Should we attend our first Birthday Party? (page 3)

Knowsnothing

Good, if you don't have strong ties anyways, I don't think you should have a problem. Go for it.

Flicka: I've given you the necessary warnings, so please allow me to now speak my mind. You're going to love celebrating birthdays! They are lots of fun, especially for younger children. Forget WT and live your life.

Flicka

leavingwt: Your warnings are much appreciated and taken seriously.

It is not that I yearn to celebrate a birthday, I think is more the fact that I just want to make my own decisions without having to worry and feel guilty about everything I'm doing.

I think most of us have a problem with being told what to do, and being a JW you eventually start hating it and want to rebel against it.

Flicka

Found Sheep

sounds like you are ready to make the jump!!!

Good Luck and have FUN!!!

AK - Jeff

I think that many people who leave the WT [including my wife and I for a long time] carry the idea that the elders are in tune with everything going on - and live in fear of them as a result. This may be partly due to the isolated nature of the religion, and the viewpoint we were indoctrinated about it being so well known and seen in the community.

I had a similar [if unrelated] fear when we first left and we were reading Ray Franz' books behind closed doors in our home. I was always on edge that someone would come to the door and 'catch' us. When I began to take the books with me to the local coffeeshop to read, I carefully marked out the author's name on the cover, and walked with the book concealed under a wrapped newspaper.

Looking back, I doubt if anyone had any idea what I was reading anyway. Once, unsuspectedly, the PO of the congo came into the coffeeshop, stepped over to speak with me for a moment, and laying on the table in plain view was ISoCF [with Franz' name marked out]. He barely glanced at the book, and though we had been missing meetings for a few months by this time, he did not seem alarmed at all with a book with a title like that.

Though it is not impossible for them to find out what you 'are up to' if they wish to - the real key here is: How much do you care? How would being 'outed' affect you in the short and long of it?

I understand the nervousness of this situation very well - I was a 'model' Jw for 48 years, and really feared the results of being out 'officially'. In the end - 8 years later - I wish I has just waltzed into the KH the first day I 'knew the truth about the truth' and lain a letter of DA on the conference table. As it was, I sweated it out for 3 years, missed opportunities to live, laugh and love.

Thanx for sharing your situation with us, and for letting us contribute [for as much as it is contribution] with you.

Namaste

Jeff

troubled mind

GO !!! Live life and enjoy ! Don't waste another day worrying about what MAY happen instead move ahead to a new life free from guilt and burdensome rules and unreasonable fear .

I wasted 44 yrs of life being afraid to live it . The last six have been the happiest of my lifetime ,because now I truly express what I feel instead of what the Watchtower Society tells me I should do or not do .

james_woods

It is not that I yearn to celebrate a birthday, I think is more the fact that I just want to make my own decisions without having to worry and feel guilty about everything I'm doing.

Honestly, I would feel much more guilty about possibly hurting this neighbor's feelings - they seem to be much better friends than any of the JWs.

Flicka

james_woods: I explained our situation to the neighbour and about birthdays and everything. She said if I decide not to come she will completely understand.

Flicka

james_woods

She said if I decide not to come she will completely understand.

Then it will probably mean twice as much to her if you feel open-minded enough to attend.

Should we attend our first Birthday Party?

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