i know of people who were disciplined because they observed the fourth of july fireworks celebration.
and i know many people who celebrated thanksgiving but just didn’t call it that because they could get into trouble with the elders.. do you now celebrate birthdays and other holidays or is that something you really don’t care about?
?.
Yes — I do all of them. For birthdays it’s about telling someone ”I am glad you were born”. Halloween I like to give out candy and see all the kids costumes. Easter and Thanksgiving are all about the food. Christmas is so much fun to get the people you love presents they want.
None of it is religious for me.
i'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..
Just a 4 years ago one of my relatives was stalked by elders. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself when I was staying at the relatives house for a week. They showed up at the house nearly every day. Outside a grocery store, outside a restaurant, until I finally had enough and called the sheriff. It does happen.
today, july 1, i wrote what has become my annual contact with my parents.
it is their 51st wedding anniversary.
i e-mail them from across the world where i now live to let them know that i haven't forgotten them, i still love them, and that i'm doing okay.
Only an ex JW would understand the significance of this on their anniversary. It’s the only thing they are allowed to celebrate, only time gifts and cards were sent. So while others reflect on Mothers Day or Thanksgiving we reflect on their Anniversaries.
I am sorry you are going through this. Know you are not alone. ❤️Hugs❤️
i have noticed a paradigm shift on this site .
we used to be able to express opposing viewpoints without being subjected to name calling and censorship.
i wish we could return to how the board used to function.
so i just got engaged to my boyfriend of over a year.
my jw parents still don't know about him.
i'm currently faded, so they know i'm not a practicing jw, but i am baptized.
I was in your spot almost 20 years ago. I didn’t invite my parents to my wedding. I knew they would use it to hurt me. My day was great, friends became family, and I felt loved and supported on my wedding day.
Ultimately it is up to you, but don’t be naïve that your family will choose your happiness over the cult, they won’t.
Comgratulations on your engagement - enjoy this time with your fiancé.
i read and replied to a post today about weather there were any benefits in been a jw.
as much as i now dislike the religion, i had to agree that there was an up side, due to their strong stance on alcohol, gambling, smoking, and sexual practice.
we would all agree that these can be terrible vices that can get out of control.. i was at one point a true believer, who believed in these rules, and to a point have benefited from abstaining from these practices.
I left when in my early twenties and I did party some, but then got my act together. Went to college, have a great career, good marriage etc. I think it’s more about the mindset of leaving. If you still believe it’s the “truth” then leaving can set you on a destructive path. Once you know it’s all BS, it’s easier to get on with other your life.
i would like to think there was some good that resulted from our being a witness at one time..
It taught me to be self reliant. The shunning and manipulation made me realize no one was going to save me, I had to save myself. Learning to rely on myself to better my situation has been invaluable.
visited my mum today.
she i a jw and usually refuses to talk about issues around the jw organisation however today i had an opportunity to debate with her.. we were discussing the elders and that sometimes they made mistakes.
her response was "they are human and humans make mistakes.
It’s funny how the elders are only human - but if a regular JW makes a mistake then they are DF’d and evil, not just human.
i have never really spoken on social media about my jw family shunning me.
i didnt even discuss or answer any questions about why they didnt come to my wedding, my birthday parties, why there are never any pics of them with me/us together.
until today.... today i woke up and had this insane desire to be open.
Hugs to you this day. No biological family at my college graduation, my wedding or any other events for me. It doesn’t bother me now and I tell everyone why they are not there- my family is in a crazy religious cult.
when meghan markle says her royal wedding vows to prince harry on saturday, she’ll be following in the footsteps of princess diana and kate middleton by choosing to omit the traditional promise to “obey” her husband, the palace confirms.. during the ceremony, officiated by archbishop of canterbury justin welby, meghan will tell her royal groom: “i meghan, take you, harry, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to god’s holy law.
in the presence of god i make this vow.”.
the decision doesn’t come as a surprise: meghan has long been a vocal feminist, working with organizations like one world vision to learn about the challenges facing women and girls living in dubai and mumbai.
Obey should be omitted from everyone’s vows. It’s a ridiculous, misogynistic, archaic vow that no woman should make. Obey was omitted from my vows twenty years ago.
