Posts by Freedom Fighter

what about it...i know for me i got gifts throughout the year but i didnt get as many as my friends did on their birthdays etc....what about you...do you or did you replace b/days and christmas gifts or celebrations with anything else whilst being a jw and in particular anything as personal....

Freedom Fighter

Looking back I was pretty fortunate, I usually got something throughout the year. This was re-inforced by the statement -"at least you don't have to wait untill Xmas or birthdays to get anything".

It didn't make up for missing out on the actual days tho - I always had a pang of jealousy whenever the other kids at school had their birthday treats. Even getting a new denim cat suit (it was the 70's c'mon) didn't make up for that.

FF

36

Has anyone got anything positive from being a JW?

by diamondblue1974 in

jw
friends

.

i hear and read alot about peoples experiences and some are pretty horrendous....does anyone actually feel they have benefited from being a jw at least in one way or another...me personally i feel i benefited from the ministry school as public speaking is part of my job and has definately improved career prospects?.

g

Freedom Fighter

As a child, having to interact and meet a lot of new people was good for me in terms of making me more extroverted. This was also a spin off of field service.

Also, in a perverse way, having to stand up and say 'I can't do this or that' required me to exercise courage and not be afraid to stick to my guns, although we all know that the principles involved were misguided -(mild term, hey I'm feeling generous).

Like Mary I am a whizz at Bible quiz questions - my friends look at me in astonishment and say, 'How did you know that?' ;)

FF

74

WHY are you here ? (on the board)

by frenchbabyface in

jw
friends

.

ok ... to me it's not totally related to jw life actually, i'm here because i'm used now to chat with people (you know like you go into a cafe and share wathever you want with whoever as this board is very rich and full for immediat interaction), support them, get some support ... i just like that ... also of course it's very interesting at the same time to follow some news and get information that i might spit back to my familly in time to wake them up .... what about you ?

Freedom Fighter

Good topic FBF -

I always felt that no-one really understood what it was like to have been involved with the JWs, so it wasn't anyhting that I discussed freely with family and friends. In a way it was 'my secret' a part of my past that I had locked away. However, by locking it away i wasn't acknowledging it or resolving it in my head.

The first time I lurked on this board was a very powerful experience, this was the first time that other people understood exactly what I had been through! This was amazing, as I always felt isolated in terms of my ex-JW status. Being able to discuss all of this is really liberating for me, as my previous association with the JWs is something I have been reluctant to reveal or discuss. Maybe I should lighten up! lol.

I still gain a lot from the board, and not just the JW stuff, there is a lot of other interesting and informative topics which never fail to entertain or educate, sometimes both.

Last, but by no means least - I have also met and communicated with people I wouldn't have had contact with before.

FF

48

Can you comment on this story WITHOUT being negative?

by nicolaou in

just for a moment try not to be a bitter, twisted, hate spewing apostate and read this....... .

by erin concors, tribune .

jerry and crystal baxter still look back on their first major argument as newlyweds and laugh.

Freedom Fighter

Exactly - it's a lovely story. The fact that the couple are JWs is irrelevant.

FF

41

Going to my first meeting this morning

by Bug in

jw
friends

hi there i'm new here, my name is fiona i am not yet a jw and have not started to study yet.

i am very interested in doing so but since i am still new to all this i thought i should attend some meetings first.

i am going to my first one today at the kelvin hall in glasgow, i am quite nervous as i do not know what to expect but also excited at the same time since it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life.

Freedom Fighter

Hi Fiona

Like Craig I am nearby also - I had no idea meetings were being held in the Kelvin Hall..that's interesting.

The advice you have been given from the other posters is very wise. Do all the research you can before committing yourself too deeply. This forum will provide you with a well rounded view of the JWs, from personal experiences to doctrinal discussions.

Drop me a PM if you want to and I hope to see you posting again.

FF

11

JWs and Gnomes

by helios in

here in the uk we are very keen on gardening and many of our gardens are adorned with various features.

but one that stands out to many people is the love many uk residents have for gnomes.

now you must understand that whatever you read about political trends and devotions to various elected governments the real divisions in the uk are not along party lines.

Freedom Fighter

Brilliant Helios - gave me a good laugh!

FF

8

Another FS related thread.

by the_classicist in

when i was 12 and trying to get baptized i did (only five hours a month!

not getting a jw baptism was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

so, did y'all ever get bothered by the "elders" for not spending enough time in field service?

Freedom Fighter

I wasn't spoken to by the elders - but all of a sudden I was assigned to a 'spiritually mature' sister for field service. I suppose they must have cottoned on that my spiritual appetite had significantly decreased.

When I think about field service now, I really don't know how I managed. Looking back really makes me cringe.

FF

9

No one's home?

by imnottheonlyone! in

i was just remembering back to when i was around 13 years old or so.

my friend, who was 15, and i were both pretty sick and tired of field service.

we tried to work together as much as possible and one summer we worked almost exclusively alone as door-to-door partners.

Freedom Fighter

Yeah - I used to love working with one of my fellow 'teens' - we would pretend to knock the doors and have a really good giggle. We also used to waste time and end up disappearing to the nearest shop, so when you added it up there wasn't a lot of service being done!

We got away with this for a while, but inevitably we were split up...

FF