my parents became jw's in 1972 - i was 6 yrs old.
i followed their lead, baptized at 15, regular pioneer at 19, ms at 21, elder at 27. have given district and circuit talks, tms overseer yada, yada, yada... .
last september i stopped and haven't looked back.
Hello EyesOpened!
I am fading, raised as a JW from the age of 7, baptized as a young teen and pioneered for years. My husband is an elder and is not planning on leaving the JWs. But I can never go back, after all I've learned.
This site is great, we understand what you're going through and just that is huge! Feel free to vent whenever you want!
GGG
at the kingdom hall .
i just found out my son's picture is on the front page of the local paper dressed up for prom with his high school sweety, and his new lip piercing .
Hahaha!!! I love it!
My daughter's going to prom, too. Limo, prom dress, hair, nails and makeup........... Of course, no on in the KH knows.
Hope he had a blast!
GGG
i just took my mum home with her shopping, and she gave me a letter from a sister in my old kh.
the sister was one of my best friends for years, and one of the few people outside the elders who i told i was about to da, and why.
she knows i have moved recently, but doesn't know my new address, so she dropped this letter at my mums this morning:.
I think you should call her and meet with her if the call goes well. She's being very outside-the-WT-box even contacting you at all, and wanting to meet you... well, ! I say good for her! She's acting like a human being and not a WT drone. Proper behavior should be rewarded.....
It would be nice for you, too, most likely. And who knows, if she sees how happy you are as an exJW, it might put even more doubts about the WTS in her mind.
I hope it works out well!!!
GGG
click on the link to read all of the interesting comments readers have made!
http://www.konradwest.com/2006/04/jehovahs-witnesses-shut-down-another-dissenters-website
jehovahs witnesses shut down another dissenters website.
Excellent!!
GGG
yesterday was my 15th year anniversary of being baptized.
may 11, 1991. i'm not sure it counts anymore since i was df'd last feb. 3, 2005, but still, it is a remarkable period of time to pass by and reflect on what changes have occurred.. i was 18 years old.
the "internet" was barely a blip.
Yes, I remember the exact date. It was in 1979. Twenty-seven years ago this year.
On the positive side, I haven't been to a meeting in a year or two (except for the memorial)....
GGG
i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.
i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.
not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.
I think that someone becoming a JW or remaining a JW has less to do with their intelligence and more to do with their suceptability to mind control. The longer I am away, the more I am amazed at the level of mind control used in the WT organization.
People who are well educated generally have a more secure job situation than those who aren't. Again, generally speaking.... They have likely picked a career that they enjoy, instead of being stuck in a dead end job simply to pay the bills. They feel better about themselves and their ability to make decisions for themselves. They aren't as vulnerable to the WT conversion techniques.
I know some extremely intelligent JWs, and have also wondered how on earth they can continue in this religion... There is no way they can't see the inconsistencies.... But again, I think it comes down to their inability to break free of the WT mind control techniques. Very sad.
GGG
i haven't been on in a while so i've been perusing the threads today and i do have to say the last few have been fantastic.
i find this a great forum to post something learned, something funny, or to just get something off your chest.
we each have our own way of de-brainwashing(if you want to use that term)ourselves but we also share quite a bit in common.
Welcome brother!
Enjoy!
GGG
.
i,ve done a few, but one of the best was going to see strippers with two other young brothers.. anyone else do anything fun or taboo?
At an assembly, the brother read the announcements prior to lunch, mentioned when the program would resume, and stepped off the platform. But he never said, "You are dismissed"! Oh Gawd! What should we do?
I was at an assembly once where the brother said the closing prayer and didn't say "amen" at the end. The same thing happened... everyone stood there and wondered what they should do. Do we keep our heads bowed and maybe he'll say amen eventually? Do we open our eyes and see if he's even on stage anymore? It took about 20-30 seconds before people actually started saying "amen" and acting like the prayer was over.
The worst thing I ever did at an assembly was .... um...... can't think of anything. I was one of those terribly compliant types who followed all the rules no matter how retarded they were.
GGG
i have an almost 18 year old cat, a manx calico named spunky.
at birth, she was rejected by her mother and so my mom dropper fed this kitten until it was big enough to eat from a bowl, and then the cat moved in with us.
my daughter was about 3. she's always been my cat.
I'm so sorry for you and your fuzzy friend!!
We had a cat who had cancer. She had 2 surgeries, and after that she did really well. But the vet told us it would spread, and would kill her. When she got another tumor, an x-ray showed that the cancer had spread to her bones, so there was nothing to do. But I couldn't have her put down. I have never loved a cat so much, and I couldn't do it. The decision was made for me when she suddenly became paralyzed on half her body. It was the most difficult decision, even then.
It would be great if you could find a vet who would come to your house when you do decide to put her down. It would lessen the stress for the cat, and for you.
GGG
yep folks.
after much thought i finally chose an avatar.
the ugly mug staring at you is that of geronimo, the apache warrior and renegade chief.
Keul!
Sheesh... don't get your wife too mad at you, you wouldn't want her on the warpath with ancestors like that....
GGG
