Gill wrote:
We blame ourselves for allowing our brainwashing to continue. We should have know better and should not have been afraid of losing friends and relatives because in the end we are both happier.
Hi Gill - one thing you shouldn't do is blame yourself. As everyone knows on here, the power of the cult lies in it's ability to seduce and psychologically manipulate. This is especially true of the JWs as they play on our most precious emotional bonds - i.e. family and friends. You and your husband did what you thought was right at the time, and let's face it, in terms of spiritual rewards the JW paradise earth combo is a helluva big carrot to wave in front of anyone. You weren't at the stage where questioning and reflection began, and some poor folks will never reach this stage.
Back to topic - I am lucky to have a final salary scheme with my current employer. It's a government type scheme so in theory it should be safe *crosses fingers*. I hoping that I will be able to have unlimited blue rinses, new hips on demand, 16 Valve stairlift and a few Saga holidays before I finally kack me clogs!
FF - feeling some twinges already.....
Freedom Fighter
JoinedPosts by Freedom Fighter
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16
Who else hasn't got a pension plan?!!!!!!!
by Gill inwell here we are starting to think about retiring in another twenty years and what do we find?
we find that we've missed the best years of our lives for saving in a pension plan simply because we knew that we wouldn't need one because armageddon was coming.
we were told by quite a few elders in our congregation that simply having a pension plan showed lack of faith that the kingdom was coming very soon and we should actively get rid of the company pension plans that we had.
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Freedom Fighter
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Kwithmath Twee, Oh Kwithmath Twee..
by Englishman inlets just spare a thought for the tiny tots and older kids who won't be enjoying any christmas festivities this year.
no parties, no presents, no santa, no fun, no carols no anything.
it's a damned shame that kids miss out so much.
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Freedom Fighter
Every year at this time is when my mind turns to childhood and to be perfectly honest it always makes me a feel a bit sad. Like the previous posters I found the Christmas season total torture. Certainly, the old 'get presents all year round' cliche appears to be fairly universal.
It was always so paradoxical that at a time when everyone was having so much fun I would associate it with unhappiness. I was fortunate that I had great teachers at primary school level who were very understanding and tried their best to minimise my awkwardness. One teacher in particular always made sure I got a card that was non - Christmassy, so that I had a card from teacher in the same way as the other kids. Also, I received a present but it was wrapped in 'neutral' paper. This meant a lot to me.
Looking back, like many others on the board who were put through this as a child, we all must have been strong little critters having coped with all of this. Even though all of this was a few years ago, I can still feel the hurt and pain as if it was yesterday, this kind of stuff can really leave a scar and always surfaces at this time of year like an old friend who has definitely outstayed their welcome.
What was also important was that I couldn't really explain to the other kids about all of this, I actually didn't understand very much of it myself. -
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Knock Knock ... Good Morning, I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses ......
by groovycat. inhehe, how i hated saturday morings!.
hello all, i'm new to the forum!.
first of all, i would like to apologise to anyone who had the misfortune of opening their door early on a saturday morning to me preaching the good news!
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Freedom Fighter
SBF
Check your inbox -
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Knock Knock ... Good Morning, I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses ......
by groovycat. inhehe, how i hated saturday morings!.
hello all, i'm new to the forum!.
first of all, i would like to apologise to anyone who had the misfortune of opening their door early on a saturday morning to me preaching the good news!
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Freedom Fighter
Heeey Groovy Cat - Welcome to JWD! The Scottish colony is growing by the day! lol. Hoots mon!
My experience is very similar to yours - I am glad I didn't waste too much time in the JWs.
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Blood and Food
by Lampokey ini am well aware of jw doctrine concerning blood and its foundations in acts 15:20.. i am also well aware of how much discussion this has provoked.. could ex , or current , jw's comment on one aspect of this please :.
the ban on blood seems unequivocal and would seem not to leave any room for compromising.. in that case , would eating a piece of red meat be in violation of jw's beliefs?
presumably , it would , as even a well-cooked piece of meat would contain blood molecules.have any jw's raised this point with their congration's elders?.
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Freedom Fighter
Gordy wrote:
" As someone who worked in the meat trade for 25 years, I can tell you that Black Pudding didn't contain "traces of blood" it was practically all blood. "
Yewww - stuff biblical laws - that's enough to put anybody off.
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Blood and Food
by Lampokey ini am well aware of jw doctrine concerning blood and its foundations in acts 15:20.. i am also well aware of how much discussion this has provoked.. could ex , or current , jw's comment on one aspect of this please :.
the ban on blood seems unequivocal and would seem not to leave any room for compromising.. in that case , would eating a piece of red meat be in violation of jw's beliefs?
presumably , it would , as even a well-cooked piece of meat would contain blood molecules.have any jw's raised this point with their congration's elders?.
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Freedom Fighter
Hi Gill and Lampokey
Hello and a warm welcome to the board!
Does anyone remember that crazy myth that blood was involved in the production of the Galaxy chocolate bar?
I used to wave one at my mum and she would act as if it was made of Kryptonite...
Also, up here we have a very healthy (!!???) fried delicacy (although I use the word delicacy loosely here) called black pudding. It supposedly contains traces of blood so was always a big no-no. It always amazed me how wee slices of black stuff could cause so much distress to so many people..... -
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Raised in the Truth vs. New Converts
by prophecor inwhile viewing many of your experiences here, its strange to hear the problems that have resulted from many of you being in " the truth ".
i'm speaking with regard to those who've been in most of their lives and have never really known much else.
when i finally came in i had spent a majority of my life, doing the things of the world.
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Freedom Fighter
I find this such an interesting topic.
I spent most of my childhood and mid teenage years in 'The Troof'. However, mentally I was never really in 'The Troof'. I hated going to meetings and hated field service. These feelings caused me a lot of anguish because I was scared that Jehoober knew I was faking it and ultimately I would get incinerated with the worldly people a la the Paradise Book. I spent as much time as I could with 'worldy people' anyway -classic foot in two camps stance.
I was embarrassed and ashamed to be associated with the JWs and sick of having to explain to people why I couldn't do this, and couldn't do that etc. I never had that sense of pride that the others seemed to have at the KH. I think what got me was that this life style was not of my choosing, therefore as soon as I could I walked away without a backward glance. I decided to jump ship before the inevitable " should you not think about baptism by now?" followed by " Meet Brother Turd - he's nice isn't he? "
Having been on the board for a few months now, I can now see the terrible emotional aftermath of those of you who joined as adults - where you exercised your own free will. To have your whole belief system destroyed must have been devastating and discovering that you had been subjected to what amounts to a spiritual scam.
What comes across strongly from the board is that the impact of exit depends in your strength of involvement. Those of us who had fairly easy exits (like myself - minimal problems)should really appreciate our good fortune.
FF -
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Freedom Fighter
Some great replies to this - here's my effort -
Psychotic Mental She-devil!
This post was brought to you by Evening Primrose Oil....
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Bunch of Winers!!
by Gretchen956 ini'm sitting here sipping some very excellent merlot.
i wonder if there are any other winers here and what you enjoy?.
sherry
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Freedom Fighter
I have been partial to a Chilean Merlot - until that fateful day when I helped to polish off a full wine box of the stuff.
FF of the practically lived in the bathroom for 3 days class -
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Hello
by Max inhi, i am new here and was told most here are ex jw's, i am not an ex jw, i attend meetings but not regular and have been reading a few things here and hope you don't mind if i have an opinion now and again.
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Freedom Fighter
Hi Max
You've certainly come to the right place! Please pay heed to the wise words on here before you get in too deep.
FF