Posts by AmazingProgeny

37

How Does One Find Another Religion

by pettygrudger in

jw
friends

this is probably a strange question, but how do you "pick" something else to study?

i'm having a hard time just picking up the bible & reading it - but i'm terrified of picking up any "study material" from other organized religions to help.

which bible do i use?

AmazingProgeny

I was also born and raised a JW. For a long time I didn't want anything to do with any religion. I still had faith in God and considered myself a Christian, but I didn't want to go to a church or be a part of any religion. I did attend a couple of churches, but never really felt completely at home in them.

Then I found a Christian parenting message board that had all sorts of Christians. I read their messages and compared them to each other. I participated and learned a lot about the different Christian religions and ways of looking at God. Then a Religion Debate board was created. I went to that and learned something of other religions. I found people between the two boards that I respected. I found myself questioning and changing a lot of my old beliefs. I am still questioning and looking answers. I have learned to value the journey I am on.

There are a lot of books out there about all religions. There are works of fiction that have a spiritual aspect (The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis and books by Madeliene L'Engle are some I've read). Read anything and everything you want. Take time to absorb it, think about it, question it, and figure out how you feel about it.

There are a lot of Bibles too. Read them or their history. Compare what they say. Find one that you like. I have a New International Version. I like it. It is the only one I have right now, but I want to get others eventually so I can compare them.

There are a lot of religious websites. You can find amazing amounts of information on the internet. There is even a website that has a test you can take to see what religion you fit into.

I have stayed with the Christian faith b/c I feel that it is the right one for me. I go to a church that allows me to believe differently from them. I am still exploring and one day I may leave that church in favor of another one.

Finding a new religion can be a wonderful journey. You can learn so much. As you learn, you will grow and mature. Don't worry about falling into another cult. Just make sure to learn everything you can about whatever religion you are interested in. Take your time and enjoy your journey.

AmazingProgeny

68

finding friends outside the Borg - a Scary thought

by lydia in

jw
friends

has anyone else found that the teaching of the "outside world" being a "bad association" limits your involvement and ability to make new freinds?.

if so how have you overcome this and any suggestions to helping those suffering from these feelings?.

lydia

AmazingProgeny

I think it is natural to have a hard time making friends after leaving the Borg. I had a hard time. I still do. Part of my problem is that I'm naturally very shy. I also don't get out much b/c of my kids. I have found that it gets easier with time. I have a best friend now and I know that she is a far better friend to me than any JW could ever be. As a JW, I would never have thought about being friends with her.

As a kid I lost out on chances to have great friendships b/c of being a JW. I will never let that happen again. I don't want to ever lose out on the chance to be someone's friend just b/c we have big differences like religion or whatever.

Having a true, loyal, and loving friend is worth taking the risk of trusting someone who has never been a JW.

AmazingProgeny

26

how long were you out before...

by lydia in

jw
friends

hello all.. i'm just trying to get a handle on everyone in here..so how long have all of you been out of the borg?

also how long was it till you got on here??.

lydia

AmazingProgeny

Hello. I'm not here much, but I like to post when I can. I am a stay-at-home mom of four kids, so my free time is very limited. Right now, I'm typing this while nursing the baby and keeping two others occupied with candy.

I left in 1992. I was raised as a JW by my parents,Amazing and AmazingEX. Our entire family left at the same time (parents, 3 siblings, my husband& me). I think my last meeting was just before I got married in September of 92. We have gone to one memorial service and one funeral at the KH. My husband and I just walked away. We have only had JWs come to the door twice. Once I was in my pajamas and robe and the other time I was nursing the baby. I think I scared them off. :-) We live in Oregon.

AmazingProgeny

26

Memorial Experiences from Hell

by Black Man in

jw
friends

memorial.....the time of year where we meditate on the supposed significance of jesus' death and watch all types of crazy mufuckas come out of the woodwork.

anyway, we had a new sister move into our territory and lo and behold claims she's of the anointed.

she was all of 40 years old, 350 pounds, friendly, feels that the friends should treat her with special reverence "since she's one of christ's brothers" (wouldn't that be sisters?).

AmazingProgeny

I remember one Memorial where this older lady (a visitor, not JW) took the bread and the wine. When she had the wine she left lipstick all over the cup and crumbs in it. My mom's best friend was annointed and was sitting a few seats away from the old lady. The people between them kept turning the cup a little hoping that my mom's friend wouldn't have to drink from the same side. It was totally funny at the time.

I like the way my church handles it. Each person dips the bread into the grape juice and eats it quietly. Everyone, including the children, participates. After the service the kids can be found in the kitchen dipping the rest of the bread into the juice and having a grand old time.

AmazingProgeny

6

What would YOU do, knowing what we know?

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

knowing what hijackers are capable of now, what would you do if you were on a plane and a group of hijackers began taking over?.

would you stand and fight, calling on your fellow passengers to fight with you?.

what if the terrorists were armed with guns or claimed to have a bomb?

AmazingProgeny

I have a husband, four children, lots of extended family, and no desire to die. But, if I was in that situation I would do everything in my power (however small that might be) to stop these evil people. I would have done that before the recent attacks and I see no reason to change my mind. Maybe I would help and maybe I would change nothing, but at least I would know that I did SOMETHING.

AmazingProgeny

44

Questions="dishonest baiting"?

by Julie in

jw
friends

three little scriptures that i feel reflect the opposite of all that christians claim biblegod to be.

i merely asked a hard-core defender of the faith to justify these as actions of an all-loving, enlightened supreme being.

here they are along with the "explanations" of them (in a nutshell):.

AmazingProgeny

Hi Julie,

I don't know if we have met before or not. It's been a while since I've posted and I only posted a few times. I am Amazing and AmazingEx's daughter.

I am a Christian and I have an answer for you that might not satisfy you, but it is the best one I have.

I do not take every single word of the Bible literally and I find many of the Old Testament stories to be hideous. I don't think God really had anything at all to do with these stories, if they are true. I think that the writers gave God the credit for the decisions in order to take the blame away from themselves. I think the stories are used to scare people into worshipping God. Fear is an often used and very effective motivator. The JWs are just one great example of this.

This is my feelings on the subject. Forgive me if I haven't made sense anywhere, I had a monstrous headache and now have the side effects of my medicine to deal with.

AmazingProgeny

25

Were You Really HAPPY in the borg.???

by Latte in

jw
friends

when you were in the borg.

in all honesty, could you say that you were h.a.p.p.y?

i mean really happy.

AmazingProgeny

I was fairly happy. I was raised in it and as a kid never really thought about what the beliefs about Armageddon meant for the rest of the world. I did hate going out in service. I was really shy and that made me totally uncomfortable. I had a lot of fun with my friends.

I was 19 when my family and I left. It was at that time that I became more aware of things and really started to realize how awful it was.

Now, it makes me sick to think that, according to the borg, people (including kids) will die b/c they chose the wrong religion. That is just sick.

AmazingProgeny

8

Using the Watchtower to Ruin Your Children

by metatron in

jw
friends

the circuit overseer spoke from the platform sternly,.

"we seem to have a problem in this circuit with young brothers.

not having any ambition, either in the truth or even in the world".

AmazingProgeny

I liked your post. It made me remember how awful I would feel when my parents would tell me to stop being friends with a "worldly" kid. I would always feel sick to my stomach, but I always did what they said. Now, I wish that I had ignored them at least once in my life.

I also knew some people with a lot of great talents and intelligence that got wasted at Bethel or with janitorial jobs. They could have had great jobs and been on the cutting edge of technology instead of stuck in a nowhere job.

I am so glad that my kids will be free of all that crap.

AmazingProgeny

40

WTS SAYS ELDERS SINS DON'T COUNT!

by Amazing in

jw
friends

sometime ago i posted a discussion on h20 about the nov. 1991 kingdom ministry school for elders / ms held at woodburn, oregon.

during that school session the co stated that elders who commit a serious sin, even a gross sin, did not have to be removed if the event took place two or three years prior, and the elder continued to be respected, giving evidence of jehovahs blessing.

the co stipulated that this only applied to elders and ms and not to regular publishers.

AmazingProgeny

It amazes me that JWs can see this and still want to be a part of the WTS. I'm thinking specifically of ELF and RLF. Considering what the elders did to J, it seems sad that they would want to continue being JWs. I hope they realize what they are supporting.

AP

10

On "The New System"

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

"you can live forever in a paradise on earth".

in my years as a witness and even after, i've thought about "the new system" and everything i was taught.. during the thousand years, there would be millions coming back from the dead.

during that time we'd all learn one single language and reach perfect physical health.

AmazingProgeny

I had never really thought about all of that before. I had always thought that people would be getting married and having babies. I have always wanted a family.

Growing up I could never really see myself living in "The New System." I always saw my life happening in this one. I knew that I would get married and have children in this system. I never really thought beyond that. "The New System" just seemed too far away to really worry about. There was no way I was going to let it stop me from getting married and having children.

The sad thing about this is what I heard several young men did. They had heard a talk, probably by the CO, about how "The New System" was "just around the corner" and it would be unwise to bring children into this old system. Apparently, they really took it to heart and got vasectomies, figuring that God would reverse them in "The New System."

It makes me sad to think of all the people who could have made wonderful parents never having kids b/c they wanted to wait until "The New System" came.

AmazingProgeny