The word ‘apostate’ is a stupid word thrown around that doesn’t mean anything to me.
I was supposedly an ‘apostate’ when I got involved with the JWs after being raised a Roman Catholic. Well, now I’m Out of the Witnesses.
jehovah's witnesses basically define the term "apostate" as someone who was once a member of the "organization" (a jehovah's witness) but no longer follows the teachings, rules, regulations and practices.
the society gives their official definition in the following manner: "apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of god, actually a rebellion against jehovah god.
some apostates profess to know and serve god but reject teachings or requirements set out in his word.
The word ‘apostate’ is a stupid word thrown around that doesn’t mean anything to me.
I was supposedly an ‘apostate’ when I got involved with the JWs after being raised a Roman Catholic. Well, now I’m Out of the Witnesses.
i was brought up as a born-in(tm) here in the uk.
it wasn't until i was 50 that the scales fell from my eyes, i woke up, got da'd from the cult and my wife was advised to leave me by the elders whom i had served with on the boe.
one of which i know wanted to schtupf her.
PUNKOFNICE:
I think part of the reason for your anger is that people in general are not going to see justice as far as the religion is concerned.. It’s like an amoeba with an ever changing face. Also, nobody can ever give us back wasted time.
MAGNUM:
I agree with how you feel about people who still remain in the JW religion. My few friends who remain there are single women who believed the B.S. about not getting decent jobs/careers because of peer pressure/intimidation especially on women and also that ‘Armageddon was near’. Thankfully, I resisted this but boy was I resented!
They are now over sixty and considered Very low income or poor. One gets by with monetary help from non-Witness family. The others, I suspect, get ‘assistance’ of some sort here and there by the ‘brothers’. I believe these women stayed in the religion too long and it may be too late for them to start over somewhere else. None of us was born-in but it was easier for me to leave..I also suspect there are deeply emotional issues with them and they couldn’t bear being ‘out’ or being disapproved of. 🙄
All in all, I am convinced some JWs do not have what it takes to leave and stand on their own two feet in the world. I don’t compare myself to anybody else. I am just Glad that I left and that I wisely hung onto that job (that I was hated for) until Retirement.
i am posting a link as to being legally bound to jw rules at time of baptism.
i only did a quick skim, but what i gathered is interesting, and what it says about 1985 may be of use to some hoping to just fade and not be bothered.
in 1985, the questions were changed at baptism for legal purposes so they could have causation to defend themselves should you decide to sue for whatever reason.
TONUS:
So, it IS said in public right before somebody goes in the water? This is what I’m understanding and I certainly don’t know never having witnessed anybody being baptized.
Too late for a candidate to back out and publicly disappoint their adoring family and ‘friends’, don’t you think? How sneaky.
As I said, I was ‘baptized’ before they changed these questions and format. But, it was all a crock of sh#t anyway and redundant since I already WAS baptized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as I’m concerned NOW, that’s the only one that was ever valid or means anything to me.
i am posting a link as to being legally bound to jw rules at time of baptism.
i only did a quick skim, but what i gathered is interesting, and what it says about 1985 may be of use to some hoping to just fade and not be bothered.
in 1985, the questions were changed at baptism for legal purposes so they could have causation to defend themselves should you decide to sue for whatever reason.
I was baptized before they changed these questions.
If I’m not mistaken, and somebody correct me if I’m wrong, aren’t these questions asked just before the person is dunked in the water?
If so, it’s a little late don’t you think? A person who even notices this sneaky thing because of being nervous and with all the fanfare would be less likely to say “Hey, what the hell is this? I’m not getting baptized”.
i met freddie franz who was born in the 1880’s and many others from the 1880’s.
but as a very small child i remember someone very old aged 106 and that person was born around 1856 which means that he was around people from the 1700’s..
Certainly. Both my grandfathers and maybe some other elderly people I knew as well were born in the eighteen hundreds.
When I was in grade school and visiting relatives in the northeast we visited antique shops.
A very friendly elderly lady in one place was every bit of 99 years of age (she told us). She was as sharp as a tack. She also would certainly have had to have been born in the eighteen hundreds.
i am still on my holiday around the uk and currently am in the midlands if anyone is around i’d love to catch up - hope you are all well xx.
BETTY HUMPTER:
Sorry to disagree, but sometimes things actually WERE better in the ‘old’ days.
PUNKOFNICE:
I visited the UK in the 1970s and it certainly WAS better all around. I even have a photo of the prime minister’s residence (before the days of terrorism and all this other sh#t) when you could actually walk up to the place. There might have been one policeman standing outside but that was it.
this is directed to born-ins.
around age 10 or 12 is when it first hit me.
i started asking questions about how the world worked and i really wanted an honest opinion from my parents.
DAGNEY:
Even though I was ‘grown up’ at the time, that 1995 Generation teaching was the proverbial last straw for me as well.
I remember being at the hall and feeling like somebody punched me in the stomach. I felt they were just stringing people along and insulting their intelligence.
I also didn’t like how the information was presented in the article like it wasn’t so big a deal. But, it was certainly something..I knew in that instant that my time in the Witness religion was over and I planned my ‘Fade’. I’ve been out over 21 years. Should have done it a decade sooner. I despise them.
this is directed to born-ins.
around age 10 or 12 is when it first hit me.
i started asking questions about how the world worked and i really wanted an honest opinion from my parents.
BIAHI:
Wow, I’m sorry you went through that.
I wasn’t raised a JW so I have no idea. I came in a young working adult. It wasn’t all roses not being raised a Witness either no matter what anybody may think and childhood is never easy. But, at least I didn’t have to witness the hypocrisy you did. Children are especially perceptive and I’m sure it was glaringly obvious when they lied because they didn’t want to treat you to lunch that time. And, then when you were in puberty you were singled out because you were ‘too attractive’.😮. I’m glad I was spared this horror because it would have profoundly bothered me and messed up my head even more. Who the hell needs this??
I’m glad you got out of this sick and scarring religion at an early age..and as we discussed once before I’m glad you prepared for your Retirement as well.👍🏻
did you ever refuse to go in service with someone?
i did.... i went to the kh to meet for service and 3 brothers were there.
i told the brother taking the lead, that when he made up the car groups to take note i had a plan of my own -the 3 brothers could go together and i would do my own thing.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:
I believe you about not wanting to go out in service with certain people.
I have been out of the JW religion for over 21 years so this will never be an issue for me ever again. But, so much has happened within the religion in the last several decades that would totally change just WHO I would even bother with - much less ‘going out in service with’, if at all. Sorry if this offends anybody but this is how it is.
As I said, I’m Out so this is hypothetical. I have no desire to even be introduced to anybody’s crazy ‘bible study’. Forget about anybody recruited from prison witnessing. Keep on walking. I’m not interested in making their acquaintance.
At least back when I was in the religion the people were more ‘normal’. I still couldn’t stand being with some of them.. But, I would not now tolerate what has come into the religion and their ‘association’ would not be inflicted on me, regardless of what anybody in the idiot religion would think.. You’re not going to see me confined in the close quarters of a car group or anywhere else for that matter with any of them!.. Nope.
here's some 'spiritual gems' from the latest wt, 11/22.
first up, a bethelite who was kicked out, er, "reassigned":.
"she was reassigned to the field after serving at bethel for more than 23 years.
I’m glad I got out of the JW religion ages ago. Because it really is all about allowing yourself to be victimized in some fashion - and how you are somehow supposed to like and accept it. No complaints, just absorb the problem.
I saw this garbage and wasn’t having any of it. It was either trying to get me to quit my full-time job and pursue poverty in the ministry or doing favors for the Users in the hall. I refused.
When I read of accounts on the forum about the abuses and sacrifices others have made I just feel disgust that anybody could be so stupid to stick with this. I really do feel the intelligent people with functioning brains have already made it out the door or at least heading for it. I’m sorry for those still stuck in for the sake of family. They should be on the fringes and distance themselves as much as possible to minimize the damage!
I really do think when the older people all pass away that this worthless religion will hopefully be on its way out and finally join the list of defunct religions in the USA.