today, whilst shopping, i ran into an old school friend of mine that i had been quite close to.
i used to write her 'sick' notes for her, so as you can imagine, we're friends forever now.. anyway, she tells me that she is studying with jehovah's witnesses again.
i think she expected me to be thrilled with this news.
Kudos to you for turning a potential 'sheep' away! That was the luckiest day of HER life running into you.
I am proud to be in such good company on the 'outside' (tee he he). I have to admit though, I despise the term 'apostate'. We didn't turn away from the TRUTH and I certainly haven't turned aside from God. Oh well. I guess it's just part of the cult culture of which I must admit I am an EX-Member.
does anyone have the fear of, "what if they?re right?
" i?ve had that nagging me then i have another voice, i?m not nuts-i?m not hearing voices-just a metaphor, tell me "they can?t be right.
" i just have this incredible inner conflict in me.
It was because of the above that, during my cognitive dissonance period (which lasted several years) about the WTS and its teachings, my "what if" turned into an "even if", as in: Even if they're right (which, now, I do not believe for a second) I would not want to spend all of eternity in such a controlling, unloving and pharisaic organization
That sums it up for me right there! Even if they were/are/could ever be right I'd rather accept the consequences of NOT being one of (it's so hard for me to say) Jehovah's Witnesses. That name doesn't even mean anything to me anymore ... I find it repugnant because if God's name were Jehovah, that organization has brought to it the highest reproach.
And think, they used to tell 'us' not to bring reproach on his name. Now through our research, we find out that THEY are the one's who are dishonoring the name of God. What are crock of BS!
i often share the experiences i read on this forum with my wife.
every time i leave this forum, i just shake my head in disbelief.
i ask, don't these people have a will and life of their own?
Me, always a rebel at heart (translation ... independent thinker, questioned authority) I subjected myself hook-line-and-sinker to the J-dub philosophy. Ya know, the end being all near and such, not wanting to be eaten by ravens, having to kick it with 'them' in order to get into paradise, etc., etc, etc .. it took me about 8 years for the fog to clear and to see the reality, hypocrisy and cruelty of the GB control tactics. Once I began thinking for myself again I could see the hypocrisy of the people around me. Here I was poor and struggling, depriving myself of an education, career, close relationship with my 'worldly' relatives, never going to clubs - waiting for an invitation to someone's home just to have something to do ... then I looked around and saw that others in the cong. seemed to be doing what they wanted so why not me? The difference being, that I didn't want to do 5 meetings a week any longer, read those boring 'so-called' college material mags so poorly written I can't believe now that I put up with that crap so long! Every publication sounded the same ... blah blah blah blah blah blah blah .... what drudgery it all became.
When I returned to my 'true self' the rebellion was on in full swing! Against my JW husband, his meddling JW mother and the elders. I started to make my own decisions, prayerfully relying on the God I knew way back when ... before "they" told me his name was Jehovah.
Sometimes rebellion is the only way to FREEDOM!
i have a friend she is disfellowshipped.
she suffers from depression.
she wants to go back.
I remember being told that the elders also want to observe whether or not one sings and whether they have underlined the study articles. Funny, I don't recall seeing that in the scriptures.
i'm new to the forum.
glad i found this place, it seems i've finally found somewhere i feel comfortable.
i'm writing this to get some stuff out of my system.
Welcome to the forum Cheeseman!
You'll find that many of us suffered from fear and anxiety implanted in us by our 'loving' mother organization. Learning the truth behind the org. will "make you free". Finding the truth about God is another matter. I am still on that journey and I pray to God for HIS direction. I am very wary of organised religion but I do believe there is some truth out there - or maybe just what feels true to me.
Bottom line, do whatever you need to do to get your life back. I have never dealt with clinical depression but I can empathize with your plight. Focus on YOU not THEM.
You deserve to be happy. We all do.
I wish you all the best.
would the internet have been banned ouright from the beginning?
it seems like they have been trying to reign in control of jw's use of the internet for the last few years but pandora's box has already been opened.
if they had just banned it from the beginning many dubs would have been afraid that if they went on the ineternet they would immediately be possesed by demons.
You're right honesty. When I typed in Jehovah's Witnesses about 2 1/2 years ago I found ex-JW's instead.
Thank God for Google
why is it that a jw is considered "spiritually sick" by the elders and the members of the congregation, if he suddenly decides to stop going to meetings and doesn't see eye to eye with the organization anymore?.
i see people who belong to other faiths, and are very active and seem spiritually healthy, even though they don't believe in what jw's teach.. .
i've been told by elders, that i was "spiritually sick".
It is truly amazing how God works in ones life in 'the real world' (outside of JW fantasy land). Some of you have read my brief introduction and heard about the dread I felt in my last years as a dub. Well, lately I've been questioning absolutely everything about spirituality - the Bible, the so-called "Jesus myth" and all organized religion, and the only conclusion I have come to is that I KNOW there is a God and he loves me. I even wondered yesterday why I still close my prayers with "in Jesus name" - but I thought 'it feels right so I'll keep doing it'.
Well, last night I went to a new hairdresser and she started witnessing to me about Jesus. I could feel the spirit of God coming from within her. She calmed my nerves by talking about the Lord and her personal relationship with him. She is not RELIGIOUS even though she attends church faitfully. She spoke of how many religions are not teaching people the truth - there's so much more to her testimony than I can say here but the bottom line is that I was so moved and felt that God is reaching out to me to give me another leg up on my journey to peace and real fulfillment through a close personal relationship with him. Could I get this at the KH? Not in a million years! There is no Holy Spirit there - it's a spiritual wasteland. The Bible they use is tainted and the literature they study is uninspired. They are not trying to lead people to the Lord - but to the Borg, to be assimilated and become part of the money making machine.
The only reason I would go to a KH would be for a wedding or a funeral - and the only reason to do that is to support someone I love. I don't want to hear anything JW's have to say. They make me (spiritually) sick.
I accepted the Lord as my personal savior 3 years ago but the church I was going to left me feeling empty so I stopped attending before I got caught up. But after my encounter last night ... I am hopeful - very hopeful that I will be able to make a connection again.
let's face it, it seems like a simplification of the df process as many of you have already mentioned.. within the 6 million or so jw worldwide, there has to be a good number of ppl that are on the fringes of being dfed.
in the past, it took time to technically df these ppl because of the no-shows at judicial hearings and appeals.
also dfing a person can be delayed when no actual proof can be provided of the sin committed.
I think another point worth mentioning is the fact that some who disassociated themselves demanded that no announcements be made in reference to them being disfellowshipped / disassociated or they would bring legal action against the Tower and it's officers ... this new 'announcement' sounds a lot like CYA.
this thought has sprung from recent threads and speculation over the new book.
i know many who post here are still active jw's or ones who were df'd, but may have not totally left the belief system.
many have trouble with the methods and policies of the wt concerning dfing, restrictions, blood, local elders etc.
I agree with a lot of the other posts for reasons NOT to return:
No more organized religion for me
No more meeting "MEN'S" standards for living (and pleasing God)
No more "fake" friends
No more MEETINGS, no more FIELD SERVITIDE
No more NONSENSE
No more B***S***
I'm gone for good
AHHH .... Sweet Freedom
Sweet Tee
i heard recently that jw men are not allowed to have beards - is this correct and what about ct russell?
I always thought that was a stupid rule. Last I heard, sisters were discouraged from wearing braids (extensions). One pioneer sister gave a presentation at CA wearing a wig. When the brother giving the part was told she had braids under the wig he was furious . He said "if I knew she was wearing braids under that wig I wouldn't have let her give her part".
What a bunch of dweebs! NO PERSONAL FREEDOM WHATSOEVER!!!
