hi folks.
what do you like about kingdom halls?.
i am not talking about the software i.e., the people, the pure language, the music, the smell of lavender as the toilet door swings to, or the obedient rustle of bible pages.
Is it just in the U.S. that KH color schemes/redecorations are all pre-packaged "society approved" carpet and color choices, or is it worldwide?
LOL, so each KH has either paint color/carpret schemes 1, 2, or 3.
I remember one of the KH's I attended had ugly orange/brown colors from the 70's. When they installed all the new fresh color mauve and green it was great. But then all the new or redecorated KH's had the same look and feel and so it lost it's novelty.
in a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from god since they "left the jw's.".
as someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)i have found this to be similiar in my case.
i don't know how much i believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the live forever book?
larc,
Thank you for your kindness in directing me to JAVA's Web site. It's a very interesting read. Found some good links and am still exploring.
JAVA,
I appreciate your additional commments on the subject as well. Thanks for the information you freely share on your site too.
Thank you again, all.
well someone had to do it, so it might as well be prim & proper prisca to do the honors in the sex forum...... .
this thread is for all newbies to introduce yourselves.
whatever you feel happy to reveal about yourself.
somebody,
Yes we're still married and haven't turned out to be a JW teen-marriage divorced statistic. At this point I hope we never are.
He is inactive too.
~Alia S.
Edited by - alias on 17 February 2001 15:35:32
i have noticed we have several "active" jws on this board, and some of their comments really bother me.. when i was active, when the wtbts said "don't associate with apostates or worldly people" i didn't.
when they said "spend more time in the ministry" i went to school, held down a job.
and aux.
Wendy,
I add my voice to the others. I was very much like you. For a time I wouldn't even go see PG-13 movies or listen to certain types of music.
"Apostate literature" was anything with a viewpoint other than the WTBTS books and magazines.
Nope, it's not just you. :)
dlj .
what i think mommy/wendy (her real name) is getting at is this :.
getting married is a serious decision that will affect you for the rest of your life.
I was baptized at 16. At the time I really thought I knew what I was doing and what it all meant. The "truth" was all I knew. What else was there? I suppose many kids think the same.
By time I was 25, I started really questioning life, JW's, and everything else. Why was I doing everything the way JW's taught me to? I realized that when I was 16, I did what was naturally expected of all JW youth. How many WT study articles and assembly parts exalted young baptized JW's who dedicated their lives and were baptized? "Young brother or sister pioneer is such a great example to all of us!" If you didn't do that, you were doomed to dying at armageddon because you "knew better".
At 16 I should have been living my childhood. Not mirroring "mature" adults. I wasn't one. I had to grow up first. Baptized JW kids aren't grown up, no matter how mature they seem. When they leave home and live as a fully functioning adults in the world, making their own decisions without the parents attached to their side is when I think they are ready to make such a decision about their life (baptism). Wasn't Jesus 30 when he did?
well someone had to do it, so it might as well be prim & proper prisca to do the honors in the sex forum...... .
this thread is for all newbies to introduce yourselves.
whatever you feel happy to reveal about yourself.
Yep, me.
I've been raised in the organization, baptized in my teens, married in my teens, inactive in my twenties. Currently inactive, haven't been attending meetings regularly for several years. Family in the org.
Missed out on many things as a JW kid, making them up now.
Rebuiding my life and my core belief system.
Not full of a lot of bitterness, because what I do from this point on is up to me. The past is the past and I try hard not to take it out on anyone else. I love learning and love people. I'm trying to prove true the thought that life is what you make it (for the most part, anyway).
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
in a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from god since they "left the jw's.".
as someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)i have found this to be similiar in my case.
i don't know how much i believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the live forever book?
bjc2012,
I appreciated reading your post too. I'm glad that what you have been doing works well for you. I stopped reading the publications some time ago because for some reason the whole JW mindset would flood back into me (also fear, guilt, etc) and I found it difficult to be objective while reading them.
I've found my journey to be a little easier by starting from scratch, but when you've been "guided" into what to think all of your life and suddenly you have a wide open field in front of you, it's a challenge to know where to start (or to re-define your belief system).
Thank you again for your experience. Yes, it is helpful.
in a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from god since they "left the jw's.".
as someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)i have found this to be similiar in my case.
i don't know how much i believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the live forever book?
RHW,
I meant to ask you earler to elaborate more about "Reiki" if you feel up to it. Also, do you still read the Bible? (if so, which translation?)
And when you said, "I have gone from being an all-knowing JW to a person who "knows" little, but who is open to much", you expressed my sentiments exactly. Funny though, even back when I was toting my "Reasoning" book in my service bag, I still didn't feel like I had all the answers. A good thing because the transition from "knowing everything" to knowing very little hasn't been as difficult for me as for some others I know. But I do understand the mindset. These days I'm full of more questions than answers. I like that better because there's so much more to explore.
JAVA,
Thank you for your input on this too. LOL, I should post more often, eh? I am a much better listener than a poster these days. It's been my experience that this specific communication medium takes a lot of extra effort and energy for me to be involved with. Misunderstandings over word choices, style, personality, and opinion are a large part of the whole DB animal that I've had my fill of trying to smooth over in the past on other boards and it's gotten to a point where I just find I benefit more from less involvement. I am a very sincere person and I care very much about how I come across and deal with others on the board but have grown tired of dealing with those who don't.
My posting will most likely remain light. Besides, I have gathered so much from others around here by standing back and getting an objective view of things without getting personally involved.
You said, "I believe there are numerous ways to fill a spiritual void; with or without the theism of others."
I'd be interested in exploring some of these "ways". Would you care to elaborate too?
Thanks so much.
Edited by - alias on 17 February 2001 11:46:4
in a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from god since they "left the jw's.".
as someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)i have found this to be similiar in my case.
i don't know how much i believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the live forever book?
I truly appreciate all of your comments. Thank you for taking the time to respond. TR, eyes, Redhorsewoman, happy, JT, thank you for sharing your perspectives.
I seem to have a lot of the same feelings as both of you, eyes and Red. It seems almost like groundhog day around here, same story, different people. It's amazing how much a like many of us are.
Thank you again for sharing.
in a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from god since they "left the jw's.".
as someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)i have found this to be similiar in my case.
i don't know how much i believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the live forever book?
Hello-
In a recent topic someone mentioned how much they have drifted from God since they "left the JW's."
As someone brought up in the org (inactive for several years)I have found this to be similiar in my case. I don't know how much I believe the fan/plug analogy (remember that in the Live Forever book?), and often think that a measure of "feeling" close to God is an emotional thing. Of course I can be totally off-base with my own feelings on the matter and don't mean to offend anyone by saying that. I just don't know how else to express it honestly.
After reflecting over my years in the org, I realize that I never really got to know God, but was more involved in the typical JW lifestyle/religion and of following the policies and procedures of man. When I "left", there was no relationship with God, as it never really seemed to exist in the first place, except somewhat when others would pray. In my own praying it never seemed totally real.
It has been over the last few years that I've also given serious thought to how much Jesus actually has been more of a God to us than Jehovah (according to the NWT). It was Jesus who actually seemed to create us (everything Jehovah did was through him), and we pray through him.
Of course, JW's aren't really supposed to venerate Jesus as they would God. This is all quite confusing though! Anyway, I'm posting because I want to know if anyone can identify with my feelings of estrangement and even belief in God after seperating from the org. And also, since Jesus seemed to do so much for us, do you feel the same confusion I do over why he seems to have way less importance when it comes to praying and showing thanks?
I try to pray often and yet I still feel that God is not real. Each day I wonder more and more if he is really there for us and really cares. Sometimes the points of atheists/agnostics get me thinking... but I have a difficult time accepting that there is no hope at all for anything.
Another thing... could my relationship with "him" be more difficult on account that I've never had a strong father figure in my life?
I hope I've articulated my thoughts well enough not to be misunderstood in my inquiry. But I'd appreciate your sincere thoughts on this.
Thank you.
