Posts by Woofer

32

Hate mail from jws

by dedpoet in

jw
friends

hi, i rarely post on this forum nowadays, as linda (fullofdoubtnow) tends to do the posting from this house, but i decided to post this myself.

i am currently building an information website for local ex jws, along with a couple of ex jw friends, and recently received a couple of emails from a current jw who, according to him, stumbled on the site by accident, although it clearly states that it is an ex jw site.

he found an article i had written on jw child abuse policy objectionable, although everything i have written, both in that article and the rest of the site, is verifiable, which i told him in my reply.

Woofer

I bet you are sowing the seeds of doubt for some who wrote you hate mail. They will "investigate" further and find out you are telling the truth.

25

Were you afraid of what they thought about you in the Kingdom Hall?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

were you afraid of what people thought about you in the kingdom hall?

throughout my tenure as one of jehovah's witnesses, i could not help notice how individuals.

became so conscious of what others thought about them.

Woofer

I was afraid of what people thought about me. I think thats what keeps most people "in line" because they don't want the mark of being d/f or being reproved.

46

A story that is hard for me to tell

by under_believer in

jw
friends

once upon a time there was a daddy who really, really liked alcohol.

he drank too much all the time and smelled like wine, cheap wine from a box.

) the daddy's boys also grew up.

Woofer

I'm sitting here at work with tears in my eyes while reading your story (good thing my boss is out of town today).

My heart breaks for your family that was victimized. I was a victim of molestation by my MS brother-in-law and so was my sister. Although I don't blame anyone for my actions (being d/f) I can see how he robbed us of the best years of our life. I made bad choices (getting married to someone I hardly knew) to ge away from having to see him twice a week at the meetings, let alone at family visits. My sister has been in and out of the religion several times herself. I just wonder what our lives would have been life if he had not done those things to us?

Thank you again for sharing your story . . .it makes me feel like I am not all alone.

21

A reminder to all of you....

by LivingInReality in

jw
friends

shannon here.... a confessed "lurker" for a very, very, long time and a rare poster to the board......i just wanted to drop a quick note to all of you.. please keep doing what you're doing..providing a refuge for so many.

you all make me feel reassured that if in 4 years from now i may have a breakdown (because deprogramming is a lifelong ailment) and need to find strength and encouragement, or even just someone to hear my story and believe me...i will always know that you are all here.

no judgment, no criticism...but instead providing a way for anyone who visits this board a little challenge at times, a large amount of humor, some psychological services...and a great big dose of the real truth.. you guys are great...you make me laugh, you make me smile and you make me feel fantastic about my decision to leave by your constant reassurance that truly living is all about thinking for yourself.. i'll be sure to start posting more regularly because i'd like to start to get to know you guys better and in turn become a source of comfort, wisdom and humor to others that have gone through what we have.. hugs to you all.. shannon.

Woofer

Hi Shannon .. welcome!!!

Congratulations on having the insight to leave and do what you have dreamed of doing (going to college). I wanted to go to college as well, but being told how close the end was, why waste the money? So I didn't go. My dad had dreams of becoming an attorney when he was young. Instead he took low paying jobs (working in a steel mill, driving truck) and we barely were able to scrape by growing up. How sad it is that he is in his late 60's and probably regretted not going.

17

Going "Door to Door"..........

by whyamihere in

jw
friends

when i was a teen going door to door, my "territory" was always the college area.

my choosing because i loved going back to the places i was the night before.

think of it - the last time they seen me i was either doing a beer bong or teaching people to do a beer shot gun.

Woofer

RV's were my favorite - especially someone else's.

I had this one RV and the guy was really old and when I would go there he would invite me and my dad in and he would talk for an hour or more. One hour gone, one to go!

26

Did your JW social life only consist of meals at a friends home?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i know many here who have had good and bad jw social experiences.

some went camping, hiking etc, went to the beach.

some had no social life at all in the org and some had congregations where nothing ever happened socially.. i know of one sister, who has since left, who complained that the only thing witnesses did when they got together, was share a meal.. now, there's nothing wrong with sharing a meal.

Woofer

I didn't think so at the time, but my then husband and I were probably guilty of being in a "click". There were a few couples who did things together all the time. It was fun while it lasted.

12

How long were you baptized?

by Alligator Wisdom in

jw
friends

and for all of you that made your way out?.

18 years this past summer.. alligator wisdom (aka brother not exerting vigorously by wts standards).

[sorry if this topic was posted before.

Woofer

Baptized in 1988 and d/f in 1996. I just though of something - this is my 10 year anniversary!

11

"Worldlings" - What was your opinion when you were in the Org?

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all.. although never a fully paid up, dunked member of the club, i was at times very keen on the whole jw thang.. when i was in, i thought all worldly people were lying, cheating, alcohol and drug addicted, sex obsessed gambling criminals who should be treated with ,at least a very high degree of suspicion.

as per the classic pictures in the 80's books - all women looked like hookers, all men were pictured smoking or with a whisky bottle.. did others here have similar opinions.. i remember being 8 or 9 and my idea of a worldly man was a picture in the pale blue (creation book) or the red one (dunno the name) - i'll try and scan the picture i mean one day, it's brilliant.

it is a chap with a black moustache and a white shirt sat at a circular table looking all forlorn.

Woofer

I had a hard time thinking of all wordly people as evil because I had a lot of friends in school who were not Witnesses. They got good grades, never caused trouble and were not back stabbers like so many in my congregation. I used to get mad because I couldn't associate with them outside of school just because they were not the same religion as me.

18

Book study conductor

by sspo in

jw
friends

were you ever stuck with a book study conductor that was outright boring, with no teaching abilities .

and there was nothing you could do about it but sit and fake it like you were spiritually fed and got stuck with him for years?

?.

Woofer

My bookstudy conductor was never prepared. The meeting would be about to start and he'd have to ask someone which page we started on. Thinking back now, he was probably just another overworked elder. He had ten kids and was the only breadwinner.

24

What's the deal here?

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all, i hope this post finds you well.. i was wondering - the same hardcore dozen or so posters seem to be the only ones who reply to and start topics.

looking at the member directory, there are loads of members, but most do a handful of posts then disappear.

is there just a crew of regulars here?

Woofer

I joined earlier this year and then bought a house and got married all in the span of 2 months so I was very busy with my personal life for a while. Now that things have calmed down and are back to normal I started posting again.