by fallen_princess 98 Replies latest jw experiences
There's an ASL group that meets at my old cong and, during my mom's memorial service, the lady with the most experience had to wear a hat just to f'kin translate. I'm thinking, "How blind was I to not see the misogynistic thread there?"
I don't think it was WTBTS directive that it had to be a stupid-looking man's hat but, from the looks of it, she wasn't taking any chances.
Viola,
We share the same time frame. I left in 1969, when my father died. I am here b/c I still feel captive in many ways to the Witnesses. Part of me is so proud at how worldly I became yet a small part is fearful that the WT is correct. Finding this forum was a blessing b/c I can get validation here.
I am definitely not going to find out but I wonder if I attended a meeting today how much would be the same in terms of doctrine. It was only when I read Ray Franz book (and that was b/c it was just mentioned in the NYT in a minor article) that I realized Jesus was Michael. NO WAY!
They are not Christian at all. Jehovist is a better term.
Botr
I enjoy your posts so much b/c you talk about things I remember. So many of the older posts have moved on years ago.
I wish I had left in 69. I ended up finally walking out in 96. The man who raped me is still walking around the org , a confessed rapist to at least 2 rapes and he is out there. I mentally left in the 80's when I realized they had changed the Ramon doctrine, the baptism doctrine and they started burning books. i also recall them confusing the soul/spirit issue in 67 to the point I fond it hard to explain. the abuse of women and children was rampant and they just thumbed their noses to the law. rotting in hell would be too good for them. It was so crazy here where I live , cloak and dagger with stake outs and all that to catch apostates. I feel ill when I recall all that.
Dying laughing here!
"counseling" regarding things that were "conscious matters", but revoking or withholding "priveleges" for making a decision contrary to what the elders advised.
I got DFd when I was pregnant with my first child. The reason for my DFing: because I was going to marry my then "worldly" boyfriend. The elders explained to me that the sin (of fornication) had already been committed, but that I could "prove" my repentance by NOT marrying an unbeliever. If I choose to marry him, against the counsel of the elders, then I would be disfellowshipped for not "submitting" to the Bible's "principle" of marrying "only in the lord". So, they DFd me. I stupidly got reinstated shortly after, but finally got my brain together and left for good 2.5 years ago.
Almost 30 years ago I was counseled for hanging my laundry out on a Sunday. We didn't want to offend the local Baptists who considered Sunday to be the "Lord's Day". At the time I had three children under 5 years of age, two of whom were in diapers and no dryer. Looking back we probably offended them for a lot of things like coming to their door unannounced on Saturday mornings to tell them they were wrong.
In the same congregation two elders showed up at our door to counsel us on me having my tubes tied after a second difficult birth. Besides that TotallyADD was out of work and we had had our car repossesed so they were convinced that we MUST HAVE A DEMON!!! Funny (pathetic funny) thing is many of the sisters of childbearing age had also had their tubes tied.
STUPID STUPID STUPID RULES!!!!
Reopened Mind
ooohh! I just rememebered another one! Back when Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" had gained popularity, our CO had advised the congregation that they should really examine the movies their kids were watching beause they might seem innocent, but underneath all those movies had to do with witches casting spells making inanimate objects move and talk. My mom was a hairsbreath away from throwing away all my VHS tapes which included titles like Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White because of their demonic content. I remember that some brothers took it farther than that by saying that we shouldn't watch movies with talking animals because animals don't talk in real life unless by posession of the Devil like in the Adam and Eve story. Disney's "The Jungle Book" took the rap for that one too because of the talking snake that hypnotizes the main character.
Thanks for the memories and chuckle with the WTS crazy "rules". :)
RE: Original prayers. Is God truly a literary critic? Martha Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, and Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace, would run out of prayers. I thought Christ (but he is not our meditator) read our hearts. Little did I realize he was giving out gold stars and correcting grammar and syntax. Maybe there is an Academy Awards in Heaven for Best Prayer Composed on Earth or best continuing series of prayers by a single human, male. Best continuing series of prayer, female. Best silly KH prayer.
Best Prayer uttered in a fox hole. Best Prayer during an American Sports Event. Best World Cup Prayer. Best Prayer to Meet Justin Bieber.
Does anyone remember Caspar the Ghost, the friendly ghost? I don't recall details. Did he have a suitcase or was that Felix the cat?
Wow, watching Caspar will send you to not living in paradise until lthe next battle of all the endless battles. The Munsters were so satanic, too.
Fairy tales were forbidden. No Wizard of Oz. OMG, no Bewitched with Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Morehead and the two Darrins.
I think they criticized the Flintstones and Jetsons. Oh, i'd wish they would redo the Flintstones on TV.
No Cinderalla before you graduate to Kate Middleton. Mr. Ed would be a no-no.
I never knew if I could watch a Tv without interruption. Some female dancers were doing the can can on Bonanza or something and the TV tube was removed. This is before cable TV. Museum programs were also a problem. We just got comfortable watching the show at Hayden Planetarium on New York, which cost a pretty penny, when the marvels of evolution were unveiled. My father made us get up and leave, making much noise. I felt it was my personal fault that the Museum of Natural History endorsed evolution. If only I had preached to them.
