Posts by merfi

22

What's Your Automatic Reaction When You See A JW Coming To Talk To You?

by minimus in

jw
friends

do you want to run, hide, confront?

?

merfi

Lately, I've been feeling somewhat confrontational, so have been the first to make eye contact and the last to break eye contact with any JW I meet. As well, if I'm driving around, I'll be the first to wave with a big smile. THEIR stupid shunning rule, not mine.

I haven't been approached by any elders in the last couple months, so not sure how I'm going to handle that one. The last time one tried (it was 3 days after giving them my DA letter) he said "uh, Rachel? Can we talk to you after the meeting?" and I replied with "Probably not." (my heart was just pitter-pattering and in my throat at being so 'rude' to this Prince haha) He replied "'probably not' huh?" I said "right." and turned and walked away.... I don't think I breathed for another 10 seconds or so. I'd never stood up to elders before, and not that this was a huge thing, but it kinda was to me -- first step in breaking their control on me.

So... to answer the question, if it was a 'publisher' coming towards me, I would probably acknowledge them with a look, nod, whatever. If it was an elder, I'd be ready to stand up for myself. Bring it.

~merfi

17

JW,s Best Dressed People !!

by moomanchu in

i thought of all the money i saved on not buying all the meeting clothes for my family, and it got me wondering about the reason why jw,s need to dress up for everything they do.

i think it must have all started because russell had that clothing store and this was a good way for him to have a cornered market.

comments $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

merfi

Oh now, here is a touchy subject for me. :) My clothing was mostly from places like Maurice's, so rather up-to-date and sometimes even trendy. I just couldn't do the acceptable "Goodwill Couture" that is quite prevalent in my KH. (always seemed to be a contest to see just how cheap one could get clothing). I was spoken to so many times that I lost count. Slits too high, sweaters too low, tops too tight... one sister even put her finger through my crochet mini-sweater (over a spaghetti) to touch my arm and said "oh! It IS skin right there!"... Anyway, for what it's worth, my clothing did cost probably more than those shopping the garage sales and similar, but I was probably one of the better-dressed.

'Tis Sunday morning -- I'm among the best-dressed right now -- wife beater and boxers... ahhh.... it's nice being DA'd.

45

Lets say you went to a meeting, list what would irritiate you...

by JH in

jw
friends

.

in my case, it was always the length of the meetings that bothered me.. no matter what meeting it is, you have to get there prepared, and that means lots of time reading the darn literature.. another thing that would irritate me, is all the magazines that come in faster than i can read.. i'll let you guys add to this list.. .

.

merfi

It starts with having to interrupt whatever I was doing... like on Sundays, SLEEPING.
Putting on spiffies -- I hate pantyhose (on the cusp of Gen X I guess). Slips went out of my wardrobe YEARS ago, TG. Hate heels.
Packing everyone and their little bookbags into the jeep (sometimes a mad rush to put doors and top on, too, if the weather's gotten bad).
Once AT the meeting, that pesky shunning thing sorta bites ass.
The whole meeting -- what irritates me is the droning on, the zoning out, the SSDD of the meetings. Like a different dimension of existance... zombies.... The elder's daughter's comments (that damn lisp bugs me, too)... the closet druggy/nympho who takes her 2yo out to smack at least every 15min... the MS with a negative IQ -- his comments are hard to describe, they just make me shudder... the elder who says "appreciate" in every.stinking.sentence.of.his.comment... my view from the back Row of the Damned where if I tip back enough, I can see out the foyer door windows and see what a nice day/evening it is and how I'd rather be out there....

I think I just convinced myself that tomorrow is going to be yet another skipped "spiritual meal"...

~merfi

3

color coded envelopes

by stillajwexelder in

blue is judicial.

brown is general correspondence.

white is a privilege such as a convention talk

merfi

What color blue? (robin's egg? etc?) Legal size? I have some "money" to send...

190

UPDATE 2: Since Freedom is Free, Why is it Taxed?

by RichieRich in

jw
friends

yesterday after school i had to go work on a project with friends.

mom said be home by 5, but there was a huge accident a mile from where i live, and i sat on the road for like 10 - 12 minutes, and was 5 minutes late getting home.

mom was there (didn't go to work- guess why) and she was pissed.

merfi

Hey Richie,

I'm kind of a newbie, but wanted to tell you that I've been following the whole story and have TONS of respect and admiration for you. I wish you the best.... hang in there.

~merfi

8

Medical "treatments"

by merfi in

as i sit here with pinkeye farmcat eyes (this is one of the worst things i've ever been through lol it's horrible!

please send me 'aw merf, get better soon' vibes and a cyber hot-toddy.

gawd, i'm a whiner today.

merfi

As I sit here with pinkeye farmcat eyes (this is one of the worst things I've ever been through LOL It's HORRIBLE! Please send me 'aw merf, get better soon' vibes and a cyber hot-toddy. Gawd, I'm a whiner today.), waiting for the antibiotic drops to kick in, I wonder what heebie jeebie treatment the sisters at the KH would prescribe for me in lieu of modern medicine...

Here, there was a phase of putting peroxide in water as a cure-all, which was then nudged out by vinegar in water (WTH is wrong with a slice of lemon?!). The elder's mom tried some kind of weird thing from Mexico, and according to "iridology", her cancer was getting better. (um, she died shortly after this 'getting better' prognosis) A sister-in-law used some sort of mushroom water to cure a thyroid 'thing'. The list goes on...

~merfi

28

How Were You Treated By The Elders?

by minimus in

jw
friends

generally, were you treated with respect, kindness and empathy or did the elders treat you badly?

?

merfi

How I was treated by the elders is probably the main reason I left. Since I became single ('03), it seems as though I was perceived as some sort of threat to them. They'd take every opportunity to "counsel" me on everything from my kids' answers, to my skirt slits, to what I drive. Anything to knock me down a notch just when I thought I was making a bit of spiritual headway. The two elders here are very conservative and very self-righteous. Never wrong. It feels as though they carry the 'woman in submission' thing a step further -- almost as though they have a hatred for women, or maybe it's just women that remind them that they are men (see "skirt slits" comment ) I really don't know what their problems were with me, but it felt quite personal. And the personal issues with me always carried over into the theocratic realm. My last JC where I DA before they could DF me was the last straw for me in this treatment. I've been to maybe three meetings in the past 6 weeks and so far none of them have approached me. If they do, I'll turn and walk away. It's hard for me to see the human underneath the elder hat since the line is so vague right now. I've tried to see them as those who have also been deceived by the Org and might actually be good people underneath all that. But it isn't possible right now. I'm not the only 'sheep' who has been beaten down with the staff -- many in the cong are afraid of them, also. Sometimes I wonder if I had different elders if I'd have bailed... but now, it's too late. I know too much truth about the troof, and no way could I ever go back...

~merfi

'

18

Dang it! I missed them...

by CountryGuy in

jw
friends

upon getting home this evening from work, i found a rolled up asleep!

awake!

in my door.

merfi

You could do with that Awake what I'm thinking of doing ... Tri-fold it with a copy of the UN NGO/DPI letter in it, with a hand-written note or post-it. Something written along the lines of not wanting any junk mail from a religion who ... [insert UN info, old light, hypocrisy etc of your choice here]. Then send it back to the KH.

~merfi (seriously considering doing this....)

23

Making money off the dubs in the name of jehoobie!!!

by kid-A in

jw
friends

yes brothers, you too can look like a "hip" publisher of the "good news" with your brand new kingdom ministry "leather accessories!

whoo--hooo!

http://www.ministryideaz.com/.

merfi

Is it just me or did this seem a little disturbing to anyone else?

"Adorable and affordable little cases for our "pioneers-in-training"

There was a time when this would have made me proud. Now it must makes me sad.

36

Woman with a flat tire. Would you have stopped to help when you were a JW?

by ObservingTexan in

jw
friends

in the light of the second greatest commandment, "love your neighbor as yourself", when you were an active jw would you have stopped to help in the following scenario?

you are in your car and drive by a woman who is having car trouble... a flat tire.

she's struggling to get the tire changed.

merfi

Heck yeah, I would have stopped. But I would hope that she knew how to change the tire and I could just help, as this is one of those things I've MEANT to learn how to do but so far haven't. Anyway -- yes, I would have stopped and offered whatever assistance she needed. Sad to say, I would have probably mentioned something cheesy like being "on my way to/from a Bible study" blah blah, so able to count 'time' of some sort.

Now, I would still stop, but without mention of anything JW.

~merfi