Posts by Dawn

Question: "What do you want to do in the new system?" - Answer " I want to go and play with all of the lions and polar bears and eagles and sharks and all of them animals!!!"

Ok - Now MY Question - "What do you want to do in the new system WHEN YOU GROW UP???" Krap - I have to quit looking at that site - it's killing me!

6

This is one reason why I couldn't take it anymore...

by Dawn in

jw
friends

an earlier post mentioned jw spaces on myspace.com - so in curiosity i was surfing the site.

came across a few and read the posts.

quite honestly - the deepest question i could find was "did adam and eve have belly buttons?

An earlier post mentioned JW spaces on myspace.com - so in curiosity I was surfing the site. Came across a few and read the posts. Quite honestly - the deepest question I could find was "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? "

Oh Good God - THIS is why I couldn't hack it as a JW any longer. How about pondering some questions that REALLY matter - like, If God is all knowing - why did he put Satan in charge of the Garden of Eden if he already knew the outcome? Why did he have to destroy the entire earth in a flood if the "world of that time" was isolated to a small area. If the world is only 6,000 years old - how do we explain the dinasours? If God loves children so much - why did he order the Isrealites to destroy them during war? If I KNOW someone was wrongly accused of something and disfellowshipped, aren't I following men instead of God by shunning them? What exactly does John 1:1 mean? If the bible says there is only ONE God and all other Gods are false gods - then does this mean Jesus is a false God? And if not - then he must be God?

These are some of the questions I had and was counseled not to ask! For crying out loud - "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?" - go eat a donut and add up your service time for the month - hopefully you won't have to add into the double digits - that might tax your brain too much!

25

Aged parents...........

by vitty in

jw
friends

would you have an elderly parent live with you.

my inlaws drive me mad, we had my fil stay for 6 days a couple of weeks back and gee was i glad when he went back home!.

the problem is my mil is going in a home shes very ill and he is all alone, hes quite fit at the moment but he is 87 years and we live a couple of thousand miles away, id love to offer if the time came but i know in reality id hate it, especially as id be home with him all day while my husband was at work.

Dawn

I may be facing this same situation soon. I've been helping my mother a lot, right now she's still in her own home - but I don't know for how long she will be able to stay there. She is going blind, and dementia is starting to set in. She'll forget where she is, or what day it is - that kind of thing.

My mom is a JW and not always nice to me - so it's difficult sometimes to be with her. Partly because she can be difficult, partly because I am still somewhat angry that she did not protect me and my brothers from my father's abuse. I guess I could say "what goes around comes around" as has been mentioned earlier, however - I look at it this way.

I love my kids so much - and I won't be around to take care of them when they are old. I want to know they will be loved, cared for, and surrounded by family in their old age. By taking care of my mom, I am setting an example for my kids - who will in turn, hopefully take care of me - thereby setting an example for their own children. In the end - when they need to be cared for, their children will make sure they have all they need.

I see it as sowing seeds for the future of my own children - and I would do ANYTHING for them.

75

Disturbing Information Passed on in Annual Elders Meeting?

by Dune in

jw
friends

as you all may know, the elders around america have had (or will have) their annual meetings.

you know, the ones where they are trained and brought up to date about the whole scheme of things.. anyway, an elder who i happen to be close to was telling me yesterday that some troubling/disturbing things has been going down in congregations worldwide.

he also mentioned that it will be mentioned in watchtowers and km's in the next few months.. anyone know what he may be talking about?

Dawn

Probably something to effect of how many young ones are leaving - they'll probably start hitting hard with family studies and stuff. Usually their "big news" isn't news at all.

33

My so-called life

by riko in

hello everyone..i just wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my experiences.. i'm 23, have been raised in the truth all my life.

when i was 18, i made a foolish decision to get married, something i knew deep down i wasn't ready for, still being very much in the 'bloom of youth'.

i reluctantly saw my future as being one of jehovahs witnesses and with all my adolescent drives, i moved away from home to marry a man with about the same maturity as me.

Dawn

welcome riko:

Much of your story hits me so close to home. I was your same age when I was DF'd and had many of the same circumstances. I felt almost like I had been dropped into another country where I was lost - I didn't know the customs or speak the language. Having been raised in the truth and not allowed to have "wordly friends" I was lost as to how to rebuild a life outside of the JW's.

I have two pieces of advice for you and I hope that you will take them to heart because they come from someone who was once where you are, and has made it through to the other side. I am now almost 40 and have rebuilt my life AND my self-esteem. I am in a really good place now.

(1) seek counseling. I don't now your financial situation, but here in America there are low cost options for counseling and I imagine the same can be found in your area. If not, even finding a person who you can talk to - someone who is not a JW. Just being able to tell your story to an unbiased and objective listener really helps - they can give you feedback and help you to sort through your feelings.

(2) Go to college - even if it's just one class right now. This was one of the single most important steps I took that began the rebuilding of my self esteem. I didn't start with that goal - my goal was to get a degree and a better job. But the ultimate outcome was much better than that. As I learned new things I was able to start thinking outside of my JW upbringing, started to see life on a much broader scale. And each project I successfully completed, every good grade I got, was one more step towards rebuilding my self esteem. Like you, I was always told I was wrong - but in college I was finding that I was right a lot of the time. Being told you are correct, that you are good at something, that you are smart - that goes a long way to help build up what was tore down years ago. It also gave me the opportunity to meet people in a relaxed environment - to make new friends outside of the JW environment.

It's a long road to rebuild a life - and not an easy one either. But in the end, I think I am actually better off for it because I am stronger now than someone who has not had to travel this road. Good luck to you - and feel free to IM me if you want to talk more.

Dawn

75

I'm not buying it! That people left the Witnesses and became Christians.

by free2beme in

jw
friends

i tried it, could not swallow all the lies and misinformation they had.

i am sorry, but even if you deny the whole witness faith, there is still parts to christianity that they pointed out that you can not just ignore and act like it is okay to join another faith that is christian.

are you going to become catholic when your know their history?

Dawn

Just to give you a little background on me - I was also raised a JW and was DF'd (the second and final time) in my mid 20's. For 14 years after that I wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with religion. I wasn't sure if there really was a God - and could probably be classified as an agnostic.

When an old aquaintance of mine passed away I went to her memorial service and was intrigued by some of the things the pastor said - some very different views from what I believed "christianity" to be. So in curiosity I decided to pick up my bible again and start reading to see if he was right. To make a long story short - for the past 5 years now I have been a "christian". I regularly attend a church that I feel has the right focus - to do good for the community and to help others. I also attend other churches from time to time because I like to hear different opinions on doctrines and beliefs - I like to keep an open mind and consider the possibilities. I tend to be very logical and scientific in my reasoning - I believe in evolution (shocker hu!), there is much evidence to support it. But I also believe it was God who created "life" - and it has evolved according to a divine plan. I don't know about the trinity - still considering those options. I don't know if I believe in hell either - but I don't think that's really important. I DO believe that we are saved by faith alone - and I believe that people who truly have faith and have accepted Jesus as their savior will demonstrate that through their works (cause and effect), but it is not those "works" that save them - it is their faith.

So, as you can see, I did not jump from one "religion" to another. It has been through much consideration and research that I have made the choice.

75

I'm not buying it! That people left the Witnesses and became Christians.

by free2beme in

jw
friends

i tried it, could not swallow all the lies and misinformation they had.

i am sorry, but even if you deny the whole witness faith, there is still parts to christianity that they pointed out that you can not just ignore and act like it is okay to join another faith that is christian.

are you going to become catholic when your know their history?

Dawn

free2beme - One of the major snares of the JW religion (and many other religions) is that they fail to recognize that the "church" does not reside in one denomination. In reading the Bible it has become very clear to me now that the "church" that Jesus was starting was outside of the man-made religious setting. It includes people of all faiths that are willing to put aside their differences on minor issues to recognize that what really matters is a personal relationship with Jesus, to accept him as their savior and believe that it is only HE that we are to follow.

There are many churches today that do recognize this - and that is why you will find different "christian denominations" joining together to accomplish major goals. For example, a number of churches in our area (I believe 40+) have joined together to perform charitable functions in our community such as building homes for Habitat for Humanity, doing yard work for the elderly, gathering donations for the needy, etc. Each denomination has it's own interpretation of many doctrines - yet they recognize that it is not so important that everyone agree on every single doctrine as it is important that they come together to be "salt and light" - to be, in reality, the "body of christ" - that is, a body that is accomplishing what he himself did by example.

I find it interesting that you mention only Catholic and Mormon in your initial statement as other possible christian churches - being that both of these religions paralell two major JW's beliefs - (1) that we are saved by works, and (2) that they are the ONLY true religion with the ONLY correct interpretation of biblical doctrines. These are two major beliefs that set them apart from many other christian denominations.

Church is simply a place to meet with other people who share similar beliefs. A place to join together to accomplish good in the community. It is NOT the "religion" - religion is between you and God. It is up to each individual to read their bible and decide for themselves through prayer what they believe.

In the end - does it really matter if there is a hell or eternal death? Does it matter if we die and go instantly to heaven, or go to non-existence until the resurrection? Does it matter if only 144,000 go to heaven and the rest live on earth - or we ALL go to heaven? Does ANY of these doctrines matter if a person does not understand the basic, most foundational piece - that it is Jesus alone who we are to follow and it is only by believing in him and having faith in him that we are saved?

3

The other side of shunning

by pratt1 in

jw
friends

.

i thought it would be appropriate to mention that at least in my congo, when you are dfed you are told that if you are seen talking with a dub, you not only jeopardize their standing, but you also jeopardize your chances of being reinstated.. i did shun many people when they got dfed,and i was shunned as well when i got dfed, but after i was reinstated i continued to shun, especially those who were trying to get reinstated.. i didn't want to hurt their chances.. many people who shun especially family members may feel the same way.. did you?

Dawn

Yes, the first time I was DF'd at 20 I felt this way because I wanted to get reinstated - which I did about 6 months later.

The second (and last time) was a few years later when I finally made the decision that I no longer could live as a JW. That time I didn't want to get reinstated so didn't care if a JW talked to me I would talk to them.

Now - many years later, I would rather NOT talk to them because it's just too draining. It's like beating a dead horse - why bother. Unless ther is some glimmer of hope that I can help them break free, it's just not worth my time.

45

no lie they are here right now

by gringojj in

jw
friends

the jws are here right now lol what should i say?

Dawn

Legolas she said jehovah will judge people on thier heart condition.

When they come back - you might like pointing out to them that according to their own bible Jehovah will not be judging. They will of course argue with you - so show them John 5:26-27 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Once again they throw Jesus out of the picture.