i was simultaneously compelled and repelled by narkissoss suggestion that it may be healthy to present a story of how we became witnesses that we can now own as former or disillusioned witnesses.
if we can now own it wouldnt it necessarily be a betrayal?
whose story is it, mine or a former self or just wishful thinking?
Since every story is a fabrication, isn’t one we can “own” simply a more unashamedly convenient telling?
While it is true that "our" story is colored by our viewpoint, when it happens to us, it is "our" story, isn't it? Ours to tell, or not. Certainly when you survived a terrorist attack that was meant to kill you, that became your story.
Thanks for sharing.
Does this mean you intend to be nicer to people on the board, now?
firstly i will acknowlege this may be long please bear with me.. not all written here will be exactly in the sequence we discussed things, for we talked for some time at my door.. he was my former book study conductor and i still think he has good qualities that i see lacking in so many elders, but as you will see the wts mindset is like concrete in his mind.. i am writing this not to brag but to emphasise and highlight the disgusting mindset of the wts and it's leaders and members.. here we go - some may know that my wife was molested as a child for some time by her elder father.
when we married some years ago it did not take long for her to open up to me about what happened to her and needless to say we struggled with this, and eventually told the local elders what happened to her as a child.. we only went this path after she tried to get him to confess ,which he did'nt and so we followed what we thought at the time was the theocratic way and went to the elders ,and please note we sincerely wanted him to repent so he could get everlasting life.
he denied all and so followed years of heartache for my wife along with her family tormenting her and eventually abandoning her, even by at least one of her sisters whom my wife also witnessed getting done by the father though not as bad ,and my wife even as a kid tried to protect her younger sisters.. ok there is the usual wts crap "we have no witnesses" even though my wife called out to jehovah to stop him as he did this for years.
If her mother knew what was happening and "closed the door" then there seem to be several witnesses. Has your wife ever sat down with her mother alone and asked her why she allowed this to go on? I cannot as a mother fathom this.......
How tragic for your family. How wonderful that your wife has you to lean on.
here's my self-centered little update post.
after seeing all the hardships so many here are enduring, it helps put my little "problems" into perspective.
but i'm posting this lil' update anyway, not because i want the attention or want people to feel sorry for me, but because i feel a strong connection to this board and the people here and every so often want to let y'all know what is up with me, and indirectly, what is up with mike/openfireglass, as he is not (at the moment) interested in spending any time online.
The good news is you are all physically O.K. and things can be replaced (although with alot of trouble).!
whoa!
top ranked across all the blogs and news wires jehovah's witnesses vandalized our deck!.
shakopee valley news, mn - 5 hours ago.
The bicycles and "elder" title reeks of Mormons. But if I was still going door to door and I saw plants dumped all over the place, I wouldn't leave a tract in the door! Hard to say what happened.
firstly i will acknowlege this may be long please bear with me.. not all written here will be exactly in the sequence we discussed things, for we talked for some time at my door.. he was my former book study conductor and i still think he has good qualities that i see lacking in so many elders, but as you will see the wts mindset is like concrete in his mind.. i am writing this not to brag but to emphasise and highlight the disgusting mindset of the wts and it's leaders and members.. here we go - some may know that my wife was molested as a child for some time by her elder father.
when we married some years ago it did not take long for her to open up to me about what happened to her and needless to say we struggled with this, and eventually told the local elders what happened to her as a child.. we only went this path after she tried to get him to confess ,which he did'nt and so we followed what we thought at the time was the theocratic way and went to the elders ,and please note we sincerely wanted him to repent so he could get everlasting life.
he denied all and so followed years of heartache for my wife along with her family tormenting her and eventually abandoning her, even by at least one of her sisters whom my wife also witnessed getting done by the father though not as bad ,and my wife even as a kid tried to protect her younger sisters.. ok there is the usual wts crap "we have no witnesses" even though my wife called out to jehovah to stop him as he did this for years.
I wonder why your wife's father still denies doing this. And how about her other sister? Doesn't she corroborate this happening?
i recently had a very interesting conversation with an online friend.
she was baptized at 12 years old because her 15-year-old boyfriend was baptized, and she wanted to spend time with him.
pioneering was the only option, so she got baptized.
hilannj
Welcome to the board and thanks for your input.
I disagree and agree at the same time. I think this is a stepping stone to
downgrading the anointed to an insignificant or symbolic group.
I don't see how they can back away from this doctrine. For so long the "annointed" have figured into everything. In fact, of course, the entire new testament-sorry-Christian Greek Scriptures-was penned for them, according to the WTS. In fact, they seem to be the mediators instead of Jesus. How do you demote them after this?
I wonder how it was that foresight was used when the WTS was declaring vaccinations as pus, aluminum pans caused death, and the "ancient worthies" would occupy a house in San Diego.
newbie here.
i feel i will enjoy my stay.
interesting talk last nite on marking.
Welcome, Tallman. Do you have a tall ten-gallon hat too? (Texas humor)
I feel that marking could be a legitimate way to warn the congregation against some person bent on, perhaps coming into a congregation to defraud the people, or that could perhaps be dangerous around their children. But chastising some elder's wife because she did not work with her husband in service? That sounds absurd, doesn't it?
I do not agree with disfellowshipping except in some extreme extreme circumstance, after a person had been worked with and worked with, or was perhaps a convicted pedophile or murderer. Not the way they view it, as when a person doesn't agree with the society's teaching on some point.
this is one of the sadest days in my life, my beloved husband marco passed away this morning at 5:15 am.. it has been a dreadful day.
but my dear friend was with most of the day while we went togerther to make funeral arrangements.. that was really hard on me.
i have done nothing but cry and cry all day, i finally fell asleep a few hours ago while my friend diane was here and she let me sleep.
So very sorry. May your memories comfort you. So glad you have a friend who went with you for arrangements, and a son to lean on.
mark this!in 2007 watchtower still say's 1914 jesus second coming who are the jehovahs witnesses?regular people and not part of a cult.
people who want others to know about god and the bible.
believers that these are the last days before armageddon and that it is urgent for people to develop a relationship with god.
This IS a BIG DEAL the Watchtower past 3 years or so looked like it might be backing off the absurdity of Jesus second coming in 1914.As a matter of fact I have been getting reviled by JW apologist for saying that 1914 is their CORE doctrine
The absurdity of it is that when the generation doctrine was changed in 1995 I looked around the KHall at the people and all sat there as if nothing unusual at all had happened. The same glazed stares. I remember feeling a bit like I was in the twilight zone. At the same time I thought I was really bad to question. That I was weak and not "keeping up with the chariot."
I remember thinking when my husband and I studied the WT magazine (and we faithfully studied) that I knew I had read time and time again that the "generation that was alive and at an age of understanding would not pass of the scene until Armageddon." How could no one mention the years and years of "building confidence" in us (as the Awake magazine said) in this very thing!
I think one thing that happens is that the rank and file are bombarded with so much "spiritual food," much of it conflicting, that they are in a mass of confusion as to what they are supposed to believe on any given day and leave it to more "spiritually mature ones" in the congregation to answer the questions during the WT study. Then they leave feeling that, while they did not understand, "the others seem to and that is good enough for me."
But to say that this is not their core doctrine? How about REMEMBER THE CRY OF 1914! And other WT standards through the years.
Yes, absurd!!!!!!!
Thanks for constantly bringing this to the attention of all, lest there are new ones here who were unaware.
