Posts by Sail Away

15

Awakening from the Jehovah's witness nightmare.

by James Mixon in

a really moving testimony.

maybe some one can post it here, "monica singleton..awakening from the jehovah's witness nightmare".

posted nov. 11,2017 12:41 min........

Biblical incidents that bothered me.

by EverApostate in

i wanted to discuss the (supposed) biblical events that disturbed me a lot when i was a jw.

these incidents were just read and discussed in the kingdom hall as if these are normal and justified, which clearly weren't.

perhaps this led to my awakening.

Sail Away

Job's ten kids are killed in a windstorm, so he gets 10 replacement kids, and it's all good.

Lot offers his two virgin daughters to be gang raped by the local homosexuals in order to protect some visiting angels. This is a vile account that is beyond reason-- what father would do such a thing, and why would homosexual men rape two young women, killing them? Women and children are clearly disposable in the Bible, and homosexuals are sex-crazed beasts who rape and kill young women.

30

If there was a resurrection in paradise

by Sour Grapes in

something that bothered me even when i was a watchtower company drone was the thought of dying and being resurrected in paradise.

would the resurrected person really be me or just a copy of me?

if god could recreate one of me, he could also recreate five of me.

Sail Away

A similar question was part of my waking up to TTAT. I was the only one of my immediate family who was still a JW, because my husband and children had all left the organization. If I was to be truly happy in paradise, wouldn't Jehovah have to erase all memory of them, so I wouldn't grieve their loss? If I couldn't remember being a wife and mother, just who would that be in paradise?

36

Kleenex Head Covering

by jwundubbed in

growing up a woman in the cult was pretty bleak.

most of the adult women i knew were either depressed sad women or an embarrassment to me.

i was typical kid in that regard.

Sail Away

When my son got baptized, I just couldn't bring myself to wear a head covering. It was demeaning and demoralizing. One more nail in the coffin of the JW cult.

Looking back, it still puzzles me that I stayed in for 42 years. I was a true believer. Ultimately, the cognitive dissonance very nearly killed me.

28

When You Were A JW Did You Ever Stand For The National Anthem?

by minimus in

jw
friends

as a witness i always found a way to not have to embarrass myself by sitting down for the national anthem.. i’m curious.

how many of you stood up for the patriotic song?.

Sail Away

Yes, I stood, but didn't sing or put my hand over my heart. Also, our son was a gymnast. I taught him to stand in respect. I remembered being told to stand in my elementary school hallway during the flag salute because of refusing to participate. Looking back, I felt standing respectfully was a better choice, was acceptable to my conscience and would have led to less "persecution" (bullying).

I guess you can see where such independent thinking leads!

22

Will they drink the Kool Aid?

by Hecce in

as you know the question regarding the “kool aid” is related to the tragic events at guyana and jim jones.

blind obedience and faith in this man resulted in a massive loss of lives.. sometimes we see the same pattern of blind obedience to the watchtower from the witnesses.

this could be on major items or small details.

Sail Away

Cookiemonster, so sorry to hear about your mom. Your mom is lucky to have you.

I know an elderly JW who was disfellowshipped for "wickedness", because she had over a dozen blood transfusions and refused to write a letter stating that it was a moment of weakness, and under similar circumstances she would not take blood again. She hasn't made any attempts to get reinstated, but is still a believer. She was a convert, so her family are not JWs. I hope for her sake they are rebuilding their relationships.

13

Shunning revered?

by new boy in

jw
friends

in 1974 the society had changed there stance on shunning dis-fellowshipping people.

they said you could have limited association with those who were dis-fellowshipped.. what year did they change it back to the old way of shunning people?

.

Sail Away

I agree with Snugglebunny, I was baptized in 1976, and we were allowed to have normal relationships with DF'D family members, just no talking about "spiritual matters". I was pregnant and had my first child in 1981, so the reversal didn't show up on my radar.

Ultimately, family stunning was my tipping point. I left because I wasn't willing to shun my son, and I refused to be a hypocrite like the elders who had contact with their DF'D kids. I was an all-in JW, and they pushed me too far. The mental torment literally broke me mentally and emotionally. I don't know if people ever heal from the trauma the WT inflicts on individuals, families and marriages. I have to believe it's possible, but lately it's hard to put one foot in front of the other.

7

Grounds for divorce and other questions

by new boy in

jw
friends

doing research for my book.

since i no longer have any of of the watchtower bible and truck society publications.

1. was it true (and believe it was) that in the nineteen sixties that even if one of the marriage mates was a homosexual that this was not concerned grounds for divorce?.

Sail Away

Yes, adultery was defined as being between a man and a woman, so homosexuality didn't count as "defiling the marriage bed."

This happened to a friend of mine. The first time her husband cheated with another man, she was "not scripturally free to remarry." The second time ten years later she was, but by that time she felt she was too old to start over, so they still live on separate floors in the same house decades later. He's still DF'D, still bisexual and still a believer tortured by the guilt of his "sins".

True to WT's perverse women-hating rules, she is considered to not be living an "exemplary life" and is not allowed to pioneer, because they are living in the same house as "separated" in name only, not legally separated. Just one of the long list of doctrinal issues I had that lead to my exit.

Oh, and they drive to assemblies together, stay at separate hotels and don't sit together during sessions, but they eat at restaurants together, because they're still married. You can make this stuff up.

17

My Ex CO in Texas was 25 years old.

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

he became co when he was 23. i was wondering is he the youngest co ever?

his name is jonathan smith.

he is from south dakota.

Sail Away

In 2011 my last was C.O. was under 30 years old (my son's age at the time). What a joke! He was DF'd as a teen, graduated from M.I.T., had a return to God moment, got reinstated and quickly climbed the ranks.

I served lunch to him, his wife and a bunch of pioneers, but didn't go to any of the meetings during his visit. That was fun! First time I ever got a thank you note directly from a C.O. instead of his wife-- strong encouragement to attend the meetings next time so we could get to know each other. Haha!

Funny thing happened. Mr. Sail Away had invited a couple out for dinner after sailing the night before this lunch. I explained I couldn't go, because I had to make lunch for a travelling minister the next day. Turns out she was an ex-JW! The husband volunteered to grill the chicken for me, and then we all went out to dinner. So not only did I not attend the meetings, I didn't make the lunch either. True story.

22

How Often Do You Come Here?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i regularly check in to see what's happening but i'm not here like i used to be.. are you here every day?

are you here as much as before?.

Sail Away

I used to post daily on the old YUKU forum, and then visited daily here when they went to read only, but didn't post as much. Now six years out, I visit here sporadically, mostly when my PTSD is triggered by something JW related or when I am struggling with remnants of JW programming in myself or Mr. Sail Away. I try to stick around a bit to offer support in return.