Posts by findingmyway

283

Time again for........ Congregation roll call

by Jourles in

it's been a while since this topic has been brought up.

use it as a chance to see if there is someone you might know from years past.

1973-1976 --- lakeside, ca??

findingmyway

1977-2002 -- Southeast Cong, Washington, DC

6

Are you a creature of habit?

by findingmyway in

i just realized that i am a creature of habit and routine.

i almost cannot function unless somethings in my life are consistently the same from one day to the next.

i have been known to eat the same thing for breakfast an lunch every day of the week.

I just realized that I am a creature of habit and routine. I almost cannot function unless somethings in my life are consistently the same from one day to the next. I have been known to eat the same thing for breakfast an lunch every day of the week. I function so much better when:

I rise at the same time every day...
Arrive at work at the same time every day...
Shut my computer down at the same time every day...
Take the same route home every day (I walk, so I can always take an alternate route)...
Arrive at home at the same time every day...
And go through the same evening routine every day.

After contemplating this phenomenon (or perfect wierdness) about myself, I started to wonder why I can't adapt to change very well. Here's my theory:

I was raised a JW and after more than 20 years of Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday worship; evening witnessing on Wednesdays; and door-to-door witnessing every Saturday and Sunday one is used to following a prescribed program of doing specific things at specific times. Also, I think I've adopted obsessive compulsive behavior traits because of this conditioning.

It's a hard habit to break, but I'm consciously working on it.

Any other theories?

30

Did you hear about the congregation where.........

by enlightenedcynic in

jw
friends

i am new to the board and am looking forward to many insightful discussions here.. a good friend of mine attends a congregation where sisters are working behind both the literature and magazine counters.

the brothers who were handling those responsibilities were removed because in the elder body's opinion, none of them were "exemplerary".police officer explained that save for the elders and a few of the ministerial servants, none of the men in the congregation were meeting the national average in field service time, so for the foreseeable future, "exemplerary".

the irony here though is that the same men who are unfit to handle the literature and magazine counters are qualified to offer opening and closing prayer for meetings and do reading for the watchtower study.

findingmyway

Yes, sort of . . . . In the 60's I know first hand of a congregation where there were NO baptized men. All positions and duties were done by women. The CO was a woman.

Are you serious?

28

Do jw youths understand

by carla in

jw
friends

do jw youths understand that if they just didn't get baptized their parents would not be able to shun them later?

they must be able to see how this works in other families.

is it feasable for a jw teen to reject baptism?

findingmyway

The most pressing thing on my mind wasn't that I might ever get disfellowshipped, but that if I don't get dedicated and baptized that I will not gain everlasting life. It never crossed my mind that I would fall short and be shunned by my family.

14

Tactics to sway my family from the JW organization

by findingmyway in

i've been thinking lately about how i can get my family out of the organization.

my dad was once an elder (has been df'd once).

my mom was once a regular pioneer (hasn't in over 10 years and doesn't even work).

findingmyway

Thanks Blondie!

14

Tactics to sway my family from the JW organization

by findingmyway in

i've been thinking lately about how i can get my family out of the organization.

my dad was once an elder (has been df'd once).

my mom was once a regular pioneer (hasn't in over 10 years and doesn't even work).

findingmyway

I've been thinking lately about how I can get my family out of the organization. My dad was once an elder (has been df'd once). My mom was once a regular pioneer (hasn't in over 10 years and doesn't even work). My brother was publicly reproved before marriage and currently has one foot in and one foot out (that's my opinion, because actions speak louder than words). One of my sisters was a Sunday school teacher at a church in another state a few years ago (was never df'd for that because she didn't tell anyone...actually, my parents know that she was attending the church, but they never turned her in because she decided to move back home and go back to the meetings). My youngest sister is coasting and doesn't seem strong in her faith and her husband doesn't attend the meetings at all anymore.

My parents came into the truth individually a couple of years before they married. They both already had children. My mom had two (my sister, who is one year older than I, and myself). My dad (stepdad) had one (who was not raised in the same household and thankfully never took hold of the JW faith). My older sister and I (since age 4 & 5) and my younger brother and sister (since birth) were raised as JWs. We were all baptized and all our friends and most of our family are all JWs.

I was df'd over 4 years ago, and recently made the decision (after careful research) that I will never return to that religion. I'm not exactly where I want to be with regards my faith, but when I do get there, I want to be able to share the things I've learned about the religion with my family so that they can make an educated decision about staying or leaving.

Since they haven't completely shunned me - because they still have some hope of me returning to the flock - I cannot berate the religion. In fact, I don't think that I can speak directly to them about my recent findings about the disturbing truths I've learned about the religion.

Here are some ideas that I've come up with to plant some seeds.

1. Every three months, send (anonymously, of course) a copy of discrepancies in the JW teachings, such as accepting blood, alternative service, and time prophecies, including copies of the various changes in dates (i.e., 1914, 1925, 1975), the constant change in definition of "this generation will not pass away," and the subsequent change in the description of the purpose of the Awake! magazine to exclude any mention of the year 1914.

2. Send stories of people who lost their lives and family members because of strict adherence to WTS constantly changing policy.

3. Send a copy of Ray Franz's in the February 1982 Time magazine article.

4. Send copies of quotes from WTS publications that explicitly state that devotion to Jehovah = devotion to the organization, along with scriptures that condemn such devotion and allegiance to men..

Of course, the problem will be that my family firmly holds to the "new light" "progressive understanding" explanation.

Any ideas?

13

Heavenly hope????? What do you believe?

by findingmyway in

i am currently reading coc (just starting chapter 11 - point of decision).

i was also just reading on shaun's site the time magazine article (http://www.jwfiles.com/franz-article.htm) on ray franz's shunning.

i didn't realize that he and many other dissenters believe that all who belive in christ will go to heaven.

findingmyway

I am currently reading COC (just starting chapter 11 - Point of Decision). I was also just reading on Shaun's site the Time magazine article (http://www.jwfiles.com/franz-article.htm) on Ray Franz's shunning. I didn't realize that he and many other dissenters believe that all who belive in Christ will go to heaven.

If you were once a JW, what do you now believe about the heavenly hope?

51

Thinking of getting reinstated? Read my story.

by Jez in

a lot has happened to me since march.

i have learned so much.

i hesitated to put this out in jwd, but i now think that if it helps one person, it will have been worth it.

findingmyway

Jez,

I am sorry for the anguish you've had to experience. I appreciate your openness and I agree with you completely. This is one of the many reasons why I know that I will never pursue reinstatement -- especially, not for the sake of my family (been there, done that). I have evolved so much -- spiritually, mentally, emotionally -- that everyone that I once knew will not recognize me. We will have absolutely nothing in common. I have too many doubts and questions and they will not be able to handle the issues that I have with the WTS. I look at these people today and I can't relate as I once could. I don't even know them. They have no souls (for lack of a better word). I look them in the eyes and there is nothing there. The fake smiles mask the confusion that I know for a fact plagues them. They sit there with blank looks on their faces as they listen for something humorous to be said to keep them awake and prevent their minds from fading to the other concerns that weigh heavily on their minds (laundry, what to cook for dinner, setting the alarm to get up for work the next morning, etc.).

There is nothing and no one for me in the JW corporation. Thanks for sharing.

15

Dr. Vs. JW Mom on TLC "Real Stories of the ER" Last Night

by LDH in

well there was a show on tv last night--and i am a real tlc fan.. anyhow, you know the routine, 16 year old kid comes in, massive trauma, jw mom does not consent to blood.

as precious time is ticking away the dr. decides to try to get a court order.. bottom line, she is successful and saves the kid.

she goes into the hallway to apologize to the jw mom, who tells her something along the lines of "thank you so much for saving my son.

findingmyway

So she was relieved the decision was taken out of her hands.

When my brother was hospitalized, he was so ill that he could not replace the blood that he was slowly losing. He is not baptized, but he was 31 years old at the time. My father (former cong. elder), who is baptized and is conducting a bible study with my brother and his wife, counseled my brother that he should not get a blood transfusion. My uncle (my father's brother) who is also a baptist minister was very upset at my father's urgings and they battled over this. Finally, when my father was not around, my uncle convinced my brother to have the transfusion and his health quickly improved. He could have died. I wonder how my father would have felt had he lost his son. The family would have never forgiven him -- I certainly would have found it difficult to do so.

I thought human life was precious. I would do anything to save my child, including giving my own blood, organs, or whatever else I could give for him to live.

4

Looking for a good children's bible

by findingmyway in

i've gone non-denominational, but i haven't become a member yet.

if/when i do, i'd like to begin taking my son to church with me.

before i do that, i'd like to start my own study of the bible with him.

findingmyway

I've gone non-denominational, but I haven't become a member yet. If/when I do, I'd like to begin taking my son to church with me. Before I do that, I'd like to start my own study of the bible with him. He's 9 years old and I'm looking for a children's bible that he can relate to and benefit from.

Any suggestions?