Posts by Bridgette

7

Help! bro trying to convert grlfrnd-need honesty

by Bridgette in

jw
friends

i hope some of you will remember me.

i have not posted for a long while, but you all and our mutual struggles are never far from my heart.

i have always asserted that if you want to be a witness, fine--great!!

Bridgette

I hope some of you will remember me. I have not posted for a long while, but you all and our mutual struggles are never far from my heart.

I have always asserted that if you want to be a witness, fine--GREAT!! I have never called for an abolishment of the religious corporation of our mutual pasts, but want for IT to be HONEST with itself, its adherents and ESPECIALLY those IT desperately seeks to convert.

My brother has returned to the organization with a girlfriend in tow. They are quite serious with one another, even as he grows ever more serious about being a Jehovah's Witness. I feel that if he wishes to be a JW, fully cognizant as he is of all that entails, this is fine--for him. But I have just pleaded with him to be honest (up front--NOT progressive disclosure) with this girl (a Christian) about what will be expected of her--how her life will change if she follows him and becomes a JW. If she still wishes to be a Jehovah's Witness--great--more power to her. But I want her to make an informed decision. He has already grossly mislead her by quasi celebrating the holidays--something he has no intention of keeping up.

Can anyone relate what they wish they had known UP FRONT about life/soul changes involved in becoming a JW? Also, this girl has an independent streak and thirst for knowledge--can anyone give me quotes about what the WT has said about the dangers of "Independent thinking"?

Thanking you all in advance for input.

Love,

B.

18

Seeking advice on official DA

by Bridgette in

jw
friends

for a very long time, i have held off on making my departure from the jw's official (though, i am as far removed from them as i can be) because of my mother.

i did not want her to feel she must shun me when there would be no one to replace my presence in her life.

this was for practical reasons as well as well as emotional.

Bridgette

For a very long time, I have held off on making my departure from the JW's official (though, I am as far removed from them as I can be) because of my mother. I did not want her to feel she must shun me when there would be no one to replace my presence in her life. This was for practical reasons as well as well as emotional. Not exactly a pillar of the cong., having been the dutiful JW and not "wasted" time on preparing for retirement, she is aging, ailing, alone and poor (not a winning position to be in here in the United States). I, having left and got my act together, now have the means to take care of her, which I will do no matter what. But I always feared that she would isolate herself from me. She now knows full well where I stand about the Jehovah's Witness Organization (having brought the subject up on a recent visit). I believe I am now ready to make my disassociation official (although one part of me asserts that there is no need to explain myself for leaving people who no rights on my soul in the first place--did the Jews who suffered internment in concentration camps have to later write letters of explanations as to why they left to their Nazi tormentors?--when one is raised in the org and thoroughly indoctrinated, abused, etc., this is a very valid analogy, imo).

Anyway, any suggestions? I do not want to ramble. I want to state my position concisely, and as breifly as possible--I simply not want to be associated in any way, shape, or form with this ignoble, abusive and deceitful organization.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions,

Love and Peace,

Bridgette

87

My Disfellowshipping

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

my disfellowshipping

as with anyone associated with jehovahs witnesses the worst possible news anyone can have is being df.

it means a loss of everyone and everything you have known all your life.

Bridgette

I am in awe of you Mr. Bowen. If there is a god named Jehovah and he really stands for justice and he truly does champion the cause of the lowly and abused and unheard, then surely he smiles upon you now and gave you the strength to stand up to the corruptors.

peace,

Bridgette

30

Dateline

by Jacinta in

my mom (a jw) watched the dateline program.

i asked her the next day what she thought of it.

she told me that erica was not a jw and that is why they did not support her in court.

Bridgette

Several problems in your reasoning. The assumedly fictitious perp is, as you say "severely reproved". How? What message is sent to his victims if they are in the same cong? Why are victims not occasionally, BUT ROUTINELY punished, shamed, shunned, and silenced by WTBTS. Sorry, my friend, no way to white wash these deplorable, soul destroying policies by the organization that claims to be: (say it with me) GODS ONLY SPOKESPERSON ON EARTH!!!!!!! Can't have it both ways. A molestor, imo, has forfeited his right to live among society with children. I will chose the children every time. If the molestor has to be locked away forever and ever, then so be it. There is an implied social contract when one is born to the human race, some things inequivocably break that contract.
Peace,
B.

4

Judaism to JW back to Judaism anyone?

by Bridgette in

i am wondering if there are any who practiced judaism before becoming jws, or even better, went from judaism, to jws, back to judaism.

i am just curious.

i suspect there are very few people who would convert from judaism to jw, but if there are any (esp.

Bridgette

My studies of the Kaballah are admittedly limited. I would love to understand more about it--but many maintain that one must be completely learned in the Torah first (who's got that kind of time!). From what I've read, it contains the same universal truths you will find in most of the mystical, hermatic studies: the world as we know it is illusion, all is energy, we are components of godhead, and have forgotten who and what we are, etc. Whatever you know and can share, would be appreciated.
My quest to study how people worship in all different ways has taken me to a surface study of Judaism. While I could never convert, I find it fascinating that Torah is SO different from the study of the Hebrew scriptures that we were forced to learn. A judaic perspective gives the bible a whole new meaning (go figure, it's their book, their history, their god). Anyway, another thing that the witnesses and many christians have all wrong (but ESPECIALLY the witnesses) is that worshippers of this hebrew god were and ARE expected to question everything. There is no central dogma, other than monotheism, there is no "headquarters", you can say anything you want to a rabbi, and you will at least be heard. Look at Jesus and his apostles--they spread christianity first IN THE SYNAGOGUES, because they were allowed to get up and speak, question, and argue---you'd never find that in a Kingdom Hall--you'd be shut down right away for going against dogma.
Anyway, I'm almost through with studying Judaism, but it's been good for me to take a second, alternative look at good ole' bible god. He's still kind of a meanie, imo, but not exactly the blood thirsty brute the WTBTS made him out to be. He was manufactured for a people who'd been slaves all thier lives to rebuild a great, intellectual, evolved (for their time) nation.
thanks,
B.

4

Judaism to JW back to Judaism anyone?

by Bridgette in

i am wondering if there are any who practiced judaism before becoming jws, or even better, went from judaism, to jws, back to judaism.

i am just curious.

i suspect there are very few people who would convert from judaism to jw, but if there are any (esp.

Bridgette

Dear DC's Ghost,
Are you telling me to read the Kaballah, or are you saying you have read the Kaballah. I have delved into the Kaballah. Perhaps one of the most fascinating and telling of spiritual studies.
Thanks for the reply. I did not think I would get much feed back, as I just do not think that anybody who truly studied Torah indepth would ever become a Jehovah's Witness counterfiet. The witnesses do seem to rip off the surface stuff of the rabbi's without understanding the spiritual depth of it all. Torah, understood beyond the surface level supposedly leads to the spiritual depth of Zohar and Kaballah.
Thanks,
B.
p.s. Anybody study Kaballah or Zohar here?

4

Judaism to JW back to Judaism anyone?

by Bridgette in

i am wondering if there are any who practiced judaism before becoming jws, or even better, went from judaism, to jws, back to judaism.

i am just curious.

i suspect there are very few people who would convert from judaism to jw, but if there are any (esp.

Bridgette

I am wondering if there are any who practiced Judaism before becoming JWs, or even better, went from Judaism, to JWs, back to Judaism. I am just curious. I suspect there are very few people who would convert from Judaism to JW, but if there are any (esp. those who return to Judaism), I would like input on your experience.
Thank you,
Bridgette

21

question for you all....

by wonderwoman77 in

ok, here is my situation.

i have been talking with someone on the phone and i am very interested in this person.

i have only been talking to them about 4 or 5 days, and when i was talking to them last night or about 3 hours and at one point, just talking to them gave me that sensation, like you get after you kiss someone for the first time.

Bridgette

Follow your heart but listen to your instincts. Distance won't matter if this is true love. However, that probably has yet to be determined.
Just be careful, but enjoy the ride.
Congratulations!
Bridgette

23

ATTENTION WATCHTOWER MONITORS

by D8TA in

jw
friends

i was born in to your so-called visible earthly organization.

you taught me well; with the intimate details in the machinery you call the society.

you assumed that your strict exercises would suppress my ability to achieve a free mind.

Bridgette

D8TA,
Hey, you sound like some dissenters I've come across before who tried to warn hard hearted corrupt religious systems claiming to be God's only spokesmen on earth:
These are just a few "quips"
"HOWL YOU SHEPHERDS, AND CRY OUT! And wallow about, you majestic ones of the flock because YOUR days for slaughtering adn for YOUR scatterings have been fufilled, and you must FALL" ~Jeremiah 25:34
Don't worry, the pharisees didn't listen either. Once people's hearts have become rotten with conceit, adn convinced them that they are above all others, they can't be reasoned with.
May the force be with you
Love,
Bridgette

11

Maybe we can organize a candlelight vigil for thos

by nowaytess in

jw
friends

from: "nowaytess" < [email protected]> .

date: fri may 17, 2002 1:52 am.

subject: a suggustion for a national/international candlelight vigil.

Bridgette

Good idea, imo. OR, what about a huge vigil in front of Brooklyn headquarters? I also had a dream one night that I was at a convention and in a synchronized fashion, everyone started lifting up plain white signs with black writing saying things like "I want to stop being hit by my husband", "I want to be free to love who I chose" "I want to worship God, not a publishing company", "I want my parents to stop hurting me", "I want to stop feeling alone". It was powerful.
I just want everybody who's hurting and crushed in the organization right now to know that they are NOT alone.
Love,
Bridgette