Posts by franklin J

13

I voted today

by RunningMan in

jw
friends

i voted today in our provincial election.

i am no longer a voting virgin.

i was always told that voting in an election was casting a ballot for satan's old system of things.

franklin J

Good show!

now you are one step closer to being a "real person" and a real member of the community!

good for you!

36

Most witness's don't even look at the pictures in their books.

by Singing Man in

like the one of the little girl falling into a big crack in the earth, a picture of amagedon from the paradise book.

few witness's stop and ponder just how sick that really is to show kids that at a young age.

if anyone has that post it to this thread for others to see just how hurtful that could be for children of a tender age.

I grew up with the big orange Paradise Book ; and I vividly remember the picture you describe. And I agree with you that it is a terrible thing to teach children. I remember grammar school and wondering why I had to be there if all of these kids were going to die at armageddon. Terrible thing to teach to a child.

13

I was told by the elders if i proceed with my divorce i will..

by anakinsrise in

jw
friends

lose my standing in the congregation,but my duties vanished 2 years ago anyway,no one has commited adultery in the relationship.

and its odd if i had slept with another woman,i could divorce,return to the hall, sit there like a stone for 8 months to a year,get reinstated,and become and elder 1 day.

is that insane or what?

franklin J

welcome to the forum, anakin

Yes, it is crazy. But you have to do what is right for you. This is obviously not an easy decision, but you will find this forum supportive and encouraging.

good luck

Frank

22

Who was your best friend at the Kingdom Hall, where are they now ???

by run dont walk in

jw
friends

did you have a best friend at the kingdom hall, what happened to them, do you know where they are today ?

franklin J

yes, I did have a best friend growing up. I was a pioneer and MS, my dad an Elder, and his family was always considered a little less theocratic than us, for not being active enough in service. They had lived all over South East Asia growing up, his dad was an oil executive. They moved into our congregation, originally from Oregon. From my sheltered world on Long Island, I thought they were fascinating people; world travelers, and they had a far more sophisticated, secular view of life than I was exposed to.

He will not speak to me now. He and his JW wife now live in another state, and ignored my wedding invitation--" he is marrying a wordly girl--and in a church!" When my first child was born, and I called him and his wife to share this with them, my former best friend would not even return my phone call, and his wife told me that they would not even want to know my child as me and my family would not surviving armageddon unless I came back to "the truth".

Nice, loving people, eh? I am proud to say that the "wordly" friends I have, do not care what religion my wife and I belong to , and we have so many supportive friends, that the JW nonsense is a distant bad memory. My kids are better off not knowing these type of people, and my wife and I are better off also without this nonsense

Frank

42

Welcome HICFlygirl to the forum!

by Joyzabel in

jw
friends

welcome hicflygirl.

you have a wonderful sense of humor.

i feel like i'm part of a group again.

franklin J

welcome to the forum

frank

7

More on Witnesses and charitable works (not)

by JeffT in

jw
friends

my wife went to a meeting at our church today to plan a missionary trip to kenya for next march.

the people she met with are part of a group that has built a school, an orphanage, and an aids clinic.

she has decided that her preschool is going to help get supplies for the kids, not a hard task, they have nothing.. this sparked an ugly memory (inretrospect).

franklin J

Jeff, your comments are so true.

I tease my Catholic wife about her faith but the truth is that the Catholic faith has done SO MUCH in terms of charities around the world and the work you speak of. The Catholics even accepted me( as a non Catholic) in marriage to her, performed in a Catholic church. If I had still been a JW, they would never have allowed the marriage in a Kingdom Hall, much less kept me in good standing.

There are many charities that do good in this world for the less fortunate; Jehovahs Witnesses are not one of them

8

Have you ever done this crazy thing?!?!

by BooleanX in

jw
friends

hey dont get me wrong about this, but.... i've been disfellowshiped for 5 years now, (yippee!!!).

i've been enjoying my freedom to the max, believe me, plus i want nothing to do with the borg ever.

but i did the craziest thing today.. while at work, my buddies and i were just chatting away about life and stuff, as bored guys usually do.

franklin J

No need to explain, I have done the same thing.

I have no problem telling people if the occasion arises about my JW upbringing. Most people are interested to know about it ( as long as they know you are on THEIR side and are not going to preach). I am honest with them and tell them that I am no longer a member of that faith. If they have a misconception of JW doctrine, I do what I can to give them an accurate perspective. Truth, honesty, fairness in a description usually connects with most people ( as long as you do not preach)

39

Giving the JWs one more chance.....

by ScoobySnax in

jw
friends

i'm prompted to make a post on this subject following a previous post from stace..... i really think i need to go back to the meetings just one more time, i think it'd be a make or break scenario for me.

i reckon i'll either go back and become full time like i was before, or just slink away thinking "i can't live up to this anymore" i envy both witnesses who are full time, for their faithfulness, and those that have made a clean break, for their honesty to themselves, its sort of not right to be living in some sort of limbo state.. dithering dithering dithering, thats all i've done since i first got here i think, like some fart in a storm, posting fluffy stuff and avoiding the hard stuff.... i hear what some of you say, and it does irritate me as well to be just a hanger-on.

i don't think i'll ever be a hardcore anti-jw no more than i'll make circuit overseer, but well, i guess i need to go some way or the other.. and, well thats it really.

franklin J

scooby,

if you decide to go ; I have enjoyed your posts....

just remember that sometimes, the really important decisions are made for us.

If nothing else, your time with this forum has shown you that there really is life and happiness "post" JW.

Frank

29

How Long Will You Stay Here?

by Stacy Smith in

jw
friends

when will you be done with this forum?

a year?

will leaving be a sign of moving on?.

franklin J

good question...

I suppose I will stay around until I lose interest. To date, I have enjoyed hearing different perspectives and viewpoints, and responding in kind.

We are such a unique group, with our very specific experiences. In the 20 odd years I have been out of the JW faith, I have not encountered other x JWs. With the exception of my parents and sisters, I could never discuss these issues with anyone. I do believe the exchange of feelings, information and experiences are healthy ; supportive and encouraging, and we can all benefit from each others viewpoints.

Frank

48

Refuting the whole WT Org in one question...

by Confucious in

i'm testing my hypothosis here.... the question is this.... "does the wt org.

get special revelations from god today.".

if they answer "yes," then they are going against the bible which says that all scripture is complete.. if the say "no," then we can say, "then why do you say we should follow you.".

franklin J

from a very secular perspective:

Why would the creator of such a vast complex universe chose to reveal himself through ancient teachings of Judeo-Christianity?