Posts by tfsm

19

So you used to be...

by onacruse in

jw
friends

when i stubbed my toe last night and characterized a long-time poster here as still being an elder (for which i apologize), and then this morning, reflecting on the meaning of that, the question came to me:.

what does it matter?.

there have been so many "persons of authority"-- ministerial servants, elders, bethelites, even district overseers (as i've heard)-- who have posted, and continue to post, on this discussion board.

tfsm

Just before I decided to reply to this I noticed that everybody else has like 5 or more thousand posts and I have like 12 or something.

But here goes... The people that weren't lurkers in the meetings in the KH, the people that commented and answered questions and were active rose through the "ranks". It seems the same here with the exception of the gender issue. That to me is what makes this so nice. You can look around and see everybody's contributions (male or female) and benefit from their support. I was (for the most part) raised a witness and it was hard work for me to comment at meetings and go out in service but I did it because I thought I could help someone (until I realized what a crock of sh t it was). Now that I am out and have been out long enough to not carry much baggage from it, I would like to help ex-witnesses get on with their life.

65

Post something to make me laugh

by JH in

jw
friends

.

post anything to make me laugh, a picture, a riddle, whaterever

tfsm

depending on your sense of humor... This was the funniest thing I have read in a while. It is an essay written by a college student about Oedipus.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/image/essay/1 (in case the hyperlink doesn't work you can cut and paste)

7

Are you a witness because it is the path of least resistance?

by tfsm in

i think most (particularly those with witness parents or family) are witnesses because it is easier to stay than to go.

what i am wondering is- why would a reasonably educated adult choose to become a witness in the first place?

my parents got into it when i was about five and i have asked them what the reason was and the answer has varied over the years from "the world is a sick place and we did it for you" to "we were lost and looking for something".

tfsm

Excellent observation Kid! '74 to about '77 they were studying. They always claimed the '75 prediction didn't influence them. I remember them talking derisively about families that went deep in debt because they didn't think they would have to pay any of it back. I also remember them saying I shouldn't go to college because there wasn't any point learning the ways of the "old system". Kind of contradictory but there you go...

7

Are you a witness because it is the path of least resistance?

by tfsm in

i think most (particularly those with witness parents or family) are witnesses because it is easier to stay than to go.

what i am wondering is- why would a reasonably educated adult choose to become a witness in the first place?

my parents got into it when i was about five and i have asked them what the reason was and the answer has varied over the years from "the world is a sick place and we did it for you" to "we were lost and looking for something".

tfsm

I think most (particularly those with witness parents or family) are witnesses because it is easier to stay than to go. What I am wondering is- why would a reasonably educated adult choose to become a witness in the first place? My parents got into it when I was about five and I have asked them what the reason was and the answer has varied over the years from "the world is a sick place and we did it for you" to "we were lost and looking for something". I think the ultimate reason is - being a witness absolves one of a lot of responsibility. Plan for the future - what future? etc. Thoughts?

64

Do Must Dubs Have Pre-Marital Sex?

by tall penguin in

it's not often talked about but in my experience a lot of witnesses have sex (or something like it) during their courtship.

and most of them never go to the elders about it.

recent case in point: my dear friend got married this past summer.

tfsm

The only ones I grew up with that didn't have sex were so unattractive they couldn't get laid in a whorehouse with a handful of hundred dollar bills. I'll share something personal here because in retrospect it is kind of funny- the first time I had sex was in the back seat of a car when the sisters and I were supposed to be "in service". I'm pretty sure I counted those hours. It makes me all misty-eyed and nostalgic just thinking about it.

21

Rising gas prices, field service, meetings

by Jourles in

jw
friends

i recalled the other day how several years ago my wife tacked on over 60k miles in about a year and a half on one of our cars while pioneering.

it still makes me ill thinking about it.

then i began to wonder how the recent gas price surge is affecting normal field service activities and meeting attendance.

tfsm

Back in the pioneer days I would drive to the most remote territories I could check out just because... well you know- I had to waste time. My car got really good mileage so even though I only worked part-time, I could afford to drive an hour and a half to talk to one or two people. If I was really lucky there would be nobody home. Then I would drive back to the KH after half a day. I wish I had a nickle for every hour that I counted as "service" when I was really banging away at my regular-pioneer girlfriend. God, those were the days. We were the picture of hypocrisy.

34

Why write a letter of disassociation?

by tfsm in

my question may seem vague but if one decides to leave "the organization", why write a formal letter?

why not just leave and not have any further contact with the witnesses?

is there some legitimate legal reason for this or do people do this because the witness thinking has overtaken their logic?

tfsm

I didn't write a letter because I didn't see the point. When I made up my mind to make the change (escape), I just left. Everything. I felt like writing a letter was playing by their rules and unnecessary. This was fifteen years ago. I have found a new life with wonderful people who, for the most part, aren't aware of my past. I just posed this question because I have seen others on this board agonizing over the decision to leave and having to write a letter (in my mind at least) makes it that much more difficult.

34

Why write a letter of disassociation?

by tfsm in

my question may seem vague but if one decides to leave "the organization", why write a formal letter?

why not just leave and not have any further contact with the witnesses?

is there some legitimate legal reason for this or do people do this because the witness thinking has overtaken their logic?

tfsm

My question may seem vague but if one decides to leave "the organization", why write a formal letter? Why not just leave and not have any further contact with the witnesses? Is there some legitimate legal reason for this or do people do this because the witness thinking has overtaken their logic?

Hilton Head Island Congregation - late 80s early 90s

by tfsm in

i lived on hilton head about fifteen years ago and i was friends with a great elder.

we were dive buddies.

i don't want to name any names or cause any trouble i just want to touch base with him and make sure he is ok.

tfsm

I lived on Hilton Head about fifteen years ago and I was friends with a great elder. We were dive buddies. I don't want to name any names or cause any trouble I just want to touch base with him and make sure he is ok.

31

Do the Witnesses Still Go Door to Door?

by tfsm in

i have lived at my current address for approximately five years and i have not had any visits from the witnesses.

i don't really want any but here's the deal: i left "the truth" about fifteen years ago.

i wasn't disfellowshipped or anything and (since i moved to another state) it was a relatively clean break.

tfsm

WOW. This board is alive! I was googling something else entirely when I came upon it. I'm glad I registered and posted. Thanks for the answers.