Posts by Phaedra

59

Any gay exJW's?

by Trapped in JW land in

jw
friends

was just wondering how many gay exjw's were on this site, and how did you deal with being in this organization?

and also, how did you end up leaving?.

What's your take on UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS?

by Black Man in

jw
friends

not looking for another religion as i'm completely atheist at this point, but the uu's do seem to have a community spirit about them and don't seem to be so cultish.

i lived across from one of their churches (before my recent move) and went to one of their services.

it didn't have the rigidity of the dubs, and seemed to be somewhat open minded.

I attended a few services at the UU in town recently, and appreciate what they do in the community, and their welcoming attitude to all peoples, no matter what orientation they have in life, belief, or otherwise.

I have a very good friend who introduced me to their principles years ago on a little card she carries in her wallet. I read them and thought, "Wow, I already embrace those ideals!" Basic laws of living and cooperation, IMHO.

Last November they had a Thanksgiving dinner for those without family, older couples, and whoever wanted to attend for whatever reason, etc. As a holiday loner, I attended the dinner and had a grand time meeting new people (like a Dutch couple in their mid-80s) and feeling like part of something that day; something I haven't experienced my entire life. One void filled — check! I plan to go back this year.

The services are diverse and interesting. I haven't gone enough to figure out what kind of a spiritual connection I have there, other than just being around a group of open-minded people who can help me expand my horizons and help me drop some of the JW baggage I carry. I always feel funny when churches have the few minutes of "say hello and shake your neighbor's hand" thing... because of my introversion and it feels forced. Anyway, different strokes...

As I grow I'm becoming more open to these experiences. I'll enjoy attending again... it's hard getting out of bed on a Sunday morning when you *don't have to*. 25 years of mandatory 3 meetings a week as a JW will do that to you.

You can always visit just to check it out. YMMV.

Phae

4

Has anyone watched Divergent yet??

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

i have watched the movie divergent.. wow what an amazing film that highlights the value of not just conforming or accepting what is put in front of us!.

the parallels to "the truth" are amazing!.

thoughts anyone?.

Phaedra

I haven't, but I'll put it on my watch list.

Phae

46

How long did you know TTATT while attending the meetings?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i did not know anything about ttatt while attending the meetings.. .

ttatt=the truth about the truth..

Phaedra

At least 10 years. I kept going back to see if I could reason it all out.

I couldn't.

Phae

51

Have You Been Invited To The Memorial?

by minimus in

jw
friends

one of my best friend's, who is an ex elder had two elders visit him at his home yesterday to invite him to the memorial.

he was cordial to them because they were'nt over the top.. so far, i have had no invites, thank god..

Phaedra

Heard the doorbell ring this morning. JW hubby answered ~

I asked, "did you get an invitation?" They were working our neighborhood.

Phae

30

A MESSAGE to the Governing Body and others like them through human history

by Terry in

there is something all too familiar about it, something that sickens the stomach and reminds us how low and prejudiced evil minds can go.. those who divide humans up in order to weaken and conquer them will stop at nothing if not counterfeit reasoning to justify their evil.. .

the arguments made in the past and the arguments made in the present have a familiar ring to them and the false clanger is a note of warning!.

"if you give women the right to vote, you're just doubling the vote of their husband.".

Phaedra

Terry,

Amen to the OP.

Phae

29

Creative ways of counting field service time

by 4thgen in

jw
friends

there was a sister in my congregation that signed up to aux pioneer one month to put in 60 hours.

we couldn't figure out why she was never at the arrangements, but yet she said she got in her time early in the month.

we found out later that we wrote a letter that took her an hour.

Phaedra

When I was a teen, my best friend's mom was driving us home from our morning territory. As she drove along, she grabbed a pair of current WT & Awakes and stuck them into the windshield facing outward.

Her reason: Time could continue to be counted as she was "advertising" the truth via the branding and covers to anyone who happened to see the magazines as we passed by.

My, with reasoning like that, you could easily get pioneer hours just by driving around, right?

Phae

34

How did you find the truth about the truth (TTATT)

by Maat13 in

i am sure there has been a post about this subject, however being a recent addition to the network i don't know how to do a search.

and i'm sure new folks have joined since then.

i am really curious of how others came to know ttatt.. for me is was a real bad experience with one elder after another.

Phaedra

Back in the mid-90s I got online with one of those "Free Hours" Internet CDs. Dial-up. Remember that?!

Found a bunch of neat little search engines and just typed in JWs.

Freeminds came up with the most intriguing story about what happened in the 80s with Ray Franz and Bethel.

I read with the most curious mind. With each click of a new link to another xjw site, my raised-in JW worldview began to crumble.

Found this site in 2000.

Phae

32

You know your an ex J-Dub when...

by Batman89 in

jw
friends

finish the sentence.

Phaedra

...you get all excited about coloring easter eggs at age 35 with your new worldly friends who have to teach you how.

Phae

103

Why do I bother to wake up in the morning?

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i'm not suicidal just fed up.. i did think of suicide (briefly), but as there is no painless way and it's not something i would willingly do just in case things would have been better the day after.

i do have a slight grain of hope.. money problems.....problems at home (that's another matter with a son up court for something he is adamant he didn't do.

first offence but the pigs police and the cps have got charges made.

Phaedra

Hi there, punkofnice,

You are heard, embraced, and loved here.

Your honesty resonates with so many of us ...

We don't want to share some of our true hidden feelings out loud here sometimes in such a public place. But I think we need to at times like this, because it is though this sharing that so many of us can connect together on such a deeper level and try to work this thing out called life after finding out that Living Forever in pure bliss in paradise was just a dream.

How can anyone pick up the pieces of such a life and worldview after 10, 20, 40, 50 years of being a JW? But we do and try.

We cobble together what we can... but the feelings of being screwed out of so much -- normal childhoods, going off to college, having children, etc. -- continue to impact and follow us around as shadows of our past. We have to live in the beds we made as JWs, eventhough we want to jettison the past -- and sometimes our minds and hearts -- as we long for the chance to begin anew

I can SO identify with how you feel in the morning. Nights are harder for me, winding down tired to go to bed, thinking thoughts and ruminating on what was, and what will never be because of being raised as a JW. Wondering what's next... what can I do differently, what's coming around the corner?

I wish we could all meet for a beer and chips and just love on one another tonite. Hugs to you.

Phae