by awildflower 39 Replies latest jw friends
I definitly believe in God and his son Jesus and everlasting life, no matter
what form that will take (awildflower).
awildflower, Just to let ya know, I am too for that statement. Welcome. You are so lucky to make a decision much earlier for your self and the kids. Some of us here are still having issue with part of families stuck in that wasteful organisation. Let me assure you, we will do our best to share with you our experiences. Welcome aboard.
Scott77
Jonny, that's why I love this site, to ask questions like that! Great question. We are so used to applying EVERYTHING in the scriptures to the WTS but when they are out of the way it opens up a whole new world! At this point I would say anythings possible!
Thanks Scott, you know, one of the blessing of living a military life in this org was moving every two to three years. You don't get attached to people in that amount of time and you loose contact with most of the ones you might chance making a close friend. So as far as loosing friends in this org, I'm not experiencing that. And none of my family are in (even though we were all one time in), so I'm not experiencing that. BUT, what has suprised me is experiencing things like, rejection, de-conditioning and the mind 'stuff' that's happened, socially trying to re-connect, what to do with Holidays, how to pray, who to pray to, what to read, the list can go on and on. I've only been baptized for 15 years, so I feel my exit has been fairly uneventful, but we are not really totally free until we 'de-condition', as my mom likes to say. You can't just 'sit' with this stuff, we really have to clean our minds out. But I am sooooo grateful, I caught this when I did for my kids and my heart breaks for the friends I know and for the stories I read on here about this org taking these families 'hostage'. They are in my prayers for sure.
Think about it. What is the ONE ("Christian") religious organization existing today that does the MOST to SUPPRESS free thought?? The Watchtower Society!
WHAT religion today will actually kick you out for accepting GOD's word (the Bible) over THEIRS??
WHO fits Jesus following warning the best today?
"For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service." -John 16:2
synagoge:
1) a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits), a contracting
2) in the NT, an assembling together of men, an assembly of men
Welcome awildflower!!!! Thank you for sharing some of your story.
I look forward to your posts.
I'm an Eckhart fan as well.
awildflower... you are welcome. I love to read as well. I wish I had more time! You definitely have a ton of books. I need more bookcases and possibly a bigger house.
About your JW books.... actually, you might want to look into selling them (maybe on eBay?) as many are looking for reference information regarding past and present doctrines to illustrate further the deceptions from the WTS. They have this way of 'changing' things and not acknowledging or highlighting the change.
So you would actually be creating a Win-Win scenario there! Some extra cash for you and some needed ammunition for others. Maybe your son could use the cash to go to University! I think someone mentioned that Randy Watters (Dogpatch here on JWN) sells JW materials so you may want to speak to him if you'd prefer not to sell -- I believe he'll take donations. My Dad has an extensive JW library that dates back into the 60s and possibly earlier. My Mum used to order the yearly Awake! and Watchtower bound books, and of course, all the study books as well (the 'Your Youth' book I still have and won't give up to remind me of one of my biggest issues with this organization -- subjugation of women ). Ray Franz's 'Crisis of Conscience' really opened my eyes along with those who have been brave enough to publish their stories on the Internet (like Lee Marsh, Rick Fearon, Gary Busselman, Randy Watters, and Barbara Anderson to name a few.). My jaw hurt a lot since it hit the floor countless times over this last year or two.
And yes, us newbies are on 'probation'. We only have 10 posts per 24 hour period so you have to be a bit thrifty in your choice of threads to contribute to. With time, you will get to know which ones are worth your effort. I avoid commenting on ones where I don't exactly like the tone or theme or where I really haven't got anything to say. We are also waiting for the ability to update our profiles to add avatars, locations, 'our story', etc.
Welcome Awildflower!
I definitly believe in God and his son Jesus and everlasting life, no matter what form that will take.
I absolutely agree.
Romans 8:38, 39:
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You don't need the WTS in your life. Nobody does. And good for you for realizing that.
Welcome to the forum awildflower
I am glad you have managed to get out of the WT with your children. Look forward to reading more of your posts.
Maddie
Heaven,
Many thank for helping and providing helpful tips to awildflower. I do not want to see her get dissolutioned after sometime. Overtime, she will be more focused and balanced with respect to what she comments on or start up a new topic of her choice. Iam not surprised, she is a good writer,someone who is not so easily swept off by the ever griping WTS.
Aha, Maddie is here too providing her own helpful comments. I know something about some of her postings. She had some really big issue to confront with the WTS if I am so correct from my ealier readings from her side. Anyway, this JWN site is so wonderful in providing a strong online buddy support system to cope with our many but varied woes we face as we deal with this almightly WTS. I think this is a wonderful blessing for which we should be grateful for.
Scott77
Welcome Wildflower. I am so happy you are out and that you and the children have never been happier, I bet your husband is too. Funny thing I thought my kids would miss something about the organization but they thank me and their dad almost everyday for getting them out. We look forward to hearing more from you.
