for the moment at least, my muse has been revived, and i'm wrapping up my book for "unbelieving mates".
i had started to compose a list of common jw excuses and manipulative questions, and their retorts.
it is not finished.
What am I going to tell your mother when she is resurrected - looks for you. and finds that you are not there?"
Retort: Am I Jehovah to know who lives or dies? ;Are you? ;Have you opened the Lamb's book of life? How can you be so confident I won't make it?
I like this one. It is the one thing my mother uses with me.
Your questions and responses are really great! This is definately a keeper!!
BB
all to often, my mind drifts to my mixed feelings for my mother.
the deep love that burned in my heart for the woman who had given me life.. the suicidal remorse i felt for bringing such guilt and reproach on her good name.. the blinding anger i felt for her never questioning her beliefs, but always questioning her son.. and so i'm left with a vacuous emotional chamber for a large element that is missing from my soul.. and when you've lost your most valuable possesion, everything else is gravy on an empty plate - pointless.. and so i hurt too, and i love my mom, but does she love me?
the unanswered question haunts my mind.. we recieve, we give, and sometimes, we just plain screw up.
I went through a particularly nasty time with my mother and sister back in Dec/Jan when they finally realized that I no longer wanted to be a JW. The things that came out of their mouths was putrid.
I made it clear to them that the decision to cut me out of their lives was theirs, not mine. The only thing that changed in my life was that I was never going back to the meetings etc. They were still my mother and sister, but if they wanted to change the relationship it was their decision. My door was always open.
I felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from my life. I expected to feel hurt/pain etc, but it was relief.
It didn't take them long to come around and apologize for what they said/did and ask to be a part of my life again. The relationship is not the same as it was before, but we do have one now. There are boundaries, we do not talk about religion at all. She doesn't talk about the meetings, never mentioned the new release at the assembly or even offer me one.
It can happen that your mother will come around.
BB
http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csarticles/articles/000041/004145.htm .
letter to the editor .
no such thing as 'watchtower' teachings .
4 In order to avoid misunderstandings, Jehovah’s Witnesses try to be careful about how they express themselves. Instead of saying, "the Society teaches," many Witnesses prefer to use such expressions as, "the Bible says" or, "I understand the Bible to teach." In this way they emphasize the personal decision that each Witness has made in accepting Bible teachings and also avoid giving the false impression that Witnesses are somehow bound to the dictates of some religious sect.
Just try deviating from the dictates of the JW "religious sect" and see how long it takes you to get DF'd for apostacy.
BB
i just got a visit from my jdub cousin.
not seen him for a year or so.. anyway he's telling me that he's selling his house (his first place bought 2 years ago) as the society are telling them all that the end is in sight sooner than they think!
and he said that he's gonna go part time at work cos he loves the aux pioneering he did last month!!!
My inlaws did something similar in 74-75. They sold their house, moved their three children in with an older childless couple (the only elder in the hall - very controlling), pioneered and lived off their savings for two years. My hubby said it was pure hell! His parents moved out at the end of'75 and had to start all over again. But they still believe the end is near.
BB
just received this email from my cousin.
yesterday, i get a letter in the mail, looks like a business letter/ i open it up and its an invitation from the jw to attend a "special event" at their upcoming assembly here in rochester.
sounds like they are having an event for non-members now.
My mother and another sister in her hall regularly mail out letters to people. I haven't heard her say they mailed out invitations, but it is possible. They do this in place of door to door (health reasons I suppose).
BB
i received an email that confirmed the following:.
this month and next, earth is catching up with mars in an encounter that will culminate in the cloest approach between the the two planets in recorded history.
the next time mars will come this close is 2287. the encounter will culminate on 8/27/06 when mars comes within 34,649,589 miles of earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky.
I remember when Mars was visible in Aug/03. We were camping up north on a lake, no light pollution around at all. We'd take a blanket and pillow and lay on the dock and watch Mars rise over the trees, watch the moon rise at the end of the lake and catch the odd falling star, or on a rare occasion the northern lights. It was a wonderful summer that year!
BB
i was speaking to a friend last night, trying to explain why i don't go to meetings etc,(waste of time though she just can't seem to understand my point whatever i say), anyway she said as long as i don't d'a myself she can still speak to me.
she said they only d'f you if you commit a gross sin.
i refuted this saying if they knew i didn't agree with some of the teachings, sent a fathers day card etc and you weren't sorry they'd get rid of you.
My sister in law was talking to me about birthdays yesterday. She was not raised a JW (Morman), converted in order to marry my brother. She had to take a stand with her family regarding BD and Christmas etc. It has caused her alot of heartache, not to mention headaches and stress with her family.
What she finds hard is that my mother (active JW) gives the kids BD presents. She is so confused! Here she is telling her family they cannot give the kids BD presents, but my JW mother gives them presents on their BD! Go figure.
She asked if this was something mom always did. In a way she did but not to the extent she does with the grand kids. We'd always get a "Have a nice day" card and a little gift. Nothing big, just a little token, and never wrapped like she does with the kids.
I feel for her, and told her that I don't think receiving a BD present from her parents is a bad thing. It will further hurt her mother and cause problems if she finds out the JW mother in law is giving gifts and she's not allowed. Hopefully in the future the kids will be getting gifts from both grandparents now. Or she has to go to the other extreme and tell my mom what she is doing is wrong and it's causing problems and she can no longer give the kids BD presents. I don't think she'd go that route. I hope for the kids she doesn't.
BB
here is a few pics of our home...they are not very good though ...lol...i don't have any pictures up yet, most of my plants are setting on my table (still), some stuff is still out in the moving van and our grass is not in and garage is not built (the cut lumber in our yard is going to be milled and used for our deck and garage)!
kitchen.
here's our back yard ...but since we faced the home inwards..i guess it's our front yard!..lol.
I would kill for a kitchen like that!!!!!!!!!
I live in an old house, and even though we've redone the kitchen it still is tight for counter and cupboard space! Love the view! Thanks for sharing the pics!
BB
did anyone realise that this was the case when they became a witness or just realise through time that this is the societies teaching on it?
.
each year i get annoyed at the memorial when the speaker giving the talk always refers to this point and then says how the other sheep (the great crowd) "can benefit from this arrangement".
Whew! I feel better now knowing I wasn't the only one that didn't realize this!! (Raised JW)
BB
ok so we all know that the faithful and discrete slave class claim to be gods organisation here on earth and that they claim that a god of order would have an organisation to organise his followers but can anyone pull a scripture of of their hat that proves that god doesn't need an organisation here on earth?
bttt
