booker-t

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Posts by booker-t

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  19

  Do you know of any "apostate" ex-jws that became "BAC's" that quit bac's?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i remember when i left jw's and started going to born-again christians(bac's) churches my "atheist" father laughed at me and told me that i would eventually leave bac's because like j.f.

  rutherford said "religion is a snare and racket".

  he said bac's and jws are just on an endless treadmill motivated by "fear" and not love for god into going to church/kh.

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  booker-t

  I remember when I left JW's and started going to born-again christians(bac's) churches my "atheist" father laughed at me and told me that I would eventually leave bac's because like J.F. Rutherford said "religion is a snare and racket". He said bac's and jws are just on an endless treadmill motivated by "fear" and not love for God into going to church/KH. He told me that if there was an annoucement made by Jehovah that the Rapture/Armaggeddon was coming in the year 3000 all hell-fire screaming/you will die at Armaggeddon people would say I am out of here from serving God. I hate to admit it but my dad might have a point. I never really thought about it like that. If Jehovah made an annoucement to the world that Armaggeddon was coming in the year 3000 would I be like Job's wife and "curse" Jehovah for making me serve him for nothing. So I am wondering how many ex-jw's that become born-again would leave bac's if Armaggeddon was a 1000 years away? I guess posters I just need some "resparking" of my faith because it has definitely dropped down to 80% instead of 110% like when I was a JW. I used to love Jehovah and Jesus "so much" I would have crawled on my hands and knees for them, but now I just have so many "doubts". Posters what are your thoughts?
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  11

  I have been told by "born-again christians" Booker, why do you attack BACs

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was growing up as a "devout" jw's i ran into countless of born-again christians(bacs) that would tell me i was going to hell, i was in a "cult", jw's were the "anti-christ" the wts was "satanic" and we were going to burn in the lake of fire for all eternity.

  can you imagine how i felt as a jw's working at a place with 10 bacs telling me this at lunch time.

  but still i would treat them nice and play cards with them and never openly judge them.

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  booker-t

  
  When I was growing up as a "devout" JW's I ran into countless of Born-Again Christians(BACs) that would tell me I was going to hell, I was in a "cult", JW's were the "Anti-Christ" the WTS was "Satanic" and we were going to burn in the lake of fire for all eternity. Can you imagine how I felt as a JW's working at a place with 10 BACs telling me this at lunch time. But still I would treat them nice and play cards with them and never openly judge them. I was abit liberal even though I strongly believed JW's and the WTS were Jehovah's organization I just felt that telling people they were doomed was wrong. But now although I am no longer one of JW's since DA'd in the 90's I have been on somewhat of a "crusude" for people of all religions taking their power back and gaining their own independence away from the church or religion. I just cannot stand to see people act like "zombies" for the minister/pastor/priest/spiritual leader. These people or not Jehovah and Jesus who are the only judges we have. I believe(and I could be wrong it is only my interpretation) that Jehovah and Jesus looks at a person's heart and not their religion. But every time I tell born-again christians about the faults on the part of the born-again churches they always shout "Booker why are you attacking us" I just can't figure this accusation out. Born-Agains did not think twice about sending be to hell when I was a JW because I did not believe in the BAC's way but now that I speak up for myself they feel that I am "attacking" them. I remember when I was associated with a Church of Christ after I left the JW's and the COC promised me that "tithing" was not a big thing to them and they did not care if their members tithed or not. So I started attending the church and no sooner had I went to about 3 church services they wanted to know how much money I made so they could figure 10% of my yearly salary. When I asked one of the pastors why did they lie to me about not caring about Tithing he got angry at me and told me that the Bible says you have to tithe. I did not have a problem with giving money I even gave as a JW's but I did not like it the way they lied about it. And when I stood up for myself they got very angry at me. I told them that I would not give the church any money because they lied. And they all but told me not to come back. Every time you mention to a born-again christian about all of the dirt that goes on in some of the churches they will generally say "those are isolated cases". My question to posters out there is are Born-Again Christians a "controlling group" like the JW's and don't want you to have your independence?
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  14

  Do you know of any JW's that was DF/DA for going to the military?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think that i only know of 1 guy that i grew up with that was da'd for going to the army.

  is this an isolated case or is it a common problem among young jw's men and women going to the military and being df or da?

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  booker-t

  I think that I only know of 1 guy that I grew up with that was DA'd for going to the army. Is this an isolated case or is it a common problem among young JW's men and women going to the military and being DF or DA?
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  4

  How are JW's leaders going to explain the evil UN and 1914 gen (no more)

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i read here the other day that jw's are going to restudy the revelation book for bookstudy.

  if they do this how are they going to explain that they were part of the un for 10 years and for years and years they always taught that the un was the beast of rev?

  this might be a big mistake on their part because if a curious jw starts to look on the internet and discover the un scandal how will jw's leaders try to explain it away?

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  booker-t

  I read here the other day that JW's are going to restudy the Revelation book for bookstudy. If they do this how are they going to explain that they were part of the UN for 10 years and for years and years they always taught that the UN was the beast of Rev? This might be a big mistake on their part because if a curious JW starts to look on the internet and discover the UN scandal how will JW's leaders try to explain it away? The library card excuse just don't cut it. Especially the way they denounced the YMCA and the Boyscotts and other organizations that had "Worldly" origins or Church origins.And also when the Revelation book came out in 1988 JW's still believed that the 1914 generation would see Armaggeddon and not die off. Now that is considered "old light" and if a JW's tries to teach that now he would be "DF'd or DA'd for "apostacy. I still can't believe that JW's really believe that the 7 bowels of Revelation were the 1920 assemblies in Ohio. And also that the arrest of J.F. Rutherford and his 7 associates were the bones coming back to life. When Rutherford was released from prison the WT was reactivated or came back to life. It is almost as if JW's will believe the moon is made of cheese if the WT leaders tell them that.
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  33

  I did it. I finally graduated from College at 40 years of age.

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well posters i did it.

  i finally got my associate in science degree from college the other day.

  i was so excited.

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  booker-t

  Well posters I did it. I finally got my Associate in Science Degree from college the other day. I was so excited. I thought I would never get to that day when I was part of the 2006 graduating class. I must admit going back to school in your late 30's can be intimidating. I was in class with a bunch of teenagers that were so smart. I had to read things over and over again just to understand. My science classes almost broke me into giving up but I refused and hung in there. Science is a very interesting subject but is hard as nails. Some times I would go home in tears because I just did not get what the professor was talking about especially "Plate tectonics" and Ocean sediments. Oceanogrphy and Earth Science were two of the hardest classes I endured but I got a B in Oceanography and an A in Earth Science. One thing I learned from my college experience is that you have to endure and not give up. I was a full time student as well as being a full time employee working at my job for 22 years. Some times I would fall asleep in class but I hung in there. There is life after the WTS. I should go back to those elders that told me to drop out of college 20 years ago or they would "mark" me and show them my diploma. I actually dropped out of college in 1986 because the elders gave me such a hard time about it and told me Jehovah frowns upon college because it pushes God's kingdom in the background. I just love school now. I going for my BA and then my Masters. The sky is the limit.
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  34

  Why are EX-JW's and JW's in doubt(faders) so ''afraid" of the elders?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been out for years now but i still tremble alittle when i run into an elder at the store or run into an elder on the street and my post question certainly applies to me as well but why do i still have fear of jw's elders?

  i have been da'd for so many years but that fear still comes up.

  and reading alot of the post here i still see ex-jw's and jw's faders living a pretended jw life or pretending to be happy when they are miserable in the wt.

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  booker-t

  I have been out for years now but I still tremble alittle when I run into an elder at the store or run into an elder on the street and my post question certainly applies to me as well but why do I still have fear of JW's elders? I have been DA'd for so many years but that fear still comes up. And reading alot of the post here I still see ex-jw's and jw's faders living a pretended JW life or pretending to be happy when they are miserable in the WT. A poster once referred to the WTS as a ''abusive" husband and how the wife still has fear many years after leaving her husband. I know for myself I just could not stomach the WTS any longer and I had to leave. I feel this was the best decision I could have made. I don't get anything in bashing the WTS like so many posters do but that is their thing. I just graduated from college with my Associate in Science Degree and now I am going to work on my BA degree. My family acts distant with me now but I just don''t care anymore I have to live my life. But why do so many posters here still attend meetings and assemblies? It is like what free2bme said in one of her earlier post going to the meetings is like going to a trash can and eating contaminated food. You know the food stinks and is dirty but you still go. I just loved that expression "free2bme" it is so true.
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  1

  Do you know of any "former" opposers that became JW's and or now "Apostate"

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i remember reading in an old watchtower of this young girl that was an opposer that would carry anti-jw's signs at assemblies and calling jw's false prophets etc; the girl tried to get her jw's aunt out of the wt and ended up becoming a jw's herself.

  i wonder now if this girl 20 years later is still a jw's?

  if she goes on the internet today and see all of the stuff that she used to carry on signs would she leave jw's and become an "apostate"?

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  booker-t

  
  I remember reading in an old Watchtower of this young girl that was an opposer that would carry anti-jw's signs at assemblies and calling Jw's false prophets etc; the girl tried to get her JW's aunt out of the WT and ended up becoming a JW's herself. I wonder now if this girl 20 years later is still a JW's? If she goes on the internet today and see all of the stuff that she used to carry on signs would she leave JW's and become an "Apostate"? I heard of cases where people used to hate JW's and became JW's themselves. But I have never heard of former opposers that hated JW's and became JW's and are now opposers of JW's again but as an "Apostate". Do you know of any former opposers/became JW's/and or now ex-jws Apostates?
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  25

  My 19 year old "DF'd" niece tried to "kill" herself over a "married man"

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a while back i mentioned on a post that my 19 year old niece was "df'd" for having an affair with a married man.

  she is "obsessed" with this guy.

  he is a guy at her job and he is in his 40's with a wife and three kids.

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  booker-t

  A while back I mentioned on a post that my 19 year old niece was "Df'd" for having an affair with a married man. She is "obsessed" with this guy. He is a guy at her job and he is in his 40's with a wife and three kids. My niece thought he was going to leave his wife but he was lying to her all the time. My niece and the guys wife had a very nasty "confrontation" with the wife threating my niece if she came anywhere near her husband. My niece went to the elders feeling so guilty and they Disfellowshipped her. With all of this my JW brother who is a ministeral servant "kicked" my niece out of his home and told her she is not welcomed there until she is "reinstated". I almost went ballistic on my brother for being so cold hearted. I have tried and tried to talk to my niece to try and cheer her up but it is falling on a deaf ear. Naturally my brother won't speak to me because I am DA'd and told me on the phone to "stay away" from his daughter. I need some advice posters should I let my niece move in with me or stay out of it? I am afraid that my niece might cut her wrist for a second time and succeed this time. What should I do? I love my niece like a "daughter".
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  82

  When will people "stop" relying on "churches and religions" for happiness?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it just breaks my heart when i read some of the posts on this websites and hear all of the horror stories about people and families suffering because of what the church or religion did to them.

  not just jw's or mormons, but catholics, born-agains are also included in this group.

  i bet you could find just as many disgruntle ex-catholics and ex-born-agains out in the world who have been severly hurt by their church.

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  booker-t

  To XJW4EVR, you certainly got the wrong idea from my post. I am not saying that you don't have to go to church I am saying that the church cannot make you happy only you yourself can make you happy. If you love going to church go for it. If you hate going to church then don't go. I personally am 150% happier now that I no longer depend on going to a "church" or religion with a million rules and regulations and their interpretation on what Jehovah and Jesus requires for believers to be saved. I read my bible by myself without any "minister" instructing me that his interpretation is correct. I let Jehovah and Jesus and the Holy Spirit enlighten me as to what the bible means and I live with it. I am not guilt-ridden with the favorite scripture of churches about "never forsake gathering together" which is totally I believe taken out of context to make people feel guilty about not attending church. If this was true then the Apostle John must have been condemned by Jehovah and Jesus when he was on the island of Patmos for two years. He did not attend church. Again whatever makes you happy then go for it I chose "not" to go to church or religious meetings anymore and I am happy and I feel Jehovah and Jesus still loves me.
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  82

  When will people "stop" relying on "churches and religions" for happiness?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it just breaks my heart when i read some of the posts on this websites and hear all of the horror stories about people and families suffering because of what the church or religion did to them.

  not just jw's or mormons, but catholics, born-agains are also included in this group.

  i bet you could find just as many disgruntle ex-catholics and ex-born-agains out in the world who have been severly hurt by their church.

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  booker-t

  It just breaks my heart when I read some of the posts on this websites and hear all of the horror stories about people and families suffering because of what the church or religion did to them. Not just JW's or Mormons, but Catholics, Born-Agains are also included in this group. I bet you could find just as many disgruntle ex-Catholics and ex-Born-Agains out in the world who have been severly hurt by their church. I think we as people just give too much power to the church or religion that we lose ourselves in the process. Only I can make me happy not a church, pastor or religion. Most of the posts by ex-jws 99% of them are bashing JW's and the WTS and how they ran to another church for healing and happiness. Until you heal from one trauma running to another church for happiness will only lead to more disappointment. I know an ex-jws girl that went to 3 churches after leaving JW's and she is still not happy. Happiness is not in a church or religion it is in the person themselves. Trust me I ran to about 5 churches when I left JW's and none of them made me happy until I took control of my own life and defined what happiness is to me. Not what the minister told me how to be happy with Jesus Christ. I love Jehovah and Jesus but they can't make me happy only I can.