Posts by CountryGuy

If it's someone I've just met, or someone I have limited contact with, I have to say it's a bit embarrasing. I usually say that I was raised in a very fundamentalist religion.

If it's a friend, then I have no problem with it. I usually not only name the JWs when I talk about growing up.... I usually give them a reason NEVER to listen to them again.

When I first moved to TX, it was like I had a clean slate. At that point in my life, I would have rather told people I was gay than a former JW.

CountryGuy

15

What goes on in your neighborhood?

by SWALKER in

jw
friends

i thought it would be fun to find out information that you think we would not know about the area that you live in.

last night on the news i learned that london has been closing its pubs at 11 p.m. and they are about to change that(i didnt know that before)

i live in the south (usa) and heres some things that you might find interesting:

We have a lot of police officers and alcoholics in our neighborhood. At least once a month, someone takes out the stop sign on the corner. Then there's the lady who lives next door, she has had to call an ambulance twice in the past three months because her son had drank himself almost to death.

He got mad at us for pouring out the bottle of vodka that he hid in our yard. I didn't know it was his, but I kinda figured. I would have liked to have kept it, but I wanted him to find the empty bottle so he wouldn't hide things over here anymore. I think it worked, he's always flipping us off now.

Other than that, we're a real quiet neighborhood.

38

Watchtower site hacked again!

by AlmostAtheist in

.

(and this time, the links actually do something!

) (url = http://thebentinel.com/watchtower2.html).

CountryGuy

That's the best laugh I've had allll week. THANKS!

25

W.T January 1, 2006

by Diogenes in

just reading through the january 1st w.t 2006. the first study article (starting on page 20) "how firm is your trust in god?

" has another dig at higher education.. paragraph 7.

"anyone who does not trust firmly in jehovah might think differently.the majority of humans view material wealth as a major key to security.hence, parents have encouraged their offspring to invest much of their young adulthood in higher education, hoping that it will prepare them for well-paying careers.sadly some christian families have found the cost of such an investment to be very high, as their children have lost spiritual focus and turned to pursuing materialistic goals".

CountryGuy

I have to say, it wasn't my going to college that 'turned' me agains the WTS. It was the actions and the attitudes of most in my home congregation. The congregation and elders of the KH I attended while at school never looked down on me and were always nice to me. However, when I would come home and go to the meetings or out in service, I was barely better than a disfellowshipped person. It was clear to me that I had been 'marked' by the elders (and/or their wives).

Between my freshman and sophomore years, I dropped out and returned to my home congregation. I did this for a few reason, my family's financial situation being one of them. My parents did not pay for my tuition, or anything else school-related. But, due to an illness, they were having troubles paying all the bills. I moved home to help provide more income. The way that the majority of the congregation treated me during this time, even though I was helping out my mom and dad, was truely unchristian. I didn't mind that they would not invite me to 'get togethers,' but to give invitations to others right in front of me at the KH was a bit rude and tacky. I didn't mind that I was 'marked,' but to include my parents in that because of my actions (that I totally took upon myself) was the last straw. I stayed in as long as I could just because of my parents.

Once my family's finances were back in order (which by the way the JWs NEVER even offered ANY kind of assistance), I went back to college. I moved out of my parents home and rented a small duplex in the town the school was in. Except for a couple of Memorials, I've never been back to a meeting since.

Let me repeat... It was not what I learned AT COLLEGE that made me leave the JWs. It was what I learned (and how I was treated) WHEN I RETURNED TO THE JWs FROM COLLEGE that was the beginning of the end for me. It was about 7 or 8 years after my leaving that I found this site (Thank you again, Simon.) and found out all the crap the WTS has been doing over the years (the UN scandal, the Mexico/Malawi fiasco, the blood issue, etc.) to the R&F.

CountryGuy, of the "Now that he looks back on it, is glad they 'Marked' him or he would probably still be trapped on the inside" Class

33

Fantastic end to police chase

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i couldn't help but smile at the news last night.

here in san diego, 3 guys are being chased by the police while driving their stolen car.

the fog gets quite thick, so the police stop the chase, but then realize that the car they were chasing pulled over.

CountryGuy

A fitting end to a crime.

Ummm... death a fitting punishment for stealing a car? Hmmm, okay.

I don't understand that logic, but then again I'm not a right wing conservative.

47

JW kids: How old were you when you stopped getting spanked?

by rebel8 in

jw
friends

just curious.

i was 17 when i was last spanked.

it was the day of my high school graduation.

CountryGuy

I was 18 the last time I got spanked, or as we called it "a whoopin.'" It was about a month after high school graduation, and about a week before I told my parents that I had decided to go to college and had applied and been accepted to a University in a nearby town without their knowledge.

I don't remember what it was for, but I do remember that I deserved it. I would have to say that every whoopin' I got, I deserved. My parents never "beat" me, but they were not afraid to use the belt at all. Like Cyg's father, my parents always made sure I understood why I was being punished. Afterwards, I always got a hug from my mom or dad to reassure me that they still loved me. I remember one time when my older brother slammed the car door on my hand on purpose, my father gave him a whoopin.' After it was all over, and my brother came out from his room, he went up to my dad, hugged him, and said, "Dad, I know you said it hurt you more than it did me, but it wasn't in the same place."

I know that many on this board were abused, and I totally feel for you all. Its a horrible thing to do that to a child. However, I feel that the whoopin's I got as a kid, helped me grow into a responsible adult. Had my parents gone about discipline in a different manner, I probably would feel differently.

CountryGuy

75

Disturbing Information Passed on in Annual Elders Meeting?

by Dune in

jw
friends

as you all may know, the elders around america have had (or will have) their annual meetings.

you know, the ones where they are trained and brought up to date about the whole scheme of things.. anyway, an elder who i happen to be close to was telling me yesterday that some troubling/disturbing things has been going down in congregations worldwide.

he also mentioned that it will be mentioned in watchtowers and km's in the next few months.. anyone know what he may be talking about?

CountryGuy

I know (seriously) what it is . There are apostates in our midst. People like me really piss them off. We appear to be loyal at the Kingdom Hall but post on boards like this - how do I know - well I can not tell you as it may identify me

A part of me wishes that I could be active in the congregation again just to cause them some trouble. This is not possible now, because there is no way I'll EVER set foot in a KH again. But, for those of you who are able to know the truth about "the truth" and can still go to the KH and be a thorn in their side...

T H A N K Y O U !

62

What is the most unique name you've encountered?

by Why Georgia in

jw
friends

this question comes to mind right now because i seem to be surrounded by pregnant women.

3 of the mom's in my sons' kindergarten class of 12 - are pregnant and in the other classes i notice a similar trend.

it's not a large school - maybe 60 kids max between the preschool and kindergarten.

CountryGuy

When my sister-in-law was pregnant with her last child, they found out early that the baby was going to be a girl. Their last name is Marek (Mar-eck), so my father-in-law wanted her to name his granddaughter Bertha. Bertha Marek! I told her to name my new neice, Denice. It would be easy for me to remember.

She named her Amberly, good thing.

CountryGuy