freedomlover

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Posts by freedomlover

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  17

  JW Assumptions in their Literature

  by XBEHERE in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  below is the text for the day notice the highlighted areas:.

  text for thursday, april 20, 2006. .

  thursday, april 20. here i have two daughters who have never had intercourse with a man.

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  freedomlover

  This account was always so disturbing to me. How about these possiblities.....
  
  
  "......Perhaps, Lot was a big sissy and he feared for his own flesh, so he cowardly offered up his own daughters to save his own skin. This is a very plausible explanation given the fact that we know women were viewed as property and inferior to men. Therefore, it is a high possibility that Lot was just an ungodly man that hoped his virginal daughters would appease these savage men."
  
  Now THAT is an explanation that would make sense to me.....
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  9

  Got a Visit Yesterday

  by Nosferatu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was at home last night, fixing some 8-track tapes, when i got a knock at the door.

  the wife is out of town, so i'm wondering who the hell is knocking on my door.. i opened it, and there was my mother and another lady from my old congregation.

  this lady is one of the few genuinely good people in the congregation.

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  freedomlover

  I can relate Nos.
  My grandma is one of those genuinely good people who is a witness. She is the one who brought my WHOLE family into "the truth." Even so, she is the most amazing woman I know, and I have more respect for her than I do for most anyone else in my life. She was always the rock in my very screwed up life. She was the one who never ever said one bad word about my dad when her daughter (my mom) and him were getting divorced. Unfortunately, she is stuck in a cult that she truly believes is the ONLY true religion. At this point in her life I don't see the point in showing her flaws in her belief system. Some people here think differently on that point, but that's how I feel about it. My grandma had her own problems, death of parents at a very young age, married an alcoholic, lost a son to a car accident at 14, etc. - so the witnesses gave her a hope that enabled her to survive in this life. I don't think it a kindness to tell her differently. I have resigned myself to just show unconditional love to people like her, even though they are still witnesses.
  
  Sounds like you were very kind to this woman and your mom. that was the best thing to do. I'm not all into "paying back" the witnesses. Not unless one of them crosses me - then they better watch out.
  
  I do know how the sadness feels for those type of good people, stuck in something that hasn't let them reach their full potential.
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  6

  Re Baptized in The 1970's ( ? )

  by The in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  i've been speaking to a few older ones that were baptized twice as jws .. if my memory is correct ,it was around the time that baptism figures took a steep rise.. could this be a major contributing factor for this rise?

  were these ( baptisms ) added to the figures?.

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  freedomlover

  I never heard of this The!
  
  what reasons did these re-baptized ones give you? was it something of there own thoughts or was it "encouraged" by the society?
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  98

  UPDATE

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yesterday afternoon, i recieved 2 text messages from an anonymous source that read :.

  (person that turned you in) i turned you into your brothers for your own good.

  gal ?:?

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  freedomlover

  Thanks so much for updating us Richie. Stressful huh? Sorry you have to deal with all this, but hey - you're able to handle this, and very well I might add. I'm glad you got the chance to actually TALK with your mom and dad. I think you're smart to not rock with boat too much more with mom and dad. They do love you, and your dad has every right to be concerned about strangers calling you.
  
  Well, enjoy the adrenalin rush that comes from that euphoric feeling of FREEDOM!!
  
  Try to remember to show your love to mom and dad. best of luck Richie. we're all here rooting for you!
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  61

  Where were you when the realization hit, that the WTS was not in the truth?

  by whyizit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was listening to a testimonial by valerie acuff and she said that she was sitting in an assembly, looking around at the crowd and thinking to herself, "this is your family, these are your people.".

  she said at that moment she heard a voice inside say, "these are not your people, this is not your family, get up and leave now, and don't ever go back.

  " so she took her two children at that very moment and left, and she never went back.

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  freedomlover

  These are amazing stories. I must have missed this thread before.
  
  My moment was about a year ago and we started to study the Daniel book at BS again. I told my hubby that I was going to make a chart so that I could understand this book this time. (He was already "out" but hadn't told me yet.) I started my chart and my research and after the first few weeks things weren't adding up. I found info. online that said JW's were the only ones that didn't believe the real date of Jerusalem's destruction. I was so terrified. I researched the society's publications and encyclopedias. I remember I didn't sleep for two whole nights, and during those sleepless nights it hit me that this may be a sham! I didn't tell my hubby because I was terrified yet I felt this HUGE burden lifted off of me. I remember thinking "what IF I really didn't have to go to all these meetings, and service, etc.?" Then I would tell myself "don't think like that, of course you have to do it!" But then again....maybe not??????
  
  It took a little longer for everything to come to a head with my hubby and I still tried to play the good JW, meetings and service and stuff. But I just couldn't forget what I knew. I was out mentally about 6 weeks after those sleepless nights.
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  10

  Leaving the forum for a while, hugs to all of you...

  by FreedomFrog in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not good at good-byes so this will be quick, but i've known some of you for several years and felt i should.

  i'll stop in for a few more days and check my mail and try to respond to this thread.

  in the meantime, i wish you all the best and love you all.

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  freedomlover

  hey FF - I didn't know you well but we share a common theme...."freedom" ;)
  
  I hope you are doing better these days. Sometimes a break is good, or if you're done here - then kudos to you to know when to leave.
  
  ((((((hugs to you))))))))
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  5

  My invite to the special talk.

  by PoppyR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my mother 'invited' me to the special talk today.. made me smile that at least she knows i would not be going otherwise (i'm not going anyway!).

  she handed me the watchtower with the invitation printed on it and said i could keep it.

  i just said thank you, put the wt down on her table and left it there.

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  freedomlover

  The -
  
  field service and singing songs at the KH were the hardest things for me once I knew I couldn't do the witness thing anymore. I used to show up for the group, say I had plans and go out somewhere else. I just couldn't tell people things that I felt were lies.
  
  
  
  
  
  Everyone, and we had A LOT of friends and family have pretty much forgotten about us. so sad to see how fast people will turn on you, when they truly think they are doing the "right" thing for you.
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  38

  Karl's Story

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't remember sharing my story...if i did, don't reply.

  it will only encourage me .

  its been a strange 17 years (18 in october whoo!).

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  freedomlover

  *Stepdad thing and all that, people sometimes are too quick to blame the teenager. *
  
  That is SO TRUE! It took my parents screwing up 3 kids before some people FINALLY saw the pattern and saw it was them, and not us kids. Funny how, all of us kids have a great relationship together and yet have had to completely cut them out of our lives for sanity sake. I think it's great you and your mom have been able to make ammends somewhat.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  38

  Karl's Story

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't remember sharing my story...if i did, don't reply.

  it will only encourage me .

  its been a strange 17 years (18 in october whoo!).

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  freedomlover

  great story Karl.
  
  I've always liked you, now I feel like I know you better. Ahhh the stepdad thing. I've got a sociopathic, bullying stepdad and mom. They were fire and gasoline together. Then the cult power trip thing and they are just plain dangerous. Messed all of us kids up pretty bad. I too was told to leave home, although not over leaving the witnesses. (I was a good dub at the time!) Anyhow, I hope your mom and stepdad see through all the fog one day. Your a great dude in my book......
  
  I can't believe you're ONLY 17!
  
  -freedomlover
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  54

  So, why did I meet with the elders?

  by lola28 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is my explanation as to why i met with the elders today.

  when i agreed to meet with the elders last week i had made up my mind to just go in and be honest with them.

  i was going to tell the elders that i no longer believed this to be the truth, and then i was just going to walk away.

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  freedomlover

  Lola - ya done great girl! I didn't think you owed anyone any explanation, but just for the record I'm totally on the same page as you on this one. everyone has their own circumstances. I have one person, my grandma, who is THE reason I am quietly fading instead of DAing. I know a lot of people here don't agree with that and I don't care. It's my decision, right OR wrong. You sounded like you were really strong.
  
  (((((((hug to you)))))))))