8 months df'd.
loving a life of freedom.
however, my family are all shunning me.
"I decided a long time ago to cut ties with my family due to their bad behavior."
I have done the same with an abusive family member. You have to let them know that you will not tolerate their behavior and as hard as it is, you need to RUN NOT WALK away from them. I agree also, that many of them love the attention they receive from other congregation members. "Oh poor sister/brother so and so, their child left Jehovah." Some really get off on all the attention. Very sick and disturbing.
several years ago i started a thread on this forum in which i asserted i had not seen witnesses door-knocking in my village for at least two or so years.
years before that - in pre-trolley times - in going about my business (or pleasure), i'd catch sight of them on the streets as they shuffled in their groups from door-to-door: sometimes there'd be contingents of witnesses, including young couples, parents and their kids and middle-aged and older ones.
in other words, a good cross-section of ages and stages in life.. in fact, i can remember times when witnesses were so visible in numbers when going out in their car groups, you literally couldn't escape them.. then, in more recent years, i've seen very, very little...if not anything (and i count myself sensitive to noting whether jws are out and about).
Take a look at the annual meeting. It is like a convention for the old timers. With young ones leaving, old ones dying and no growth, things are not looking good for WT. They will never go away but I think their numbers are going to drastically fall. Those that we have spoken to are openly admitting that they are not donating. Some have actually said that they are not going to pay Watchtowers legal bills (child molestation law suits). This is what makes me feel good. WT is getting hit where it hurts....$$$$.
LURKERS...VOTE WITH YOU WALLETS!
8 months df'd.
loving a life of freedom.
however, my family are all shunning me.
"She's also destroyed all photo's of me (including baby photos)."
Wow...so sorry to hear that. As a Mother myself, I could NEVER do that. I don't want to hurt your feelings but that is dark that she can do something so permanent. She will never be able to get those pictures back.
Hang in there PE. So sorry they are doing this to you. Hugs.
i'm interested in finding out what it was that finally enabled you to open your eyes to the real truth of watchtower.
what started me thinking, was the societys very own book...' 'revelation..it's grand climax at hand'.
i found that book farcicle.
The lack of love and hypocrisy is what started it all. Then my spouse read Crisis of Conscience. Years of saying...."something is just not right." We finally figured out what was..."just not right."
i have a certain customer, whom we will call sally.
i know sally only by face and only through work.
i am a truck driver on a local dedicated route, and i often deliver to her work.
"Now whenever I go to Sally's work, she scowls at me"
Put the biggest smile on your face and say hello. THEY are the ones stuck in a cult....YOU are free! The best feeling on earth.
i know this has been discussed over the years on this forum, but i just had to post this again!.
it seems that the popular fad amongst the "spiritual" ones in the local circuits is to home school their children instead of sending them to school.. now to clarify, we are in a very nice area of semi rural australia .
one with very community minded, and strong family values.
Yes...we had some family members that home schooled their kids. Now the kids are grown...pioneering, Bethelites & need greaters. They also have no jobs, no home and no money!
so i went to the kh for the first time in a month, and the first brother in our congregation has grown a full beard.
i am in a western u.s. semi-rural area in a cong with an extremely conservative and controlling elder body.
oddly enough, it seemed like people were going out of their way to converse with him and act like they didn't notice the beard or they complimented the beard.
Only in JW land can a beard be a big deal. It screams....cult, cult, cult!
this is a little long, but stick with me.. if you recall, when the building work was in full swing at the new lakefront villa (warwick), wt was having workers come and they would put them up for a year, or more, while they were providing "volunteer services".
with that, and the impending need for hundreds and hundreds of new khs in the usa territory, the congregations were abuzz with the need for "continued construction volunteers".
recently, as many of you know, wt headquarters has sent pretty much everyone home, and is no longer needing workers at the new warwick site, as the building is mostly complete, with the dedication coming up later this year.
"I clearly remember him saying why should Bethel help out anyone, why did they not count the cost.Luke 14:28."
If it has not happened yet, it will. This comment is or will bite WT in the a**. Did not WT count the cost? Fools!
this is a little long, but stick with me.. if you recall, when the building work was in full swing at the new lakefront villa (warwick), wt was having workers come and they would put them up for a year, or more, while they were providing "volunteer services".
with that, and the impending need for hundreds and hundreds of new khs in the usa territory, the congregations were abuzz with the need for "continued construction volunteers".
recently, as many of you know, wt headquarters has sent pretty much everyone home, and is no longer needing workers at the new warwick site, as the building is mostly complete, with the dedication coming up later this year.
Oh, how I wish my spouse and I could tell you our families story. It is playing out just like the folks in Tech 49's story. They have put so much into WT but have made grave mistakes finacially (always hoping for the end...you know...just around the corner). Their world is falling a part.
On day...I will be able to share what we are witnessing in our own family. So incredibly close to the couple Tech is speaking about. It IS happening. The sad thing about it, is they have openly criticized us for the decisions we have made. Today...we have a 401k, we have paid our taxes, we have kids that are educated, working and going to college, we are able to pay our mortgage, etc. BUT....WE ARE WEAK! Little do they know...we are actively fading and WE ARE STRONGER THAN EVER!!! The story is playing out as we speak.
The dominos are falling people! These glorious ones are not so glorious anymore!
this is a little long, but stick with me.. if you recall, when the building work was in full swing at the new lakefront villa (warwick), wt was having workers come and they would put them up for a year, or more, while they were providing "volunteer services".
with that, and the impending need for hundreds and hundreds of new khs in the usa territory, the congregations were abuzz with the need for "continued construction volunteers".
recently, as many of you know, wt headquarters has sent pretty much everyone home, and is no longer needing workers at the new warwick site, as the building is mostly complete, with the dedication coming up later this year.
Love it Outlaw!
