.

  I was 18 or 19, cant remember and in college (browbeating starts)and the subject of dating/marriage came up.

  This was my question point blank...

  4horsemen, "----- if I were of marrying age and NOT married by the fifth woman I dated, would you come and speak to me? (ie taking dating seriously, not for recreation, or to develop socially)

  Elder friend, "yes, I would speak with you, and advise you to consider not to consider dating until you were ready to commit to marriage."

  Now, what would you say SG if someone told you that each woman you dated and didnt marry basically reduced your field of selection 20 percent?

  Whoa Nellie!

  Or if you played basketball (in high school another no-no) and still played in college and do to this day, have very same elder friend tell you that you should consider not playing with "worldly" bad associations but rather after service on Sat come play softball with the cong. with ages from 7-70?

  Basically, what would you do if when you played your music for the Elders they DID NOT approve and told you to quit listening to it? If you did Big Jah would not approve. How would you feel about that?

  It's these browbeatings and similar that made us question just exactly who we were living our lives for.

  Again, good to see a JW thinking outside the WTS box. Keep on keeping on.
• 

  rem

  Scumgrief,

  Well, I'm not DA'd or DF'd, but I don't consider myself a witness anymore, really. My wife and I are just still semi-associated so that our family can still associate with us and not feel bad inviting us to family functions and stuff. It keeps things simpler.

  I left because of doctrinal and policy issues, such as the 607 vs 587 chronology and the blood issue, among many others. It just came to a point where I felt that I could not in good conscience bring others into this religion when I knew the organization was lying about things. That affected me deeply. I remember crying myself to sleep one night when it all sank in. I knew my life would never be the same - I had been lied to my whole life. But my wife and I are very happy now.

  My brother-in-law actually spoke to me the other day for the first time in a year. He would usually just ignore me - even in public. Hopefully things will get better. They are not back to normal yet. I'm not sure if things ever will be normal again. My hope is that my friends and family will find out on their own that this organization is a sham now while they are young, instead of finding out years from now when they are old and feel like they've wasted their lives.

  Good to have you on the board, Scumgrief!

  rem

  P.S.: A great book to read is "Crisis of Conscience" by Ray Franz, former Governing Body member (he is Fred Franz's nephew). My wife got it for me for our 3rd anniversary. Even though it was one of the least expensive anniversary gifts I've ever received, to me it was priceless. You can get it from Amazon.com:

  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0914675044/qid=1005106424/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_3_1/104-6159417-4597501

  'A scientific opinion is one which there is some reason to believe is true; an unscientific opinion is one which is held for some reason other than its probable truth.' - Bertrand Russell
• 

  RedhorseWoman

  I view them as an imperfect
  organization doing the best they can in this system. And yes I agree that they have
  made mistakes, but I haven't seen any other organization that comes as close to the
  truth as they do, at least for me.

  My dear, dear Scummy. If you only knew how many years I wasted quoting this exact same mantra. I saw problems, and yet I denied that they were of any consequence. (sigh) So much time wasted before I finally had to admit that the WTBTS didn't really come that close to the truth....they only said they did.....and if THEY weren't the "truth", what would I do with my life? Little secret...the WTBTS doesn't stand up to close scrutiny, and I found that life is much happier and spiritually fulfilling without them.

  You're in your mid-twenties, and you are fortunate enough to be in a loving, fairly normal (for JWs) congregation. How many congregations have you been associated with? I was "in" for 30 years. During that period of time, I found two congregations that embodied the "Christian ideal"....only two. Through various moves and congregation splits and joins, I was associated with six different congregations, all of which were total travesties of a loving Christian environment. The two congregations I mentioned were ones that I attended while visiting friends....and how I wished I could find a congregation that was loving like that.

  You speak of lies, and yet the "lies" you described as total BS were merely the recitation of several people's personal experiences. You have not lived their lives, nor have you ever been a member of their congregations. What gives you the right to say that they are lying? Simply because YOU haven't experienced what they have?

  Perhaps you should compare the number of negative experiences to the number of positive ones and weigh them carefully. Either 90 percent of the people on this board are liars, or the WTBTS is what they have represented it to be. Interesting dilemma, isn't it? What if all of these experiences ARE true? Can you honestly say in your heart that you should support an organization that commits these heinous acts? Will you accept your share of the bloodguilt that the WTBTS is heaping upon itself by supporting it no matter what? Or will you have the courage to research and find what is true?
• 

  Bill Parker

  Hi S.G.
  As to your statement: "They are the only one's teaching close to the truth" Close is good if your playing horeshoes. Pardon the pun. You said it though and your right. Now read Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false Prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders,so as to mislead if possible even the chosen one's" Now of course in order to mislead the chosen one's of necessity these false prophets would have to be right in AMONG the anointed Brothers of Christ. This is where the Bible predicted that they would be. They were there in the first century they are there right now. That can be scripturally proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Read my very long article on Apostasy it is covered in that article. There is also another there talking about "Branding others Apostate". Jesus warned: "Beware of false Prophets who come to you in sheeps covering" He said "you will know them by their fruits." A sheeps covering is someone disguised as something they are really not. Jesus said: "You will know them by their fruits. So examine very closely everything you are being taught. Do as Jehovah instructed you to do through the mouth of the Apostle John. He tells all of us: "TEST the inspired expression to see if they originate with God for many false Prophets have gone forth out into the world" 1John 4:1 If it was important to test the "INSPIRED EXPRESSION" of how much more importance is it to "TEST" the "uninspired Expression"? You will remember that Jesus said "You will know them by their fruits". He was telling all of us as well as the first century Christians to view closely not only their teachings but their actions as well. When you start thoroughly testing all of the teachings of the Watchtower Society and come to know because of your own thorough investigation the things that they have been doing that are completely out of harmony with the Bible you are going to be shocked. Just remember this, the first century Christians had the freedom to even test out everything the inspired Prophets spoke and wrote even though everything they stated was word of God. Those ancient Boreans did that and they were considered "noble minded" for doing so. From my own personal experience and I know others have experienced the same thing you are not allowed to follow the direction in 1John 4:`1 and you are not allowed on pain of disfellowshipping to question any of the Society's teachings. If you dare to do that "YOUR ASS IS GRASS" Pardon the expression. I did that and they tried to make it a judial matter. Jehovah allows it and they don't! What's wrong with this picture? You have much to learn as do we all. Steel yourself for a few shocks because they are going to come. Every one on this board knows exactly what I am saying. Don't you Guy's and Gal's? Bill Parker