Stumpy

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Posts by Stumpy

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  205

  Hi Everyone. Answer to prayer countdown...

  by Stumpy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.

  you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!

  what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.

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  Stumpy

  Giordano and SloppyJoe2, thank you so much for posting that! I had read about the UN thing but never gave it much (actually any) weight in my decision to leave. But after your experience with the pool Giordano and that Question from Readers article... yes, I see why it is such a big deal!

  James Jack, yes I'll eventually get that written. I've been focusing on helping my wife this week through all the emotions we've been dealing with. I should have some time soon to write my story of how I woke up.
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  205

  Hi Everyone. Answer to prayer countdown...

  by Stumpy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.

  you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!

  what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.

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  Stumpy

  Hi Freddo. Thanks for your concern, it means a lot to me. And please don't worry, I will be very careful.

  Like I mentioned above, at the moment we're not in Australia, we're in a country that doesn't speak much English and most of the locals don't have internet yet. I wanted to be very careful and that's why when I originally wrote the draft for my OP I mentioned Australia because it was the furthest place away from us I could think of and I was paranoid. I thought I'd better play some "theocratic warfare" to be obscure. I actually meant to delete that sentence before posting because it was unnecessary and I didn't want to lie, but I forgot and then I couldn't edit it! Sorry to mislead everyone, I hope I haven't offended. Paranoia makes you do weird things! I've been using a VPN while here too which shows how paranoid I'm being.

  I can't believe the lengths you have to go to to leave this religion!!! I'm a fully grown man for crying out loud and I'm acting like a little kid that's about to be caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Shouldn't you just be able to say "sorry, I don't believe this anymore" and just leave??? This alone has helped my wife immensely to see TTATT more fully. She now sees first hand the fear and control they try to have over everyone if you want to leave but still keep in contact with friends and family.

  As I have Australian residency, we most likely will be moving back there in the future to completely fade. That will take a bit of time and effort to make happen though. For those that have PM'd me from there, thank you and I hope we can meet in person one day. We will move to a city far, far away from where I grew up so the chances of running into old 'friends' from years ago will be very slim. If we do run into them then we can easily fake being still in for them I guess.

  It was foolish of me to post that picture of the program though because it could draw unwanted attention on someone else and I will feel terrible if that were to happen I'll definitely think things through better before posting in the future.

  Thanks again everyone for your support. By the way, after lots of walks, lots of talks and plenty of research these last few days, Mrs Stumpy is completely on board with me now. She said she has known it wasn't the truth for a while now but was scared to admit it to herself and finally accept it. I know how that feels, as do all of you I'm sure. She even said to me at the meeting last night that it's hard to sit through this when you know it isn't true. She's a great wife and I'm so fortunate to have her!

  Now it's just a matter of playing the frustrating game of figuring out how and when to leave.
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  48

  How many here gave up having a family for the sake of the "truth"?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a sensitive topic for many of us i know, but i am wondering how many here actually gave up the idea of having a family "in this system" for the sake of "kingdom activity or service"??.

  start the count here with my wife and i.

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  Stumpy

  Yeah the last reference I could find Absalom is in the April 15 2012 Watchtower page 18.

  Sorry for the situation your in, that's very tough. I hope it changes for you one day.
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  91

  Setback

  by EdenOne in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i saw this coming since my mother-in-law's funeral .... the congregation's "love-bombing" over my wife had its impact.

  i watched her drawing closer and closer to her friends in the congregation.

  then she decided she would attend the memorial.

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  Stumpy

  I'm so sorry EdenOne. That sucks. You were right when you said to me a few days ago how powerful the pull is! If we were close by I'd pick you up and take you out for a or
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  48

  How many here gave up having a family for the sake of the "truth"?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a sensitive topic for many of us i know, but i am wondering how many here actually gave up the idea of having a family "in this system" for the sake of "kingdom activity or service"??.

  start the count here with my wife and i.

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  Stumpy

  Thank you Lois. We are very sorry for all the heartache that you have been through too. You've suffered a lot more than we have. There is so much pain here that could easily have been avoided. The sad thing is we all thought we were doing it for God, that just adds to the pain when you realize it was all for nothing.
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  48

  How many here gave up having a family for the sake of the "truth"?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a sensitive topic for many of us i know, but i am wondering how many here actually gave up the idea of having a family "in this system" for the sake of "kingdom activity or service"??.

  start the count here with my wife and i.

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  Stumpy

  Here's a quote about marriage and children from the "Face the Facts" booklet in 1938...

  

  Here are the quotes from the "Children" book 3 years later in 1941. It's a little less direct but very manipulative...

  

  

  The conclusion John and Eunice came to...

  

  And this is what the 1941 Sep 15 Watchtower said, showing how close they thought the end was during this time, (and a perfect example of strong manipulation)...

  

  And yes, me and Mrs Stumpy gave up having kids in this 'system'. The Mar 1, 1988 Watchtower Billy referred to had a LOT to do with that decision. Now we're too old - in our 50's. We got married a bit later in life as we thought we were doing the right thing serving God fulltime while we were single. We will never know the joy of being parents

  
  
• 
  205

  Hi Everyone. Answer to prayer countdown...

  by Stumpy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.

  you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!

  what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Stumpy

  Not to worry guys, I'm using Australia as an alias. I am from there originally but it was a long time ago. If they look there for me they will be wasting their time
• 
  205

  Hi Everyone. Answer to prayer countdown...

  by Stumpy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.

  you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!

  what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Stumpy

  Thanks Karter.

  Berrygerry, yes we are dealing with all of these too

  Oh, and guess what Circuit Assembly part I was just assigned...

  
• 
  205

  Hi Everyone. Answer to prayer countdown...

  by Stumpy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.

  you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!

  what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Stumpy

  Giordano thank you for sharing your experience. I can't imagine what it was like doing this 48 years ago with no support! You have my respect. I too am figuring out a way to make our publisher cards 'disappear' if we just leave.

  Cha Ching, thank you so much for sharing your story too. We have a LOT in common. I'll post my reasons for leaving in a few days. I'm starting to see they are very similar, maybe only in a different order, to many, many others here.

  Thank you too for this advice...

  So, as everyone, every, everyone here has said and advised, "Think long and hard and wait and think before you act..." Maybe even a few months before you decide... and don't talk. Let it all settle in, get a clear picture, a clear goal.

  True to the End that was very unkind, especially considering all the people hurting for legitimate reasons here. My reason for losing my faith has nothing to do with other people. Believe me, I have had plenty of chances to be stumbled by men, including many missionaries, CO's, DO's, fellow elders and Bethelites. I kept my faith regardless of how certain ones have treated us and others. I will post my story in a day or two and you can read for yourself why I have lost faith in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses - I never said anything about losing faith in God. Stop jumping ahead and assuming what people's motives are and please have some empathy for people who's hearts have been broken and are trying to heal.

  Splash that was an awesome analogy, thank you.

  LisaRose beautifully put. Thank you!

  The two of us have had a rough couple of days, lot's of tears and overwhelming feelings of "what have we done!"... "is there anyway we could stay in and forget what we now know?"... "why did we start looking into this!"... "why didn't we stop?"... "I want my old life back!"... "how are we going to cope?"... "what are we going to do now?"

  I know this is part of the process and you have all gone through it... but it hurts so bad

  You have all been sooo welcoming and encouraging - thank you, thank you, thank you! We have read and re-read your comments many times. They mean a lot to us.

  Stumpy
• 
  48

  Struggling

  by Alive! in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i read here regularly and although i haven't joined in, i really appreciate all the wonderful contributions from those who are willing to share their experiences.... .

  i was a convert.

  i won't go into the whole history ( perhaps another day) - my story could easily be recognised in the small town where i live, with my husband.. so, we stopped going to the meetings around a period of time when we were going through severe emotional difficulties - at that point, we needed unconditional family love - the hectic, forced jw dinner parties and social occasions gave no real comfort.

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  Stumpy

  Hi Alive,

  Big hugs from me and Mrs Stumpy too. We're both feeling very raw like you too at the moment so you have a lot of sympathy and empathy from us.

  I started going out on service nearly every day - my heart sank more and more as uncomfortable realities kept challenging me. I would endure, for the "truth". But the "truth" was falling apart.

  I know EXACTLY how you feel, this was me too.

  My life is not one big sad story and neither is my future.

  I guess I'm just processing this transition.

  I do have much to look forward to - but as you all know, it's no small thing to have your beliefs die on you...and to lose your "life" as you knew it in the process

  That's a great outlook Alive, one we're trying to maintain too. It's very difficult to loose everything you've believed in all your life though hey. We too gave up having kids for the truth and the thought of never being parents hurts so bad sometimes

  Again BIG hugs from us!