Welcome. I don't envy you a JW family and a teenage daughter:)
Best!
i've been out around 20 years (da'd), but recently i've really started to struggle with certain aspects of relating to family members who are still in, as well as my own thoughts and feelings about my upbringing and my personal views about god/life the universe.
i have an older sibling and my mum who are still in.
we are a small family and my dear grandmother, who was not in, passed away around a year ago.
Welcome. I don't envy you a JW family and a teenage daughter:)
Best!
has anyone else seen the local congregation doing the usual field service push before the memorial?
i think its strange that we (nor our neighbors) havent seen them in the neighborhood yet.
only 2 weeks away and no territory blast?
He asked what makes it momentous. IS that the word of the day or ?
has anyone else seen the local congregation doing the usual field service push before the memorial?
i think its strange that we (nor our neighbors) havent seen them in the neighborhood yet.
only 2 weeks away and no territory blast?
We just moved out or an apartment to a house and have slept here all of two nights. Today, JWs came and invited my husband to the memorial. He seemed kind of confused (not a Muslim observance) as we got an invite from the local Christian church for 'resurrection day services" As they are on diferent days, he was trying to makesense of why it would have two separate anniversaries. So far apart. Ramadan happens every year and there is a one day discrepancy for some, but it has nothing to do with a denominational thing, just how they read the moon phases. Trying to explain the difference with the JW date just didn't make any sense.
In our old apt. building,they wouldn't speak to us because we weren't hispanic. I saw the couple when they came by-they seemed very casua-I wasn't sure they were JWs.
one of the things that bothered me as a jw was how whenever i was on the ministry with someone it was pretty much the same sh*t being said every time.
also, it wasn't very stimulating when you had a question and got the same response every time.. i was just curious as to when this started happening.
did the gb decide one day that the majority of jws don't know how to answer the simple questions in the way they would like so they had to write them for them?
I think they always had some topic to discuss, the scriptures they wanted us to use and of course, the "offer" they wanted us to sell (back then, they were selling them). over 40years ago I am pretty sure they gave us an opening line, then a few years later, we got reasoning from the scriptures so that we could counter some of the questions and arguments that often came up.
i'm not i like the "happy clappy" bits and pieces in church (c of e).
it's just not me.
the local school choir came in today and did 2 songs and one was a rap song about easter.... that's so not me.. i like serious but not hellfire preaching.. any ideas where to next?
I went to a SBC church and enjoyed it. I went to another and wanted to commit hari kari. In the one church I went to, we had semi structured women's bible studies using guides(but going off book a lot) and on Wed. nights, just reading from the bible, discussing what various ones had learned about the language and culture of the applicable part that we were reading, which was just however much we got through each wednesday. I really did learn a lot and really enjoyed it. Sunday school was more structured and I taught it. Didn't enjoy it so much because it was presented in a very structured, almost condescending way (materials which I would not use again and which were optional, but I got dropped into the position and didn't know it wasn't incumbent upon me to stick to the materials provided and wasn't prepared to do my own syllabus at the time).
Wed.nights were for the whole adult part of the congregation. Usually about 60 showed up, about 15-20 really participated. Many were busy teaching the kids AWANAS or caring for the nursery kids or teenagers, but Wed night studies were pretty popular. No one took roll or asked for excuses if we didn't make it. It was an actual bible study. JWs wouldn't know what to do without a bag of literature.
faders need a secret sign to use at the khall.
the thought came to me after reading replies to datadogs post on stopping singing at the meetings.. i can suggest a few secret signs for faders to use and to look for at the khall, but it would be better that current meeting attenders make suggestions here.
if readers on this site can agree to a secret sign to use at the meetings, just imagine the power that would have at your kingdom hall.
mmmmm. so, you know that the WT spies will catch on to that real quick-I mean a special handshake or a purple scarf tied on your purse or something. . .Those are soon no secret at all.
I think all the tell-tale signs of fading are pretty obvious to anyone paying attention-yet, they are not definitive enough to get ya into trouble.
long story short, i have to go to the kh on tuesday with my mum and i havent been in at least a month now.
the reaon im going is because when i got my mum to finally let me make my own decision about whether or not i want to be a jw she made me promise that i'd go to the memorial, assemblies and if she had a talk.
she's already told me that people have been asking for me and only a few people in my cong know that i dont think it's the truth.. when i was trying to leave a couple brothers really piled on the "encouragement" and i dread to think about what it will be like when they see me again.
The only reason you are there is to respect your mom. It doesn't require you to be warm nor does it necessitate rudeness. It also doesn't preclude a lengthy trip to the john during the part that comes after the school.
There is something that your mom needs to be made cognizant of-the more thoroughly you reject the WT teachings (since they seem to be pushing it down your throat as much as they can), the more of a pariah she will be. That is the way of the WT. Your rejection will rub off on her and her reputation. Whereas, if you simply faded and they stopped seeing you (and pretty much forget you) then it will be less of a reflection on her. I would hate for her to experience 2nd hand shunning, but the more you are FORCED to resist visits and studies, the more under the microscope she will be. Remind her that the more quietly that you are allowed to slip out of the congregational influence, the kinder that they will ultimately be to her.
Bring something to read in the john.
look for it in the yearbook next year.
there was an assembly the day of the big mudslide in washington last saturday.
a sister's life was saved because she obediently attended the assembly and thus was not home when a huge mudslide hit her neighborhood and buried and killed lots of people.
My son lives in the town that had the mudslide. He isn't a witness. He was not hurt. I am considered by many to be apostate. Yet, my son was safe from the mudslide (though his school is rescue central). I guess we can make something of that, if we wish.
I am a believer, but here is what I believe. Stuff happens, and we can use the stuff that happens to improve ourselves and be better people than we were. Good or bad things happen-and how do we respond? We can use challenges or blessings for good/growth or as an excuse or selfishly-as the case might be.
hi everyone, i was discussing with a family member recently and was encouraged to at least consider the benefits of being raised in the truth.
for example,i'm not a drunk, don't do drugs, respect others etc.
the point is i've found lots of nonwitness friends who have similar behavior.. growing up, when a worldly person does something good like help someone i'll hear things like "that's nice of him, for a nonwitness.
Jw's are just people. There are children who do childish things, teenagers who do foolish things, and adults who game they system. In and out of the BORG. There are rapists, child abusers, spouse abusers, drunks, the mentally ill (from depressed to psychopathic) and everything you canimagine. But at the meetings, JWs are on their sunday best behavior. Like Baptists or catholics are at church events. Cause that is what folks DO.
Stadiums are usually filled with drunken sports fans or some kinds of conventions that are not focused on putting on a self righteous showl. Of course JWs are going to be considered great guests by the arena managers. They sure beat a bunch of drunken hockey fans who just lost the championship!
JWs like to pat themselves on the back. All groups want to be special, I guess. They get to be special for having their little children sit still for 3 days, in suits and taffeta, in 95 degree weather. Wow. impressive feats of good behavior.
There are some really good and kind JWs who bring up lovely families. Nice Catholics, mormons and the methodist lesbian couple down the street from me have raised some beautiful kids together. But there are the abusers, the thieves and the jerks among each of those groups (although the particular couple I mention don't seem to have any of those particular issues).
Most of us have kids. We know that they can be very well behaved in public and holy terrors at home(or elsewhere) sometimes. No one would ever believe that sweet little girl can turn purple if she doesn't have her binky at bedtime. We are all well behaved until. . . we aren't. Most people don't drive around causing havoc 24/7. They have their moments. JWs aren't showing theirs at the conventions or meetings. And the other church people are good at church too. It is what they are doing the rest of the time that actually matters.
anyone out there have an original edition of this book?.
because i'm trying to decide if i've lost my mind or have the worst memory ever.
in my early teens (mid 1970's) i read this book, and i always wanted to read it again; especially in the early '90's when things really started to bug me.
"Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave" might be the book you read. William Schnell is the author, I think.