Posts by Balsam

28

KM article (barf alert)

by Euphemism in

jw
friends

just had to share some lovely points from this week's service meeting.

the article "imitate jehovah's goodness" has the following paragraph:toward unbelievers: one way we can imitate jehovah's goodness is by showing sincere concern for those not related to us in the faith.

(gal 6:10) showing goodness in practical ways can have a positive effect on how they view jehovah's witnesses and the message we bear.. .

Balsam

This term UNBELIEVER, just what does that word mean to a JW?

Answer: That is a label a person who is an active JW calls people who are Christians from other religions, or non christian people who have never been a JW.

Do any of you find that unbeliever word as offensive as I do. What right do JW have to label people who proclaim to be Christian and do their best to live by Jesus principles, most the time better than JW, as an unbeliever. UNBELIEVER IN WHAT????? Unbelieving in the JW form of relgion.

This is a word that really stuck in the my new husband's mind when he saw it. He saw it in a Watchtower article, and said what does that mean "unbeliever"? I told him what JW's meant by it. He got hopping mad, how dare they decide that he is not a Christian because he isn't one of JW. Well he wrote to the WTS about this word, and how insulting it is. Of course they never wrote back or addressed his anger over implying that he was an unbeliever when he is very much a believer in the bible and the teachings of Christ. That has been almost a year ago. But they still continue to fling that word around.

How insulting that word is, why isn't it that the old men called the governing body can't see it how insulting it is? And they use that term a lot.

Ruth

94

No More Anonymity

by Francois in

jw
friends

i have posted at this site for over two years.

i have posted nearly 6,000 posts here, and for the most part i've posted as francois, or i've not identified myself with a screen name at all.

i've never directly identified myself.

Balsam

I'm Ruth Baker

Charlotte, North Carolina

Proud to be free of the hang ups and fears.

18

Buying out the opportune time

by RunningMan in

jw
friends

all of my life, i was told by the society that i should buy out the opportune time.

to them, this phrase meant that i should cut down on watching tv or some other worthless activity, and of course, spend that newfound time worshipping the great publishing company.

well, since i stopped going to meetings on april 10, 2002, i have discovered an entirely new and far more enjoyable application for the admonition to buy out the opportune time.

Balsam

I've been out 2 years now. In the beginning I would pass KH see the poor drones headed to their cars for survice on Saturday mornings when I would be headed out to spend the day with my incrediable fun new man in my life. You know I found myself smiling and feeling so good. Then I would marvel at such a good feeling. Don't recall ever feeling that good headed out in the door to door with my now ex-husband and spending the day preaching to people who didn't want me there in the first place. My children crying in the back seat miserable at another Saturday wasted when all they wanted to do was play and watch cartoons. Thankfully my oldest son is free of the nonsense now. But still have one son who obediently aux. pioneered this month to please his Dad. I wish he could taste the freedom. Perhaps the more time he spends with me he will. I can only hope so.

I love my Tuesday, Thursday evenings watching TV with my now adorable sweet husband. No rushing off to boring meetings. Love that Sci-fi Channel, and Tuesday Declassified. Saturday morning sleeping in. Sunday morning not being filled with anxiety of having to sit in the KH for 2 hrs plus being free of the door to door work, and wasting an entire day serving the WTS.

I feel sorry for those who are not enlightened, and fearful of being such. Poor Poor Borg drones, do they realize how perfectly they resemble those Star Trek characters.

Balsam

9

A few statistics on divorce in the US

by JH in

jw
friends

adults between 25 and 34 years old never married in 1998:

percentage of people that married under the age of 20 who eventually get divorced as of 1995:

percentage of people that married over the age of 25 who eventually get divorced as of 1995:

Balsam

Well I am one of the divorce statics, and so my ex-husband who still an active JW. I felt divorce was lower than the general public. But there was 3 sisters who lived apart from their husband, separated but not divorced. Then there were the couples who had separate bedrooms and lived as brother and sister so to speak, but continued the marriage because they believed they had too.

Frankly I think that they would have all been better off divorced and have a chance at a better life with someone else.

In the statics though it showed that divorce is higher in second marriage. So in general people just have a hard time making it being married don't they.

I am in my second marriage, and my new husband in his third, but both of us fit together mentally and physically like hand and glove. We like each other company, and talk and talk. No silent times for us, like we had in our previous marriages.

Balsam

27

Did You Refuse To See A Doctor Or Therapist Because You Were A Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i'm curious how many put off seeing a doctor or some other "worldly" professional because you didn't want to bring "reproach upon jehovah's name" or were counseled against it.

Balsam

I know here in the south it is not encouraged. I remember one sister who was terribly sick with cripping arthritis began to have severe mental problems. Her doctor had her committed to a mental hospital for treatment with her JW husbands approval in the late 70's I think. Well all the JW 's in the congregation thought this was dangerous doing this and talked about how it would being reproach on Jehovah. I knew from seeing how mentally sick this sister had become there was no help for her unless a professional stepped in. After treatement she was some better, but even up till she died she was bitter with JW's and perhaps with good reason. Few of us JW visited her in the nursing home after her husband died, and when we did she would turn away from us. I think I understand some of the things she might have been feeling now. I am sorry I didn't understand better when I tried to visit her back before she died.

Yes getting help of any kind from mental health is a sure way to get a questioning looks. I went to a therapist just before I left my husband. The most profound thing she asked me and hit home. Why do you feel you must stay in a miserable marriage? I said I thought God was requiring it of me. She said the bible does not require that, it allows for marriages to end. I went several times, and she helped me find my courage to fight being mistreated. I know something a few of the sisters asked me was did they tell you that being a JW was the problem. No she never said that, I told them and she didn't. But she did bring out my perception of what the bible taught could be the problem.

When people asked me later, I just refused to discuss it.

The society in recent years didn't say don't go just be careful to chose a therapist or Doctor who will respect the JW mentality. But in years past back in the 70's they really told us it would ship wreck our faith if we went to them. Attitude changed a little in the 80's and 90's.

Balsam

28

Can You Believe Bible Prophecy?

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

.

many believe that between a fourth and a third of the bible concerns prophecy.. many believe that history shows that god's unerring prophecies of the kingdoms and empires of,egypt,isreal,judah,babylon,persia,greece and rome all came to pass in minute detail.. if his prophecies came true in centuries past,can you----should you-----believe in bible prophecy today?.

btw.we are not talking about the society but the many other religious teachers and scholars who swear by the fulfillment of bible prophecy.. blueblades

Balsam

Has anyone read the "Jesus Mysteries" good book. Shows where the teachings of the god man came from. Another interesting book is "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" gives the history of the Christian movement plus Jewish society of the time which explains many of the writings of the Essenes, and the Gnostics. If any of you like history both books are very enlightening.

Balsam

62

Do the Elders know about this?

by meadow77 in

jw
friends

.

what kind of an example are we setting for young witness girls regarding modesty?

i personally think she looks nice, although maybe she should try for some darker colors; but because of her jw affiliation, it justs makes one stagger at the double standards.

Balsam

Hi there, yes the Williams sisters were apparently raised in the JW by their Mother who is active witness. She has recently divorced her non-witness husband and father of the girls. The girls are not shy about telling anyone they are Jehovah's Witnesses. Famous tennis players. Fame will play havoc on there desire to remain JW that is for sure. It is unlikely with all the men they meet they will marry some JW guy. So we can well expect when they marry it will be some guy outside the JW's. LOL

Balsam

52

Would you be willing to admit it if you've been a hypocrite?

by onacruse in

for the last 20 years of my association with the jws, i was, more or less, a hypocrite.

they taught things i didn't believe, but i went to the meetings and, by my presence there and by my "non-answers" i in essence supported something that i didn't believe.. it's a hard thing to say "i was a hypocrite.".

i was.. craig

Balsam

This is a subject that I have really felt bad about at times because of my children. But in all honesty, it was only toward the last that happen.

I remained true to the witnesses direction till the last 3 years of being a JW. I was considered a good JW my most people who knew me during that 29 years. I did gradually slip away from the forced mentality. Most of all I regret not being honest with my sons, because they could see I was acting hypocritically in the end compared to how I was in the years before. I did not have the heart to tell them I was having doubts about the JW's form of religion. As a parent I felt I had to take the lead, trouble was I was not sure where I was heading. It wasn't until my middle son died from a car accident and refusal of blood for him as he was dying that I knew I was absolutely going to leave. It was the event that was the catalyst to forcing me to make decision. How sad that JW's have to face tragedy to make them wake up.

But yes I feel I was hypocrite at least for time, but it was out of indecision. I know it is such a pain in the behind to those who knew me well, to see the complete turn around in my life. Even proclaiming the WTS is wrong. Such a slap in the face of active witnesses. No wonder they look at us with distain calling us apostates. They just can't fathom why. I remember myself wondering the same thing about people who leave the JW and become what I viewed as hateful. It just boggled my mind. I had some ex-jw's who left look with pure hatred at JW when they saw them. I didn't understand, but I do now.

That is probably why I will not give any JW I run into hateful looks, I remember the puzzlement I felt when they did that to me when they left the congregation or was disfellowshipped.

Balsam

33

The WTS Kills Another Child

by Robdar in

i spoke to my father this afternoon and received some bad news.

the daughter of a woman who was one of my childhood friends at the kh died today from leukemia.

she was 16 years old.

Balsam

Hi Everyone,

Since I am one of those unfortunate parents who had a child die in part as a result from refusing blood transfusions to save his life. My son might have died anyway, we will never know. My son refused blood after the auto accident on the way to the hospital. Then my son's Dad once again refused blood for our son. They warned us he would have no chance at all if we didn't give him blood. He lived 3 1/2 hrs is all.

I realize how everyone here is shocked how this can happen how can a parent who loves their child better than their own life let that child die when blood can save them perhaps. I ask this of myself.

I can only tell you I was throughly decieved by the Watchtower Society up until that day. I believed ours and our childrens everlasting lives depended on refusing blood even in life threatening situations. I completely believed the WTS. It was after our son died I found AJWRB.ORG, and learned that the WTS had been misleading all those of us that are JW. Well it lead me on a path that took me out of the witnesses. I now work with AJWRB.ORG to educate other witnesses, and help ex-witnesses, and to educate the general public about the blood policy of the JW's.

No parent wants to let their child die, they believed that Jehovah demanded it. The lies the WTS has told people make the Governing Body the ones responsible for the unnessarily death of these children and adults. JW's let their beloved family die because they have been told that this is what is required of them to have everlasting life. If they knew God did not requires this they would not do it.

Sincerely,

Mary from AJWRB.ORG aka Balsam

17

Proud of my stance!!

by unique1 in

jw
friends

my parents invited me and my hubby to attend the convention with them this sunday and go out to dinner afterward.

i told my dad i didn't feel like going but thanks for the invite.

later my mom called with the same question.

Balsam

I know having ones on here we know personally makes the community feel a little closer and tight knit don't it?

You know the Elders are leaving my oldest son alone after he showed his Dad the Baptism Nullification Letter he was going to have notarized if the Elders kept bothering him. Guess his Dad told the Elders about it, anyway they have left him alone for now. The letter would allow my son to sue the Elders if they disfellowshipped him since he was forced into baptism by his parents at age 13. The Elders can only announce that he was no longer a publisher, and that is all. It has been working in some areas, but he didn't use it just had his Dad read it. Can you imagine how mad his Dad was when he said oh yah Mom is the one that wrote it up for me. LOL LOL

Ruth