I wouldn't feel guilty, unless your "anointed" you not really a part of it anyone. I have missed severl when I was active and nobody missed me. I was s ervent at the time.
witnessscorn
JoinedPosts by witnessscorn
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28
If you were newly inactive, did you feel pressure to attend the Memorial?
by truthseeker in.
i'd be interested in hearing your experiences, if you were newly inactive and felt pressured to go to the memorial.
did the jw's pressure you to go or did you feel guilty for missing the lord's evening meal (well, we all miss it anyway when we pass it round)
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Has anyone done this before??? READ THIS!
by schne_belly inso last night, my lovely wife and i were about to sit down to dinner, and the doorbell rings.
guess who?.
two elders to inform me that i am disfellowshipped!!.
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witnessscorn
I want to see it.That will probably be happening to me soon.
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Disappointment
by cyberdyne systems 101 ini guess i know it was to be expected, but i thought i was making headway with my ex.
it seemed we were at the begining of being able to talk about things, especially the witnesses and bible.
i had offered to show her from the bible some points and even her own literature (wts) so we could discuss it further.
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witnessscorn
she was probably talked to by an elder and that's why the sudden change.
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Valentine's Day!!!
by kristyann inanyone want to tell me the exact reason for jws not doing valentine's day?
is it the usual "pagan roots" thing?
where do they get that from with regards to this specific holiday?
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witnessscorn
Here is the answer from the Feb 8th 95 Awake.
In Rome many worshiped a similar god named Faunus. He too was depicted as half man and half goat. Worship of Faunus was prominent at Lupercalia, an orgiastic festival that was observed each year on February 15. During this festival scantily clad men raced around a hill, brandishing goatskin whips. Women who wanted to bear children stood near the path of these runners. Striking a woman with a whip, the Romans believed, would ensure her fertility.
According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Lupercalia was abolished by Pope Gelasius I in the late fifth century C.E. Yet, today we find a modern-day counterpart prospering under the title: "Saint Valentine’s Day." There are various theories regarding the origin of this "Christianized" name. According to one story, the third-century Roman emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry. Valentine, a priest, married young couples secretly. Some say that he was executed on February 14, about 269 C.E. In any case, a "saintly" title cannot conceal the unsavory origin of this celebration. Valentine Day is rooted in pagan rituals and is therefore not celebrated by true Christians. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) Year-round expressions of genuine love are much more rewarding than the passing fancies of a sentimental
I was raised as a JW and yes when I was in school I had to just sit away from everyone else if they tried to give me heart I refused it. And I grew up hating it I was always in a bad mood during all holiday seasons. Since their's always a holiday season I pretty much stayed in a bad mood and didn't like anyone that celebrated. This year I'm celebrateing it with a vengance. I have bought my wife a valentine everyday since the 1st and will continue until the 15th. Our daughter was born on the 15th so I will give them both a valentine on her birthday. We were both raised as JWs and are only considered in active right now.
The way I see it is that JWs religion originaly was started by CT Russell who was a Second Advent and used some of their teachings to establish the JW doctrines like 1914. You can find that info in Studies of the Scriptures by CT Russel and Crisis of Sonscience by Ray Franz. So why is is ok for them to base their docrines on "pagan" beliefs but not to celebrate holidays?
I know "the light gets brighter" or they have new light" Well those holidays are not celebrated for what they used to be either. They are occasions for families to get together and refocus on what life is about, rather then working.
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My Story
by witnessscorn inthanks for the responce i got about hereing my story.. i have never used a discussion forum before, so i just figured out that you responded to my message about hearing my story.. here goes.
but i worn you it's long.. i was raised around the religion, parants baptized when i was seven.
they were very strict, as were the elders in the congregation.
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witnessscorn
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the responce I got about hereing my story.
I have never used a discussion forum before, so I just figured out that you responded to my message about hearing my story.
Here goes. But I worn you it's long.
I was raised around the religion, parants baptized when I was seven. They were very strict, as were the elders in the congregation. My parants are completely devoted to them. THey delt with the blood issue when we were very young because they were told that my little brother needed a transfusion as a baby.
I was repetedly falsly accused by the elders and on some occasions it was started by my parents.
17 I was seeing sister and we were getting very close. Well one day I went to go out in service with her cong. The elder told her and I to work together. Being the good christian brother that I was I spoke up and told the brother that we probably should have somone work with Carol and I so that we wouldn't be alone.
That night she called me and told that she had been repreved, and the elders told her that she couldn't see me anymore. My parents flipped and they talked to the elders about it. They counceled me, but Wasn't baptised yet so couldn't do anything.
Next year was baptised Started seeing another sister that I grew up with. her dad was elder and my parents friends so they didn't care even though she was very "adventuraous". When I refused to go as far as she wanted, she broke up with me saying that she wanted to pioneer and put personal life on hold. Funny a year later she was pregnant from a local Baptist preacher.
I went to a trade school which the elders didn't like. While there I met my wife who happened to be a sister. As we got more and more serious the elders didn't like that I was dateing and going to school rather then pioneering. They didn't care that I was looking for a marriage mate.
I wanted out of the house my mother was very hard on us. She was sexually molested as a kid along with physical and emotion abuse. The abuse carried over to her parenting skills and so I was very timid and lacked self confdence. She home schooled me through highschool and hid us from the world so I had no idea how to deal with people.
At this point since I was baptised the elders decided to reprove me. Remeber that means that you could be baptised but were repentant. Yes that was me oh your right I was wrong although I didn't know what I was wrong about.
I still didn't let it stop me we ended up getting married.
Later years into the marriage my wife and mother started haveing problems and I was threatened by the eleders if didn't get the situation under control. The elders accused me of neglecting my family because I did not live in a big house and drove an old used paid for car.
I moved away from my home town to get away from my parents and the elders that still thought of me as a child.
In the mean time my brother contract leukemia. Of course he decide to allow himself to die rather then have a blood transfusion, leaving behind a 4 year old daughter. He had written a suicide letter about a year earlier but didn't do it. He found an easy way out thinking that he could get away from his unhappy marriage. He belived that he would die and be resurected to paridise earth.
I moved back close to home. While I was in the new congregation, the elders accused my wife of adultury, of course that was done through me because they are not supposed to go around the head of the household. At the same time they accused me of wife swapping. Also neglecting my family again, because I had an old car that I was fixing up. So they assumed that Iwas spending my time and money on toys. I was 1400 miles away on a bussiness trip when this happened, and heard about it second hand. so I called the PO and set up my own commitee meeting to face my accuser. This time I didn't just take it I put the elder in his place.
My sister was now trying to get married to man who was not "scripturally" free to get married. I was helping her to prove that he was. Was shunded by my parents and threatened by the elders for helping her. Once we found the proof they didn't care that my parents had broken in to my sisters house with my children with her. And got into a domestic dispute in public in front of my children. Nore did they care that we had staulked his exwife and hurassed her to find their proof. They only cared that their traditions be met.
I then moved here. We got our children into sports, of course the elders didn't like that, and tried to make us stop.
Since then I have started going to a theropist for sleep issues. He told me that my life was not normal, and he would have to report my parents child protective services because of physical and emotional abuse If I were still a minor. Now I just started remembering that I was sexuually abused by a brother and it was hidden from me.
Now that I have stopped going to meetings and have started talking to all of you, my new friends, I have began to find happiness.
That's the short version. Some of it may seem minor but I have had enough of it. Now that I have started thinking for myself and researching outside the JWs I have strated seeing the real truth, and am happier then ever.
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An old friend named Chuck
by witnessscorn ini have an old friend who was raised as a witness.
his name is chuck from waxahachie texas.
he visits me when he is in knoxville tn.
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witnessscorn
Yes he is. I knew him when he lived with his uncle Joe and aunt Cindy. What do you think his last name is, and where does his dad live?
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I just sent my JW family packing
by unbeliever inmy mom asked me if some of her jw relatives from ca could come and stay .
with me for 2 days and see some of the sites.
mom told them all about .
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witnessscorn
Sounds like my sister I know how you feel!!!
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Just went to grocery store.......
by Chimene inlol!
i just went to the grocery store about a little while ago, came around the corner of an isle, and there was a jw i used to know pretty good.
he smiled real big and said hello how are you?
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witnessscorn
I haven't been DAed or DFed yet. for that mater I just stopped going and nobody has a clue yet about my feeling yet. That is until they see me. I can't wait! I bet it was very gratifying for you.
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What did you change in your "look" to show your rebellion?
by JH in.
i grew a goatee and thats my sign to them, that i'm rebellious... .
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witnessscorn
Oh yeah I also wear a jacket, which displays a big advertisment for the martial arts dojo that I go to, to take Brazilion Ju Jistu and Isshenrye Karate. I have sewn patches on it for both arts. One is a picture of a "pagan" goddess, and to top thing off I put a patch of a skeleton with, vampire teeth, in a jesters outfit throughing dice. I allowed my kids to join an allstar cheerleading team. They go out of town for compititions, and they just went to a birth day party for one of their team mates last night at a public place. And during Christmas season I wore a Sants Claus hat out in public where ever I went. How's that for rebellion. Problem is no-one has seen me yet!!
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What did you change in your "look" to show your rebellion?
by JH in.
i grew a goatee and thats my sign to them, that i'm rebellious... .
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witnessscorn
First I was caring Crisi of Conscience around in public. Now that I'm done with it I have grown a beard. And am talk to people in my area who are labled apostates.