troubled mind

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Posts by troubled mind

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  43

  If you were raised in a home with a JW parent and a non-JW parent: a few questions

  by Lady Lee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you were raised in a home with a jw parent and a non-jw parent: a few questions.. i am going to be addressing the international cultic studies association (icsa) in july at the conference in montreal.

  my focus is on 3 groups.

  the third group consists of people people who grew up in homes where one parent was a jw and the other wasn't.

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  troubled mind

  Nugget and Dinah , you summerized the divided household experience perfectly !
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  43

  If you were raised in a home with a JW parent and a non-JW parent: a few questions

  by Lady Lee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you were raised in a home with a jw parent and a non-jw parent: a few questions.. i am going to be addressing the international cultic studies association (icsa) in july at the conference in montreal.

  my focus is on 3 groups.

  the third group consists of people people who grew up in homes where one parent was a jw and the other wasn't.

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  troubled mind

  1. Was your non-JW parent ever a JW? ....... No, My Mother became a JW in the 1950's before I was born . My Father was following a Military career ,20 yrs in the Marine Corps .

  * Who was responsible for your religious upbringing? The JW or the non-JW? ....... My Mother the JW

  * Did they argue about it?.......Yes , my Father forbid her from going d2d on base because he did not want to be embarassed in front of his men . He would bash the JW's all the time calling them 'bible thumpers and men who speak with forked tongue ".

  * Were you forced to go? Yes , even though my Father disliked the JW's he felt religion was womens work and that children must obey the parent . It was also believed at that time children were seen not heard ,in other words we did not get a say .

  * Did the non-JW parent have any real say in how the family celebrated holidays? ........ I remember them arguing about having a Christmas tree ,he wanted one and she didn't . She finally said if he wanted one he had to do all the work ....we never had one so I guess he did not want it badly enough . He did persuade her to buy us a gift at Xmas ,but it was never wrapped and the house was not decorated . We always had a family dinner on holidays . Birthdays we got to chose what we wanted for supper and dessert .No wrapped presents ,no candles on cake and no singing Happy Bday . One time when I was 5 I begged my Dad at the supper table to let me go trick or treating for Halloween . He forced my Mom to allow me . She said she would not take me ,but relented to allow my older brothers to go with me . When she took me in the bathroom to dress me up ,she slapped me across the face and told me to NEVER go against her again when it came to holidays ....they were detestable to Jehovah and we should never do them .

  * Over all what impact did this split household have on your childhood and even later in life? ........ I was taught to never trust my Father because he was not a JW . I was taught not to confide in him or my Grandparents . I worried constantly from early childhood about him dieing in the big A . I felt abnormal from other children very anxious, and afraid most of my life . I was told at a very young age that the Military would turn on religion and that one day my Dad may even try to kill my Mom or put her in jail for her beliefs ,and that us kids would be taken away so we would have to be faithful to Jehovah on our own .......Yeah this does a major trip on a young childs mind and mental ,emotional development . I grew up feeling very alone and knowing I could never depend or trust in anyone but myself ....this has always stuck with me to this day . Which has not been all bad ,but it would have been nice to learn or feel loved and secure with in my own family .

  * What would you want therapists to know about your situation?......... I would want a therapist to understand how much my childhood molded my emotional ,mental patterns . How separate and different ,alienated from others this caused me to feel . Children should be encouraged to voice their inner thoughts and feel free to express themselves instead of swallowing all that pain and hurt .

  * Any other thoughts?...... I wonder how many others growing up this way felt torn in two trying to please a JW parent and a non JW parent ?
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  22

  Anyone else have (or used to have) their DCs at Hawthorne Race Track in IL?

  by outsmartthesystem in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  remember the gold cup room and the "barrel seats"?

  boy....talk about brotherly love.

  when i was a kid, i worked in food prep for our hall.

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  troubled mind

  Yes , We went to Hawthorne ,but never sat in the coveted seats that I can remember . We towed three young kids along and were always early because my husband volunteered in First Aid . I do remember watching the ducks ,LOL.

  Went to the ballpark a few times (hated it ) . We started going to Springfield instead to be with friends ( and got reprimanded for not following theocratic direction ) Finally ignored the Elders and never once went to DeKalb ,just went where ever we wanted then stopped all together .
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  47

  Lots of JWs out at tables this morning!

  by AuntBee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, i actually stopped at two different tables that i saw.

  the first was 2 elderly men - they were so sweet and open to discuss.

  i brought up the topic of the divine name and why the wt inserted it into the nt with no evidence from greek manuscripts.

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  troubled mind

  WAY TO GO AUNTBEE !!! It is amazing how their behavior becomes so unchristian when they are faced with thinking questions !
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  115

  Disfellowshipped!

  by Las Malvinas son Argentinas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  libertad!

  though my story is a bit more complicated than that.

  i live in argentina.

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  troubled mind

  Well good luck with your plan dear, it does sound solid . Isn't it sad you have to go through such craziness just to have your 'loved' ones accept you again ! How totally bogus it all really is when, like you siad, you can just go off and do what you want w/o their knowledge ,but as long as the DF title is gone your good to them again .

  CRAZY STUPID RELIGION F'n up peoples lives for over 100 yrs now ! Awesome
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  47

  LDS (Mormon) wheelers and dealers coming over tonight at 7 PST. What would you ask them?

  by sabastious in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey jwn.

  a couple of mormon missionaries came to my house last week and i invited them in.

  what can i say, curiosity killed the cat.

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  troubled mind

  They don't stop by my house anymore Last time I told them I had just left one cult ,and would not be interested in joining theirs.

  Ask them ,if they really believe all the Church teachings ,and what would happen if they didn't any more ?

  If they could change anything about their religion what would it be ?

  What happens to Mormans that leave the church ?
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  26

  need your opinion on "who else preaches like the JWs?"

  by outsmartthesystem in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a friend that has recently confided in me his doubts about the society being god's one and only organization.

  his doubts run pretty deep.....but he is very much held in check by "but who else is preaching about the kingdom of god world-wide like jesus said"?

  how would you combat that thinking?

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  troubled mind

  If the Witnesses preaching work is such an important work why is it so ineffective ? I live in a small rural area that has had a Kingdom Hall here since the early 70's ,and the JW's here cover all the territory 2 or 3 times a year . Why then do people in the community still have no idea what JW's really believe ? Most just know those are the people that don't celebrate Christmas . What important "good news " have they spread ?
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  67

  My mother is trying to indoctrinate my 4 year old and I do not know what to do

  by jwfacts in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my mother lives a plane trip away from me, so does not get to spend very much time with zac.

  however, she is in sydney for 3 weeks and has been babysitting.

  i knew that she would be talking about jehovah, but was very annoyed yesterday when zac said my mother was speaking all day about jehovah, such as how he made the stars.. in the past, i was not overly concerned if zac learnt about jehovah's witnesses, as i thought it would help with critical thinking skills to understand different points of view.

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  troubled mind

  You have every right to set boundries on what your Mother discusses with your child . What you wrote sounds like a good way to put your foot down with her . She should not be teaching him her views against your wishes .

  As for explaining it to Zac ,keep it as simple as "Grandma has her own ideas about the world ,but we have ours too " then give him an example such as "we have cake and ice cream for your birthday and you get presents on that day , Grandma doesn't do that she believes differently " . Ask him if he likes your way or hers on that example .....let him think on it and I think he will begin to see his family has some good ideas .

  I would be careful villifing Grandma's God or ways ....just point out to him that it is her way and NOT yours . You might also show him how the world is a big place with many different ideas give some examples of how other people are different in beliefs ,yet we can all get along and be tolerant even if we do not believe the same .

  Teach him to speak up to Grandma ...When she begins talking about her God he can tell her, "That's nice Grandma ,but that is not what MY family believes ."
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  82

  What Are Some Musical Groups And/Or Songs That Everybody Liked But You?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i never loved the beatles.

  i especially didn't care all that much for john lennon.. bob dylan, i never got his appeal!.

  any songs that just didn't do anything for you?.

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  troubled mind

  PRINCE ...........turn the station everytime I hear his whining voice
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  12

  AJWRB changing its title and mission statement

  by Shawn10538 in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  since my interview with dr. joy fridey of the red cross, it was revealed to me that there is no medical definition for the term "bloodless," "bloodless medicine," or "bloodless surgery.

  " basically, every doctor and every patient has their own idea of what constitutes "bloodless.

  " but according to dr. fridey, there is no definition of bloodless medically speaking.. one thng for sure, for those doctors who actually use this term or for the watchtower society who has probably introduced this expression into the consciousness of society and the medical profession, bloodless does not ever mean... bloodless.. (see ajwrb.org article in the official ajwrb blog.).

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  troubled mind

  THANK YOU ! Shawn10538 Ajwrb website was a major part of my waking up and leaving the JWs .