by mpatrick 17 Replies latest jw friends
When I've met up with witnesses frm my old cong, they all comment how well I look. I make a point of being all smiles when I greet them, and I'm sure it confuses them to no end. ("why would she be so happy? Maybe she's got a boyfriend? Hmm, I didn't see anyone with her. Maybe she's become materialistic, yeah, that's it. She's driving a very nice car these days...")
As the saying goes: Smile. It makes people wonder what you've been up to...
Isn't that what matters, that I think I am happier?
Absolutely. My response to statements like that is to snicker at the person who said it, and not say anything in reply.
COMF
Whether at Nishapur or Babylon,
Whether the cup with sweet or bitter rum,
The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop,
The Leaves of Life keep falling one by one.
Makes me think of this quote by Abraham Lincoln: "People are as happy as they make up their minds to be".
Unfortunately, WTS strickly forbids its membership to use theirs.
Andee
My mother has a unique way of looking at it. She assumes that if someone is happy outside of the JW's, it is because the DEVIL has them right where he wants them and he is taking it easy on them. She has also been known to whisper "they are recieving their reward in full" behind a particularly happy person's back.
LOL
BobsGirl
"May the work of your hands be a sign of gratitude and reverence to the human condition." - Mahatma Gandhi
"You are not the same daughter"
"You and your sister don't care about me anymore" (no mention of my brother who is JW)
"You don't treat me as nice as XXXX's daughters" (who are JW)
"You only think about yourself"
"You will never be happy or find what you're looking for. You were always happier when you were going to the hall"
"Oh, the answer to that problem is go back to the hall" (after I confided a problem)
"Well I'm not surprised you argued with your boyfriend. You will find a much nicer man at the hall"
"XXXXX is such a lovely girl. She always looks happy" (about a dub)
"You got your tarot read? You are going to the devil!"
Another day at Guilt Trip central.
Sirona
Bobsgirl,
That's exactly how my mom looks at it. Scary.
That anyone who has it good is being played by Satan as part of his plan to keep them from serving god.
She sighs that she's being paid back for the years she wasn't a good witness (I disassociated).
Anne
My mom tried the one "if you love and respected your father and I, you would come back to the meetings"...I find this quite funny considering my mom and dad left the Catholic church to become JWs. They both upset their families so bad that my grandfather quit talking to my mom for ten years and told her that he would rather her become a prostitute than a JW.
My mom also moved back to her hometown area some time ago and received a letter stating the 10 commandments of JWs. It said such stuff as thou shall not celebrate holidays, thou shall not take blood, etc. and the last one said thou shall not live in a Catholic community...she thinks her father sent it to her.
It is still a sore spot for my grandpa to this day (30 years later), and he uses every opportunity to condemn the JWs. And he holds nothing back when it comes to letting my mom know how he feels.
mpatrick
He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.-Thomas Fuller
What JWs don't understand is that "apostate" means a person who has abandoned a religion - not abandoned God. To a JW it is one and the same. To mainstream Christianity they're separate.
