Going to my first meeting this morning

Bug

HI there I'm new here, my name is Fiona I am not yet a JW and have not started to study yet. I am very interested in doing so but since I am still new to all this I thought I should attend some meetings first. I am going to my first one today at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, I am quite nervous as I do not know what to expect but also excited at the same time since it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life. Thanks Bug

Gill

Hi bug! and welcome!

You'll find that most who post on this site are former JWs and are still recovering from the experience. But I don't want to put you off from going or finding out about the Jehovah's Witnesses. By all means go to the meetings and study but....make sure you do so with an open mind. In general they can be very nice people but you might like to find out more about them by reading some of the different sections and topics on this site such as scandals, bible teachings, history etc

They are, though they deny it, a cult and a mind control cult at that. So arm yourself with knowledge about them and you should make any decision with all the information you need at hand. Feel free to keep posting and someone will answer your questions as they come up.

A Sunday meeting comprises of a song a prayer to begin. A public talk. Another song. Then the question and answer Watchtower study and finally another song an prayer.

Be prepared to be 'love bombed' as you are a new visitor. This may last until, should you stay, just after your baptism. Then it's down to business.

Good luck!

Gill

Leolaia

Welcome, Bug! :) This is a discussion forum for all things related to Jehovah's Witnesses. Some of us are current members, some of us are ex-members. Please let us know how your visit goes today. One small question.... if you haven't studied yet, what is drawing you to the Witnesses?

Been there

Hi Bug, Welcome to the board.

Please do alot of research here first before you make such a life changing decision like joining a high control religion. This forum has mostly Ex-JW's on it. You could save yourself years of pain down the road.

Sirona

Hi Bug and welcome to the forum! You'll find a lot of people are willing to give you advice on the Jehovahs Witnesses. My advice to you is just read read read all the information you can find, even the information from Ex Jehovahs Witnesses.

Many JWs as individuals are really nice people - I have members of my family who are JW, but I myself chose to leave a few years ago. Noone is saying JWs are not nice people. The thing is, you need to be aware that as soon as you "join" they will expect you to desert all your current (non JW) friends. They'll also discourage contact with your non-JW family. Then, after a couple of years when ALL of your friends are JWs because they've made you leave your other friends, you'll discover that if you do anything that the JWs don't like, they'll abandon you.

If a JW does something that the JW organisation thinks is wrong, they practice "disfellowshipping" which means that no JW can speak to you or associate with you because in their eyes they consider you evil. They will disfellowship JWs who smoke, or who celebrate christmas. So before you give up your non-JW friends, be aware that you will be left with noone to turn to if you don't do EVERYTHING THEY SAY.

When I left, I had no friends anymore, because all of my friends were JW. I had no university education either, because they told me I shouldn't go to university. I had to start my life from scratch. Thing is, I'm one of the lucky ones. There are people on this forum who have been JW all of their lives and when they hit retirement they realised they'd been decieved all along. Then they were left with nothing and a lifetime wasted. Don't let that happen to you.

Sirona

TheEdge

Welcome Fiona (Bug) - I can only echo what others have already posted. Please take care, the teachings of the JW are very attractive - I am sure your appearance at the Kingdom Hall this morning may result in an offer (or 2) of a Bible study - don't get involved too quickly, do what YOU want to, at your own pace.

it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life

<sigh>

Narkissos

I am going to my first one today at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, I am quite nervous as I do not know what to expect but also excited at the same time since it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life.

Hmm... This quite reminds me of my own state of mind when I went to my first meeting, over 30 years ago. I was just about to swallow everything hook, line and sinker. Btw, I was 12 years old.

Just a tip from an older fish: you'll notice that much of the JW teaching works by questions and answers; that is, their questions and their answers. The questions are the bait, the answers are the hook. Make sure you bring your own questions with you and you don't get them mixed up with theirs.

Maybe the first question to start with could be: why do I desire a huge change in my life?

Btw, you are very welcome here. Please be very careful.

frenchbabyface

Nothing to add ... I've posted just to say Welcome FIONA !

Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice.

Bug,

Here's hoping you changed your mind about going to a dub meeting after visiting this site, for as you said "it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life". Understatement.

Virtually anything that life has to offer you will be more rewarding (and less damaging) than becoming entangled with the jws. Look at it as though god directed you to this site. Well, at least cheeses found you.

Good luck, and read carefully the experiences of those on this site who devoted many years of their life to the jw religion. It is eye opening.

cheeses. offering help to the needy.

Mutz

Welcome Bug!
I hope you find time to do some serious research into the JW's
and don't just accept their word on what they say is the 'truth'.

Going to my first meeting this morning

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