Posts by adelmaal

5

There Must Be Apostates Working At Amazon - LOL

by adelmaal in

jw
friends

i ordered "crisis of conscience" and a bible 2 days ago on amazon with super saver shipping and it's being delivered today!

last time i ordered books on super saver shipping it took 2 weeks - lol.

them apostates at the un and amazon must be working together

adelmaal

I ordered "Crisis of Conscience" and a Bible 2 days ago on Amazon with Super Saver Shipping and it's being delivered TODAY! Last time I ordered books on Super Saver Shipping it took 2 weeks - LOL. Them apostates at the UN and Amazon must be working together

8

Michael the Archangel

by Linuxjunkie85 in

hello all, i'm new here and i see there are lots of encouraging threads here.

i am trying to understand why jehovah's witnesses believe that michael the archangel is christ.

to me this would lower christ to the level of the angels and if the annointed would be above the angels, then christ would be below the annointed of mankind.

adelmaal

Personally, I don't know if there exists a parallel between Jesus and Michael but I think the Witnesses are so bent on making one because it's just one more thing that supports their belief that Jesus is NOT God himself. They will grasp onto anything that proves they are right about the Trinity not being a Bible teaching. Hard to have Jesus be an archangel and at the same time be God himself. That would be my speculation.

22

Discipline for the unbaptized

by homme perdu in

does such thing exist?

adelmaal

There is also the practice of "marking" where they have the local needs talk address a specific issue that points directly at an individual without saying their name outright. I had this done to me. For the life of me I can't remember why though... So long ago.

whyamihere: I am so sorry you received the full extent of marking... I hadn't read your post prior to posting this one.

23

How many of you were nervous?

by Confusedgirl in

if you are taught the jw organization is your link to god, it is so hard to think of leaving everything.

like a hole that will not be filled again, there is so horrible things that have happened in the world, could it be that there is no everlasting life for us, so many questions and to think of giving up everyone makes me sick to my stomach.

but i want to be happy and i'm not, does anyone feel empty?

adelmaal

I felt very similar to the way you are feeling. I lost all my friends and the family I had gained in "the truth". I ended up with a major ulcer. I felt like I had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to. That's how JWs want you to feel if you leave or get disfellowshipped. So you'll feel like you need to go back.

It took me awhile to realize it's ok to be alone, it's ok to be lonely, it's part of life, you eventually pick yourself up and get the opportunity to see that you have worth, you are strong and you can take care of yourself. Eventually, you may even see that you can lean on God; without human intervention.

After awhile I decided I was going to start getting to know the world. I was going to start getting involved in things and start meeting friends, etc. I started salsa dancing, I reconnected with worldly family members, I started going out with people from work, I started listening to talk radio, I got involved in politics. I saw that there were so many things out there for me that could be enjoyed. And I realized that not being a JW allows you not to feel constantly worried you are doing something bad. I realized that there are so many wonderful people out there and God could not possibly want to destroy them all. I have come full circle and I am now actually revisiting the Bible. Not revisiting organized religion but reading "Crisis of Conscience" and other books, studying a little bit everyday with my children out of "One Year Book of Devotions for Kids" and just reading the Bible bit by bit on my own. I now have the ability to take what I want (believe) from each source and leave the rest behind. I know that I don't have to believe everything that one organization tells me to believe. It's exhilirating! It's freedom from bondage! I have accepted that I can actively be a good person, I can love God and that can be enough.

It took me awhile to see that not only was there life beyond JWs but that life can be enjoyable, non-judgemental and relatively stress free! I no longer feel like I could be destroyed anyday by a ruthless God who loves only lemmings who would run off a cliff for a manmade organization.

40

Why Do You or Don't You Believe In The Bible?

by minimus in

jw
friends

do you believe in the bible just because you were raised to believe?

are you sure it's "believable"?

.....have you convinced yourself the bible is just another book?

adelmaal

For the longest time, after I left "the truth", I avoided the Bible like the plague. I think I was afraid that if I read it I would read things that would make me feel guilty somehow. Like I might read scriptures and have a hard time seeing anything but the beliefs of JWs in the Bible.

Finally, I am starting to study the Bible again. I am seeing that most of the scriptures the Witnesses used to teach certain beliefs can be used to actually refute their teachings. Such as Galations 1:12 where it says "the good news is not something human", which to me means it does not come from a human organization it comes from God. The Bible also says to "make sure of all things" and "not to believe every inspired expression" and I plan to instill this concept in my children.

So far... What I am reading has been helpful to me and has helped me to be more open minded rather than less open minded, which is what JWs wanted me to be. I for one plan to use the Bible to help my children have some kind of purpose in life, faith in God and as a spring board for gaining knowledge.

Yes, I do believe it's God's word. I guess I don't want to think we have been left out in the cold without any source for God's word. I cannot tell you exactly why I believe in the Bible other than the fact that I have faith that God exists and I have faith that the Bible can be used for good.

I'm actually very surprised after what I have been through with organized religion that I have faith but at this juncture I think faith in the Bible beats faith in an organized religion or faith in nothing for that matter.

26

Yet Another Newbie Here

by adelmaal in

jw
friends

i am so glad to have found this site .

i was not raised a jehovah's witness.

i studied as a teenager with my boyfriend's sister.

adelmaal

You are all awesome! Thanks for all the heartfelt responses.

I have struggled with the decision to fight for full custody and for me it just isn't something I am comfortable doing, nor something I can afford to do. I actually think I would have a great chance of winning but I don't want to completely alienate my daughter from her father as he tries to do with me. I know that anything short of supervised visitation would be a vain effort because they won't listen to a human judge when it comes to her "everlasting life". They so take the whole "obey God as ruler rather than man" to the limit. Can't they see they obey the GB as ruler rather than God - LOL? They won't stop studying with her and I know that.

So what I want for her is to be able to distinguish right from wrong and I have gotten some really good pointers in this post. I am going to take a more aggressive stand with her and really by not only have a Christian Bible study but also by showing her some of the things suggested above.

Thanks again!

21

Elders stepping out of bounds

by homme perdu in

when i was very young the elders told my mother that my unbaptized teen sister could not go to the public park on days that brothers would socialize at due to her lack of morals.

three years ago my brother moved in with my grandmother.

he is baptised but faded from the organization 10+ years ago.

adelmaal

Oh yes... The elders came to my door multiple times wanting to know "do you have a worldly boyfriend?", "are you celebrating holidays", etc. My ex kept letting them know everytime he heard anything about my personal life. I told them my personal matters were not of their concern and it was my right to choose not to be active in their religion. I also told them eventually that they really needed to stop coming to my house as I was not interested in discussing my personal life with them. If my ex had questions for me he could approach me like an adult and if I felt it was any of his business I would talk to him about it. I let them know they and my ex-husband needed to respect my right to privacy.

Don't you just love how they think it's ok to just "stop by" at your residence anytime they choose? Just trying to see whether or not you are doing something they might be able to disfellowship you for - LOL! When I moved (a few months later) I let my dear ex-husband know that my personal address was not for him to share with others and if he chose to do so I would personally make sure he was prosecuted for breaking the law.

52

I am new and scared

by franki in

jw
friends

i am terrified to be writing this because i am officially being bad.

i am talking with other "sinners".

i do not want to be a witness.

adelmaal

I drifted away about 5 or 6 years ago and have only actually begun to search for information and a new relationship with God.

When I left it was a gradual process until I finally got to the point that I realized a few things. I have a right to live MY life the way I choose. I do not have to answer to any elders or organized manmade religion. I do not have to play by their rules and let them know my personal business or cater to comittee meetings or elders. I do not have to disassociate myself. I am merely choosing not to be in their religion. So sue me! It's MY life and I have a right to live it in privacy.

I also realized that the people who truly love me and are my friends and family would have to choose whether or not they want to love ME unconditionally. You are not leaving them. You are leaving their religion. You are choosing your life and the way you want to live it. So you've decided you no longer want to be a JW. That's your God given right. You must worship God the way you feel he should be worshipped. Not the way someone else feels he should be worshipped. They are the ones who will be leaving you. They are the ones who will have to live with their choice to either show you love or show you hatred. Which do you think is God's preference? Remember that God is merciful and so should his people be. If they are truly your friends they will love and support you. If they are not, you are better off without them.

39

For those taken from us by the Witnesses . . .

by cruzanheart in

jw
friends

whether by death, shunning, or some other means: here is a candle in their memory.

though gone from us, you are not forgotten and you will be forever loved.. for my dad, who killed himself two years ago today:.

nina

adelmaal

Yes... I feel for all of you! I am hoping and praying I do not lose my 10 year old daughter one day. Her dad is a JW and has her 1/2 time.

26

Yet Another Newbie Here

by adelmaal in

jw
friends

i am so glad to have found this site .

i was not raised a jehovah's witness.

i studied as a teenager with my boyfriend's sister.

adelmaal

I am so glad to have found this site Let me tell you a little about myself...

I was not raised a Jehovah's Witness. I studied as a teenager with my boyfriend's sister. We both ended up getting baptized (I was 17). I quickly became a pioneer and eventually gave multiple assembly parts, etc. (I was a Witness for about 10 years; my family freaking out the entire time because they were not Jehovah's Witnesses). My family tried to have a preacher come when I was studying and he walked away with his tail between his legs. My friend's mom also tried to speak with me and she got nowhere. I really thought I had found "the truth". Everything looked so perfect then. I skipped college to pioneer, I alienated my family and "worldly" friends and I feel I missed out on so much; including my youth.

Eventually, I ended up divorced, disfellowshipped and alone. I decided to get reinstated and it took me extra long because my ex's dad was the PO and made it really difficult for the elders in my new congregation to reinstate me. So I went to meetings for over a year disfellowshipped with a newborn and 3 year old by myself feeling completely alone. I must have been a glutton for punishment! I later realized how unhappy, unsupported and overburdened I was in that religion and I just drifted away from it about 5 to 6 years ago. The elders would visit me periodically and it took me awhile to get to the point where I eventually told them I was happy and uninterested in being visited any longer. I told them I wanted to live my life and my personal relationships and feelings were none of their business. I was so proud of myself. I would have disassociated myself but thought it would cause lots of problems in dealing with my daughter's dad and his family because the were/are JWs. I also did not want them telling my daughter I was dead in God's eyes and I was going to be destroyed (not that they don't say those things anyways). My daughter is now 10 and she is exposed to the meetings and field service 50% of the time as we have joint custody. I have been so happy to rediscover relationships with my family, to get involved in the community and politics and to just be a part of society. I have a wonderful husband, three great children and I feel like I have re-discovered life. I have no clue where to go with my spiritual life though... I feel like I cannot get involved in any organized religion and I just don't know what truth is anymore when it comes to religious beliefs and the Bible. I try my hardest to be a kind, loving and understanding person. To help as much as I can and to take care of my family and help them to be good people. I disagree with allot of Jehova's Witnesses' practices and beliefs but I have not been able to find my own spiritual beliefs. I just ordered "Crisis of Conscience" and the other book by Brother Franz and I am finally going to start reading the Bible again. I have had no relationship with God since I left the organization. I have been so much happier in every other aspect of my life though and I feel so much less judgmental and so much more accepting and loving than I did when I was in that religion. I worry about my daughter allot though. It's drama when she wants to celebrate holidays, salute the flag, have worldly friends, etc. at school and when she is with us and yet she will get in trouble for doing those things when her dad or his family (he's 33 and still lives with them) finds out. She is too young to take a stand over there because she will get in trouble, get lectured and be made to feel bad. So I think she just tries to lead a double life and lie to them about it. So then they think we are forcing her to do things that bother her conscience. It's drama! It's not right and they expect everyone else to bow to their way of doing things while they are completely intolerant of any other way of doing things. They always play the "it means her everlasting life" card. Can you tell I'm frustrated... My daughter is being pulled in two different directions and I just keep telling her that her dad's house and our house are different. We have different beliefs. It is good to be exposed to different ways of doing things and when you are old enough you will decide how you want to do things in your house. I let her know we love and support her decisions and we will accept her no matter what she decides. I let her know she is not allowed to get baptized until she is 18 though because she is not old enough to decide how she wants to live the rest of her life. I know her dad and his family have an altogether different view though and they tell her she will die or she will displease Jehovah if she doesn't do things there way. I just don't quite know how to deal with such powerful arguments and daily teachings... Ok. So that was allot about myself - LOL. Anyways, I've babbled long enough. I'm happy to have found people who understand what it's like to have been a JW or to be a JW or even just to be close to someone who is a JW. I wish you all the best!