Posts by out of the box

13

My mother is annoying me, badly!!

by Gill in

my mother is seriously annoying me, now.

i have never been a patient person and only ever put up with so much before i go out firing on all cylinders - 'the fiery latin in me' i'm afraid!.

anyway, my mum wants me to 'study the bible properly' with my idiot elder cousin and his watchtower on legs wife.. these are the very people, who have shunned us with a vengeance for the last few years and who my parents asked permission from a couple of years ago, when they had a barbie, if these wonderful christians would be offended if we were invited, what with our being 'non meeting attenders'.. i said, if you want '.....' and '.....' to no longer be jws when i've finished with them then a study would be a great idea however, if you think you can change my view on the wtbts and the idiots who follow it then you've got another think coming.. we had a belter of a fight on the phone before 'she remembered' that she'd got eggs boiling on the stove!

out of the box

Co-dependent relationships are hard. They need others to feed on and keep the 'script' going. Good for you to get OUT of the script they are playing and LIVE your own life!

out of the box

42

Does your family still think you are coming back?

by kid-A in

hope springs eternal in the wts.

despite having left before even being baptized, i would have to say my parents still wholeheartedly believe i will someday come around, .

get baptized, become active and maybe even become an elder !

out of the box

kid-a

Hope springs eternal

Sorry you would not escape this one in ANY religion! With Catholics, the whole family is saved if one becomes a nun or priest! It is like a season pass or something like that!

out of the box

42

Being pressured to goto meetings,

by crankytoe in

hi everyone, all i wanted was a bible study, now we're at the point where we read 2 chapters in knowledge book, and the discussion turns to how i forsaking the inciting with others to worship,(something like that).

is there anything i can say to get them to accept that i'll go when/if i feel like going?.

this past weekend, they kept asking me what obstacles were in my way, i said i haven't had time, they go yeah you say that but there has to be something else, .

out of the box

I laughed at this post from Buster. But, it is TRUE!

I'll tell you how get them to ignore you:
- Commit yourself completely to their cause - go to the hall, get baptised, the whole enchilada
- THEN tell them you don't feel like going and that you have some doubts about this whole 'Faithful and Discrete Slave' thing
They will leave you alone with a vehemence.

They are only trying to get you IN. They don't care about keeping you there once you're in! Go to an Al-Anon meeting and learn how NOT to be CO-DEPENDENT and how to use the word NO when you are uncomfortable with ANYTHING in YOUR life!

out of the box

116

A Customer really pissed me off yesterday at work: SHE WANTS TO PRAY for me

by Terry in

i work in a bookstore that specializes in buying its goods directly from the public second-hand and reselling them at half price.. .

it is a large chain of 83 stores in 8 states and does about 100 million a year.. .

i'm in charge of the religion and the philosophy sections.. .

out of the box

scully,

I try to remember that a lot of people have absolutely NO CLUE about what I've been through as someone who has left an abusive belief system. They believe in God, they believe in the Bible, they believe in the power of prayer. But they don't know what is going on in my mind. They can't imagine their life without God, the Bible and prayer, because they have not been subjected to the same things we've experienced. They've got an acquired taste for those things, and we have developed a severe sensitivity and allergic reactions to the same things they love.
Sometimes I wonder how a fervent believer would feel if, in response to their declaration that they will pray for me, I responded with "Why thank you! And I will sacrifice a goat to Satan on your behalf too!" After all, if that were my belief system, and that was how I showed my concern for people, why would they be offended? Isn't that what they believe they are doing for me?

I agree wholeheartedly! Loved the goat thing!

out of the box

60

how to deal with a break up.please help?

by fleaman uk in

.

i dont start many topics,but i have just split up with my longterm and wonderful girlfriend.i have never experienced such a black,deathlike feeling in my entire 35 years on this planet.i guess that is normal.. i cant see beyond this evening.i cant imagine loving again..ever.sorry for the drama(its really not like me),but i am at the end of my tether.. no-one could ever replace that wonderful,caring,generous sweet natured girl.. devastated and in need of any advice.. (sorry all,i know there are far worse things happening in the world)

out of the box

Being in love means being vulnerable. We get down, and GET RIGHT BACK UP! I am on my third marriage. Not by my choice. But in each person I met I looked for BETTER than what I had. With lessons learned behind you, BETTER DOES COME ALONG, only THIS time you will recognize it!!!

out of the box

27

Have you become the 'Pagan' that you thought you would?

by AK - Jeff in

i mean - when we were witnesses we always thought that is what one who 'leaves jehovah' does - goes right out and becomes evil incarnate.

or do you live a life similar to what you did as a witness?

on a scale of 1-10, how wicked would you be considered if the witnesses were making the call on your current lifestyle ?

out of the box

Well, I eventually went back to celebrating Christmas. My new husband wants a tree and he gets one! It took me many years before I could do it. Now, I do it for my family. I do enjoy all the decorations and lights that go with the season. The music in the stores gets old though. And the Christmas decorations being put out before Labor day now...

I can only measure myself before I was a JW and during and after.

Before, I think I was an average person just trying to get by, didn't steal, didn't deliberately try and hurt anyone and thought I was a good person.

While I was a JW, I think I became a goody-goody. I tried real hard NOT to do anything that would come across as a bad person, but no one saw how 'good I was being' if you know what I mean. I gave up celebrating holidays.

After, I think I have a balance now. I do drink wine with dinner a few times a week, and celebrate holidays and birthdays (at least recognize them). Oh and I am now married to a 'worldly' man. I am worldly too so it's OK. And he is the BEST! So, I think I have a much better life NOW and am truely as happy as one can be in this insecure world.

Thank you for this thread, it made me reflect on my blessings today! Always good to look at the glass as half FULL!

out of the box

30

Demonic exorcism by a JW elder

by out of the box in

we moved into an apartment on the 2nd floor.

we were jws at the time, and the family on the first floor under us was studying.. the girl downstairs started hearing noises during the night and finally hearing steps up to the side of her bed.

she was so scared she hadn't slept in a while and was so tired.

out of the box

donkey,

Thanks for posting on this thread and for the chuckle! I am a different person than I was back then when I was a JW! I can laugh about it all now!

out of the box

36

Anybody from Waltham or Newton Massachusetts?

by out of the box in

i wanted to know if anyone was from that area or lived there..

out of the box

I want to thank all who posted to this thread! It made me feel so much better! I now realize that my instincts were right and that I really was seeing these things. I had wondered if I had become cynical about people. Well NOW I KNOW WHY! There WAS a reason why I didn't trust those people! To actually have posts about the people in that congregation that I knew and treated me badly back then. What a gift you all have given me!

Thank you again sooooo much! out of the box

30

Demonic exorcism by a JW elder

by out of the box in

we moved into an apartment on the 2nd floor.

we were jws at the time, and the family on the first floor under us was studying.. the girl downstairs started hearing noises during the night and finally hearing steps up to the side of her bed.

she was so scared she hadn't slept in a while and was so tired.

out of the box

Carla,

Yes, I know those pictures don't burn. They have that photographic coating on them. That is why I had mentioned that the pictures were glossy and glued into the book. If you had been there with the loud praying and the pictures popping... it was a freeky atmosphere!

Looking back on it now, I see how we were all 'hiped' out. I mean, we felt paralized about helping ourselves! I am not sure what I would do now if it happened again. I guess I would look for the newest item I had brought into the house and get rid of it????

out of the box

116

A Customer really pissed me off yesterday at work: SHE WANTS TO PRAY for me

by Terry in

i work in a bookstore that specializes in buying its goods directly from the public second-hand and reselling them at half price.. .

it is a large chain of 83 stores in 8 states and does about 100 million a year.. .

i'm in charge of the religion and the philosophy sections.. .

out of the box

Terry,

That is why politics and religion are not good PUBLIC topics! People get emotional and irrational about their beliefs.

Lesson learned: There is no exception, especially at WORK or in public! Your old JW training came into play in trying to use 'words' to battle words both sides from research and books. What is in your heart should come out calmly. That woman had no love in her heart, just a fight or battle to win. No point going down that road! By the way, I am not going to pray for you! No need...

out of the box