today is the day.. i was baptized as one of jehovah's witnesses on march 25th 1989.disfellowshipped for admitted apostasy today, september 10th 2015.. what an amazing story we all share.
how did we get involved with this group and think this was the best way of life?.
i asked my wife to stay home from the meeting tonight and spend the evening with me.she is.... we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary this past monday.. i must admit, i never saw any of this coming, but it couldn't have come sooner.i'm free of all the fake friendships.
Thanks for reviving this thread Kairos.
Your account helps show others that there is indeed life beyond the cult like society we once thought was the truth. There may be rocky times, but in order to be honest and sincere truth seekers, we must step away from the society once we learn of the many, many disturbing aspects of its history and teachings and practices.
We can all maintain our dignity and self respect as we forge a new life.
Well done!
i would love to compile a list of the education obtained by the governing body members both past and present.
can anyone provide any information to get me started?.
it still amazes me they think they can translate ancient languages with an 8th grade education.
I can't remember which GB member it was (although I think it was ToMo3) who said in a talk that "Jehovah's people are the Thinkingest people on the planet"
Yes, yes he actually said that....so that proves the level of education we are dealing with.....
i'd love to see you're favorite wt illustrations/photo's that they think are fine to print - but are actually kind of creepy/wierd.. .
here's my three fave from my book of bible stories (yes, a book for children!)..
man gets his head nailed into the floor with a tent pin by a good jehovah worshipper:.
Good point paleemperor!
For a God that is supposed to be "loving" and "doesn't desire any to be destroyed" and "doesn't punish eternally or in a cruel manner" like christendom teaches , those scriptures kind of say differently!
it seems like many feel hurt or saddened by the practice of shunning by witnesses.. yes, when ones who we were close to, perhaps family or ones we thought were close friends choose to follow the warped directions of the society, it may seem hurtful.. but really, our reaction is up to us.
the fact is, these ones have shown that in reality, their love for us was never real or genuine.
no, those relationships were superficial and lacking in substance.
Snugglebunny: So if you're going to leave the JW's, then you MUST have another social life to fall back on, one that has nothing to do with JW's. Get that organised before the axe falls. Join a club, do voluntary work, go to the gym, anything to get you with people.
if you were part of a judicial committee, and knowing what you know now, what was it like for you to sit on jc’s?
how did you feel if someone was reproved or df’d?
were you ever on a jc and you disagreed with someone being reproved or df’d and were overruled – how did you feel?
I've made it a point to apologise to any who I offended or caused upset to due to my self-righteous attitude I had as an appointed man....
it seems like many feel hurt or saddened by the practice of shunning by witnesses.. yes, when ones who we were close to, perhaps family or ones we thought were close friends choose to follow the warped directions of the society, it may seem hurtful.. but really, our reaction is up to us.
the fact is, these ones have shown that in reality, their love for us was never real or genuine.
no, those relationships were superficial and lacking in substance.
Hi berrygerry, I'm sorry if I offended you or upset you by this thread. That was not my intention. I offer a sincere apology.
i was thinking this morning in context with the shunning practice- which we all know is a degrading and abusive routine carried out among all brainwashed jw's to those who have sinned/left the org etc.. so with that in mind, how does shunning differ from the silent treatment to jw's?
both are similar in definition... silent treatment.
: an act of completely ignoring a person or thing by resort to silence especially as a means of expressing contempt or disapproval.shun, shunning: persistently avoid, ignore, or reject (someone or something) through antipathy or caution.based on jw teachings which i stupidly accepted back when i was asleep and under mind control, i didn't give it two thoughts on how both acts are related.. i do remember an article in a wt which spoke of how the silent treatment is a harsh and abusive form of discipline, but then they twist it back and claim that shunning is a loving provision?
@raven, I believe it was called "beating a bully without using your fists" or something like that?
It was a black and white cartoon drawing video presentation.
ok so this week's wt study article is entitled "why must we keep on the watch?"..
it is filled with statements on the importance of "being watchful" for the beginning of the "great tribulation".
paragraph 2: “keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is.”after that, jesus admonished them repeatedly: “keep on the watch.”.
They justify it like this:
When the scripture says "it will be when no one is expecting it" that refers to worldly people.
Another scripture is used to say "keep in expectation of it, it will not be late"
So, in other words, "True Christians" will be in expectation and ready for the day, while "worldly" people will not know the time nor be ready for it...
Make sense now?
just a side note that i found interesting and sort of upsetting, the wt that the jw's will study on sunday the 18th of september has the words undeserved kindness mentioned 50 in just 19 paragraphs.
really they need to beat it into their people that they are very worthless and do no deserve anything from god?
so much so that they use the words over and over, don't they.. lits .
Yet another example of FOG
Fear
Obligation
Guilt
You are NOT worthy. YOU are a SINNER. You deserve to die. Etc...
Hang on, WHY does every human on earth deserve to die because of a sin that Eve committed 7,000 years ago?
If the "wages of sin is death", then she paid the price for her "sin", and yet we need to keep paying the penalty for thousands of years into the future??
Huh? If a monetary debt is repaid, it doesn't need to keep being paid over and over again!
So "undeserved kindness" is a farce of an idea!
i still go to the meetings because of my in wife and it came about that the elders knew of my pissed off attitude about the society getting involved in the un.
so the elders said they could help me get over that and wanted to meet with me.
now just to let you know, i have only told my wife and her mom so far about it, that's it.
Yes, the sad reality is that it is NOT the actual issue we discover, but it is the very fact that one dares to share anything NEGATIVE about the society...NO MATTER IF IT IS TRUE OR NOT!
