Posts by Darkhorse

10

Advice to the recently departed

by kenpodragon in

jw
friends

i have been out of the religion for over six years now.

in doing so, i think i have made my own share of mistakes and done my own measure of personal growth.

what i was wondering though, if you were to tell someone who just left the religion the most important mistakes not to repeat, and the most important goals to strive for.

Darkhorse

Very useful well, written advise which can be used in any walk of life.

I know a JW who I believe is doing the fade (not attending meetings, services). Her life is busy with her children's school sports and activities (real hard-core JW's would not be letting their children associate with the worldly folks).

How can you safely "fade" in a community where you are bound to run into members of your ex-cong at any time? I would imagine you would have to be more careful, on your guard as far as what would you say if you ran into cong members and they started asking you where have you been?

If I were a JW I would definitely choose the "fading" method and ease on out and into living as Kenpo mentioned.

20

I'm in love with a witness

by Gig in

jw
friends

i'm new to this forum and have been reading all these topics and posts and kind of getting to know some of you.

i've always purposely avoided anti-witness or ex-witness opinion before but i'm tired and am looking for an end to it all.

like it says, i am very much in love with a witness, and she is very much in love with me.

Darkhorse

Hello there. I am also a worldly person who "did their homework" while befriending a witness (non-romantically).

How long has your friend been a witness?

Is her family JW's also?

If she was not born a JW or if her family is not JW's, how or why did she get "sucked in"?

Just curious, if her family is not JW's, maybe just maybe the scales may be tipped your way a little bit more than would be the case if her family was in. I am saying this because you had mentioned she was a dependent type person - if she is this type and if her family is "in" the possibility of her leaving that religion is almost non-existant. She would not be able to stand up to the shunning and ostracisizing that would occur if she left.

You mentioned you have been attending meetings with her; I will bet the other JW's are working on your friend to either get you "in" and if she can't, they will try to have her dump you.

Only time will tell if she is going to be strong enough to choose you over the JW; how stong her dependency on the JW will be the decidiing factor.

I wish you the best.

31

confused, scared..you name it

by Cyre in

hi there..im new to the board.

i am a coptic orthodox christian right now, and i am good friends with a witness.

unfortunately, i didnt know enough about my own religion before i started listening to my friend and i am starting to question my faith.

Darkhorse

Cyre, please take the time to fully research the JW regligion (another excellent web site to check out is jwfiles.com. I am a worldly person who researched the JW because I met somebody who is JW.

It is OK to question your faith, I have many, many times (I am a non-practicing Catholic); but after learning what I have about the JW religion and what it does to people and their lives, there is no way I would ever consider converting to be a JW - NO WAY!

Please do not make a rash decision, take your time and do your homework.

I wish you the best.

21

A funny thing just happened on CNN with J.W's

by anakinsrise in

jw
friends

a humorous moment just happened on the news.

the news crews were all staking out john mohammeds ex-wifes house where the car was registered.

neighbors said they go around wearing the muslim dress and shit.

Darkhorse

ROFLOL!!!!!!! Bet that is one door-to-door mission that won't be forgotten any time soon. Guess they got more publicity whether they wanted it or not.

18

Dating between JW and non-JW

by Joshua77 in

i am an outsider ( a non jw from ) and just accidentally happened to follow a link to this site.

i have found these postings really interesting.

i would like to tell you a little story of my own too: i was a while ago in a situation where a dated a jw girl.

Darkhorse

Joshua, I think you handled the situation very well, you really did your homework. Much like you and Concerned Mama, the customs of the JW's continue to boggle my mind - I will never understand where they are coming from. Doing research on the JW's has been a real education to me also because I had no idea what they really believed. I do not like the idea that they think all us "worldly people" are evil and doomed. And the whole concept of shunning, I do not get. One thing I do know for sure, now that I have educated myself, there is no way they could hook me into it. That religion sounds very cruel and vengeful. I research the religion because I befriended somebody (not romantically) who has had some involvement with the JW's. I do not know the extent, but I can tell just enough to cause a barrier at times.

It is best that you let her go her own way, and you yours because from what you wrote, she is so deeply tied to that religion that is all that matters to her - you would never have a fair chance. And Concerned Mama, I hope you daughter finally goes her own way. I believe everybody needs to be "with their own kind". Life is too short to try to hang on to somebody who while under the spell of the JW will never fully love you back.

I do think everything happens for a reason. Maybe (a real long shot) somewhere down the road the some of the JW's us worldly people have had relationships with may decide it is time to leave also.

36

Who Really Has The Truth(tm) Anyway?

by SpannerintheWorks in

jw
friends

talk to any jw and they are convinced that not only do they posses the truth, but it is the only truth and nothing but the truth.

talk to born-again christians and they are convinced that god hears their prayers, they've got it right and jw's are wrong for not believing in the trinity.

then we have the mormons.

Darkhorse

Speaking of Forrest Gump lines, I find much truth in "life is like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you're gonna get."

36

Who Really Has The Truth(tm) Anyway?

by SpannerintheWorks in

jw
friends

talk to any jw and they are convinced that not only do they posses the truth, but it is the only truth and nothing but the truth.

talk to born-again christians and they are convinced that god hears their prayers, they've got it right and jw's are wrong for not believing in the trinity.

then we have the mormons.

Darkhorse

Each person has their own truth(s).

115

President Bush's speech

by Mulan in

jw
friends

i wanted to hear the president's speech tonight, but can't stand listening to the man.

he has a prepared speech but he keeps saying nuc-you-lar instead of nuc-le-ar.

i can't stand it.. you would think his people would walk him through correct pronunciation.

Darkhorse

I believe Saddam is a poison snake who should be stopped. I have never been an advocate of war but after 9/11, I can see the importance of stopping those who are known to be threats to the world. If Adolph Hitler had been stopped sooner (instead of people being in denial), all the Jews who were annihilated in concentration camps would not have died.

Either way, it is not good. If nothing is done about Saddam I do believe something will happen which will be much worse than 9/11.

If a move again Saddam is made, lives will also be lost; but hopefully Saddam and Osama will be stopped before there is no more world.

As for the pronunciation of nuclear, well, it does not mean the person is uneducated because they do not pronounce the word correctly. I work for a facility that produces nuclear product for the health care industry. We all mess up on the way we say nuclear (even the highly educated Phd's employed at our facility). My husband does the same thing, and I have gone over the "proper pronunciation of nuclear" with him many times. He just cannot say it correctly no matter how hard he tries. I just do not pay attention, small issue, I know what the person means.

64

Help a lurking dub with doubts

by undercover in

i've been lurking about, checking out some of the evidence against the wtbs.

i am currently inactive but still an approved/baptized member.

i have seen all the 1914/607bce evidence; the blood transfusion quandry evidence; the current child abuse problem evidence and several other things that are damning to the wt doctrines.

Darkhorse

Hello Undercover.

I am one of the worldly people who post from time to time on this board. I found my way to this site to learn about JW's because I had befriended one (I knew nothing about JW beliefs and customs). I have learned much from this site, I still am shocked from time to time when I read about how people are treated if they choose not to be a JW any longer. My friend has not attended meetings for quite a while; eventhough I do not know the extent of my friend's involvement with the JW, I can tell she has become inactive. We have not yet discussed religion, but I know in the future we will. I really care about my friend and will help her in any way I can.

From what I have learned from this site and others, you journey is not an easy one. Many who are no longer JW's are very bitter, and I can understand why. I can understand why people would rather "fade away slowly" if possible in order to minimize the "damage" that will occur if they da or become df'd.

Read and sort through the information, take you time. Only you know what is right for you.

I wish you the best of luck which ever way you turn.

55

Things JWs don't say

by WildTurkey in

jw
friends

lets post somethings as a dub you dont say:.

luck, you dont say party, its a get together.

you dont go to church, its a hall

Darkhorse

I am a worldly person also. The more I read about what JW's could and could not do, say, etc. blows my mind! After a while, a person would not know whether to s*&t or go blind.

What is up with all that? How can people function? I am really beginning to see why when a person leaves the JW, they just cannot leave mentally because of all that has been programmed into them. They have to totally learn a new behavior and a new set of social skills. I commend all of those who have chosen to leave and make a new life for themselves.

I can see that with the person I befriended. This person does not attend Sunday meetings, etc. any more (I do not know the extent of the involvement with the JW in the past); but this person has displayed many of the characterics of somebody who does not know how to deal with people on a social level. I can tell just by the actions / reactions, comments made in conversations with me, and many other things too numerous to count. Some of the subjects that have come up in our conversations have been interesting (not religion). Some people would be speechless at first, but I know my friend is trying to have a conversation and is having a hard time starting one. It is hard to explain.... Some people may know what I am talking about.