Belmont

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Posts by Belmont

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  23

  Widowed DO takes 30 yr old Wife!!!

  by ISP in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  widowed d.o.

  bro derek carter has caused something of a stir by marrying a 30yr old pioneer sister that is at least half his age.

  if you ever saw bro carter you would notice a strong resemblance to 'uncle fester' of the adams family.

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  Belmont

  The widowed DO who looks like Uncle Fester is David Carter, not Derek Carter.
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  13

  Anyone have any controversial "meeting&quo...

  by Waygooder64 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone have any really cool stories about fights,arguments or anything else controversial that happened at the kh or a book study?

  the reason i ask is that what happened to danni and her partner will be talked about for ages at that particular hall.

  when i was about 16 i once saw 2 brothers arguing over who would take the service group that weekend.the whole congregation was about as quiet as a mouse pissing on a cottonball!

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  Belmont

  We were once in a congregation near a mental home. At weekends, inmates were allowed to wander round the town. One Sunday, a group came into the hall during the public talk and a woman went on the platform and stood next to the speaker gazing down at his feet. This went on for some time as no one seemed to know what to do. Eventually she said "What size are your shoes? and left the platform.
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  36

  Where were you when you first came here?

  by Xena in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i noticed in a couple of threads people discussing the impact this board would have on jw's with doubts coming here and reading the messages.

  it got me to wondering where most people that post here were at...what stage in their jw/ex jw process...when they started reading and/or posting here.

  also curious, when you did come here what was your main focus?

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  Belmont

  We had started to pull away as a result of researching the society's literature and the p.o. called to see if "all was well". We reassured him, and he said "That's good - the c.o. said you must have been looking at the internet!" So we did.
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  14

  With friends like these.......

  by Belmont in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we've been out three years after many many years enmeshed in the org; not df'd or da'd, just fading away for family's sake.

  this is a letter we received this morning from a jw friend of 25 years' standing who has continued to invite us to her house for meals, and eat with us during the past three years.. dear****, when i first knew you had ceased coming to the meetings, my heart felt love for you both, made me visit you.

  the intention was to win back my dear brother and sister.. over a period of time i have come to realize that you have ceased associating with jehovah's organization and my conscience now feels i cannot continue our association.. i am sorry to lose you as friends.

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  Belmont

  We've been out three years after many many years enmeshed in the org; not df'd or da'd, just fading away for family's sake. This is a letter we received this morning from a jw friend of 25 years' standing who has continued to invite us to her house for meals, and eat with us during the past three years.

  Dear****, When I first knew you had ceased coming to the meetings, my heart felt love for you both, made me visit you. The intention was to win back my dear brother and sister.

  Over a period of time I have come to realize that you have ceased associating with Jehovah's organization and my conscience now feels I cannot continue our association.

  I am sorry to lose you as friends. Not my will but Jehovah's will is more important to me. I know you will understand. *****

  We have no illusions about the conditional nature of jw friendships - it's interesting to see it confirmed in writing. By the way, we have never discussed with her our reasons for leaving.
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  14

  Business Territory

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  business territory in the 1960s and 1970s: when i was first associated in the late 1960s, it was common to see jws roaming the streets of downtown districts, offering the magazines.

  sometime in the early 1970s, after i had been a jw for a few years, we worked businesses directly.

  this was especially true when certain events were newsworthy - such as the persecution of jehovah's witnesses in malawi.

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  Belmont

  We were on holiday in Katoomba, NSW 3 years ago and met a jw sitting in the main street beside a table of wt publications. He was a timid sort of fellow and explained that he didn't like going on the work and preferred to sit by the table and wait for people to approach him. Shortly afterwards, his photograph appeared in the wt as a fine example of zeal and fearlessness!

  More recently, a jw in Bristol, UK, who also used this form of witnessing, left his post momentarily. When he came back, his table was stolen and his mags thrown on the ground! Obviously a discerning thief.
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  15

  Religion vs. Spirituality

  by Introspection in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone else noticed that we get a lot of "who has the truth" and "what is the true religion" type messages?

  but you never hear anyone ask something like "how do i develop authentic spirituality?

  " granted, the word spiritual is abstract and vague, but there is the matter of the individual aspect of the word spirituality.

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  Belmont

  Having escaped the clutches of the cult (after 40 years), there is an overwhelming and persistent feeling of joy - the knowledge that nothing will ever be as bad again. Belonging to a religion just means following the rules and produces guilt and fear. A sister on her deathbed (aged 23)said to me "Have I done enough?" Spirituality produces joy and confidence.

  I see something of God each hour of the twenty-four, and each moment then,
  In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass,
  I find letters from God dropt in the street, and every one is sign'd by God's name,
  And I leave them where they are, for I know that wheresoe'er I go,
  Others will punctually come for ever and ever.

  Walt Whitman, "Song of myself".
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  14

  Life in a small town

  by Belmont in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we live in a small town in england where for 30 years we were stalwarts of the local congregation, and then walked away, not df'd or da'd.

  there is virtually only one main street, and the reaction of the jws to us is a lesson in human behaviour.

  some ostentatiously shun us, some "love bomb" us, and one elder whom we have known since he was 10 years old, actually walked away when we spoke to him.

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  Belmont

  We live in a small town in England where for 30 years we were stalwarts of the local congregation, and then walked away, not DF'd or DA'd.

  There is virtually only one main street, and the reaction of the jws to us is a lesson in human behaviour. Some ostentatiously shun us, some "love bomb" us, and one elder whom we have known since he was 10 years old, actually walked away when we spoke to him. However, at the same time, we have been approached privately by 4 long-standing jws, relating horror stories of their treatment in the
  congregation. Unfortunately, they can see no farther than the shortcomings of the local elders. not recognising that the whole edifice is corrupt.

  One actually said "If only Bethel knew, they would put it right" which is a consoling thought if you are living under an abusive regime. Many must have thought the same about Hitler or Stalin. It's difficult to admit to yourself that everything you've been clinging on to for years is nonsense. How does one respond to them without frightening them away?
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  81

  Nourishment for the Spirit

  by Maximus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my observation is that persons who 1) heal/adjust the most rapidly from their jw experience and 2) seem to have the most joy in life are those who read, read, read, in pursuit of what i call nourishment for the spirit.

  i've really enjoy the pithy aphorisms you use here, which suggests you've distilled some wisdom from somewhere.

  i'm going to ask your help in this thread.

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  Belmont

  Intensive reading has certainly helped me. Ray Franz's books, of course, and also First World War poetry. The horror of that experience, and the elation of being free struck a chord with me.

  Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
  And I was filled with such delight
  As prisoned birds must find in freedom,
  Winging wildly across the white
  Orchards and dark-green fields; on-on-and out of sight......
  Siegfried Sassoon.

  It's so great to be free, as he says, "the singing will never be done".
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  5

  Englishman's party

  by Belmont in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  have just spent a delightful afternoon at englishman's barbecue - sunshine, good food and wine, and scintillating company.

  mr. dubinapub was there, singing irish rebel songs and passing round illicit liquor.. am i being corrupted by bad associations?

  :-)

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  Belmont

  Have just spent a delightful afternoon at Englishman's barbecue - sunshine, good food and wine, and scintillating company. Mr. dubinapub was there, singing Irish rebel songs and passing round illicit liquor.

  Am I being corrupted by bad associations? :-)
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  7

  My story

  by Belmont in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i originally posted my story on h20 last november, and since then have found jehovahs-witness.com and have been lurking avidly and gratefully most days.

  your comments have been enormously helpful in the process of treading carefully (we have family still in), and making a new life for ourselves.

  were in the process of leaving the organization quietly after 40 years.

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  Belmont

  I originally posted my story on H20 last November, and since then have found Jehovahs-witness.com and have been lurking avidly and gratefully most days. Your comments have been enormously helpful in the process of treading carefully (we have family still “in”), and making a new life for ourselves.

  We’re in the process of leaving the organization “quietly” after 40 years. My husband was an elder from the beginning of the arrangement, and a servant before that. We have had no quarrels with anyone, nor rocked the boat.

  We were baptised in the 50’s, and then many of my family joined. We had three children, so we had a family structure within the society.

  Over the years, doubts surfaced, quickly swallowed, birthdays, higher education, programming children to pioneer, etc. Changes in doctrine also brought misgivings – higher powers, Sodom and Gomorrah, resurrection, 1975, ordained/not ordained – also swallowed.

  You stay for many reasons, family ties, no friends outside because of the them/us mentality, trusting the GB, and knowing that there are some good JWs. Also, it takes courage to abandon a belief system. It leaves a “God-hole” in your life.

  All the time, you say to yourself, “The GB will put it right eventually. Where else is there to go?” Have you ever noticed that the nicest JWs are the new ones? After a while, they become like so many in the cult – power-loving aparatchiks if anatomically equipped, and powers-behind-the-throne lovers if anatomically bereft. (If you’re not connected to a “glorious one”, you’re nobody.)

  After years of swallowing doubts, I drew a line in the sand – if they abandon “generation”, that’s it. The CO came to the congregation and said, “Now we have new light on “Generation”. Weren’t we silly to believe anything else?” End of explanation. I knew better than to ask questions.

  I then researched the society’s own literature, and saw now their prophecies promulgated as God’s word, were just dropped when it was obvious they were indefensible. I then read some of the old books which they still cite today (selected quotes only) and they are absolute balderdash. The writing dept. must feel safe in the knowledge that no one will read them – they are so boring. The next step was Ray Franz’s two books, and benefiting from the research shared by many of you.

  So, the way out for us was reading. Life begins at 60+ and has never been so good. We have a lot of catching up to do.