Posts by cyber-sista

81

Would You Go Back To A Kingdom Hall For A Funeral or Wedding?

by minimus in

jw
friends

let's say one of your relatives either died or invited you to a wedding at a hall, would you go?

cyber-sista

I just couldn't right now--the thought of it is too much for me. I would go privately to the family and give my condolenses and send a card or flowers or whatever, but I couldn't go to the hall and listen to another WT advertisement funeral talk...

I would not even consider going for a wedding--it would be too uncomfortable for everyone and I would have to pretend that I was happy to be there. Everyone would say their phoney stand-off-ish greetings and my stomach would churn. It was upsetting to me that after 20 years of being a JW none of my JW friends came to my daughter's wedding and made a big old stink about it because she had never become a JW. Guess I am still bitter about it all.

9

as disfellowshipped

by peacefulpete in

does anyone remember the program in the late 70's early 80s that called for children of jws who tho unbaptised did things they felt merited dfing to be treated "as disfellowshipped"?

perhaps some with the references could post material.

a lot of elders including my father had a problem with it but enforced it nontheless.

cyber-sista

Yes, It is still practiced to one degree or another and on many levels--I have seen it now even more so than before. When my adult daughter (not baptized nor had ever been a publisher) was getting married to a non-witness guy (my hubby has never been a witness either) I was told that because she had attended meetings throughout her childhood she was therefore accountable because she knew what the "truth" was. She had commited no biblical sin, but to marry someone who was not a witness (the catch 22 was she was qualified to marry a witness either). Anyway, the elders made it a point to let me know that after she left my home she would then be concidered worldly association, therefore my association would need to be limited with her. I know I have written about this many times before but AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH it still bothers me a lot. There were portraying my daughter as being evil and Satanic and she has always been a sweet kid--more loving and kindly than many of those baptized and dedicated to the Org, but I was to view her as dead to me. The CO just shook his head in disgust and told me I could pretty much wash my hands of her now. Others in the congo began to treat her as if she was wicked too and then shunning me to some degree for continuing to love her as my daughter--bunch of wackos.

14

my non-JW girlfriend emailed my JW mom today

by doogie in

jw
friends

last week, my girlfriend wrote an email that she intended to send to my mom.

my jw parents have never spoken to jessica in the 3 years that we?ve been together (my loooooong story was on the board last week?don?t worry, i refuse to write anymore details than i have to in this post?my fingers are still cramped up?).

anyway, the email was to be their first (and last, probably) communication.

cyber-sista

I like Jessica.

10

WT Paradox: ``In Your Face" Religion, Reclusive GB

by Room 215 in

jw
friends

it struck me that, for all the emphasis they put on evangelism and public preaching, the borg's leaders are actually a reclusive, shadowy lot.

the only large audiences they will address are their own members, they rarely grant interviews and never seek opportunities to lead by preaching their message in a public or media forum.

quite the contrary; in the one instance where jaracz made an appearanace (cornered by a bbc reporter), he came across as combative, and mean-spirited hardly as a spiritual leader of six million-plus.

cyber-sista

They remind me of the Wizard of Oz, the bumbling little man behind the curtain who kept everyone spellbound in fear, because by remaining invisible,his subjects were forced to form in their imaginations an image of their leader, and it was an indomitable one.Once Dorothy et al got a peek behind the curtain, the game was up.

Had to repeat this one. Clever illustration Ciatrix! (One thing we learned as JWs is to think a lot in illustrations) I am feeling a bit like Dorthy these days trying to get back home after living in too long in the imaginary land of Oz...

14

Care Bears

by desib77 in

jw
friends

i told my husband that i'm pretty sure i wasn't allowed to play with these when i was younger but i can't remember the reasoning behind it?

was it because they had special powers?

or was it because one of them had a four leaf clover on him?

cyber-sista

Yes, my daughter was young during the whole JW "care bear controversy." The hearts and the cloverleaf were pagan symbols is what I heard and those little bears were satanic too since they possessed magical powers. When I sewed my daughter a dress with hearts and bunnies on it a sister took me aside and said I had sewn her a dress with pagan symbols on it. One sister my age whose mom started to study was made to thrown away her large barbie doll collection, because the sister studying with the mom said she had too. Even after becoming an adult this sister was still very hurt that she was made to do this.

18

Is The Watchtower Organization Thought Of As An American Religion?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

while we all know that the jehovah's witnesses are found throughout the world, someone once told me that in other countries the governing body does not carry the weight that they do in the united states.. do you living in germany, france, uk, australia, etc.

feel that was the case?

to me, it seemed that such persons as the australians were such a 'gutsy' independent, wild west sort of culture that would question authority more so than say a u.s. witness.. is this primarily thought of as an american religion by others?.

cyber-sista

Interesting points. I often wondered what people in more exotic lands thought when they looked through the pictures in the WT publications. The people pictured are dressed mostly in American attire and living in middle class america homes, driving middleclass cars, etc. The articles are moslty geared towards the American lifestyle. How does one living in a rural villiage or living in the bush think about the publication reminders to keep your suit pressed, moustache trimmed, and keeping your vehicle clean and in good running order?

24

ex-JW for life?

by doogie in

jw
friends

hey guys.. i have a question.

i noticed that when i go online i'll hit a couple of news websites, maybe check my email, but eventually i always seem to find my way to some sort of jw related site.

yeah, i know, that's not a question...hold on, i'm getting to it.... is there a time when an ex-jw should become an ex-ex-jw?

cyber-sista

I guess I really don't have an exact answer to that question right now. I am still in the processing and gathering stage. One day I hope to not be so sensitive or hurt by what I have been through with the Org. I do want to educate myself as much as I can in order to help others who are coming out. I had a lot of this help when I first left and it has been a lifesaver to me--I want to pass it on to others. One thing I will never do, though, is to identify myself to anyone as an ex-JW (not a great conversation starter nor a good way to make new friends!)

cybs

16

Experience with a so called "worldy" person

by mbn36 in

i just wanna share an experience of mine, i hope it will help anyone with a related issue.

im 20 years old, i still live with my parents and go to school full-time.

for 17 years i was a jw on and off.

cyber-sista

Congrats to you for being a person true to your own heart! Welcome!

Love,

Cybs

18

Is The Watchtower Organization Thought Of As An American Religion?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

while we all know that the jehovah's witnesses are found throughout the world, someone once told me that in other countries the governing body does not carry the weight that they do in the united states.. do you living in germany, france, uk, australia, etc.

feel that was the case?

to me, it seemed that such persons as the australians were such a 'gutsy' independent, wild west sort of culture that would question authority more so than say a u.s. witness.. is this primarily thought of as an american religion by others?.

cyber-sista

The percentage of JWs is the US is the highest of any country, but the WT has always claimed that it is good news for all nations and that the religion originated with God and Jesus...Of course their are no Chinese or East Indian GB members or any of the other nations sporting a population higher than the US. Another of the many things I used to wonder about during my JW ~~daze~~ days.

6

How to Sell Books

by Farkel in

the watchtower society has mastered the art of how to sell books.

unlike authors who believe that to sell non-fiction books they must be well-written and well-documented, the wts has concluded that to sell books of fiction they must be presented as books of non-fiction and be constantly replaced with new books of fiction presented as books of non-fiction.

judging from the collective writings of joe rutherford and fred franz, it is obvious the wts doesn?t believe any of its books have to be well written or well documented.

cyber-sista

The Finished Mystery book, which was to be read for ?centuries?, was soon outdated. Those who would not read and believe the book before it became outdated were condemned and disfellowshipped. Those who did read and believe it after it became outdated were also disfellowshipped.

Good reasoning point Farkel! Putting this one on file.

Thanks,

cybs