Posts by Alive!

45

After leaving did the feeling go away?

by committeechairman in

the feeling that you're never good enough.

the feeling that you're wicked and evil.. .

because i'd give anything not to feel this way.

Alive!

I was not raised as a witness.

It seemed to me, over the years, that the culture of the org was to keep us 'looking at eachother' and measuring ourselves against eachother.

So many sermons about not comparing ourselves to our brothers - and yet there played out the constant 'comparisons' through parts in assemblies, the signing up and announcing of pioneers, the marking, shunning.... The marking of ones character according to meeting attendance and answers at meetings ..the assignment of simple things like carrying the mic - or worse, being taken off this 'privilege'.

At a time when I was seriously digging hard in my 'soul' for the best treasures to manage a horrible ongoing and private situation, daily making Christian sacrifices - I slipped off the heartily approved by JWs scale as my meeting attendance wasn't 100 % and I couldn't face those insane JW social get togethers....

It seriously messed with my head, heart and soul.

In recovery :-)

72

The bridge burning has begun.

by sparrowdown in

jw
friends

i was feeling particularly hopeless about the whole jws being assholes thing and sick to death of pretending so ....

i rang my sister and told her that i no longer believe jws have the truth and the phone went silent, when i asked her to say something she just said if that was the case then she would have to hang up on me and then proceeded to indeed hang up..

so i texted her back immediately with fu..

Alive!

" I no longer believe Jehovah's witnesses have the truth"

Say that and these wonderful 'Christians' with the 'right heart condition' cut us dead.

Say...

" The Jehovah's Witnesses fail ME and many truth seeking people to impress as having supernatural and divine monopoly as the only association one can have to be a follower of Christ due to false prophecy, demonic led utterances (the ancient prophets to be resurrected in 1925 to live in Beth Sarim mansion) and the utterly bizarre reasoning of the blood doctrine - and there is much much more.... "

The loss of your belief is not your fault - it is the failure of the FDS/GB/ org to build trust.

They are not looking for real truth seekers.

Their bible says that finally, the greatest of the gifts would be love.

Lack of respect for the individual conscience is NOT love.

62

What is the most strange action of a witness while out in field service?

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

i was paired with this older "brother" when i was a teenager.

he was very very strange.

he was a nice guy but goofy.

Alive!

'Looking back at it now I realize the whole experience was crazy. It was just full of bizarre tales naked people, dangerous animals, hoarders with houses full of cockroaches not to mention all the weird JW's and their quirky ways. i remember riding around all day looking for elusive return visits that hadn't been home in years. Coffee, ice cream,spring rolls and chicken breaks.'

Nancy Drew - this made me smile from head to toe and shake my head in wonder!!

It must be the same the world over.

I remember cringing on some RVs where certain sisters would say 'lets go visit so and so' - if the poor HH was at home, they'd be subjected to all sorts of nonsense small talk as the sister gabbled on - the HH unable to get a word in edge ways - and then finally presented with the latest awake article on growing lettuce indoors ( with a WT on Armageddon tucked inside and obscured) "I'm sure you'll find this interesting - I know I did" referring to the lettuce or whatever article, carefully covering the scary Armageddon pic on the WT mag!

I know the sisters meant well - but a life saving work??

72

The bridge burning has begun.

by sparrowdown in

jw
friends

i was feeling particularly hopeless about the whole jws being assholes thing and sick to death of pretending so ....

i rang my sister and told her that i no longer believe jws have the truth and the phone went silent, when i asked her to say something she just said if that was the case then she would have to hang up on me and then proceeded to indeed hang up..

so i texted her back immediately with fu..

Alive!

Island Man4 hours ago

"I rang my sister and told her that I no longer believe JWs have the truth and the phone went silent, when I asked her to say something she just said if that was the case then she would have to hang up on me and then proceeded to indeed hang up."

I think her response highlights the ugly truth about the JW religion. When you really get down to it, it's really not about worshiping and serving Jehovah. It's about the pride of being special, the grandiose thought and religious prestige of being the only true religion.

So much truth in this nugget, a great post to ponder :-) - although a big issue for 'Lovers of Jehovah' is that Jehovah = the religion = everything the GB says. They wholehearted believe their loyalty is directed towards the 'Grand Creator of the Universe' - don't you think?

Sparrow - you must have reached the end of your tether - the tension is really terrible when you realise that's it's likely just a matter of time. Take care dear.

Your sister is probably heartbroken too - and she's a prisoner of the GB's directives.

(((( hugs)))

27

For me the worst thing is not having a helper anymore

by John Aquila in

one of the things that gave me confidence in life was that i believed i had the almighty creator/god watching over me, directing me, guiding my every step, protecting me from harm, and answering my prayers.

i now know that is not the case anymore.

i finally stopped praying.

Alive!

kepler2 hours ago

'I think one of the most damaging things about an organization like the WT is the after tase it leaves in the mouths, minds and soul of those who were caught in its path.'

Yes, this is true.

11

Today's Text

by snugglebunny in

.

Alive!

For way too long I couldn't hear the voice of the Lord Jesus/ Jehovah in the Literature from Brooklyn.

So, as a believing 'Christian' - it did my head in. They write a load of rubbish.

Today, am on a journey - and it's not with the spiritual interpretations from WTBTS/ JW.org

110

Just had a former elder friend tell me, “This Overlapping generation is crap.

by John Aquila in

last night i ran into a former elder friend, he is in his late 70s.

he asked how i was doing and i asked how he was doing.

then out of the blue he tells me; .

Alive!

Problemaddict hit nail on head.

Doctrine and spiritual 'meat' is not too important to the stay-in/ born-ins....

A younger born in friend who by her life choices obviously doesn't live as if we're in the end times - a lifetime of heavy duty career moves, accumulating property and never pioneering, ever...suddenly out of the blue got all excited last year at the international conv - sending me pics and exclaiming 'the best, best conv ever!!!!!!' - she loved it, the new hip style of vids ( the interior room shots looked pretty cool) the Mexican waves ......I texted back 'so good you enjoyed, what was the main spiritual encouragement/ scripture that you took away' - I haven't been to meetings for 3 years and she knows it - and I got silence. Couldn't be bothered to sort out exactly what scriptural element made it the 'best ever' - she's not alone - pretty, smart and a worldwide network of family - the WTBTS had some clever branding consultants helping to gloss up the self image of the JWS.

20

Humanism and Witnisam.

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

well it seems for many on this board the time came to leave the w.t and cross the bridge in to a real world.

speaking for myself l feel i did not enter the cold and lonely world i was lead to believe i was entering.

rather i have discovered it was no great loss leaving a world that had protected me with false, dreams, fantazy and false promises.. but what have i really achieved by my leaving that i value?.

Alive!

Alive! - "...I dared to say it felt like giving 'a witness' was like handing the majority of the population a death sentence..."

"I suspect that back then, that possibility actually motivated more than a few WT loyalists."

You know, I hate to say this - but the 'relish' in the tone of voice amongst certain JWs was disturbing.

I heard a crazy mix between ecstatic delight that someone was 'interested' to sad, down-mouthed head shaking when a 'study' couldn't go past a certain point...to downright disdain.

Given the appalling 'witness' we have given over the years through decades of poorly scripted 'studies of truths' where the 'study' had to believe this or else - every witness alive today should take pause.

As several prominent elders have said to me in the past as they wiped their lips and enjoyed another glass of wine ' even if it wasn't the truth, it's the best way to live'....

For some maybe.

For some.

4

LEADERSHIP OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND "PRIMUM NON NOCERE"

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

primum non nocere is a latin phrase that means "first, do no harm.

" the phrase is sometimes recorded as primum nil nocere.some businesses have adopted this aphorism into their day to day psyche, one such example being the airline industry.

this is so deeply ingrained that here in the uk, many observers opine that the uk's national health service ought to adopt the same psyche as the airline industry and incorporate the "first, do no harm" into day to day practice as a priority.but what about non-medical and non-airline organisations?

Alive!

Excellent OP, thank you - it is a very good read.

27

Who am I to screw up their happiness?

by Crazyguy in

that was the question to me tonight.

because of their beliefs they have a moral compass, a net work of friends and a support group.

they have what they believe is a loving god.

Alive!

The witnesses (under instructions) have irresponsibly left tracts at the doors of people - depicting frightening scenes of humans dying ( including children) terrifying illustrations of monster like dragons, lions and all sorts....

Without pausing to consider the mental and emotional health and age of whoever may pick up the publication.... And off the JW trots, for an afternoon drive around and coffees...

I remember speaking to a woman who said that at a very fragile time in her life, the witnesses had frightened her and left her feeling anxious and miserable, due to their clumsy and ridiculous way of picking out just one scripture and following that theme at a time when she simply needed warm human care and gentleness. And... They kept coming back...flip flopping between warm fuzzies and frightening warnings.

UNQUALIFIED.

I have watched needy people being brought to the meetings, being 'made a friend of' only to be dumped, absolutely dumped when they back off.

I wonder what damage has been done over the years to those we 'met' on the doors...