Posts by Joe Grundy

My friend returned to China a couple of weeks ago. She went back to live with her parents (as directed). They have decided that she will live with them for several months, at least, before moving on to find a job. They have confiscated her passport and her internal travel documents to enforce this.

She is desperately unhappy, and has no friends in the city where she lives. The culture there is such that as a single woman she cannot go out to bars or social gatherings on her own. After 5 years of living here on the island on her own she finds this difficult. She became quite ill during the journey home (a very long journey involving manty time zones and great temperature changes) but overcame this after a brief stay in hospital.

I am now out of contact with her. It appears that she was one of the more than 530,000 people evacuated because of the typhoon and storms which just struck S W China. Many have died.

I'm an atheist - I can't pray for her. Anyone here who does believe in something, I'd be grateful for your thoughts/feelings whatever. Not necessarily that we'll ever get together again, right now I'd be satisfied just to know that she's alive, well and one day will be happy.

15

A Question for Apostafest-Goers

by jeanniebeanz in

jw
friends

for those of you who have attended an apostafest.... have you come away from a fest with a different opinion of someone who posts here than what you expected?

have you ever disliked someone on the board due to a difference of opinion expressed here, and found out that, in person, you actually liked that person?

vice versa?.

Joe Grundy

I haven't had the pleasure of attending an apostafest (well, there aren't many here on Cyprus!) but I have had the privilege of speaking by phone to a few posters - ladies, as it happens.

They have all been charming, and it has been wonderful to put at least a voice to a JWD poster.

(Still hoping for real meet-ups one day).

49

"Giving Your Wifely Due"

by love2Bworldly in

jw
friends

did anyone hate that expression as much as i did?

my husband and i are separated right now, and my jw sister reminded me on the phone the other day to make sure i gave him 'his wifely due'.

that expression makes me want to barf.

Joe Grundy

Back on the topic of wifely due:

I'd like to propose that we have a minute's silence in sympathy for Amy Geddon.

She's been due to come for over a hundred years, but hasn't managed it yet.

(Sorry if this is offensive, but I've warned you before I'm bad association, haven't I?)

35

Moving on...

by Zico in

jw
friends

i've been reading this board regularly since it was introduced to me in march of this year.

at first, i was finding it pretty difficult coming to terms with the fact that my whole life had been a lie, but really, i suppose there's not much point in worrying about this now, what's done is done, and i'm still easily young enough to make a life in 'the world' despite a slow start.

the problem is that i have no idea how to go about.

Joe Grundy

Zico:

I'm not and never have been a JW, so take anything I say with that in mind. But I do have a fair amount of experience of life.

One thing I have learned is that what you will most regret are NOT the things that you tried that didn't work out, but the things that you didn't have the nerve to try.

You are naturally apprehensive about life outside JWs. What you will find is that there are good and bad people, just as there are inside the JWs, and all the variations in between. You may also be surprised to find that religion is a matter of indifference to most people and if they have heard of JWs they will most likely confuse them with Mormons and know nothing of their beliefs.

As someone with an enquiring mind, you may find that you will not be happy until you have answered your own questions to your own satisfaction. That's what having a brain and intelligence is all about.

saki2fifty:

In my limited experience of JWD my opinion is that whilst there are some posters who are (understandably, IMHO) bitter towards WTBTS the overall advice and message is that everyone should ask their questions and seek the answers, then make up their own minds. There is a vast amount of academic research and resources to check out its validity, and access to the WTBTS' own teachings. That, I believe, is one of its major strengths, together with the facility to discuss, argue and debate issues in a (usually) civilised way.

I find it strange that WTBTS discourages honest enquiry and debate about its teachings and history, as I believe that one's beliefs could only be strengthened if one has been able to reinforce them with research and knowledge.

37

Getting Hitched

by fullofdoubtnow in

jw
friends

i just want to share this with you all.. a few weeks ago, trev (dedpoet) popped the question, and of course i accepted, so we are getting married!!

we have been busy getting things started since then, hence the slight delay in posting our news.

we aren't in a particular hurry, as we have no desire to have children.

Joe Grundy

Congratulations and best wishes to you both!