| Miss Peaches - So nice to meet you! I also had a rude awakening when I first accessed ex-JW sites. I knew that I didn't believe what the WT taught, but I hadn't dared formulate the thoughts so clearly in my mind.... And I'm so glad you are off the drugs, too! Enjoy life, the ups and the downs, and the freedom to think and do as you please! GGG |
GoingGoingGone
JoinedPosts by GoingGoingGone
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18
Miss Peaches - The Story (warning its long)
by misspeaches ini was born into a family that didn't attend church.
my mother had been raised a catholic and was quite fanatical about it until puberty hit and she discovered boys.
dad's family were christian but non-practicing.
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GoingGoingGone
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Do they really know what they claim to know?
by Blueblades ineveryone in the religious field, it turns out, has relevant expertise.
yet there is prodigious diversity and complexity of religious thought and practice.
do they really know what they claim to know?
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GoingGoingGone
when Adam sinned, unborn humans were set up to inherit sin ,imperfection, suffering , sickness and death immeadately, not 2,000 years or more later. So, why has not the ransom price put into effect immeadately. He can't answer that, where is the equal justice.
Very good question! That's what I was asking... why not apply the ransom immediately, or for that matter, why did we have to wait 4000 years for the ransom at all? What's the point of that? The answer was that each individual person hasn't suffered more than one lifetime. No matter how long this world continues, each of us will stand before God with one lifetime's worth of suffering under out belt. If you're thinking purely 'fairness', then it wouldn't be fair that some people are supposed to live in difficult circumstances and then be accountable for their actions, and others are allowed to live in a perfect world and have to be accountable based on that.
Jaffacake - I'm assuming that there was an actual Adam, and that we will be able to go to heaven and live with God if we are good people, only because that's sort of where I'm at right now. I haven't really considered Adam to be anything but a literal person, partly because of the Biblical lists of the exact names of Adam's decendants, among other things. But, I'm always open to new ideas.... and it's a great feeling, I might add!!
GGG
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The Mennonites and shunning..JW hypocrisy.
by Gill ini've been away for a few weeks so forgive me if you've already discussed this article from the sept 1st 2005 watchtower, please.. it's about some mennonites who became jws and so were expelled/shunned.. it reads:.
a few say later, the church elders came to the home of johann's family with an unltiatum for the interested ones: "we heard that jehovah's witnesses visited you.
you must forbid them to return, and unless you hand over their literature to be burned, you face expulsion.
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GoingGoingGone
The Amish do the same thing - shunning. There was an ex-Amish guy in my cong. for a while... he was a really nice guy, but when he attended his first meeting at the KH, all the Amish shunned him. He ended up getting baptized as a JW, married a JW girl, and was shunned by his family and the whole Amish community. His parents never saw their grandchildren. I remember he would relate these things, and all the witnesses would gasp in shock, shaking their heads at the the way he was treated. It must have been a show, I don't think that people can actually be so blind so as to not see the irony. Can they?
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Did you ever have to change phone number because of the JW's?
by JH in.
often, i changed phone number in the past, so that they wouldn't bother me.
i remember being active and going to the meetings, but i still wanted none of them to have my phone number, knowing i would one day be inactive.. how about you, ever change phone number because of them?.
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GoingGoingGone
Isn't it insane that this should even have to be the topic for a thread?? -
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Do they really know what they claim to know?
by Blueblades ineveryone in the religious field, it turns out, has relevant expertise.
yet there is prodigious diversity and complexity of religious thought and practice.
do they really know what they claim to know?
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GoingGoingGone
I had this exact conversation with a friend last week! I had watched the movie Passion of the Christ, and I was completely crushed. It's not fair, I said, that people should continue to have to suffer. The ransom was paid 2000 years ago.... so apply it already, and stop all this suffering!! My friend and I sort of were talking past each other for a while, he didn't understand my problem with it all. He said, each person only lives one lifetime.. that's one lifetime of suffering. Doesn't matter how long God lets it continue... each person only lives one lifetime of suffering, and then has the chance to live for eternity with God. MY point was that God loves everyone, and would want his creation to not have to suffer anymore.. Anyway, he finally understood what I was talking about and this was his explaination: Adam and Eve sinned. Mankind is now in a fallen, imperfect state. Each person, now, has to live his life to the best of his ability, trying to do what he believes is pleasing to God. Each person lives one lifetime in sin and suffering. At the end of his life, each person will be accountable to God for his actions. When every human who will ever been born, has been born, then God will judge all people (White Throne Judgement), and those who have been faithful to him will receive life forever with him. The earth is now a proving ground for what happens to us after we die, and since Adam and Eve used their free will to disobey, we are stuck on this proving ground in an imperfect state. That's not to say that we aren't supposed to enjoy life all we can while we're here. The earth is beautiful, and we're supposed to enjoy it. Having heard about a paradise earth for decades, though, it's kind of hard to see the earth as just a proving ground..... But that's the explaination I got.. So I thought I'd pass it on!! GGG -
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Death In the Family, How do I handle this ??? HELP !!!
by run dont walk inmy mom (die hard witness), is not doing well, she called me for the first time in over 3 years on sunday, she probaly has a year or less left in her, we had a good chat, she cried alot and said how sorry she was, and that there might be something to the things i have said.
(wow i almost fell over).
and then today my grandma died at age 100 (witness for 75 years +).
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GoingGoingGone
About 15 years ago, the daughter of an old friend of the family died. I was visiting from out of town when it happened, and attended the wake. The father was so thrilled to see me. The family is Jewish, and I was going to attend the Jewish funeral service, but I was a 'good' JW then, and a member of my own family pressured me NOT to attend a worldly funeral at a Jewish temple, saying that I would bring reproach on Jehovah's name. So I didn't attend. I have regretted it every day since. I'm sure the family knows why I wasn't there, and they are respectful enough not to have ever mentioned it. But I am ashamed of myself. I could have been a comfort to them, and because of religious prejudice that I felt obligated to observe, I wasn't. Totally unloving and not at all what I wanted to do.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are truly at peace with the decision. Don't do something because of some preconceived idea, or because you want to make a statement, or whatever. If you want to be of comfort to your family and feel you can't attend the funeral at the KH, make sure you find some way to do that outside the funeral.
Good luck to you, whatever you do!
GGG
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Ever got ripped off?
by greendawn incan you recall any instances where you got ripped by someone at a shop, restaurant, car mechanic, hotel or whatever?
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GoingGoingGone
How about by a 'brother'...............we did big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are, imho, the absolute worst. We have our own business, and I do the books... The 'brothers' are just about the only ones who do NOT PAY!!!! It drives me crazy. We do have a few customers, 'in the truth', who pay, but they are BY FAR the exceptions to the rule. Why my husband continues to do jobs for these people is beyond me. OK, I'm starting to fume ......GGG
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GoingGoingGone
mine is already handed in with some lovely inflated artificial numbers
For months and months after I stopped going in service, my husband (an elder!) turned in a service report for me. I have no idea what he wrote on it, I didn't ask. I know he was doing it to avoid having to confront the issue.Last month, I think, was the first month he didn't turn in a report for me. I know because I heard him on the phone with the Service Overseer.....
GGG
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15
Fading.... When your mate won't
by GoingGoingGone ini am in the process of fading.
my husband's a well-respected elder.
i have 2 teenage kids.
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GoingGoingGone
Hi all! Thanks so much for the posts...
How important is it to your husband that he serves as an elder?
I ask because your inactivity & fading will almost certainly lead to his removal as an elder.
Some bodies of elders & COs are far more fanatical about this than others, but in general, if your meeting attendance & field service decline notably, he will get pressure because his wife is "not in subjection", and he is not "presiding over his household in a fine manner".
The next step, I imagine, is the PO and/or CO will pressure him to get you reactivated. If he wants to remain an elder, this will lead his pressuring you. If you refuse to cooperate, and the elders/CO see no improvement from you, they will likely "kindly" ask him to "step aside" as an elder. If he does not, he will at some point later likely be "removed".
How strong is your relationship otherwise? Will he resent you for forcing him to lose his prestige?
It is very important to him that he serves as an elder. I honestly think that a lot of his identity is tied up in his elder-ship. He is well-respected, has been an elder about 15 years, was PO in a congregation that we were instrumental in starting, etc, etc.
When I stopped attending meetings completely, I told him that I did not believe the teachings anymore, and that continuing to attend made me feel like a hypociite. I told him that I was most concerned about his position as elder, and I didn't want to jeopardize that for him if it is what he wants to do... that's why (one reason why) I have stayed in so long. He has since told me that whatever I do is "my business"... he won't be removed as elder for his wife's actions. If my kids were to get into trouble, or stop attending meetings, that's a different story. Of course, if he finds out about my 'apostate' activities, then all bets are off...
I know he's been pressured to get me reactivated. I had an 'encouraging' visit from the CO and 2 elders a few months back... I'm sure it's not the last one I'll get. They tread very lightly with me, however, due to some fairly recent, and very tragic, events that affected me greatly. I'd love to say more, but can't right now... sorry... someday!
Our relationship otherwise has been good. I am the good, submissive, JW wife who helps everyone, takes care of my husband's every need, and does whatever he wants me to. I am not backing down on this, however, and so now he doesn't know what to do with me. It's never happened to him before. I think he's in shock.. He hasn't lost too much prestige yet... He's still viewed as the poor loyal elder with a difficult home situation...I think...
I find that my mate and I have our ups and downs. Sometimes there is a respect for my individual right to believe how I want and other times there is not. This is the most dificult thing I've ever done; coming here helps immeasurably.
I agree!! Some days are good, and he doesn't say a word as he gets ready for the meeting. Some days he looks at me with disgust, which makes me angry, since he won't listen to a thing that I have to say on the subject. This site is wonderful, though, the people here are wonderful, and I am so grateful for the Internet!!
Good luck. I truly believe one mate can leave and the other stay and still maintain a happy home. If I didn't I wouldn't be following the course I am.
Thank you! I hope it can work, too. It's just so good to hear what others have been through, whether it worked for them or not.
I don't know if this is your personality or if you could make it work, but...just keep being the loyal and loving wife. Do whatever you can to make his life easier on him. You know the burdens an elder carries. Pamper him, encourage him to have fun in between the responsiblities. Go on picnics, have dates, go to the park and swing on swings. If he sees you being loving and sweet, then perhaps he'll realize how good he really has it with you, in spite of you being GGG. Just a thought...
A very good thought! That is just what I'm trying to do, while trying to keep my own sanity in this crazy situation....
Thank you all so much for the advice. I'm going to keep trying my best to make it work, but one thing is for sure: I can never go back to being a JW in good conscience.
GGG
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JWS leading a double life
by greendawn indo you know (or have you ever known) of apparently loyal or even fanatical jws that lead a double life?
they may appear godly and obedient but in secret they bend the rules eg by fornication, cheating etc
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GoingGoingGone
God could I tell you ll some stories, I do not say anything because of course I am leading a doubl life by being on this board and thus "apostate"
Hahaha.... I second that!! Btw, your stories aren't about me, are they?