Posts by GoUnion

You are exactly right Coffee Girl! I attended a funeral a few weeks ago and all the JWs just looked run down, tired, and out of shape. The demands on their time is not reall fair considering how hard it is just to take care of yourself. I'm hoping my wife will slowly see the happier changes in my life and recognize it's just from the free time I have now.

10

Life after meetings

by GoUnion in

what are the positives in your life since leaving jws?

mine would be a healthier lifestyle mentally and physically.

i'm free to do what i want and can make my own decisions, is this good for me will it help me or could it hurt someone else?

GoUnion

what are the positives in your life since leaving JWs? Mine would be a healthier lifestyle mentally and physically. I'm free to do what I want and can make my own decisions, is this good for me will it help me or could it hurt someone else? I like making choices based on that, not could it stumble some self-righteous prick. the free time I have now to help around the house or go to the gym is amazing as well, I just feel more relaxed and calmer.

the negative aspect would be strained relationships with my parents, wife, and friends. My parents will have nothing to do with me even though I'm not dfed I am still amazed how quickly I was dropped. things are fine with my wife i just want to explain why I have quit going but she is not ready to deal withe all that yet. I have had zero contact with most of my friends once they heard about me and that sucks but I will not be drawn back in for conditional friendship.

what was nice is I have started reconnecting with my brother who refused to join growing up as a jw and now has little to do with my parents. I was stunned when he told me how he felt abandoned when he was 16 and has felt that way since and he is right. It just makes the craziness of the organization that much more real to me. It is sad when I really start looking around the organization all the broken families.

69

Your Experience with Resigning as an Elder

by committeechairman in

i'm considering resigning as an elder.

i'm not planning to fade or stop as one of jehovah's witnesses, just stop serving as an elder.. i have responsibility in the congregation and in circuit, district, rbc, etc.

and i'm completely exhausted.

GoUnion

I can see how you would want to stay an elder if you wanted some inside information to pass on maybe? Personall i couldn't do it, the demands on your time just to do the minimum can have an adverse effect on your health and time never mind the time spent doing elder stuff.

curious how you can sit on a jc and at the same time not believe in the doctrines.

42

Did anyone in the congregation discourage you from going to college?

by Trapped in JW land in

i remember being out on service with an elder when i was 17. he asked me what i plan on doing after high school.

i told him i was thinking of going to college to be a teacher.

he then asked me, "do you think this system is going to be around that long"?

GoUnion

My parents certainly did, never offered any career advice besides pioneering actually. When I moved for my current job my parents and the hall could not fathom why I would move to have a good paying job with full benefits. Im still shaking my head.

8

Nice conversation

by GoUnion in

hello everyone i just wanted to give a litte update on what happened today with my tolerant, but still active jw wife.

she was at the sunday morning meeting today and when she came home she told me the wt study was about the revised overlapping generation setting.

there has been some tension whenever we discuss my differences with current wt beliefs so i was surprised she brough this up.

GoUnion

Oubliette

Do I really need to explain this to you?

If you disagree with OTHER religions, you are a hero. If you disagree with the FDS/GB/WTBTS, you are an apostate.

It's not about truth or anything else. It's all about obedience.

Listen, Obey and Be Blessed: It's a cult!

No i dont need you to explain that to me but sometimes putting things down in writing helps you get your thoughts in order for future conversations. this site has really helped me the last few months.

i went to a funeral at the kingdom hall yesterday for a very sweet older sister that i knew. i talked to nearly everyone from the hall briefly, some a little longer then others, but it was nice to show them im not losing my mind and i that i am living a productful, happy life. one of my wife's friends told her later, "you know he seems like he is doing pretty well." its true, not having to spend a minimum of ten hours a week in some form of service to the WT whether it be meetings, service, or studying for the meetings, really gives you alot of extra time. i have lost about 20 lbs, and pretty much everyone commented on that fact as well. it just was very satisfying for me to make a brief appearance and show people what being away from this organization can do for you.

i just shook my head looking at all these people, sacrificing their family time, health, work, hobbies, and who knows what else, just to comment at meetings or hand out invitations. when i started looking at most "apostate" sites, i was struck by the fact no one was trying to take my time or money, nor where they trying to warp my thinking into becoming some sort of "rebel". i think more and more people are going to wake up and realize that not everything in this organization is as good as it seems.

8

Nice conversation

by GoUnion in

hello everyone i just wanted to give a litte update on what happened today with my tolerant, but still active jw wife.

she was at the sunday morning meeting today and when she came home she told me the wt study was about the revised overlapping generation setting.

there has been some tension whenever we discuss my differences with current wt beliefs so i was surprised she brough this up.

GoUnion

hello everyone i just wanted to give a litte update on what happened today with my tolerant, but still active JW wife. she was at the sunday morning meeting today and when she came home she told me the WT study was about the revised overlapping generation setting. there has been some tension whenever we discuss my differences with current WT beliefs so i was surprised she brough this up. she said alot of people had some interesting comments on the paragraph although she felt that alot of people there did not really understand this new teaching.

after listening to her explain some of the various comments, i told her it was interesting that this paragraph contained no scriptual references that supported their understanding. she replied that she noticed this too and was thinking of maybe writing the watchtower to ask how they came up with this idea. i told her i thought that was a good idea and would help her if she so desired. when she said she didnt know how they came up with this teaching i told her my thoughts that if the starting point of their understanding of Matt 24 is incorrect, any possible interpretations will be incorrect. i then reaffirmed to her that i have no anger or bitterness towards anyone in this organization i just believe some of their teachings are incorrect and i am having a hard time going to meetings and listening to people comment on the ideas put forth in the watchtower, when i was told by the elders that if i were to express my opinions to her or others, that would constitute apostasty. could not the changed ideas of the generation be a form of apostasty from the original teaching?

i explained to her that the watchtower upholds individuals that challenged the church beliefs in the past, why not uphold those same standards for those who sincerely disagree with watchtower teachings? the mere approval of open discussion could result in helping everyone, regardless if they agree on everypoint.

and with that our discussion ended, it only lasted maybe 15 minutes, but we were both calm, relaxed, and it just felt like an honest and open conversation. i hope this could slowly be the start of something good. thanks for the opportunity to vent!

28

Strong, odd and weird opinions on my brothers anniversary

by usualusername in

today my brother a non witness gave me a phone call.. .

he spoke about this, that and the other.

he then said that my oldest brother (an elder) was having his 25th wedding anniversary.

GoUnion

I would show up and have a good time. Life without the watchtower does not make a person unhappy, in most cases you will be happier. the key to survival from what I have seen in my limited time so far is to keep busy and find a new social circle, the isolation and loneliness that is fostered and felt from the organization is intentional, show everyone you are normal and happy!

12

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

by Oubliette in

jw
friends

[warning: this post contains spoilers!].

i've been reading hawthorne's the scarlet letter.

it is really quite an interesting read for us ex- and soon-to-be-ex-jws, especially if you or a loved one has ever been dealt with judicially by the elders.. i love the way hawthorne portrays the main characters:.

GoUnion

I love to read but I must confess I have not done well with so many of the classics. Your post gives me motivation to rectify this mistake.