Posts by Wild

8

Double Lives

by Honesty in

.

does the watchtower society's rules and regulations promote healthy spiritual attitudes or do they have the opposite result?.

the reason i ask is because it seems as if many jw's i know are leading dual lives.. one life around jw friends and family and another hidden life when they are in places and situations where other jw's don't see them.

Wild_Thing

The organization's policies promote deceit, hypocrisy, and people living double lives. There's nothing healthy about it.

32

How Would You Classify Your JW Family?

by minimus in

jw
friends

are they liberal minded?

strict diehards?

nutty?

Wild_Thing

I would whole-heartedly classify my family as completely nuts! They have a tendency to be strict die-hards, too.

The other day my JW sister (whose husband is an elder) was saying that she wanted to join a gym. I told her she would like the YMCA where I go. Then I asked, so what's the rule on that? Are witnesses still not allowed to join the YMCA? She said, "Oh, I don't know. We're liberal Jehovah's Witnesses, anyway. It probably wouldn't bother me to join." I wanted to laugh my freaking ass off! My family liberal???? Compared to what??????

She complained to me one time about them visiting another congregation and how all the brothers wore white shirts with their suits, but at their congregation the brothers wear pastel colored shirts a lot! Oooooh! Now that's liberal!

40

Curious as to what a wedding at the KH is like...

by Riverwatcher in

jw
friends

i don't know why this has popped into my head.

just wondering about j/w weddings.. is there music?

are there any traditions used in the ceremony?

Wild_Thing

If you really want to watch a JW wedding (God help you!) ... go to Google video. Here's the link ... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5494970506572785091&q=Jehovah%27s+Witnesses

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Why don't Jehovah's Witneses offer childrens activities?

by Dragonlady76 in

i have always wondered why the jw's don't have a playroom/area or offer kids activities during the meetings.

i would imagine it's been brought to the societys attention at some point.

it just makes so much sense to offer a place where kids and go and play, where they can be read to, have them sing, color pages on bible related stories etc..... .

Wild_Thing

This reminded me ....

Recently, I was driving back from a trip with my JW mother and sister and we passed a building that looked like a KH. (You know how witnesses get all *excited* when they see another KH! ) One of them pointed it out, but as we passed it, there was a very nice playground built on the other side. They quickly concluded that it was, indeed, not a Kingdom Hall!

My mom jokingly said that she did not think it was a bad idea to have a playground beside a Kingdom Hall, and that they should present the idea to the building committee!! I couldn't help from laughing! I said, "Sure! I am SURE they will approve it! Ha!"

Kingdom Halls, in general, are the most kid unfriendly place I have ever seen!

16

I feel like a leper

by Wild_Thing in

jw
friends

i certainly have had my share of jw stupidity for the day ... and of my family's stupidity today.

two things happened ... both completely unrelated.

as a little background, i "faded" from the witnesses almost five years ago.

Wild_Thing

Thanks for the kind words and support. And I am sorry to here and others experience the same.

It is even hard for me to believe, but my mother called me back and apologized! She said she did not intend for it to sound like it did. She said she was glad that I still cared enough to want to offer my sympathy and I could come over anytime. She said she knows M----- (her roommate, the greiving mother) will not mind.

There has been a lot more happen tonight to, so maybe she is feeling fed up with her own JW crap and is coming to her senses momentarily. If you want to read about the rest of the "drama", I posted it here.

My mother is also quite upset with the elders because the surviving mother asked my brother-in-law to perform the funeral service. Then, some of the other elders came to him and said that they think he has too much on his plate (aka judicial meetings) and that they were going to give the "privilege" to another elder. My meek and mild bro in law, as always, cowers down and says okay. My mom and sister are both pissed at him. They said the family should be able to have whoever they want to perform the service and it is not their decision to make. I whole-heartedly agree! The greiving mother has not been told yet of their other arrangements! (I hope she hits the fan!)

Is this enough drama for one day?!?

16

I feel like a leper

by Wild_Thing in

jw
friends

i certainly have had my share of jw stupidity for the day ... and of my family's stupidity today.

two things happened ... both completely unrelated.

as a little background, i "faded" from the witnesses almost five years ago.

Wild_Thing

I certainly have had my share of JW stupidity for the day ... and of my family's stupidity today. Two things happened ... both completely unrelated.

As a little background, I "faded" from the witnesses almost five years ago. I am not disfellowshipped. My family does not shun me anymore (they tried at first). In fact, I have a very good relationship with both my sisters ... my mother too, considering she is just plain nuts. My best relationship is with my sister, whose husband is an elder. My mother recently told me that my baptism when I was 10 years old is basically null and void since she knows my father talked me into it (thanks to my sister for telling her that!) and that she knows I probably did not dedicate myself to Jehovah in prayer (to which I certainly concurred!) So, this helps me understand why they seem to feel as comfortable as they do associating with me, and also why the elders have not "come after me". I am able to have cordial conversations with most of the other witnesses that I may run into. Some will not speak to me at all. But most of them, particularly that ones that associate with my family (even elders and their families) will be very polite if I see them.

BUT .........

This past week, a woman died that was the daughter of a "sister" in the congregation. I knew both of them very well, especially the surviving mother. In fact, she is my mother's roommate, so I still see her periodically. She is very self-righteous and I referred to her as "the church lady" even when I was a witness, but she is still polite to me when I see her, and she is still considered a close friend of my family. Even though I am not a witness anymore, I was still planning "sending my respects" just because it is the right thing to do. I try to take the stance of being the bigger person and doing the right thing, even they do not. It they do not recognize it or appreciate it, it makes them look even worse and shows the idiocy of their shunning policy for what it is.

I just found out that they are not having a funeral, but just a memorial service at the Kingdom Hall. I have decided not to go because of that. I could probably stomach it, but I choose not to, which my mother seems amazingly thrilled about. In fact, I told her that I would not be able to make it, but I will definitely send flowers and try to bring by some food and pay my respects then. Her response was that maybe I could come by Friday evening instead. She said that "the friends" would be coming over to visit after the memorial, so I should come by Friday instead. I am sorry, but that is just plain rude. I am not disfellowshipped, I have not done anything wrong, and if her and other witnesses (including her roommate) can associate with me and be polite, then they can assiociate with me and be polite in front of OTHER witnesses. I told her to just let me know what she would feel most comfortable with. Then, she back-peddles and tells that she thought I would feel uncomfortable. I told her it would not bother me either way. I would be dropping off food for the family and offering my condolenses.

I probably will do nothing more than send flowers. I do not think it would bother this woman, I really think it is just my mother, but I guess it is not the time to test out my theory. My mother has done this a few other times under different circumstances. I certainly do not agree with disfellowshipping or how they shun people, but by their own rules, I am not disfellowshipped. So, then why am I treated like a leper? And why only SOME of the time?

Another incident involving the witnesses also happened today that is very upsetting to me. This is becoming so long, I will save it for another post. Maybe in the private section.

25

Garage sales

by poppers in

jw
friends

from reading this site i've learned that jws frown up buying used clothing etc.

from second hand stores because of possible 'demonization.

' my neighbors are jw and i notice that they have fairly frequent garage sales.

Wild_Thing

Ps: have you noticed they haven't been any stories about a cassette tape or a cd being demonized. Or maybe they just don't talk to me about it anymore. lol

Yes I have, but then again they don't talk to me about it anymore, either! I think maybe they have just switched their focus lately from demonzied music to demonized games and cartoons!

25

Garage sales

by poppers in

jw
friends

from reading this site i've learned that jws frown up buying used clothing etc.

from second hand stores because of possible 'demonization.

' my neighbors are jw and i notice that they have fairly frequent garage sales.

Wild_Thing

In my exerience, that was not a common belief among most witnesses. There may have been a few kooks (within the larger pool of kooks!) who may have thought that about all garage sales, but 99% of the witnesses I knew loved to shop at Garage Sales! In fact, their Friday morning (and sometimes Saturday) field service consisted of return visits purposely mapped among the path of the best garage sales!

There was a common belief, it seemed, that some garage sales had items that might be considered demonic ... like records and such, demonic symbols or books. They believed that if they had very obvious "demonized" items, then there might be a chance that some of their other items might be demonized. My mother would make us leave that garage sale and not allow us to buy anything. I only remember it happening a handful of times, though. Definitely not an everyday occurence, and definitely did not keep us away from all garage sales.

Did anyone else have this experience?

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