this is the first year in my life that i won't be going to that thing with the bread and the wine.
you know what i'm talking about.
even though i gradually stopped going to meets since i was 21
Hi Soapydish
The first time you don't go is hard because it will hit home to the family that you're not going back. After that it gets easier. Stick to your guns - they will adjust. I never thought my family would get used to it but they have.
If you think they are going to come around and that will be uncomfortable, find something to do on the night.
penny
yep, as i'm tapping away here i started to hear the gentle roar on the patio roof - it was a shower!
and the water's free!.
looking out the window i marvel at the richness of the green - the green leaves on the trees and bushes in the backyard, the green of the grass - and it's various shades too!
Country_woman - prachtig (beautiful)!!
Here today in South Oz, it drizzled all morning which made everything fresh and green (that was after thunder and lightning during the night). Then the sun came out in the afternoon! Just perfect.
whatever happened too.................. any ozzies know if the following co's and do's are still around and kicking?.
1. merv king.
2. geoff slater.
Bro Thew - I remember a DC where he gave a talk condemning "unnatural sex practices" - as deemed by the WTS. Afterwards his wife confided in some sisters how embarrassed he was to talk about that topic.
whatever happened too.................. any ozzies know if the following co's and do's are still around and kicking?.
1. merv king.
2. geoff slater.
Phil Hayworth - everyone loved him! Heard he went to Tassie and had a breakdown. Anyone know if that's true?
my mom knows that i really don't believe that the jw's have the 'truth' and she is always telling me to just give it more time and i'll snap out of it.
she thinks i'm going through a stage right now and i'll 'grow out of it' and eventually i'll want to return to the religion.
i try to reasure her that such hopes are futile, but often my conversations go like this:.
Hi SickofLies
I'm amazed actually that you are able to have this type of conversation with your mother - it sounds at least like she is not getting too emotional and she's giving you the opportunity to answer. I'd suggest you keep going the way you are - try not to get exasperated or angry. At the moment she is not taking on board what you are saying because she has been indoctrinated and can only think one way. But you never know at what point this may change. A turning point for me was a conversation with a person who was leaving the "truth" - he said he expected not to die in Armaggedon and to get old in this system. It stopped me in my tracks because he sounded so convinced and he looked so happy - even at the prospect of getting old.
In my experience, mothers get very emotional (I can't bear to be in the new system without you; my life will be wasted if you leave the truth; etc etc). I find that difficult to deal with, although over time, those occasions have become less.
penny2
so i went for a ride and stopped by this scenic overlook not to far from my house.
i sat on the bench there just looking at the mohawk valley at its best.
i started thinking what a waste life is when you don't have anyone to share beautiful moments like this with.
dear IronClaw you responded when I was down. Now I see your thread - my heart goes out to you.
((((((IronClaw))))))
Seems to me that being in a home where your partner doesn't love you (or at least, doesn't show that love) is harder than being alone.
i am now a jedi, so trust me on this.. .
why dis-associate, you are just playing by the wts rules?
how can you dis-associate anyway, you never thought you were baptised as a watchtower society member, you thought your dedication was to god, so why formally disassociate from something you did not formally join?
jwfacts that's a good letter. In normal situations reading such a letter would cause a person to start thinking about their own position but this is not a normal situation. The points you've brought up would probably be skimmed over and the writer still labelled as an apostate and as such, a person to be shunned. Would be interesting to know if anyone has taken such an approach though.
I agree - do not disassociate. All I have ever said to anyone is, "I haven't been to meetings for a while." No elder can force anyone to write a letter.
Congrats on your Jedi status by the way. As you can see I'm only a newbie.
various posters have mentioned how get-togethers and fun times socializing were frowned upon and discouraged somewhere around the early 80's.
everything changed, as far as the picnics, the dinner parties, etc.
i vaguely recall some connection being made to parties and increased "immorality.
During the 70's the focus was on Armageddon which was going to happen in 1975 (if not before). After that, it was going to happen any minute depending on how long Adam was alone before Eve was created. In the late 70's & early 80's, people started leaving so they (GB) thought they better tighten up. No more fun, no temptation, be even more different to everyone else.
what does it mean to be spiritual?
jws do not seem to have very much of it.
they talk reguarly about god, but they can not have a real relationship with jesus, can only approach jehovah through jesus, with the wts somewhere in between and do not believe in the holy spirit as a person.
When you say you are feeling more spiritual now, that could be a feeling of contentment - being at peace with the universe so to speak, after a time of questioning and discontent. Like finally you're arriving at a point where things are starting to make sense in your own mind and you can allow yourself to be truly happy (which is a state of mind - can be achieved regardless of material situation, how others are treating you, etc).
I don't think JWs can be truly spiritual (whatever it is) because there are too many rules and regulations. There is no freedom to experience or express emotions which are outside the narrow confines of what is ruled acceptable. How can you feel contentment when there is always a fear in the back of your mind of saying or doing the wrong thing? We're not robots.
Charismatic experiences - I think that's just the brain going into an altered state of consciousness. This can be achieved by most people through meditation (with some training) - it's quite interesting and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with religion - although it's been incorporated into religious practices through the ages.
two weeks ago my wife had a miscarriage at 11 weeks.
it is very sad as it was to be my first child and my wife is already 39. what hurt the most though is that none of my immediate family contacted me.
i was d/f in january and did not expect to hear regularly from my parents and sister.
Your family may have no idea how their actions are affecting you - they can't put themselves in your shoes. They still have each other and they only know how to think one way - the way they've been taught. In fact they think shunning is loving because it may cause you to re-evaluate and come back. It's emotional torture and you will need to be strong to get through this. You are grieving the loss of a child but also the loss of your family.
I don't think your family have stopped loving you (you say you were always very close). One or more may be wanting to contact you but may fear what the others will think especially if there are elders in the family who will be giving their point of view - warped as it may be.
Sorry for your loss and I'll be thinking of you.
penny2
