i had a couple of jw sisters call at my door today.. they started with the bizarre "can we read you a scripture" and read about "death being no more" and asked what i thought of that.. i said it sounded like a mix of disney and dumb.. they then launched into how god was going to put an end to death and wasn't that wonderful?.
i said it would have been more wonderful if he'd not created death in the first place.. they thought man created death by disobeying so i questioned why god couldn't have just forgiven them.
apparently "because he loves us" is supposed to be a satisfactory answer to why he kills us.. i asked how loving it was to kill hundreds of thousands of children in tsunami's, disease and so on.. at this point, they gave up on the 'god is love' and switched to the bible being true no matter what because it was an old book and moses had written the first chapter (says the book).. when i suggested it really wasn't that old and that most of the bible myths were copies of older stories from before it was written they questioned if i studied the bible and theology.. then i told them i was brought up as a jw so knew it was all crap.. now it was game on, they immediately switched to play defence questioning why i'd left (and i think they'd already taken a step back away from "the evil" obviously emanating from me).. not much time to say much before they cut and run so i told them i'd left because i found out it was all based on lies and that the watchtower was corrupt and covered up things like child abuse.. oh no, you're thinking of the catholics one of them said (some disdain in how she said "catholics" as though "we're so much better than them").. "well, i challenge you to do a search for the australian royal commission and you'll see the testimony the watchtower leaders gave and the damning evidence that they covered up abuse and reported none of it to the police.".
"Now it was game on" - Simon
Waste of time, breath and energy.
"Damn I wish they would call on me!" - Cofty
Nothing you could say or do would be so profound or different that it would change their views. Sure, in your mind you would win any argument, that's easy. But in their minds the shield would immediately go up. You would be of Satan and anything you say would fall on deaf ears. They have the Internet and the same means we all have. Any changes, concessions or actions come from within.
you brothers who gave talks do you thinks about the crap you spoke from the platform.. thirty years old, no knowledge what so ever of the world we live in, barely making the grade.
to graduate from high school, a year and half in jc college and now with schooling of jw higher.
education i thought i was a hell of a speaker.
"I feel so embarras when I think about that time." - James Mixon
JM,
Don't be too hard on yourself, we all thought we knew more than we did.
i perfectly remember that, rehearsing with mom, trying to read with enough emphasis and in a proper tone.
i was 5 years old, back then in 1996 i think, and the portion was james 5:1-13.... i found today that i still know the first verses by heart!!!
it's actually a cherished memory for me, i came to memorize those because mom had me starting the reading all over again until i got to read it properly... and in time!!!
has anyone heard about this?
that really sucks.
lots of dubs are talking.
who cares?.
the first time i was in distress with the watchtower, i was fortunate to find this place.
my ego thought ,i was somehow special, that my posts were reaching a worldwide audience, and most of all i felt at ease, maybe home is a better word.
Good OP Reb,
Before arriving I had been in a place where I rarely gave Wally World a second thought. Out of curiosity and as the result of a friend's recommendation I tuned in. I found the forum to be a place that maybe, through my experience, I could somehow in a small way help a few. I still hope that is true. I noticed though that what I have to say has usually already been said by many. That's okay with me, it just means there are a lot of ex- JWs that have similar experiences. I still tune in, just not quite as much. The arguing, name calling and mean spiritedness seemed to have taken over there for a while and that was disheartening. I thought if current JWs were lurking they might think that that is what happens to people who leave WW or maybe they think those on the forum were already mean spirited and that's why they left. Lately though it seems to have turned yet again. The ones that have their own agenda come, try to exercise their agenda, then leave. They come and go. I hope the lurkers can find some info, good experiences, helpful advice and encouraging words to help them escape Wally World and, like me, rarely give that world a second thought.
so i'm loving the fact that my little one gets to be a "normal" child and take part in everything at school.
however i still have that stupid niggling in the back of my head that she shouldn't be doing it and it's wrong etc.
at the moment she is rehearsing for the nativity play and keeps singing the songs at home (she is going to be an angel!
FeelingFree,
We all deal differently with exiting the cult. But what seems to be common among us is that as time goes by we think less of Wally World and more of the real world. Eventually WW isn't even a fleeting thought. Hang in there it just keeps getting better and better.
just finished leah remini's book, "troublemaker.
" very good book that easily resonates, i'm sure, with anyone who has exited a cult.
her life in scientology and eventual exit was a nightmare.
i've been lurking on the board for almost a year now and i think i'm ready to come out of hiding (although, i'm so nervous as i type this).
i'm not ready to share everything about my story, but the basics are that i'm a born-in, elder's kid, baptized as a teenager because i was tired of hearing people ask me "all your friends are baptized, when are you going to get baptized?
", married an unbeliever (was df, but came back shortly after) and we have two kids.
Welcome ThinkerBelle!
Take your time, things tend to fall in place. You have already taken some big and bold steps. Rest assured, the farther away from Wally World, the picture continues to get clearer. Good luck on your journey.
i was just a teenager and have a vivid memory of sitting in a chair doing a microphone for the sunday meeting.
everyone was commenting that it didn't mean the end was far off, and it didn't change the condition of the dead, or the 144,000, or the trinity so we should still remain faithful.
this is my first memory as a kid being just a teen that i ever had a single doubt.
i hope everyone is having a good saturday.
i've visited this many times in the past month or so, joined yesterday and finally got the nerve to post!
needless to say, i'm super nervous, being new to this whole experience.
Welcome Marie!
There is no doubt, it takes great courage to do what you're doing. Anytime you research something knowing the result can "blow up" your whole infrastructure is frightening. Hang in there, rebuild, the ride ahead will be the time of your life.
