HappyDad

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Posts by HappyDad

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  21

  10 Years On...

  by done4good in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just a note that 10 years ago, (christmas day, 2005), was my last time inside a kh.

  a lot has taken place for the better in those 10 years:.

  1. met the love of my life and happily married for 9 years, two days ago.. 2. completed a master's degree.. 3. work at senior management level in the it field.. 4. have a savings and retirement, and no debt outside of a mortgage and 1 car loan.. 5. lots of travel to several places that i never would have done as a jw.. 6. contribute to what i believe are meaningful causes.. 7. read, think, and meditate for myself.. 8. have a great extended family i inherited from my wife.. 9. lots of other great stuff, too much to list.. none of this is intended to be boastful.

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  HappyDad

  Happy for you on having the best revenge....."A life well lived". Many more decades of happiness to you!

  HappyDad
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  32

  No Soliciting signage and JW Policy

  by Oubliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does anyone have a copy of the boe letter directing publishers to not go into apartment complexes and/or condominium complexes with no soliciting signs?

  i ask because yesterday and buttheaded jw (that obviously had no idea who i am or my past) was knocking on doors in our condo complex.

  he would have had to drive past a sign which clearly states "no solicitation or material distribution.".

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  HappyDad

  I've been living in an HOA community in Florida for a year and at the entrance is a sign that says "No Soliciting". I think here in Bonita Springs, the JW's do obey and don't go to any condo complexes. I see them on weekends walking the neighborhoods and every day they have their literature cart on the sidewalk at the city park. My first nine months here I stayed with my daughter in her condo and they never worked it. It also is an HOA.

  HappyDad
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  4

  Voices calling Watchtower to give money

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .........will they do it?.

  http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20151217/opinion/151219924/jehovahs-witnesses-should-leave-brooklyn-a-big-thank-you-gift.

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  HappyDad

  I doubt that the Watchtower will give anything. The US needs to take away all tax exemption from all the so called non-profits. All religion is for profit. All hospitals are for profit. If they were taxed, they would still be in business. But just think of how the city infrastructure would benefit.

  HappyDad
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  21

  Is going into a church really THAT bad?

  by Zana in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  family background: my wife ("liberal" jw), me (ubm), two children aged 5 and 2.

  (want more details?

  -> http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/279456/raising-kids-jw-mother-agnostic-father).

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  HappyDad

  On the other hand, JW's have no problem at all visiting historical cathedrals and temples of different religions to "view the historical architecture". If I'm not mistaken, there was an article or two in the Awake magazine years ago.

  HappyDad
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  75

  How did you feel when you found out "the truth about the truth"?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so when you first found out specific facts about the organisation, how did you feel??.

  the un membership.

  the way 1914 was calculated from pyramid measurements.

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  HappyDad

  I had doubts for years but when my wife died in 1996 I bought my first computer a month later. Started searching the internet about JW's and even those first stories I read about other JW's being wronged and the lack of love in the org. connected with me. Bought Crisis of Conscience in 1997 or 1998 and became numb. I didn't know what to think. By this time I started missing meetings and then gave the book to my daughter and told her about all the other things I saw on the internet. I then bought her a computer because she was now separated from the lazy, didn't want to work JW she was married to and then filed for divorce. Even though I was mostly mentally out, I still attended the occasional meeting and every once in a while has guilt feelings and would try to convince myself that it was the truth and Satan was trying his best to discourage everyone. When 911 happened I went back for awhile but it didn't last. I knew in my heart that it was all a sham. I'm happy to say that my daughter was about a year ahead of me knowing it was all BS.

  The last time a went to any meeting was memorial of 2003. I don't miss anything about it or the people I knew and have a great life now. My senior years are happy ones since I have a decent pension despite some who said years ago that I should change jobs so that I could devote more time to the ministry. Yeah.....right!

  I'm also glad that I wasn't born in. My mother was a JW since 1961 and introduced me to my wife to be. I married her before I was baptized and sometimes I wonder if I bought into it for her.

  HappyDad
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  26

  Old, Faithful and Forgotten...

  by rrb2016 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  had a conversation with my jw mother the other day.

  she has been baptized for over 50 years.

  i've been out for 30 years, but because both my mother and mother-in-law are jw's i keep up with all things jw.

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  HappyDad

  Seems like the WT is only catering to and interested in trying to keep the younger money making/donators in the cult. Change the spiel to confirm to the newest digital media so they will hopefully have something to hang on to. Forget the elderly on social security in senior section 8 or public housing. We don't have enough money to make ends meet at the end of the month and surly can't donate enough for the World Wide Work/pedifile law suit payouts.

  I imagine there are many elderly in their 60's on up who are wondering and having doubts for the first time in there life. I'm sure if I didn't wake up over 15 years ago, I would be wondering right now myself.

  HappyDad
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  58

  35 Years Ago Today - John Lennon - Peace Advocate was Murdered

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in this age of violence with the san bernardino and france massacres sometimes it's good to reflect on the wise words of the peace advocates among us who proposed a better solution in bringing a more civil society to our universe.

  john lennon, martin luther king jr. - people who stood up for equal rights and world peace and denounced violence and war - no matter how that violence occurs.

  please feel free to comment on stories of john lennon on this thread and feel free to post any you tubes of his music that you may have enjoyed through the years.

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  HappyDad

  I've often wondered.....if John was still alive, how many more wonderful song would be available. He was the genius behind the Beatles as far as I'm concerned. In my opinion.... Woman and Imagine are two of the greatest songs in the history of the world.

  Just sayin'......

  HappyDad
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  26

  They're selling some assembly halls

  by LaFrancia in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it has confirmed the news!

  in italy selling assembly halls.. the managers are deciding which assembly halls keep continuing to use them for the assemblies, and assembly halls which sell the best buyer.

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  HappyDad

  Maybe they will go back to renting high school auditoriums and Masonic halls and ice skating venues like they did in the 1960's in western Pennsylvania. My first circuit assemblies were in the high school auditoriums and the Islam Grotto in Pittsburgh and the Rostraver Ice Skating venue. That was a few short years before building the Assembly Hall in Coraopolis, Pa where I put in countless hours working on my days off in 1973.

  My only good memory of going to a circuit assembly at Clairton, PA high school is meeting my late wife. I was recently discharged from the Army in 1968 and at the urging of my mother who was a JW since 1961, went with her. I fell head over heels for this great young lady and we were married less than 8 months later. Needless to say, I went whole hog into the religion. Not sure now if it was her or did I really believe it.

  HappyDad
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  34

  Do most ex JW's go politically left?

  by Lightgrowsbrighter in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've found it interesting that- imho- most of the politically vocal ex-jw's at this website seem to lean left.

  i'm personally pretty centered- right on some issues, left on others, but overall have a pretty cynical view of all political/religious leaders.

  i find it somewhat ironic that people who leave such a dogmatic group like the witnesses become so politically dogmatic.

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  HappyDad

  I've found it interesting that- IMHO- most of the politically vocal ex-JW's at this website seem to lean left.

  I totally agree with you. In the past I have been way to vocal and trashed these ones. My strong opinions have been because of my JW past where I and most JW's I knew were so confident that we had the answer to everything. We had the "truth"!

  I have learned a lot over the years and try not to get involved in left or right topics. My emotions about certain issues can have me say things that I will regret soon after opening my mouth. So it's best for me to stay quiet. Friendship is not worth losing because of political leanings and beliefs. My leanings are middle of the road right and sometimes far right when it comes to protecting the 2nd amendment and closing borders. At least I now can choose what I want to support.

  HappyDad
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  25

  converting to catholic

  by SloppyMcFloppy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello i was wondering if any ex jw have converted to catholic?

  i have been tossing the idea around a bit and wondering if it was woth it from personal experience?

  thoughts?

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  HappyDad

  An ex JW poster here returned to the Catholic church. Jeff Schwehm is his name and you can Google and find out about him. He was also a guest on EWTN (the Catholic cable TV show) to talk about it. You also can check out his posts here. Another person who became Catholic is Tom Cabeen. Tom was one of the top group of people who were purged from Brooklyn bethel in the early 1980's with Ray Franz and Randy Waters. Tom was an overseer in the printing department. Both Tom and Jeff are fine examples of ex JW's living their lives in peace and happiness since they escaped the cult.

  HappyDad