Running into old members

Davin

Hey all. My name's Davin and I'm new around here just meeting people. I love this page. Since I've never really met anyone who was an ex-jw before (with exception to the one later), I decided to run a search and this has been a great experience for me. I haven't been a witness since I was 16 years old and now that I'm 29 (and FAR removed from any jw association) I find that no matter how far I get away from it, some parts of that experience still seem to catch up to me now and then. Anyone else feel that?

Eithersway, when I was home @ a party for some old college friends I ran into a girl that was a member of my old congregation. She had stopped attending meetings around the same time, and this was the first time I had seen her. I asked her how it was going, and she gave me a fairly odd reply. She pretty much said things had been really good for her, except that she was having a hard time dealing with the fact that Jehovah was going to kill her in a matter of years when Armageddon came. I asked her how many times she thought about this, and she told me everytime she had a beer, smoked a cigarette, or had premarital sex with her live in boyfriend of 2 years. I told her that maybe if she felt so strongly about the faith, maybe she should become a witness again, but she laughed and said there was no turning back from where she was going.

I don't know. I had no idea how to handle it, and I guess it's her choice and all, but what do you do when dealing with something like that?

Again, it's great to be on here, and I thank the coupla people who've emailed me already. It's nice to go someplace where I can talk to people about things that none of my friends have ever been able to understand real well...Happy Tuesday all.

under74

Hmmm...

OH welcome to the forum Davin. Glad you're here.

This ex-JW you speak of...I don't know what I would have said....but knowing me I probably would have sounded all shocked and asked how it is she could still believe that crap and then I'd get all mad and excited and...yup, I'm a real jerk sometimes.

But you know, from what you say of her it sounds like she doesn't want to change her mind and maybe she was fishin' for some sympathy? I don't know Davin but glad you're posting.

outoftheorg

well one thing you could do, would be to tell her to come to this forum and ask if armageddon is due any time soon or is it even true?

The watchtower society has loudly claimed that it was due in 1914, didn't come.

Then again in 1918, again, it didn't come.

Then again they told my mom and the rest of the world it was due in 1925. It didn't come.

Then they told ME and my mom it was due in 1975. Didn't come and mom died.

Now they are hinting about 2030 or 2034 or something. I will be dead by then and won't give a shit if it comes or it doesn't come.

I try to be a good person while living life to its fullest. Tell your lady friend, that it feels really good.

Tell her that I Excomunicated the watchtower and armageddon and am getting along just fine. That I am doing or have done all the things she is or can think of and do this in moderation now.

I am through preaching now and I do not require any donations.

Outoftheorg

Granny Linda

WEll.....you might mention that living life in the guilt from someone else brings gray hair and wrinkles a lot faster then just living life free of religious neurosis.

Ditto...glad having you here. Yes, do try and direct your friend to this site. It's lots of fun, even for old grannies.

Little Red Hen

Granny Linda - That explains my hair and face......wonder if this wasn't part of the Lego fundamental set.

Davin - hook your friend up here, if she will look. It really cured me.