Incognito

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Posts by Incognito

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  27

  I Ended my Bible Study

  by Maria Nieves in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i ended my bible study today.

  several months ago, i began to feel that the truth was not the truth.

  as the months progressed, my feelings intensified.

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  Incognito

  Congrats Maria for overcoming your reluctance and fear so as to be able to decide and communicate your wishes.

  Hopefully, the advice offered in your earlier thread was of assistance to you.
  
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  34

  Do You See JWs Going From House to House Anymore?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i used to see them in my neighborhood or while driving.

  there is a hispanic congregation nearby.

  i used to see witnesses out all the time, some even doing the slow pioneer shuffle.

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  Incognito

  While my SO and I were practising JWs more than 15 years ago, I noticed some JWs always wanted to do 'Return Visits'. Not sure how they obtained those Return Visits since that was all they seemed to do after meeting with the group.

  The times we actually did go D-2-D while in a small town with plenty of rural territories, many JWs insisted on calling on an in-town home nearby to the 'rendezvous' location so everyone in the vehicle could start their time before we all drove to the farthest location within the territory.

  After calling on a few rural homes, it was then time for coffee so after spending considerable time in a restaurant, it was then time to either drive to the opposite end of the territory for a Return Visit, or drive back to town to call on one more home so as to stop our time before each proceeded home.

  If 4 people in one vehicle, 2.5 hours with the clock running = 10 hours reported while calling on maybe 6 or 8 homes.

  With these examples, it would not be surprising few JWs would be seen while many hours continue to be reported.

  I observed a group of JWs recently distributing invitations to the memorial. Although a simple task, the elder in the group appeared to be somewhat overwhelmed by his own doing. With his important and heavy responsibilities, he seemed to dictate even simple activities of the others and each appeared to be required to frequently report to him which homes they had called on.
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  33

  Engaged and having a baby, I’m not JW fiancé is

  by Viarayne in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i’m not interested in becoming a jehovah’s witness but have nothing against people who are, or whatever religion someone chooses to follow for that matter.

  i am here because i have some questions regarding my family and i. .

  my fiancé stopped going to church prior to us meeting.

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  Incognito

  Welcome Viarayne,

  I'm sorry that you have been placed in the situation you find yourself in.

  While you respect his right to practice his religion, JWs do not respect others to do likewise if it is not the JW religion they wish to practice.

  Most times, anyone who asks here about a romantic relationship with a non-practising JW, is usually told to run and not turn back. Because you are already pregnant, from what I've seen, you have not yet been told likewise.

  The reason most here are critical of a relationship is due to mental conditioning in anyone associated with the JW religion for any length of time. Unless a non-practising JW recognizes for himself the JW religion is not 'The Truth' and therefore chooses to leave for that reason, that person will typically continue to believe the religion is God's only chosen religion and will often return to it even if they haven't been active for several decades. Many times, there is a life-changing event (marriage, the birth of a child or death of family member) that prompts the person to 'return to Jehovah'.

  Your fiance's choice to return to that religion will impact and place a burden on you and any future children even as you do not wish to join. Since JWs believe God considers it wrong to celebrate Birthdays, Christmas and almost all other celebrations, he will most likely not participate in those events and may also oppose you and your children from practising them. As holidays are often occasions for family gatherings, those events will probably result in additional emotions, stress and tension in your home.

  As JWs do not believe blood transfusions are acceptable, if you should require blood and cannot speak for yourself, as your spouse, he will likely speak on your behalf and oppose a transfusion for you. If your child should need blood, even if you are in favour, he will likely oppose even if it means your child will probably die as a result.

  JWs males are considered within the religion to be head-of-the-family, with veto power over anything you decide. As such, it will be expected that you and your children are to be in subjection to his headship. Even if you refuse to join the religion, he will be expected to train his children to become JWs regardless of your opposition.

  Children within a divided family who learn JW beliefs, often experience unusual stress since they are told that Mommy will die at Armageddon because she refuses to become a JW.

  It has been stated during JW meetings that kissing an unbelieving mate is equivalent to kissing a corpse.

  As you remain unmarried, it is not acceptable within the religion that you are living together. Although he is not baptised and hasn't associated for some time, because he was raised 'in the truth', he is deemed to know right from wrong unlike a full-blown 'worldly' person and so will likely be required to move-out until actually married.

  There are punishment methods JWs can and will often utilize when dealing with an unbaptised 'associate' that is considered to be unacceptable or a bad example to the congregation.
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  8

  "daylight saving"

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone had any dealings with this?.

  i had an abc journalist ask me hm hours difference is there between perth and sydney then?

  i kid you not.... australia normally has two hours difference one side to the other.

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  Incognito

  Canada has 6 time zones, all 1 hour different from the next except for Newfoundland TZ which has a 30 minute difference from Atlantic TZ which is the next closest TZ to the West.
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  21

  His Rose colored glasses are back on

  by HappyBlessedFree in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so my husband who was not attending meetings for the last four months, went to the special talk, the memorial and the meeting today.

  he said he feels jehovah’s spirit is back and that they are all being so kind.. i am just sick to my stomach.

  he just refuses to see anything as a problem.

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  Incognito

  What made him stop attending 4 months ago?

  Except for the effort to ensure he was invited to the memorial and 'special' talk, plus all the 'we miss you' love bombing comments, nothing has changed. While he may feel energized and enthused to attend for a time, routine will again develop. Attending alone can also be tiring and without you to push hm to attend, he will likely again soon loose interest and begin missing more and more, for the same reasons he stopped attending previously.

  If you criticise him because he started attending again, that may give him justification to consider his renewed enthusiasm is correct and may therefore delay his becoming inactive longer than if you said nothing.
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  49

  VIDEO - Memorial toast stuns Jehovahs Witnesses congregation!

  by John_Carter_1912 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i applaud this great and holy man!

  do you?.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fstqepi9iu.

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  Incognito

  While some may say what he did was illegal or disruptive, this is not necessarily true.

  JWs invest considerable time inviting the entire community to attend this 'special annual celebration'. If someone isn't home when JWs call, a printed invitation is left in each door. There are no stated requirements on who may attend nor is there a stated restriction on who may not attend.

  Although JWs may not consider it this way, in passing the emblems, that is an invitation for each person attending to take their turn to personally participate in the celebration.

  The person waited for his turn and when he was passed the wine, he used that opportunity to calmly offer a toast before drinking the wine he was offered.

  Although anyone is invited, JWs take exception when everyone attending does not adhere to appearance and behaviour dictated by WT. When someone doesn't follow the script, JW elders will attempt to physically remove that person or will proceed to call the authorities, even without first contacting WT legal department.
  
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  18

  I’m so sad . . .

  by HappyBlessedFree in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so my husband asked me if i’m going to the memorial.

  i said “no”.. he asked would it be okay if i take the kids.

  “i would prefer that you didn’t”.. why can’t he see the lies!

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  Incognito

  ... it’s been about 4 months since I woke up.

  Sometimes fear gets the best of me. I guess because everything is up in the air and I don’t know where it will all end, it honestly terrifies me.

  As a JW, you likely put your full trust and beliefs in everything they claimed. They appeared to have all the answers which on some levels, can be very comforting.

  Unfortunately, their indoctrination is so insidious that attendees do not recognize their thinking process and reasoning is being conditioned and modified with every magazine and book that is read and every study and meeting that is attended. If you were a JW for any amount of time, you can't realistically expect to undo progressive and longstanding indoctrination within a matter of months.

  Even as she suffered from advanced dementia and couldn't remember what happened 20 seconds before or do anything for herself, my aunt never forgot what she was programmed to believe as a JW.

  While my SO and I have broken away from JWs for more than 15 years, even after all that time, old JW thinking and ideas will sometimes reemerge.

  if the worst case scenario happens and my husband remains a JW for the rest of his life,
  

  Just as WT claims that as a JW, a non-beliving spouse may be won over without a word, it can also be true that a non-believing spouse can win over their JW spouse, although this will be crazy difficult due to the cult indoctrination.

  As a JW, unless something within the religion negatively affects him personally, he will usually defend and rationalize anything you may say that is critical or proves the religion is not 'The Truth'. Think back about something that doesn't sit well with him in which to further investigate and discuss.
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  31

  Who Really Was Satan?

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dont you think that satan was a pomo ?

  when you read in the genesis account : "at this the serpent said to the woman: 'you certainly will not die.

  5 for god knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like god, knowing good and bad.'".

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  Incognito

  Verse 7: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked......."
  

  As the only two humans on a paradise earth, and since they only ever saw naked animals, they would have no concept or understanding of clothing, covering or what nakedness is.

  The quoted scripture seems to suggest they were programmed to understand what naked was and feel shame in being so, only if they ate of the forbidden fruit.

  It appears the shame for being naked causing them to cover themselves, may have been the physical indication to God that they had disobeyed even as we are lead to believe God can see everything every person does.

  Sorry for veering from your question but thought I would comment on this point since you had included it in your initial post.
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  24

  My JW boyfriend broke up with me

  by DrunkinLove in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i am so crushed right now.

  i have been dating a witness for over a year now.

  we love each other so much.

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  Incognito

  I feel guilty at the same time because i am the reason his family hates him right now and they even let the elders know.
  

  He chose to start a relationship with you, a non-JW. As a JW, he knew full well the consequences of a 'worldly' relationship. You are not the reason for his problems.

  He is 29 but acting as a child, continuing to allow his family to control every step of his life that he doesn't keep hidden from them. It appears to be acceptable to him that his sister took access to his phone and read through his private messages. And it is now acceptable to him to break off with you because his family found out and told him to break-it-off?

  If you can't contact him, does that mean they placed him on a type of 'curfew' and he lost his phone privileges?

  You both are adults but act like children who must meet in secret and do everything his mommy and daddy require. Your understanding and easy acceptance of this situation has not helped the relationship.

  When a couple is truly in love, almost nothing can separate them. There seems to be no indication that he has fought to keep his relationship with you but he (and you) appears to have accepted breaking-off with little or no effort to keep it alive.

  In entering the relationship with your eyes open and accepting the unusual conditions required, how long did you realistically expect the relationship would last?
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  19

  How many hours of field service are now required?

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  to be a publisher?.

  an auxiliary pioneer?.

  an regular pioneer?.

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  Incognito

  I already know it takes 13,880 hours of field service to make one new convert.
  

  To correct this, it takes 13,880 REPORTED HOURS to make one convert. Just because hours are reported, does not mean that time was truly spent in Field Service or anything related to preaching.

  Consider the number that report significantly more time than they actually spend in service, then justify it by reasoning they must have spoken incidentally about Jehovah on numerous occasions through the month.

  Then there are those that start their time by calling on a return visit nearby to where the service group meets, then drive 45 minutes+ to the farthest edge of a rural territory, make 1 or 2 calls, stop for coffee, drive back to near the group meeting location, make one more return visit to conclude their time before heading home. Probably 3 hours service time counted by each occupant in the vehicle while calling on 4 homes.