sweet tee

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Posts by sweet tee

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  11

  What more is there to the equation than "happiness"? It's not enough.

  by AlmostAtheist in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the thread on "happy jw's" got me to thinking about this.

  there really are some truly happy jw's.

  maybe it's because they don't take all the "do more, do more" stuff to heart and just do what they think is "enough".

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  sweet tee

  I think JW say that they are happy because the WT tells them that they are.

  Emphasis through repetition ... They hear the words "Jehovah's happy people" so much they accept it as fact just as they do everything else. Even though most of them don't look happy at all. How can you be happy when you never measure up, there's always more to do, you didn't capture that last opportunity to informal witness ... and on and on and on? And living everyday thinking 'probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger'. Wondering if you had committed an unforgivable sin. For me that was a painful existence.

  Living every day with faith in Jesus and in God's grace ... that makes me happy.
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  37

  This is a SHOCKER!!!

  by HadEnuf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well my dear and trusted friends on this most esteemed forum...i would like you to meet my newest addition..."freedom frog".

  he now graces my right arm and has been adopted into my family of frog tattoos.

  (gizmo, on my left front leg above my ankle and flipper, another little frog above my right ankle, but to the side).

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  sweet tee

  YOU GO GIRL!!!

  I'm getting my first on my B-day this year - May 24th. A sun and moon on my abdomen to cover up the tire tracks my kids left behind

  If anyone has seen some good pics. please share.

  AHHH SWEET FREEDOM INDEED!!!!
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  88

  Does anyone Love Jehovah anymore?

  by defd in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  i know people have left for people issues but what about jehovah god and jesus?

  what have they done?.

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  sweet tee

  There are so many great comments on this thread that I can't even cut and paste them all.

  My take on it is: I love God, I've accepted Jesus as my personal savior (witnesses hate to hear that, don't they?!?) don't need no "oranization" to tell me what to do because I do know right from wrong and I won't tolereate imperfect people judging me anymore.

  As for the Bible being God's inspired word ... I doubt it very seriously! Some portions perhaps ... I don't dwell on it and I don't read it anymore. I learn about God from the world around me and find God's wisdom comes from all types of sources, people and organizations.

  Religion divides, Love unites - Love God, Love yourself and Love your neighbor and try to make the world a better place by your being here.

  I don't know what God's plan is but I suspect we'll all find out one day. Until then, I am happy in my personal relationship with God. Even as a witness I used to say 'my relationship with Jehovah is my own'. It wasn't until I really took that statement to heart that I was able to break free from that dogmatic society.

  Where are all my 'loving' friends now? They won't speak to me ... that's not the love Jesus preached about.
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  11

  What more is there to the equation than "happiness"? It's not enough.

  by AlmostAtheist in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the thread on "happy jw's" got me to thinking about this.

  there really are some truly happy jw's.

  maybe it's because they don't take all the "do more, do more" stuff to heart and just do what they think is "enough".

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  sweet tee

  I think it differs for everybody. Some people NEED religion to be happy ... period. I had a friend who was dfd then reinstated, then realized it was a cult and now she's a church fanatic. Religion is like a drug for her ... she loves feeling rightous and judging others as unrightous. Same as the dubs. Striving for perfection feels good for some people.

  As for me ... all I need is love and some interesting activities to fill my day. I have a great job that I love, a family, a friend or 2, ambition, health ... I'm straight.
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  26

  when you were babtized and dedicated did you feel a void?

  by swiftbreeze in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this has always troubled me:.

  i was studying to be babtized although i was raised around the "truth" i still had to have an official study.

  so i was taught that i had to go to jehovah in prayer stating my desire to be dedicated and babtized.

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  sweet tee

  Interesting question ...

  I remember how good I felt when I first started to accept the troof - I loved to study and research, loved FS initially, mainly because I am very social and enjoyed chatting with the 'sisters' ... it was fun for me at first ... something to do I guess. But after my baptism I felt awkward. All the responsibilities were like a dark cloud ... I felt like I was always being watched or something (somebody has to feel me on this).

  As for prayer, I can remember feeling close to God even as a young child. I don't know where I learned about him from, my mother barely talked to me growing up and we rarely went to church. Now that I've dumped my JW beliefs I still feel a closeness to God but I admit that I don't know his name and I don't believe that the Bible is inspired so I guess I'm sort of a spiritual agnostic . I still pray and even say in Jesus name ... go figure. Doesn't matter much to me, whoever my God is he knows me so it doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks or does ... live and let live. I relieved myself of the burden of a formal belief system. I am enjoying just learning about life, politics, business et al ... there's a whole world out here we didn't know much about before.

  Sweet Freedom
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  24

  I am an official apostate.....nearly.. and I'm loving it!!!!!!

  by Gill in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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.

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  sweet tee

  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.
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  42

  What if?

  by jula71 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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.

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  sweet tee

  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!
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  40

  A Plain Rebel!

  by Golf in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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?

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  sweet tee

  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!
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  24

  DF'd and dirty looks

  by loosie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a friend she is disfellowshipped.

  she suffers from depression.

  she wants to go back.

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  sweet tee

  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.
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  21

  A personal account

  by cheeseman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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.

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  sweet tee

  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.