having cooled down a bit in the garden i got to thinking about what this board has given me and wondered what anyone else feels they have gained from it.. for me its been invaluable and even life changing:.
1) freedom from the brainwashing - when i came here i had already read ray franz's books and still believed it jws had the truth - hat i was basically worthless and that i would die at armageddon.
the reasoned conversations and help of the posters from all over the world has enabled me to have freedom of thought - something i didnt even know i didnt have until i spent time here.. 2) friends who empathise and know from an experience what i have been through in a way outsiders can never possiby understand.. 3) entertainment - unbelievable laughs and moments of humour that have cheered me up so many times.. 4) association - via the aposta bbqs and telephone chats i can now have so i don't feel so isolated and to some extent alleviates the awful pain of separation from my loved family.. 5) information - from this board and posters here i have found out things that were my right to know but would never have learnt otherwise - my sisters marriage, my aunts tragic death.. 6) reunions - i have now met at least one person who knows me from my childhood and has grown into a man of such kindness and patience that i would have missed out on completely had he not been here and been kind enough to hold my hand - even when i've been an irritating totured little idiot!.
Although I don't contribute much, I enjoy reading all your comments. I no longer feel trapped in this warped cult, and I now know I wasn't the only one seeing all the wrongs in the WTS. I'll be posting more and adding my view points more in the future as I'm in the middle of sorting my life out.
IRONHEAD.
i was wondering how common it is for ex-jws to relocate after leaving the borg in order to escape the bad memories of being in a cult, or to break contact with cult members.. i have wanted to move far away for as long as i can remember--even as a kid--for this purpose.
various life circumstances have delayed that--long story--but mr. rebel8 and i are thinking of moving within the next few years.
i am the one who's most interested in moving to a completely different type of place--different culture, different climate, different everything!
I propose a resolution to the forum that we cease capitalizing "jw" because it gives undue respect to an organization that doesn't deserve it. Anyone ready to second the motion?
I totally agree!
On Monday I'm going to ask my employees for a transfer. They're looking for staff to work in this particular city, and are willing to help staff with their move finacially. It's the only way to get on with my life after leaving my jw wife at lunch time today. I'm staying with my mother ( non jw ) at the time of writing.
IRONHEAD.
for those that broke up with a boy/girlfriend or a spouse, how do you know that you made the right decision?
I've spent the last two years listening to slanderous comments from elders about myself. Although my wife is very upset with these lies, she supports the elders and the wts, no matter what they put me through. I don't have the same feelings for her and she's concerned that I'll walk out of marriage. I'm in fact walking out this afternoon, while she's happy around her false friends, religion and god at the DC. I've carried her for the past 8 years. Let her cope on her own. Never marry a JW is my war cry!
IRONHEAD.
i'm not talking about the time you gave the nasty elder a bleeding nose
back when you were still in the org, have you ever seen a trouble-maker
i remember how once, a drunk
About 9 years ago during the opening song of the ministry school, a sister was giving her husband a good beating at the back of the Kingdom Hall. The brother ran of screaming " I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE OF HER BULLYING"! I saw it all being an attendant, and the elders took the brother outside and gave him a severe telling off. At the time I thought it was harsh, but it turned out that he was telling his wife, and including the elders, that he dosen't love her and loves another sister within the congregation. That fight would have graced a soap opera anyday.
IRONHEAD
i don't know how long i'll be able to make this available, so get it while you can and start sharing!
it's a hefty 37mb so it may take a while to download.
download it here.
Thanks Drew.
this photo (taken from a jw group on aol) is quite typical of jw marriage matches.
don't get me wrong, i'm sure they are great people as far as jws go.
but, it made me think.
I must say that I've been lucky in that department. When I first set eyes on my wife I said to myself, " She lovely and she looks like fun!" I was spot on. When I became a JW, it didn't stop me having a certain type of women to marry. My wife is very attractive, has a balanced personality, and a warped sense of humour like myself. All too often I seen many witness couples who aren't compatable. They only have " the truth" in common nothing else.
IRONHEAD.
...do you know where your faders are, watchtower society?.
i just glanced at my watch and realized that if i was still active, i'd be sitting in a coliseum fighting falling asleep listening to some elder drone on and on, but here i am posting on an "apostate" message board.
how cool is that?
Our cong convention is next week. Some our elders are going to another location this weekend. Why? So next weekend they can have a weekend doing sod all. My wife maybe going, I'm not. There's 20/20 cricket next Sunday and I'm watching my team play.
Ironhead
we always seem to get focused on the bad - and there is plenty of it for sure - and anyone who follows my posts knows i am no wt apologist by any stretch.
but focusing on the postive is a good thing in the 'moving on' process i think too.
what do you think jw's had right?.
Not going to wars is a big one. Non violence? I have to say yes on that one. The amount of times I've wanted to punch someone on the nose for being rude and obnoxious, and I turned the other cheek was amazing. Before becoming a witness I would've done that very thing, but my wife knowing my past keeps quoting the scripture in psalm 11:5 " anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates". The ministry school has come in useful at work on many occasions.
funny how witnoids used to preach that they currently lived in "spiritual paradise".
yea!
if you realy stop and think about it, witnoids are under more pressure and stress (dealing with real life and witnoid life) than those who are "worldly".
I spent many years in the armed forces, and although life in the military was hard the stress never didn't make me miserable. During my years of pioneering leaving on a crap wage, waking up at 4am to go to work part-time, taking ministry arrangements every afternoon at 1pm. Preaching on average 4 hours every afternoon mostly on my own. Lead two evening arrangements on monday and friday. Out on the ministry on Saturday morning. Study, etc. The only day I never went out was on a Sunday, but our field service overseer an over zealous jerk use criticize me because I wasn't out on a Sunday. That was the only day I had for myself to study, do a weekly shop and get some bleeding rest. I only had on average six hours sleep a night. There were only about 25 publishers who went out on the ministry on Sunday out of 125, but he singled me out. No wonder I got fucking burnout!
i want a bible that hasn't been written by or for 'apologists'.
i want a bible written in english that correctly translates 'yhwh' as 'yahve' or 'yahweh' and 'elohim' as 'gods' instead of 'god'.
a recent bit of study has shown that many modern english bibles commit pious fraud by translating words like 'asherah'(idol used in sex worship by the patriarchs) as 'grove' or 'tree' in order to cover up the true roots of ancient 'hebrew' worship.
I agree with Black Swan of memphis. The Jerusalem Bible contains the divine name. I had one years ago but destroyed it believing it to be inferior to the NWT. I wish I hadn't. I was a gun-ho witless pioneer then.
