I had an alcoholic father who was a serial liar and cheater. My parents wanted a boy, but had four girls first. My mother had post-partum depression with psychosis after each pregnancy. To say that family life was unstable and insane would be an understatement. The witnesses promised a happy family life. What nine year old wouldn't want that? My family studied for two years and then stopped. My father had no problem with the witnesses continuing to "study" with me and allowed me to get baptised at age 16.
Sail Away
JoinedPosts by Sail Away
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46
What Makes Someone Become a JW?
by minimus inmy excuse is that i was born in the religion.
but if someone wasn’t, why would they become one?.
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90
So my PIMO Younger Brother Tried To Kill Himself Today
by pale.emperor inwe all know that this cult will drive those trying to leave to desperate measures, and today by brother was very nearly one of those statistics.
he slashed his thigh with a kitchen knife and was bleeding out until he called the police.. i got a call on my way home from work from a police officer, coincidentally it was one of my old friends from school who's now a cop.
he told me my brother is in hospital after an attempted suicide and has lost some blood but will be ok. but i should get to the hospital as he's asking for me.
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Sail Away
Pale.emperor, I am so very sorry. There are just no words, nothing to say to make it better when a beloved family member gives up on life. I have been there with my son and thankfully, we came out the other side. Clearly this cult, the mind control and the cognitive dissonance are killing your brother. I'm so glad he reached out to you and am hoping he recovers and gains freedom of heart and mind. Please remember this is not your fault.
Hugs,
Diane
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I yelled at a Dub today!
by kairos ini was walking out of the store and i passed a former jw associate of 20+ years.
"keith"he was an elder, got df'd, lost his wife, got reinstated and last i heard started pioneering!so i see him as i'm walking to my parking spot.. i stop, look him straight in the face and yell from 20 feet away, "you're in a cult.
you're in a cult, dude!".
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Sail Away
Kairos, it is clear that you are suffering. I'm truly sorry for that and can empathize. It seems, though, that you are inflicting even more pain on yourself, while the locals are just having their persecution complex and self-righteousness fed.
Please do find a way to calm yourself and be well.
Hugs,
Diane
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Awakening from the Jehovah's witness nightmare.
by James Mixon ina 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........
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Sail Away
Poor woman.
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Biblical incidents that bothered me.
by EverApostate ini 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.
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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.
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If there was a resurrection in paradise
by Sour Grapes insomething 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.
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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?
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Kleenex Head Covering
by jwundubbed ingrowing 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.
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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.
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When You Were A JW Did You Ever Stand For The National Anthem?
by minimus inas 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?.
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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!
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Will they drink the Kool Aid?
by Hecce inas 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.
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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.
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Shunning revered?
by new boy inin 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?
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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.