Posts by BrendaCloutier

38

Baptismal Pool

by Sunspot in

the other day i received an email from a man in croatia, who sent me and someone else a copy of a picture from a wts magazine.

i wasn't quite sure about the contents, but it looked to be legitimate----but being in croatian i was not sure of what it actually said and i ended up putting it aside intending to check it out (if possible) and then forgetting all about it.

he had also sent this to another person, who went to the trouble of verifying the facts and getting an understanding of what was being said in the picture.

BrendaCloutier

I have thought about this a little.

I tend to be very pragmatic.

I personally think the people involved with building the baptismal pool did not have any intention on creating a stir. The UN didn't provide the tarp specifically for a baptismal pool. They just used what they could find. Simply, someone should have turned the tarp over. Maybe UN aid workers (not politicians, just human beings working to make a bad situation tolerable) actually helped build the pool as a goodwill gesture and didn't have a clue on the problem with the logo or the WTS "former" attitude toward the UN. I bet the shovels used to dig the hole had UN labels on them, too. I bet the water came from the UN, too. And the food served afterwards was provided by the UN. What's a JW to do, starve?

However, I do agree with the apparant fact that the WTS printed the pix without editing out the logo. They do have the techonology. I don't see the problem laying with those in the camp, but diretly with WTS.

Hugs

Brenda

3

I D4C U

by desib77 in

jw
friends

.

i feel so bad for these women..

BrendaCloutier

Interesting, and sad

I remember being taught that in old hebrew times a man or a woman could confront their spouse in public and announce "I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you" and they would be divorced. It didn't matter what the reason. Then, again, polygamy was popular then, too.

Brenda

49

Suicide Update

by Corvin in

jw
friends

as you know, i?ve had a bit of a day.

((((((you guys)))))).

i am stunned and numb right now, and for some reason, i do not feel as tired as probably should.

BrendaCloutier

{{{{{ Corvin }}}}}}}}

I am so sorry for the burdon you're carrying right now. The good thing is, it will pass. Believe it, it will! Honest! One breath at a time. In.... Out.... just don't forget to breathe.

Once the crisis is over, please follow up on getting full custody of your children. It's most apparent, and not just to you and to us, but should be to the powers that be, that their mother is totally incompetent and a liability when it comes to her daughters' wellbeing.

Once social services accesses the damage, you may wish to seek their assistance in getting a restraining order against ex- and any and all JW's, if possible.

And give a hug to your daughter and tell her there are many, many who love her and are "praying" for her that are NOT JWs.

Hugs

Brenda

61

favourite games to play as a child during boring meetings

by Surfacing in

my parents were both very strict, and i wasn't allowed any toys at the hall.

my rations included a copy of my book of bible stories, and a pen and note pad.

my parents were strict to the point of not allowing me to draw pictures, i had to "take notes".

BrendaCloutier

Count the foam panels in the ceiling. Pick scabs. Try to find the best position to fall asleep without looking like I was actually asleep.

Were you at my hall watching me? Learning to fall asleep without looking like I was sleeping was a well learned trick I've used at work! The other one is I had to learn to laugh without laughing. It took a long time to learn to laugh out loud. Now I have an obnoxious horse laugh that I'm proud of! One of my games was picking out who should be married to whom based on what they looked like, or their personalities. As I got older, I design clothes on the pictures in the WT or Awake, then went home and made them (I was taught to sew very young). Of course they were for field service! Bren

12

Wt mag 2/15/03pg10- United Nations-paid for/provided baptismal wading pool

by sf in

a good friend sent me this piece of delicious 'morsel'.

i'm still chewing.

have a taste!

BrendaCloutier

I still think the people in the refugee camp just did what they did to do what they do, without too much thought to the side of the tarp that was up.

However, I've thought a bit more about this and you're right. The WTS could have edited the pix to get rid of the logo before publishing it. They didn't. I feel the WTS is the "culprit" here, not those in the field.

I still feel the tarp was commandeered for the baptismal pool, not given specifically for that purpose by the UN. With limited supplies in a survival situation, you do what you can do. They SHOULD have turned the tarp over. No $$$ scam involved. Just WTS B.S.

Hugs

Bren

11

Kidnapping children from the non-jw parents, was there a trend?

by Netty in

jw
friends

this happened a few times, back in the 70's, in the congregation that i went to.

there were a few families who were jw's, divorced and remarried, had (physical anyway) custody of their children, but the divorced spouse was non-believing and wanted their rights to the children.. one family, when the father of the children went to court to get custody of the kids, picked up and fled the country.

we later learned they were in costa rica.

BrendaCloutier

I'm actually grateful to have been raised by my "parents".

Hi Brenda, I am glad that you feel like you were raised in a better place, good for you. So, you eventually met your birth mother?

No, Netty, not as my birth mother.

When I was 7-10 years old my mom would drop me off at my gramma's (gr.grandmother) to play with Arlene's kids. I didn't know I was adopted yet. I was told when I was 13 - It was a shock. I didn't talk much about it nor ask questions.

I later found out that Arlene was my mother when gramma died. It was gramma's wish that I not know who my mother was. Unfortunately, Arlene had been dead for 5 years, from a car accident, so I couldn't meet her as my mother. However, I feel fortunate that I did meet her as a kid.

I can only imagine how difficult it was for her to see me playing with my half-sibs and not be able to reach out to me as her own.

Arlene had finally been baptized, reproved, disfellowshipped, and still tried to be a JW. She finally gave up when she met her last husband who loved her deeply and treated her well, she got pregnant by him and DF'd again. This time she finally gave up on JWs

She had no problems getting pregnant - I have 7 sibs, 2 sets of twins.

I have been in contact with aunt, grandmother, grandfather, and have meet all half-sibs and Arlene's last husband. I've also met other relatives on my mother's side. We have no idea who my father was, as Arlene took that info to the grave with her. It's not on my birth certificate nor adoption papers.

Hugs

Brenda

38

Baptismal Pool

by Sunspot in

the other day i received an email from a man in croatia, who sent me and someone else a copy of a picture from a wts magazine.

i wasn't quite sure about the contents, but it looked to be legitimate----but being in croatian i was not sure of what it actually said and i ended up putting it aside intending to check it out (if possible) and then forgetting all about it.

he had also sent this to another person, who went to the trouble of verifying the facts and getting an understanding of what was being said in the picture.

BrendaCloutier

I'm not gonna be one to jump on the band-wagon here. I looked at the WT pic. My opinion:

The "wading pool" is a hole dug in the ground, lined with a tarp, and filled with water.

The tarp has the United Nations HCR logo on it. I don't know if the logo is on both sides of the tarp. If it is, and it is the only thing available to make the pool, then they (JWS) did what they could to do what they do to save souls. If the tarp was printed only on one side, then they should have turned it over! May have been calculated, maybe not. The UN probably did not provide the tarp specifically for the baptismal pool, but for "normal" tarp uses, like temporary housing. It was the JWs that commandeered the tarp for their purposes.

I don't think there was any conspiracy here. Only idiocy in not turning the tarp over.

No, I'm not a WTS supporter. Just a calm mind amidst wome over eager finger pointing.

Hugs

Brenda

14

Permanent loss from being brought up in JW

by Cunfusious in

for the past few hours i have been reading through this forum and an overwhelming sadness came over me.

for a long time i thought just getting out and not being part of the organization would be the "escape" that being happy in a normal life provided.

born and raised (well 17 was it for me) under the tight grips of this organization has made my life a constant battle over right and wrong.

BrendaCloutier

It was a good 8 or 9 years before I discovered that Jehovah would not strike me down for just entering a church other than a Kingdom Hall.

I have alcoholism (currently in remission). It was my very first AA meeting, on a Sunday, July 5 1987. The meeting was in the basement of a Baptist church. It was absolute hell for me to even touch the door handle, let alone open the door.

Nothing happened, except that the door opened as normal doors do.

However, I learned that no matter how much I could quote chapter and verse and do a fast look-up in the Bible, I didn't know the words to the Lord's Prayer. I was very embarrased.

Today I not only know the Lord's Prayer, but also the Serenity Prayer, and most of Amazing Grace.

It's ok to feel guilt, and shame, and embarrasment. But you don't have to give in to them. Baby steps are fine.

Hugs and love on your exciting journey!

Brenda

11

Kidnapping children from the non-jw parents, was there a trend?

by Netty in

jw
friends

this happened a few times, back in the 70's, in the congregation that i went to.

there were a few families who were jw's, divorced and remarried, had (physical anyway) custody of their children, but the divorced spouse was non-believing and wanted their rights to the children.. one family, when the father of the children went to court to get custody of the kids, picked up and fled the country.

we later learned they were in costa rica.

BrendaCloutier

One of the Murder/Suicides here in Oregon, not Longo, but the other one that happened shortly after Longo, in McMinnville, was because husband had been DF'd in Calif, dutiful wife moved with husband to Oregon, and wife's parents were trying to get the kids, and her, away from him. Obviously for good reason.

I was "stolen" from my birth mother when I was 8 months old by my gr.grandmother. My mother was 19 and unmarried, but more or less raised JW, never baptized. My gramma took me and gave me to the people who finally adopted me after a legal struggle. Seems like she wrote a coerced note that she wanted me raised JW, but later put me up with the Catholic Childrens something or other.

So today I'm a recovering JW, not a recovering Catholic.

I'm actually grateful to have been raised by my "parents". My mother had a difficult time through most of her life, and my half-siblings had a far more difficult Iife than I did. Some still have a tough time.

Brenda

12

Wt mag 2/15/03pg10- United Nations-paid for/provided baptismal wading pool

by sf in

a good friend sent me this piece of delicious 'morsel'.

i'm still chewing.

have a taste!

BrendaCloutier

I'm not gonna be one to jump on the band-wagon here. I looked at the WT pic. My opinion:

The "wading pool" is a hole dug in the ground, lined with a tarp, and filled with water.

The tarp has the United Nations HCR logo on it. I don't know if the logo is on both sides of the tarp. If it is, and it is the only thing available to make the pool, then they (JWS) did what they could to do what they do to save souls. If the tarp was printed only on one side, then they should have turned it over! May have been calculated, maybe not. The UN probably did not provide the tarp specifically for the baptismal pool, but for "normal" tarp uses, like temporary housing. It was the JWs that commandeered the tarp for their purposes.

I don't think there was any conspiracy here. Only idiocy in not turning the tarp over.

No, I'm not a WTS supporter. Just a calm mind amidst overeager finger pointers.

Hugs

Brenda