Posts by Alive!

36

Faith, where now?

by Theburstbubble in

so for the first time ever i went to a church service at my local church (coe) and i have to say it was awful!

it was just like a ritual.

the vicar would say something and then the congregation would all say a phrase in unison back to him.

Alive!

I've been to a few baptist services - it seems there is room for diverse perspectives within the congregations - I don't see it as a future 'home'...but I'll visit.

I have a very strong spiritual hunger.....I used to love the JW bible studies way back, I just can't stomach that I had no choice but to accept teachings as current 'truth' at the time, when later, much is adjusted and changed, after I had seriously worked hard to study and make a particular 'old' interpretation 'work'.

I hated religion when I first met the witnesses.....I thought they were 'different' - over the years I couldn't live with a hurt conscience when I strongly could hear manipulative language and unloving guilt tripping.....and so much more.

Be patient. Church of England is extremely ritual based, so no surprises there. It wouldn't be for me as a 'home'.

I'm not looking for a church 'home' right now - but I find beauty and spiritual richness in participating in life and trusting that a greater purpose exists....

The org frightened me towards the end. Maybe I could have lived in the bubble if I had kept my head down, but I couldn't in all good conscience represent an organisation which I believe has a dangerously damaging culture.

Try getting involved in community driven aid, joining groups who are committed to helping fellow folk. You may find like minded believers who you can comfortably build friendships with....and at the same time, serve. But this way, you don't get to count hours.....how terrible was that?!!!!

58

Jehovah's Witness Church Release Statement

by truthseekeriam in

jw
friends

"we are saddened to hear about the death of prince rogers nelson, who was baptized as one of jehovah’s witnesses in 2003," the church said in a statement obtained by people.

the church said that prince "found fulfillment as a witness and in sharing his faith with others.

http://www.people.com/article/prince-dead-jehovah-witness-release-statement.

Alive!

Really? I wonder if he too was conflicted, and disturbed by elements of JW.org.

Did Prince hear about the ARC? Did he too watch the live testimonies from the leadership?

I wonder, did Prince feel comforted and at peace with the direction of the organisation? Did his heart thrill to listen to the manipulative phraseology of the G.O.D.? Was he like many, disturbed and hurt?

How does anyone know what was really in his heart....? Certainly, the 'spokesman' for the church wouldn't truly know - or would they?

I hope he found peace and joy with hope for the universe.

RIP Prince.

10

Victoria Wood dies

by Xanthippe in

i'm shocked to hear that victoria wood has died of cancer.

she was only 62, so sad.

she was one of the first female comedians, and paved the way for the those women that followed.

Alive!

One of a kind - 'spank me on the bottom with the woman's weekly' - she was brilliant, utterly brilliant.

Very sad.

28

Since leaving WTTS have you joined a new church or just continue with the new beliefs you have discovered under no religion?

by AmIright in

share your thoughts ?

Alive!

I haven't joined a church .....but I have explored a little....learning, seeing things from different perspectives....

This is my journey and my accountability - over 20 years ago I was taken through a bible study of two books which was a programme of 'truth' at which each point and paragraph I had to 'understand' and grasp the spiritual insight offered to me - we prayed that I 'would let these 'truths' sound down into my heart..... And.... The invisible men who interpreted these truths changed their minds, again and again.

I've lost so much -and i wouldn't wish that on anyone.....don't let men demand to be masters of your faith....I did. And I'm paying for it......

18

Happy Birthday to me!

by awake!watcher in

jw
friends

i am an inactive awake "witness" who recently had a birthday.

most of my family is in.

my hubby is awake, with no family in.

Alive!

The spin is that Birthday celebrations make it all about the 'created' and not the 'creator' - - so we don't follow the way of the world with big, self centred celebrations.

At one time - I could reason on this - but over the years, I have seen the most decadent bridal showers, baby showers with gifts that went way beyond the norm.

I'm not being sour grapes here - but I remember attending a young sisters bridal shower, over 50 were there....traditionally it's meant to be a intimate gathering of womenfolk, with a little anonymously given item for the kitchen, like a ladle, tea towels etc.....

This party was 'the norm' amongst young witness sisters - incredibly expensive lingerie and beautiful things wrapped up like something out of a movie ....nothing practical for a new home ;-)

And that's fine, really, but I noticed her couple of non-witness ( grandmother etc) family members were visibly shocked, and utterly embarrassed by their humble gifts of tea towels....

The same close relatives that never got a birthday card or gift, a Mother's Day card, flowers etc.

I wonder what they quietly thought about this event, where champagne flowed from midday to early evening..... If the 'outside' could see 'in' .......I'm not being bitter, or a humbug ( I had a great time!) it's just such a strange and weird contrast to our proclamation of every witness bring an ordained minister....our proclaimed simple way of life, the discreet turning away from 'living it up' like the 'world'......

148

Jehovah's Witnesses View of Jesus Compared to the Early Church

by cofty in

the following is an extract from something i wrote 16 years ago soon after leaving the watchtower.

i am posting it because it may help honest jws consider how far their beliefs are at odds with new testament christians.

if they have "the truth" then their attitude to jesus ought to reflect that of the apostles.

Alive!

Yes Faye, your observation is spot on.....Jehovah has become interchangeable with 'the slave' and 'the organisation'.

Just like you, I started reading the scriptures without a WT 'study aid' publication, compared the pattern of phrasing and language - the early Christians were all about Jesus....everything was for Jesus.... Or God, the father.

I suspect they are changing this - guess they are turning more towards mainstream Christendom.

PS is there a scripture where Jesus invites his listeners to be Jehovah's friend?

14

The Kingdom Hall

by TheLiberator in

i know i have mentioned this on other posts.

as a born-in, i was obsessed with the watchtower.

it was god's organization.

Alive!

Heartfelt words in this thread - and I totally get the reaction to 'cult-speak' - I kind of always had been aware of this pattern of words throughout certain JWs speech - the 'slave' is used a great deal now by the sounds of things - back in the 80s it was the 'remnant' the 'annointed' the '144000' - because back then I was taught that globally the 'remnant' get 'truths' from Jehovah that they share at HQ, by calling in, writing or some other means.....

But so true that it would be defeating 'liberation' from cultic thinking if we adopt more black and white perceptions of how we view our fellow humans....it's a tough old wrangle of the mind, emotions and Lord knows what.

I have made a right pigs ear of my unofficial 'exit' - my lack of patience wore out when I kept centering on questions that I felt should be clearly answered, not for us 'innies' but for those who may observe our ways.....although no-one dared to come back and provide a fair answer and eventually dropped contact etc -so there you go. Hope they don't get asked the same question with an interested person.....because no one I appealed to appeared to do the homework required to give a fair and honest reply.

Or perhaps they did - and the answer terrified them.

My faith is inclusive, I guess it always was, sort of - we are all on a journey.

And for the Christian 'disciple' - well, plenty of warnings what to look for when 'the way' goes 'awry'.

Thanks for writing your heart out @Liberator - it helps us all to think, rethink and move in the best way we can.... And wise words from PeteZahut.

Thanks everyone.

148

Jehovah's Witnesses View of Jesus Compared to the Early Church

by cofty in

the following is an extract from something i wrote 16 years ago soon after leaving the watchtower.

i am posting it because it may help honest jws consider how far their beliefs are at odds with new testament christians.

if they have "the truth" then their attitude to jesus ought to reflect that of the apostles.

Alive!

Cofty,

Just referred to this post and article -I know it's old and you've moved past believing in God etc...but thank you for taking the time to point out all these scriptures.....

A few years ago, these same thoughts were going on in my mind - I noticed in scripture that most letters by the apostles begin with reference to God and our Lord Jesus Christ' - and I thought, why not to Jehovah and our Lord Jesus Christ etc.

Surely, if making Jehovah's name known was a huge part of the preaching work, you'd think they'd begin each letter, clearly to Jehovah or 'LORD' ....

But Paul and others consistently refer to God, they use God instead of Jehovah exactly where you'd expect 'Jehovah' to be the obvious usage....except in quoting Hebrew scripture that contains the Tetragrammaton - and NWT use Jehovah there.

I was out with a darling sister one day - full time pioneer, been to pioneer school etc - and after a study I shared some thoughts, using Jesus name, more than Jehovah's name, I didn't get weird or anything by the way - (By the way I noted she had sidetracked on some fairly direct questions from the 'study' as they didn't fit in with the study programme' )

I'll always remember she laughed nervously at some point and said 'alive! You sound like one of those happy clappy Baptist types!'

Actually, I'd simply followed the language format of the early Christian writers......incorporating it into our spiritual discussion, instead of saying Jehovsh every other word.

I know you don't believe - but I know you'll sympathise with my point.....it was really disturbing at the time!

9

JWs' love to brag about preaching but.....

by pleaseresearch in

if what they are preaching about is untrue and false, does it really count?

i mean over the 100 years plus we have been going, how much of what we taught was absolute crap.

how many things taught about never came true.

Alive!

In all the time I was a baptised and converted JW, we had maybe two or three converts who had zero family who were JWs - one was spectacularly mentally unstable, two or three others were more or less frog marched to each meeting and mysteriously disappeared after baptism.

I remember one summer morning, on field service in a beautiful part of our city, in an Avenue of trees and delightful well kept homes....we knocked on the open door of one of these family homes....and out rushed two flushed children yelling 'nana! Grandad!' And then of course they realised their grandparents had not arrived yet - but just minutes later, the grandparents turned up.

This little family looked so happy - their Mother politely and smilingly listened to my shortened version of a 'presentation' whilst behind her, I could see open doorways into a garden where kids were laughing and playing and it was 'family time'.

I thought about all the hoops and heart wrenching chaos this family would go through if 'mum' became a witness and and as I reviewed the awkwardly and garishly illustrated little magazine I held in my hand which hardly 'reached the heart' I wondered what an earth we were really doing, as I joined our straggling group that morning whose attitude was 'they have their paradise now'.

These people, these householders weren't turning down or rejecting God -- I knew this ....and another nail went in my coffin of trust.

30

not all JW's are asleep

by Damascus in

jw
friends

i am an 'active' jw but i do not agree with most of the doctrines inc blood, baptism, the memorial etc etc.i took the emblems at the memorial because i think we all should recognise and accept jesus' command to remember him.

not for one minute do i think this is only for the so called anointed.

i know it is full of man made error and that my fellow brothers and sisters are in a state of mindless, spiritual unawareness.

Alive!

I feel for your torment - I do agree that the Jw.org's culture creates paranoia, lack of trust and all manner of unhealthy behaviours amongst JWs.

Once your ears tune into the 'manipulative' language used in the literature - you realise you are not hearing the voice of Christ, but a different voice....the illustrations, the 'real life' stories - it wasnt a cynical heart that started to feel ill at ease with the nature of their communication to us and the world - it was a heart that actually hurt because I knew it was wrong, something was terribly wrong.

It sounds to me, like you know in your heart where this is heading - keep building on your inner strength - and if at times you feel overwhelmed by fear of what comes next - keep firm and ask yourself, would I wish this burden of conflict on anyone? It will help you to straighten up and face the music.....