hi to all x-jws in utah.
it's cold here in ogden, but warm wishes go out to you all from our family.
'let the games begin', i think that's what i told my husband as we walked into my jcm in 2000. we no longer carry the 'torch' for the organization.
Hi! I didn't know that you posted here, but I'm glad that you do. I hope everything is well with you. It was great getting together with you and your hubby and going to that great restaurant in SLC with Sabrina for your birthdays. I just realized that the winter olympics opening ceremonies were last night, and I missed them! :( I hope to see you again soon, and have fun with the Winter Olympics in town! Oh by the way, it's warm this weekend in southern California!
Love,
Cynthia
after much deliberation, i decided to go "out" at the end of a public talk.
it didn't go down too well, but at least i was able to give some of my reasons for leaving.. i've put some of the details on my homepage.
i'll update it more when i get the time and the strength.
Congratulations! That really took some courage to stand up there and do that. God bless you and your family.
Cynthia
i have to be in the los angeles area for several months .... i attended khs there from 1969 - 1981 it would be great to find some old friends who "are not" with the organization.
.
nute
Hi, I live in the Los Angeles area. I have a Yahoo Club, Ex Jehovah's Witnesses California. The URL is http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/exjehovahwitnessescalifornia
In fact I am now trying to get a group from Southern California together to meet for lunch in February. If you are intersted, please email me. Oh and, by the way, I am the one that "Nowaytess" is referring to above. I am also a moderator on the yahoo club Christian Ex Jehovah's Witnesses.
Cynthia
i am trying to gather info.
on why people leave the wt.. i have read many personal stories but thought it would be easier to just post the question:.
if you can remember, what was the very first thing.
The first thing that got me thinking that something was wrong with this picture was when they DF'd my JW husband for smoking instead of wife beating! I'd been complaining to the elders that this jerk was violent and unpredictable. When he would lose his temper, he would beat me up and physically torture me. The elders didn't care about that, though, but instead accused me of "nagging". When it was brought to the attention that this jerk was caught smoking, he was DF'd asap! I finally divorced this SOB, but the elders didn't take too kindly to this and forbade me to date others. I did date anyway, went back to school learned critical thinking skills, and left the WT in 1980. Became a Christian in 1982 and have been very happy ever since.
i have been associated with many religious groups over the years, mainly the catholics, jehovah's witnesses, and various evangelical born-again groups.. i often use the term born-again on this forum.
i normally mean born-again in reference to evangelical born-again groups, "fundies", etc.. a couple of posters here have told me that they find the way i used the term born-again offensive.
they rightly tell me that most christians believe that they are born-again...hence, my comments offend them.. so, folks, can we come up with a more accurate term?
I feel that if someone called me a "born-again" I would be offended. I am a Christian, I attend a Methodist church and I believe that all Christians go through a spiritual rebirth when they accept Christ as their Savior. I have good friends who are Roman Catholics and they say "born again" means basically the same thing plus receiving the sacrament of baptism. I feel the term "born again" is just cliche and plain over used. Many non Christians use the term as a derrogatory term when speaking of evangelical Christians, that is why many Christians feel offended, because the hostility that non-Christians display is made very obvious. When somebody asks me if I am "born again" I will reply that I have accepted Christ as my Savior and explain that this was a personal thing for me and lead them to John chapter 3 for explanation.
I think the term "evangelical Christian" may be more proper. Or just use the word "Christian" period. Some Christian denominations are more legalistic than others, and I try to steer clear of those, such as Assembly of God and other Pentacostal groups. Not that there is something wrong with them, those groups just aren't for me and I would feel very uncomfortable in those settings. Not all Baptists are alike either. You will find many denominations within the Baptist groups, literally hundreds, and you won't find that any of their denominations resemble each other. Some are ultra conservative and others are liberal.
Bottom line is, you won't please all of the people all of the time. However if you want to refer to me as just a Christian, I'm fine with that.
recently i read a thread where someones e-mails had been hacked by local elders.
i have been e-mailing with a very nice person who has started 'independently thinking' lately.
because of this thread i wrote her that she should be careful of people finding her e-mails.. the very next day her husband had hacked into her e-mails and was very upset.. i was just wondering for all of you- how many have experiences like this?.
Internet spy software is readily available if a family member decides that he/she wants to see what you are doing. All keystrokes can be recorded, passwords, everything. You wouldn't even know that the program is installed unless you knew what you were looking for. Here is an example: http://www.internet-monitoring-software.com/
The good thing is that anti-spy software is available also!
Cynthia
i live in northern california.
most of the conventions and get togethers i have seen posted are in the midwest.
am i all alone out here?
Also there is a conference in Northern California (Pinecrest) during June 14-16 called the Grace Countercult Conference. It is hosted by Dan Hall. If anyone is interested, please email me privately and I will let you know how to get in touch with him to make arrangements for lodging and registration. Pinecrest is located near Yosemite.
Cynthia
i live in northern california.
most of the conventions and get togethers i have seen posted are in the midwest.
am i all alone out here?
I'm from California, however I'm in Southern California. I have a Yahoo Club called Ex Jehovah's Witnesses California. There are also Northern Californians on this club, some from around the bay area and others from Sacramento. I'd love to get to know you better! Please come and check out my club and join. Here is the link: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/exjehovahwitnessescalifornia
Cynthia
for those wha have left jehovahs witnesses is there religion after you leave the watch tower?
this is just a survey i would like to hear people share pesonal experiences on the matter.. 1. do you still believe in a god.
2. have you joined another religion.
1. Do you still believe in a God
A. Yes
2. Have you joined another religion
A. Yes, I'm a Methodist
3. Do you still believe in a bible or a Holy book?
A. Yes, I do believe in the Bible
4. Are burned out on religion?
A. I don't like "religion" in the strictest sense of the word, nor do I like all the what I call "churchyanity" type of stuff. Everyone has to have their own personal relationship with God
5. Do you trust others who talk about God, Jesus and religious stuff?
A. Trust? It depends who they are and how well I know them! Just because they claim to be religious or Christian doesn't make them trustworthy in my book. I just use my own common sense on judging people.
6. For you who still believe in a God is your worship corprate or private?
A. Mostly private, although I attend a Methodist church for fellowship.
Reguarding other Teansindental Matters:
7. Do you believe in truth?
A. Yes
8. Is truth absolute?
A. Hmmmmm
9. Are ethics and morals absolute or relative and arbratrary?
A. I believe that God wants us to live according to His laws--HOWEVER-- If we don't then I believe he is very merciful and forgiving.
how many here were married as jw's to jw's??
if so, what was your main purpose in getting married to this person?
i ask this because, i married my dh so that i could get to know him.
I was 18 years old when I got married in 1974. At that time, many of the JW's at the KH were saying that there might not be marriages in the "new system" and that if we were still single when armageddon came, that we would have to remain single for all eternity. I couldn't stand the idea of having to remain single forever and ever, after all being a teenager with raging hormones! So I married the first guy who showed interest in me, in fact he was still 17 when we married. I never did get to know him before getting married. What a mistake! He turned out to be physically abusive with me. When I told the elders what was happening, they told me that it was a "family problem" and that they could not get involved. They also said that I needed to stop "nagging" him, and that I was bringing this on myself. So there I was getting the crap beat out of me, and it was not a disfellowshipping offense for my husband! After going through this hell for 2 years, he was finally df'd for smoking. I think that is when my eyes began to be opened. How could it be ok to beat your wife, and physically abuse and hurt her, while it was not ok to smoke not hurting anyone else but maybe yourself? The whole thing was just disgusting!
I finally did leave that monster at that time. I had a baby that I did not want to put through growing up that way. If it had not been for my son being born (he is 25 now) I might now have seen the way clear to leave. I had to do what came instinctive--to take care of my child, no matter what the WT dictated.
What really used to burn me up was that I saw guys who were coming home from "Bethel" marrying 15 and 16 year old girls. They were in their early to mid 20's and they had to have a little 15 or 16 year old child to marry. These teenaged girls were so flattered, but I wonder how their marriages to these guys really turned out.
