Posts by done4good

I have been saying since the communication came about the book study being eliminated in 2008, that this is where it was leading to. They would never eliminate a meeting without an economic purpose for doing so. All other types of reasons were given for that move, (i.e. eliminate smaller groups for greater control; lawsuits; and of course the Society's excuse of "gas prices"), but it is always about money in the end.

Fewer weekly meetings = fewer halls needed since they can cram more congregations into those halls. This is just the next major phase. It is all being done to address long-term sustainability.

Cash flow is not the likely issue, even though the GB cited that in a broadcast in May. They would never admit to a cash flow problem if they actually had one.

d4g

19

Wolves in sheep clothing

by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

i was baptized then i was 15 years old and just entering high school.

i had been a perfect jw teenager through out my high school years, although i craved to be a little bit worldly.

when i graduated high school, i moved out and got a job working with my older non-jw brother.

done4good

Certainly not my exact story, (I avoided DF, mostly due to a friend on the committee), however I learned there and then the judicial process is nothing more than WT politics at the expense of human beings. I left voluntarily 5 months later.

To add: The judicial process did not cause my initial awakening, (that already was in process), but it surely provided the kick in the ass I needed to leave for good.

d4g

20

Why some smart people believe the JWs/Bible

by jws in

jw
friends

i consider myself smart.

go ahead, laugh.

i have a sense of humor too.. but i grew up a jw and also believed in the bible.

done4good

I think a lot of us can relate to this.

It makes sense too. It is neither natural nor convenient to assume your parents are not giving you sound direction, especially when they are clearly trying to do right by their children. By the time we were old enough to reason for ourselves about the matter, we were already too indoctrinated to mentally pull ourselves away from it. That one-two punch of socialization is very powerful, and will last until something jars it loose. This can and does take decades for many, even the brightest of us.

It is all about what it takes to cause that jarring effect.

d4g

12

There is no God.

by nicolaou in

it had been raining and i could smell the pine trees nearby.

god wasn't necessary.

the clouds cleared and the sunlight blazing from above paid out a bonus in the puddles at my feet.

done4good

The universe is far more fascinating when not inhibited by myth.

It makes a lot more sense, too...

d4g

13

10 Years ago today...

by done4good in

i mentally awoke.

it took another 6 months or so to walk away for good, but this date marked the end of my belief in any conventional sense of the word.. d4g.

done4good

Sparrowdown - Although I do not have that immediate situation, I know what you are talking about. The last congregation I attended was in that very type of community. I moved away. More specifically, actually after I started dating my now wife and moved in with her, (she was about 30 miles away, just outside of Philly), I was able to get out of that environment. So I removed myself from that small town, anywhere you go you could run into a JW you know type of place. That did wonders for moving on. I appreciate having had that opportunity. I seems too many do not have those options. I try very hard now to understand those who cannot just walk away and leave. It is much harder to do when surrounded by JW influence, I suppose.

Just so you know, a year out is about as awkward as it gets, (even for someone like myself who was already making my own life, in what seemed like very far away from the JW world I knew). The first year learning the TTATT is all new and novel. Immediately after that I went through some very uncomfortable times in 2007-2008 when I felt almost as if I knew nothing about the way the universe worked and had to start all over. I think that is what rekindled my life long interest in science. I pretty much read anything and everything I could get my hands on. That kept me sane through that rough patch. My point is, it gets easier, but you do have to work for it. It does not come automatically. Find something you can satisfy your inner self with. Don't focus too much on what was, there is no real going back.

As I stated before, I would not trade leaving for anything. Self honesty in priceless.

d4g

13

10 Years ago today...

by done4good in

i mentally awoke.

it took another 6 months or so to walk away for good, but this date marked the end of my belief in any conventional sense of the word.. d4g.

done4good

Sparrowdown - So after 10 yrs is it still painful?
Please tell me the pain goes away eventually.

I am trying not to post at work, but this deserves a response.

I am not sure the experience is the same for everyone. I walked away rather unscathed, and was ecstatic to do so when I did. I would not do a thing differently, in fact. Does that mean that there is no pain ever? Hardly. Like most here, I lost family and friends. I could not stand to play the game and fake it. The response of most of those folks to my leaving I really do take almost a cavalier attitude toward, not because I would not welcome them if they decided to reach out, rather because I know my life is better lived honestly. If they don't care about my well being, then I just move on.

Much more recently I felt the full blow of being shunned by a loved one, that I suppose I avoided for many years. I did avoid her really because deep down I feared that outcome. I know that now. Funny thing is, when I first reached out to her, it went surprisingly well for a few months, (basically, it was viewed I was just "inactive"), until my story came out. And when it did slam!, the door was shut, and probably for good. Yep, that shun hurt like a bitch. It still does, and I likely would not be here still posting otherwise. The pain ebbs and flows.

All of that said, don't let anyone take your authentic self away. Maintaining one's true self is worth any pain it may seem to cause.You will be a richer person for it.

d4g

13

10 Years ago today...

by done4good in

i mentally awoke.

it took another 6 months or so to walk away for good, but this date marked the end of my belief in any conventional sense of the word.. d4g.

done4good

Millie210 - Thank you.

13

10 Years ago today...

by done4good in

i mentally awoke.

it took another 6 months or so to walk away for good, but this date marked the end of my belief in any conventional sense of the word.. d4g.

done4good

Magnum - I wish I could have an anniversary like that, but, for me, it was such a gradual thing that I can't pinpoint a certain time.

Actually, the ability to pinpoint that moment took some time. Many things become clearer in hindsight. Had I been 100% aware of that moment's significance at the time, I probably would have walked away there and then. Initially, I tried to forget about what I figured out that day. However, one cannot "unlearn" what they know. As such, I gradually became less and less involved over the next six months or so, until I decided I had little reason to stay.

Reflecting on "why" I left after being completely out for about 3 or 4 months brought that moment into focus.

d4g

56

Hello Everyone

by MarieK in

i hope everyone is having a good saturday.

i've visited this many times in the past month or so, joined yesterday and finally got the nerve to post!

needless to say, i'm super nervous, being new to this whole experience.

done4good

Great to hear MarieK. Today marks 10 years for me being mentally awake. Give yourself time, it gets easier, and whole lot better.

d4g