Oh, Alex-WELCOME. I think you are smart to ask the opinion of others. I do hope you will do your research on this. It is a cult-do talk to your own parents about this idea (generally or specifically as appropriate).
JWdaughter
JoinedPosts by JWdaughter
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19
Please i need guidance
by alex_Am ini know im young.
i know i still have so much to learn i mean im only 14 but but even at a young age i have learned and i know what love is.
this is where the problem comes in.
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19
Please i need guidance
by alex_Am ini know im young.
i know i still have so much to learn i mean im only 14 but but even at a young age i have learned and i know what love is.
this is where the problem comes in.
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JWdaughter
I believe that you truly love her. That isn't really the point of all this though, so I will suggest that you recognize that you are young and there will be a lot of changes over the next few years.
Her family will not really accept her "dating" anyone at that age, so I am pretty sure that whatever your dating relationship is now, that it is under their radar.
NEVER convert to any religion because of a love interest or because of your friends. JWs have a lot of expectations that are not likely going to sit well with you or your parents. Is their goal for you to grow up and do janitorial work? Or do they anticipate that you will attend university? What are YOUR expectations for your future?
Do you imagine spending at least one weekend morning (and maybe every day of your life, full time) going out in field service trying to distribute magazines or other media to your neighbors at doors?
Do you imagine taking kids to visit Santa and having warm family Christmas mornings around the tree, sipping hot chocolate and opening gifts and hearing the christmas story?
Do you imagine being part of a service organization like the Rotary or working at a food bank to help others?
Do you imagine taking your families on vacations in the summer to open stadiums without AC and sitting on hard metal bench seats for 8 hours a day and lugging in your lunch in a cooler for 3 days. In the nosebleed section, with 3 small screamingly bored children? Do you think you want people to criticize you for taking them to Disneyworld on the way home and ask why you didn't use your vacation days more productively out in field service?
Do you want to be criticized if the overtime that you have to work just to feed those 3 kids keeps you from doing "more" for the organization or accepting the privilege of being a ministerial servant?
Do you imagine your kids playing team sports, dancing in the nutcracker, singing in a choir, getting an Eagle Scout badge or basically, pursuing sports, hobbies or dreams?
Do you think it would be all kinds of fun to put your 2 month old in a little bitty baby suit and tie and take him to two meetings a week?
Do you want to be subject to shunning and discipline by a religious group because somebody took offence at the way you dress or that your child is naughty in one of those excruciatingly long meetings? How about if you get kicked out for ANY reason and your entire JW family, friends, congregants---every JW in your life rejects you-probably even your wife will reject you? Your kids won't respect or listen to you anymore, you will lose all authority over your kids and your wife will send you to the couch.
Good thing you are too young for marriage now. You are too young to have even thought about most of those issues, but I know you have a family now and you imagine, likely, that your kids will have the kind of upbringing that you did, the kind of memories, and traditions and habits. If you become a JW, there is no way that will ever happen. It doesn't guarantee that life will be miserable, but faking it all just to have won a girl will get old real quick and all the sacrifices that you made "for her" will become a contentious issue. Resentment can ensue.
Doing nice things for those you love is amazing and good and kind. Changing your religion and in doing so, being obligated to spout convictions that you don't have for the rest of your life will be soul killing. As a man, you will be emasculated. As a human, you will feel like a turd.
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CEDARS (Again) Is it really about religious beliefs?
by Listener injohn cedars has posted his latest blog "the trouble with apostates (and why it shouldn't put you off becoming one)".
i acknowledge that he is entitled to his opionin just as we are ours but i am disappointed in some of his comments.. at this stage i'll try to be objective about it.
he is defending his own position after all.. what bothers me most is his comments about athiests and christians which he seems to identify as being in conflict with each other.
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JWdaughter
I haven't read enough of Cedars to have gotten any of his personal bias in that way before now. Not even to know he was atheist.
I have a different perspective. I know atheists and Christians and non-religionists (who might still believe in God) who can respectfully discuss ideas with others. I know others that don't seem to be able to without belittling those who don't think as they do. That is a sad thing indeed, but MOST people can just have the conversation without denigrating others.
I have been put down by people of all kinds of religions and belief systems-but they don't define their belief system because they are not the rule, they are usually the exception. Thank God. (No pun intended)
Its funny because the atheist/christian/jw who likes to throw around their belitting comments are usually getting them from the same sources when they think they are educating me with their cuts and pastes. That is always amusing!
There are others who are concerned (all those groups) and approach me with that kind of attitude. I can't take offence at a caring attitude, even when it is sometimes a bit condescending
Then there are people who just treat me like a normal human being. Refreshing
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A Seal Ring bearing King Hezekiah's found in Jerusalem excavation, with ankh symbol and winged sun
by fulltimestudent infrom a story in the jewish press:.
quote: "the city of david excavations of the jerusalem hebrew university on mount ophel, at the foot of the southern wall of the temple mount compound, have yielded a sensational discovery: a seal (bulla) with the name of king hezekiah (727-698 bce).".
"king hezekiahs bulla was discovered in a garbage heap that was dumped during or shortly after hezekiahs time, from a royal building that was used to store food.
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JWdaughter
Wow, all that destroying of pagan monuments. . .he'd be a terrorist in 2015. -
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The Elders are Coming Help!
by LaurenM inso the elders keep bugging me and pestering me about having a meeting with them to "introduce me to my new congregation" for some reason (do any ex elders know what that even means??).
i keep postponing and making excuses and they are getting more and more aggressive.
i finally agreed for them to come over today, but really don't want to..should i hide from them again?
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JWdaughter
Hey! I need to cancel
Why?
I realized that life is too short to hang around negative influences.
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15
Is the elevated tone of the G.B disappearing..
by The Rebel inand with it the language in the w.t loosing its authority?.
i ask the question because, with the g.b now appearing before members on their social media, and reluctantly on royal commissions my opinion is :-.
a) the g.b can no longer hide like wells's invisible man.
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JWdaughter
They are not awe inspiring men among men. They only notable thing is how average to odd that they are considering their roles. -
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Still feel weird about things....
by FeelingFree inso i'm loving the fact that my little one gets to be a "normal" child and take part in everything at school.
however i still have that stupid niggling in the back of my head that she shouldn't be doing it and it's wrong etc.
at the moment she is rehearsing for the nativity play and keeps singing the songs at home (she is going to be an angel!
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JWdaughter
Hey, my mom, who is a JW, went to my son's performance in the Messiah a few Christmases ago. My JW mom did. I think it is the most holiday'd thing she has EVER done, but she did it for her grandkid who was singing a solo in a professional choir (yes, I am bragging about it years later, ok? I acknowledge it!) . My point? It is to say that your kid's generation may eventually get your parents to do things that they would NEVER do for you. They may be able to do things for them that they would never allow you to do. It might not really change their world, but you never know. My mom saw one beautiful Christmas concert one time in her life and I know she was moved by it, in spite of her best efforts.
I did not have a single twinge that night, btw. My son invited her and she chose to join us.
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I just found out that my youngest brother committed suicide
by SnakesInTheTower inmy middle brother called me a couple of hours ago.
our youngest brother, josh, who was 38, was found by his friends in his apartment.
he hung himself.
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JWdaughter
If there is ever a time in your life where it is normal that your brain doesn't work right -this would be it. There is a reason that people get bereavement leave. Its not just to make arrangements. Take the time and take care of yourself and do something that is meaningful for you or just sleep and eat. Whatever helps you.
I have been here many years and seen a lot of dear people go through stuff like this, but the thought of you keeps nudging at me. I'm not sure why. My brother shunned me years ago. I really miss having him. I wish I could give you a hug-and that might be entirely a selfish wish cause I need one!
Take care of yourself, Rich.
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Australian Royal Commission Findings released
by Mephis inwill just post the general findings by counsel for the commission (angus stewart) - case specific ones are prior to them.
in short, absolutely damning.. not been through every submission myself yet.
available for download here: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.aspx.
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JWdaughter
" Dr. Applewhite's report is therefore rejected. "
Angus is my hero. He has been for months and he still remains so!
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Back ground insight into the RC
by umbertoecho inthis is not an attack upon the rc.
it is an example of the sheer volume of work they are dealing with and the scope of events they have dealt with.. i went to the rc support place here in wa.
it seemed that many people (staff) were dropping out from this place due to illness, holiday's ..family ....and so on.
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JWdaughter
I envy your stamina in this at all. You rock. I don't mind honest errors that are corrected. We were part of a religion that has had plenty of folks let them know they got some really wrong things happening and they keep going on with no apologies. had the WT been as responsive, they would not have any lawsuits! Or would have learned from the first ones, even if they won it. They know it is wrong. Being able to make legal arguments and finding loopholes does NOT make what they are doing right.