i normally don't go around looking for jws.
after my morning coffee and breakfast taco at jim's, i went over to big lot's to look around.
outside of the store, they have an island where a couple of trees were either saved - or planted - and provide a nice shade during the day.. under these trees, in the shade, was this fella - dressed in nice slacks and a shirt - wearing a tie - reading - or flipping through what appeared to be an 'awake' or a 'watchtower'.
I wish I would have thought about turning in my time like that. I was always so anal about how much time I put in and I never rounded up to an hour (even though I wanted to). I had to put in a FULL hour in order to count it. It amazes me how meaningless it all is now. Why did I care so damn much?!?!
Purza
i heard that many in my jw family are seriously crowing those words.. do witnesses have short memories or what??.
they sound more like false prophets to me.
they can't keep crying wolf..
My parents never thought I was going to go to school. . . . let alone graduate (gasp!)
Lets just say that four decades have passed and they are JUST SURE the end is coming.
Any moment now. . . .
Purza
witnesses are supposed to be "exemplary" and not like the "world".
yet some jws are pretty notorious.. did you know of any jws that did some real bad things?.
i knew a pious witness who got caught twice trying to solicit prostitutes.
This was 20 to 25 years ago. There was a family with four children and the mother was not a dub - but the kids studied and at least two of them were baptized. Our family took them under our wing and took them camping and studied with them as well. The oldest (Eric) went off the deep end one day and broke into a house and murdered a very elderly woman. I don't remember all the details, as I believe it was discussed in hush, hush tones in the hall, and then never talked about again. The whole family just kind of disappeared and we never saw them again.
It was horrible and obviously he was convicted and put in jail - oh yeah they DF'd him as well. Last I heard (a year or two ago) he was still in jail, but reinstated and attending meetings via the phone - he is even able to comment. I don't know if that is just a rumor or what, but if it is true it is pretty disgusting.
Purza
my mother, like all the dubs, excels at dropping casual sentences here and there designed to suck me back into the borg.... her latest subtle (not) attempt to use my father's death as the drawing card was to send an sms saying only: "death is so unnatural".. of course i remember all those public talks, so i know exactly where she's coming from: we were made to live forever so no wonder death is so painful for us to deal with.. but honestly, what planet are they on????
death unnatural?
on the planet earth death is the most natural thing ever!
Holy sh*t Wavvy - do we have the same mother!
My mother said to me last week "It's a shame that death is all you have to look forward to. Dying is not natural for humans and never has been."
WTF?
It just goes to show you how deeply entrenched they are in what they believe. I truly think (at least in my family's case) that they are afraid of dying. That is why this religion has such a hold on them - because it gives them a way out - with the POSSIBLITY of never dying.
Purza
so this woman that i grew up with has sent me a friend request on facebook.
we've done a bit of back and forth "how are you" chat but i haven't accepted her request.. i can see she is still a jw because she belongs to some no-blood facebook group.. i do not want to be her friend on facebook.
i consider witnesses to be bad association and i severely limit the number of jw's i have on my facebook - only close family and people that i share close history with.. so what should i say to this woman?
I have about 5 JW friends on FB who I consider "on the fringe". I created a list for "dubs" and anytime I post something I don't want them to see, I customize my status so those individuals can't see what I am saying, or if I post a holiday(ish) picture, I block them from seeing. So far it has worked well for me. One friend did delete me and when I asked her why, she replied "you just seem so happy not serving Jehovah and I need to surround myself with people that love him." Ohkay - good riddance. Hahaha
Purza
an oldie but goodie that i only now have discovered.
i grew up on the coast, and this musical/visual experience confirms my love and respect for the sea .... .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nrjnfyaw5q.
I respect the sea. I live near the coast and cannot imagine moving away. However, I do not swim in the ocean on the northern Californa coast - it is way too dangerous. Just the other day someone went in to rescue her dog. She drowned and the dog walked out of the waves eventually. Happens more frequently than it should. Sad.
Purza
for the last 13 years, we haven't attended and didn't even care about it.
but since we became card carrying members of jwn in september, we have an interest in what are friends here on jwn are doing.. for us?
we will be watching 'dancing with the stars'.
I don't even think about it anymore. It will be a "normal" Tuesday for me; working 10 hours, hitting the gym, making dinner and then hitting the pillow. There is no significance to me in the day whatsovever. It wasn't always that way, but I like my life much better these days.
Purza
last year i gave the memorial talk, this year for the first time in my entire life i won't even be going.. i guess that missing the memorial will definitely put us on the elder's radar, so i am expecting the elders to be concerned an interrogation.
.
i was going to use the excuse that i will be in a different part of country, but i won't be and i will be at work with at least 3 other jw's in a neighbouring congregation.. .
Wow - from giving the talk last year and not even going this year is a HUGE step. I wish you the best. Enjoy your "free" Tuesday evening.
Purza
jws cannot get involved with politics.
exjws certainly can and based upon responses from this site, many are quite opinionated about political matters.. are you very involved in politics at this point in your life?
do you really believe that your opinion, your vote means all that in the big scheme of things?
I am an elections official in a local government. I find it very interesting to see how passionate people get about the right to vote. I never really thought about it as a JW, but it makes sense to me now. Even when it feels like you are one voice, your vote truly does count. Just to exercise the right to vote is very powerful. And I have seen what happens when people don't do their research and continue to vote for incumbants and then bitch and moan about it afterward. I never sign a petition outside of a grocery store - mainly because I haven't had an opportunity to really study the facts. Those petitions can cause a lot of damage if one doesn't truly understand the issues. Yes, those paid signature gatherers don't always tell you the whole story.
Anyway, I have exercised my right to vote in every single election since 2004.
Purza
a new novel written by an ex-jw received a mainly positive review in today's minneapolis newspaper.
the author posted on this board about 2 months ago under the username "mutinyinheaven" , but hasn't posted since.. the book is available through amazon.com.. http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/88705662.html?elr=karksuuuodey3lgdio7aiu.
reviews: "confessions of a teenage jesus jerk"last update: march 21, 2010 - 2:04 pm.
I read the book and I really enjoyed it. I would get a knot in my stomach when "Gabe" was talked to by his father - weird.
Anyway, it is very entertaining.
Purza
