Posts by Joel Wideman

21

JW kids and the national anthem humiliation......

by kid-A in

for me, school was extremely stressful as a jw kid.

the worst part had to be my morning dose of humiliation being forced to walk out of the room as the national anthem came on the loudspeakers (first god save the queen, then, oh canada).

the other kids found this completely bizarre, and several of my "patriotic" minded teachers really resented me for doing this (despite the obvious fact i had no choice in the matter but was being forced into this by my parents).. how could anybody force this public humiliation on a small child or teen-ager, already having to deal with the normal stresses of growing up and worrying about their public image with their peers???

Joel Wideman

I went through all of that too. But I managed to gain strength from it. The irony, of course, is that this eventually gave me the strength to leave.

27

I WON! ~Reader's Digest Sweepstakes!

by bikerchic in

jw
friends

......entry deadline, whipdedoo!.

well i hardly ever win anything so it was a bit exciting to receive a package stating i had won the fastest return to the reader's digest sweepstakes bonus prize!.

.......okay so here is where it gets ugly...it was a cd of inspirational melodies!

Joel Wideman

Remember, you can't win a contest you don't enter. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying, especially if they are the ones running the contest.

11

What are your greatest qualities?

by JH in

jw
friends

i have many qualities .

1. i forgive easily.

2. i'm generous.

Joel Wideman

1. I'm a loving father and husband.
2. I do not run away from conflict, but face it head on.
3. I neither practice nor tolerate deception.
4. I recognize my faults and understand that it is up to me to change.

35

From Jw to born again .................

by vitty in

jw
friends

when i was "in" the borg ( i love that word) i really , really believed that when ppl left it, they became like the undead.

with no direction in life and no religion, i felt sorry for them.. i never thought that they became ............born again or heaven forbid catholic !!!!!!.

when i first started looking at sites on the internet i came across www.jwinfoline.com what an eye opener !

Joel Wideman

I believe that you cannot know God unless your mind is free.

27

Does it bother you to realize that life is normal for those left behind?

by free2beme in

jw
friends

you know when you leave a religion or a place you worked at for a long time.

you want to feel that perhaps there will be a missing irreplaceable piece, that represents the effort you put into the work.

you know what i talking about, the comment at work of "this place would be lost without me" or in the religion "i am the main person who encourages field service around here.

Joel Wideman

Well, I wouldn't call it normal. Business as usual, but not normal.

14

Why some people leave and live and then it hits them

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

i've read a few posts lately where the people got out of the jws and went off to live their lives.

i went to college almost immediately.

it was hard and sometimes i would think about it and maybe going back.

Joel Wideman

Baggage? I've got a whole set of luggage!

15

Singer finds her voice after leaving JW's

by Gopher in

good story about rene marie.

she speaks frankly about a good effect she found by joining the jw's, and how and why she left never to look back.

http://www.pacpub.com/site/myzwire.cfm?newsid=15292956&brd=1091&pag=461&dept_id=343157&rfi=6

Joel Wideman

jgnat
I wonder what positive impact it would have on the WTBTS if they abandoned the cruel shunning policy?
It would be the beginning of the end for them.

38

~How did/do you personally feel about the headship arrangement?~

by FlyingHighNow in

jw
friends

i feel that headship is one of the most damaging doctrines taught in the wtbts as well as other fundy religions.

it is promoted as a way to have happier, healthier marriages and families.

in theory, maybe so.

Joel Wideman

NIV, Genesis 2:18, The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Someone can look up the NWT, but I bet even that doesn't say "slave" instead of "helper". That said, I believe headship is a fine arrangement when the husband is truly a man. Husbands who abuse their wives are by no means men, merely males.

22

Well, I handled that amazingly well...

by Joel Wideman in

as my wife predicted, my mother heard that she da'd herself.

she called, and spoke with my boy for awhile.

(she needs her medication adjusted.

Joel Wideman

You got me, Goldminer. I get quite a rush from confrontation. I just wish I didn't have to hold back with her.

22

Well, I handled that amazingly well...

by Joel Wideman in

as my wife predicted, my mother heard that she da'd herself.

she called, and spoke with my boy for awhile.

(she needs her medication adjusted.

Joel Wideman

As my wife predicted, my mother heard that she DA'd herself. She called, and spoke with my boy for awhile. (She needs her medication adjusted. She's hearing things over the phone again.) Then she wanted to talk to me.
Get this - she's "worried" about the kids and wants to take them to a meeting.
I must say demonstrated increbible self-control and merely said "No."
"Why not?"
Do I tell her I want them to grow up to be functional adults? Do I explain to her why Andrea DA'd? OF COURSE NOT! Forget the medication, she'd be in the mental ward again.
Instead I calmly deliver the time-honored parental statement "Because they are my kids."
So she asks if she can take them out to dinner. Alone. Aha! I was a JW long enough to recognize "theocratic warfare". But again, I simply say "No."
"Why not?"
BECAUSE YOU SUFFER FROM PSYCHOTIC DELUSIONS AND ARE A DANGER TO THEM BECAUSE OF IT, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU ARE LYING TO ME!!!
NOOOOOO!!! I can't say THAT!
I say "We would love to have dinner with you as a family. Myself, Andrea, the kids, and you."
And that pretty much ended it, at least for now.