Posts by jambon1

31

JC was formed, without even letting me know!?

by magotan in

no one will take my intent to da or df seriously.

they called me again (three brothers this time) and asked me to meet with them.

i had no intention of doing so....simply told them there was nothing to talk about.. .

jambon1

Mogotan

I faded very quickly. I walked out the KH one day & knew that I wasn't going back. I just told my wife I was leaving the 'truth'. I was a m/s at the time.

Yes, the elders tried to contact me. One even showed up at the door even after being asked not to do so by my wife.

I ignored any contact only telling them that I was in no position to discuss matters. I knew we'd just go round in circles and I'd have to be brutally honest about the religion that they hold dear, which I wasn't prepared to do.

It's a bit different with you being gay. They may feel that they need to press you on a decision.

Just be as evasive as possible while being as respectful as possible.

61

Do you think those at the top realise that it's their fault - suicide as a result of being disfellowshipped?

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

i have been stunned to hear of two suicides in our area recently.. this adds to the other 3 that i have known of from the past.. the two recent suicides resulted from 1-the person being gay & hearing a horrific talk at the kingdom hall & 2-the person with problems who was disfelloshipped & then took his life the next week.. it astonished me that jw's in general don't rebel against this sort of thing.

it's an appalling lack of support which leads people to feel distressed, abandoned & unloved.

how the witnesses in the locality can just sail on without giving the cruelty of these measures serious though is beyond me.

jambon1

Irondork:

Indeed, I agree. Perhaps my use of words could have been better.

I realise that many witnesses will feel utterly dejected & disillusioned about such things.

It's just a great shame that this practise cannot be exposed as a form of abuse by the authorities & stoped.

61

Do you think those at the top realise that it's their fault - suicide as a result of being disfellowshipped?

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

i have been stunned to hear of two suicides in our area recently.. this adds to the other 3 that i have known of from the past.. the two recent suicides resulted from 1-the person being gay & hearing a horrific talk at the kingdom hall & 2-the person with problems who was disfelloshipped & then took his life the next week.. it astonished me that jw's in general don't rebel against this sort of thing.

it's an appalling lack of support which leads people to feel distressed, abandoned & unloved.

how the witnesses in the locality can just sail on without giving the cruelty of these measures serious though is beyond me.

jambon1

I have been stunned to hear of two suicides in our area recently.

This adds to the other 3 that I have known of from the past.

The two recent suicides resulted from 1-the person being gay & hearing a horrific talk at the kingdom hall & 2-the person with problems who was disfelloshipped & then took his life the next week.

It astonished me that JW's in general don't rebel against this sort of thing. It's an appalling lack of support which leads people to feel distressed, abandoned & unloved. How the witnesses in the locality can just sail on without giving the cruelty of these measures serious though is beyond me.

But on a higher level, do the people who lead the organisation (CO's/branch comittees/governing bodies) give any thought at all to how seriously wrong they are to carry on with this practise? Do they not realise the cruelty behind it, how it effects people & the death toll as people struggle to cope with their measures of discipline?

Do they realise that the punishment of disfellowshipping is not a punishment that fits any crime (apart from perhaps paedophilia). That it is extreem & that it is so utterly cruel?

It makes me feel genuinely upset & sad that people are shunned. And it makes me angry that witnesses in general don't seem to have a problem with it.

Shameful.

94

Not sure what to do next

by magotan in

jw
friends

i'm 19, and i'm still currently a jw.

i guess i'm a born-in, or whatever you guys call it.

i've had some serious issues with the faith at the moment, and sexuality is a huge part.

jambon1

You sound pretty clued up mate. And your objections and observations ares simply what went round all of our minds at one time. We couldn't reconcile the mental gymnastics in our mind so somehow we ended up leaving entirely. Some by fading, others like myself, just one day didn't go back.

Despite people wanting to meet with me I strongly told people that I didn't want to discuss my thoughts as it was 1 - my right. & 2 - it saved me feeling like I was 'offending' their beliefs.

This worked. Although admitedly, my cong left off pursuing me to any great leangh due to my wife telling them my position on matters (she was/is still active).

You must do whatever you feel is right. I'd strongly advise against da'ing yourself. It gives people the perfect opportunity to simply dismiss you as a sinner. Though if it'd came down to it I'd have rather done that than be d/f'd.

Just don't rush anything. Keep your cool. Speak with respect whenever you can.

Don't give people the oportunity to speak ill of you due to losing your cool or saying stuff that you may later regret.

And always remember, you've done absolutely nothing wrong. You simply disagree with the religion you were brought up in.

Best

J

51

As a JW, how did you feel about shunning?

by jwfacts in

i am interested in the answers for a new poll.

also, feel free to suggest other options, wording etc.agreed in full with the watchtower guidelinesagreed with shunning in general, but not for familywas stumbled by this practice but shunned as instructeddid not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people .

for me personally, i did not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people, even whilst at bethel.

jambon1

One of the big reasons that I left.

52

New Member / MS still in...

by Comatose in

jw
friends

feels real strange typing this.

i was what you all call born in.

i was happy growing up.

jambon1

You're doing the right thing. If you are conflicted in the religion you will just end up depressed and your drinking will get out of control (I realise you've stopped now).

I was in exactly the same position as yourself. Had all those same doubts. I'm pretty sure I listed them here as well in a similar manner. I was also an active m/s opon leaving.

There is nothing worse than sitting in the hall week after week, year after year, hearing stuff that you simply don't agree with but feel compelled to believe. It's a complete mind f**k, which leads to the drinking & depression.

Life isn't an easy road for anyone, whether you're a JW or not. And I've been through a few tough times since leaving just due to life's cares & repsonsibilities. But mental freedom from having to believe AND preach about this or that which you don't accept is liberating.

Stick in. It get's easier.

Cherish your mental freedom.

22

If a non-JW receives a pamphlet from a JW, then tosses it in the trash bin after reading it, he has rejected "The Truth" and will be destroyed at Armageddon.

by Calebs Airplane in

how many here have heard such utter stupidity??.

several years ago, during field circus, i was covering a seldom-worked territory which was a community of mostly busy working class people who usually sprung out of their homes every saturday morning to do grocery shopping, run errands, etc.. only a few would start their saturday morning doing yard work washing their cars, walking their dogs, etc.. but we would frequently catch most of the house-holders on the way out, getting into their cars.. so, needless to say, the use of pamphlets was prevalent in that territory.. on that saturday morning, i mentioned to the elder who had been paired up with me that most of these people are so busy that they probably just toss these pamphlets in the trash without ever reading them.. his response to this was something like: "well i hope they're not doing that.

that would not be a good idea.".

jambon1

You can dress it up or pussy foot around it all you like.

The basis of a persons future salvation is based upon their reaction to the preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is their whole purpose in life - to save lifes.

Absolutely mind bending that people believe that god would base someones qualification for life itself on their reaction to some blethering old brother in piss stained trousers, offering a magazine or leaflet.

Believing that god destroy billions of men, women & children is completely arrogant anyhow.

136