Bonnie_Clyde

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Posts by Bonnie_Clyde

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  66

  Did you Exit the Witnesses Gradually - Or Exit Suddenly - Your Reasons ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i thought it would be good to discuss it to understand what caused some of us to exit suddenly, or some to exit gradually .. myself , i had been in 44 years , had mentally had doubts for years before exiting - but injustices by the elders and my doubts about the " generation " doctrine led me to exit suddenly one night before a meeting.

  the elders pissed me off , i went to my seat, picked my books up and walked out - never going back.

  so what is your story and reasons ?

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  I exited gradually. It started when I noticed that the congregation really had no interest in my parents when they got old and couldn't be useful to the congregation any more, despite their having been pillars in the congregation. When my mother broke her leg (she also had Alzheimers), after the initial show of interest, it tapered off almost to nothing. My father was house-bound for several years taking care of her. We noted that several times car groups of witnesses would drive by the house--even calling on the neighbors--but didn't bother to stop to see how they were doing. I would hear comments at the KH Hall that would go like this, "How is your mother doing?" I'd say, "She is in bad shape, but she really does enjoy visitors. It would be nice if you would stop to see her some time." All too often the response, "Well I would but I'm going to be auxilliary pioneering next month."

  Then I got an elder's visit because my hours had dropped off to nothing. I told them that, between working and helping my father take care of my mother, I just didn't have any time. The response was, "Well that's well and good, but we really need to be out in service talking to people who have no HOPE." I wish I had spoken my thoughts right then. They were, "Well my parents sit at home HOPING that someone will stop by to see them."

  I don't want to discount a couple of people who did show some interest--one couple came over and sat with her occasionally so my father could go to the meeting, and that took a burden off me. I loved that couple and still do. But one time they went on a 3-week vacation and told me they asked around to find someone to look in on my parents, and no one was interested. That got me thinking, Some people in the congregation will show love, but it's not because of the Organization, it's despite the Organization.
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  26

  Has the Watchtower ever admitted making a mistake?

  by moomanchu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with all their flip flops, errors and changes, do you know of any printed admission of mistakes made ?.

  have they ever apologized for wrong doctrine?.

  i think it's because of too much pride..

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  "Like now the 1975 date at the last DC this summer they tried to make out that the friends are the ones who said it but it was never said though the mags or by the GB."

  I believe the Wt made a vague kinda, sorta apology regarding 1975 (in print) about 4 years later. It may have been motivated by the fact the number of publishers was declining a bit since 1975.
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  20

  Started reading Crisis of Conscience

  by KingDavidwasframed in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i was referred to the above mentioned book but never thought it necessary before to read.

  i am starting the 3rd chapter now and all i can say is wow!

  what happened to me has happened to many.

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  I meant to add--right away I ordered the book and couldn't put it down. I was afraid of telling Clyde for awhile (even though he had faded much earlier) because I thought it would make him upset enough to go tell the elders off. As things turned out, it strengthened our marriage as we could now talk about all the things that had bothered him over the years, and now this book gave us the answers. Since then we have been able to get our two sons and a daughter-in-law out of the borg. Sadly, our daughter is still in and won't have anything to do with any of us even though we're not disfellowshipped.
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  20

  Started reading Crisis of Conscience

  by KingDavidwasframed in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i was referred to the above mentioned book but never thought it necessary before to read.

  i am starting the 3rd chapter now and all i can say is wow!

  what happened to me has happened to many.

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  When the Time magazine article came out in 1981(?), my daughter showed it to me. It bothered me a bit, but I asked her, "Where else can we go." Maybe 5 years later I saw an article in a local paper about a couple who were disfellowshipped for reading the book. All of their children were shunning them, including a JW woman I knew personally. This also bothered me. When I finally had the courage to go on the Internet many years later, the first word I entered in the search engine was "Franz," also "1975."
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  55

  Do You Miss The Witnesses Even A Little Bit?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a smidge??

  ?.

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  I miss being "right", having the "truth." I miss the knowledge that Jehovah was looking after me and protecting me. Lately, I've been remembering a saying I heard from a non-witness when I was a child, "God helps those who help themselves."
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  24

  People dont get disfellowshipped anymore

  by foolsparadise in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they are announced as no longer being one of jehovahs witnesses.

  why then do people still shun them if they are not disfellowshipped.

  witnesses talk to non jws all the time, so we should be allowed to talk to members who are announced as no longer one of jehovahs witnesses.

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  So does anyone know of a witness who has been reprimanded for continuing to speak to someone who is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses?" - arguing that the announcement said nothing about being disfellowshipped?
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  147

  Did You Personally Know Any JWs That Were Sexually Molested By Other JWs?

  by minimus in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i knew of a handful (which is too many) that were molested by a jehovah's witness.

  it was not typical in my experience.

  what about you???.

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  Minimus - the details of your story sounds almost exactly like one in a nearby congregation. The son who molested two little girls went to Bethel after high school, married and came back to the congregation. They were considering making him an elder--but about this time, JW child abuse scandals were starting to hit the news. One of the little girls grew up to be quite promiscuous, and the father of the pedophile was quite instrumental in getting her disfellowshipped--I suppose that made his son look more righteous. Soon after this, I think, out of fear of litigation, the father was removed as an elder (he had been highly influential in the area).
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  33

  Assembly Parts NEVER made sense to me....!!!!

  by babygirl30 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is and always has been one of my biggest gripes: assembly parts/experiences.

  not 1....ever......e-v-e-r was even remotely relatable to me.

  now i have traveled all over the place (and to other countries) and i have sat amongst rich and poor jws, suburbanites and urbanites, siddity folks and straight 'hood'.....and not 1 assembly experience made me sit up in my seat and say "wow - that's just like me!".

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  I remember a teenager who wanted to pioneer with her friends, but thought she couldn't because she had to watch her little sister after school. She solved her problem by dragging her little sister out in service too. Of course, everybody clapped. I'd like to know if little sister is still in the "truth."
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  26

  Who remembers the Circuit Orchestra's? How good was yours?

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in the days before 'simplification', the days of 3 day circuit assemblies (fri evening plus sat & sun), when we used have catering departments that cooked and served up hot meals, we also used to have circuit orchestras.. i must say ours was pretty poor though, only matched by the lacklustre singing.. eyeslice.

  (bee in his bonnet since mrs eyeslice went to singing practice at local kh on sunday evening).

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  I used to be one of the piano players at the circuit assembly. All the members of the orchestra would get together the Sunday night before the assembly to practice. It didn't take much as we all had plenty of skills, and I think we were pretty good. Then the CO said we would have to get rid of the orchestra because it was taking too much time that could be used for theocratic activities. So what else were we supposed to be doing on a Sunday evening?
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  16

  Burning Question: Snacks at Kingdom Hall

  by TreadClimberMaster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have not been to a kingdom hall for years, about 6. i have been going to other churches, namely, unity, unitarian and tonight a jewish reform temple.

  what i notice at all of these churches is one recurring theme: they all serve snacks, coffee and punch in the foyer before and after the services.

  this is really nice and i truly enjoy it!

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  Bonnie_Clyde

  Way back (maybe 40 years ago) when our Kingdom Hall changed from afternoon meetings to morning meetings, I remember we had a coffee pot in the back room so people would have something to drink before they went out in afternoon service. I think some people brought in doughnuts.

  About 5 years Clyde and I went to a funeral at a KH which was way out in the sticks. They served refreshments in the back afterwards.

  About 3 years ago, shortly before my last meeting, our local KH had a guest speaker from Africa. To my surprise, there were refreshments afterwards.