Posts by esw1966

21

What kind of Ex-dub are you?

by MsMcDucket in

jw
friends

right now, i can't figure it out.

i'm still scared to say anything to offend my daughters.

i don't want them to cut me off completely, so does that make me a weak ex-dub?

esw1966

I am a ex-dub who FINALLY has come into a relationship with Christ instead of an organization.

I think one needs to put love first and rather than condemning their belief, just engage them in a good relationship and get them, from time to time, to think about matters in a different 'light' than they've been taught. Ask questions about interpretation of different Scriptures.

I will be trying to put that into practice when my lovely 3 daughters come to visit me from Wisconsin this Christmas Day!!! They will be spending 10 days with me and then 40 days each summer vacation! They are being raised as jw's and are 14, 12, and 9.

While I may want to get them to see things my way so badly, the only way to get them to see straight is to ask them questions, show them realities, and always give them love. Love is something they do not experience inside the walls of the hall. It is a facade, shallow, hypocritical. They will always remember your love for them! Even if they never see things as you do they will not believe the things the Society says about people who no longer follow the Society.

14

Mad Apostate's Letter Worked, An Update

by Bstndance in

jw
friends

wooo!!!

guess who called me today.

my mom!

esw1966

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

That is AWESOME! Gaining a member of your family back must be a WONDERFUL feeling!!! So HAPPY for you!!!

17

How do you view the Bible?

by Fisherman in

i think that the bible gives hope and comfort.

i also think that the bible is a good book without me saying too much.

but is it a product of god?

esw1966

I LOVE the Bible!

Although, with my new Christian Freedom, I have realized how differently things can be taken. I have heard and read some who believe in keeping a Saturday Sabbath and if you follow THEIR interpretation it can sound logical and beneficial. Yet, I do NOT believe we are under a Sabbath law. Yet, the Bible does seem to allow a person to see things BOTH ways if they so desire.

Many other things are quite forth right - Love your neighbor as yourself. Love your God with your whole heart. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

I think that the things that are important are clearly stated. LOVE, JESUS, LIFE.

I LOVE listening to the Daily Audio Bible podcast on itunes by Brian Harding. He reads a different version each week and it is professionally done. I encourage any to check it out. I LOVE it! It is life. It is joy!

20

Any help with 8 year old still in?

by megsmomma in

i am very sad that i am in this situation.

it is pretty much my own fault that i have this situation...but i didn't know at the time what all the consequenses would entail.

(i got real ddepressed and left my jw husband and da'd myself after i had a baby with him) my daughter is a happy well adjusted kid with a new jw mom and an elder dad.

esw1966

I'm in a similar situation. I have 3 daughters being raised by their jw mom. They are 14, 12, and 9.

The thing I have been told the most is to LOVE them. By giving them the LOVE that they need, giving them a safe place to see life from, and then getting them to start thinking for themselves is my best shot.

By doing too much, I will just create a bigger wall and they will run from me.

I hope you gain your daughter! I want to rescue mine in the worst way!!! It can be rather obsessive of a thought. My fear is that if I don't gain them, I will lose them forever to the Society.

If I show love and be the best I can be for them, they may see that I always loved them and that I am not the demon influenced man they have been taught to believe. That they had fun with me. That maybe all the things the hall says isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I also figure that getting them out all begins with a question that they cannot answer. That leads to other questions. You can't give a Communist just a 'little' bit of freedom without them wanting it all. I think that will all come in time. Through love and good times other things will get talked about and the truth will become clear.

That is MY hope! It will truly hurt if I lose my girls. I pray a lot about it as well. If they want to search for God, He will make himself found and will bring them to Him. Much of it remains in God's hands. I can do my part by showing them love and a safe place to question and see the realities of life.

22

OMG - I Did It ! I Really, Really, Did It !

by Nellie in

i bought a christmas tree!!

the kids kept asking me, "are we celebrating xmas this year?

" they asked the same thing last year.

esw1966

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It's an awesome step!

I too got me first Christmas tree last Saturday! Went walking into the National Forest and found myself the 'perfect' tree. Now I'm busy decorating it!

LOVE IT!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ethan

40

One True Religion?

by blondie in

interesting topic from beliefnet.

12/14/2006 11:54 pm .

taking the position that jesus christ is, in fact, the son of god who paid the price for our sins, i dont believe our affiliation with any christian religion "gives a person an 'an edge'" in their approval by god and christ.

esw1966

I TOTALLY agree!!!

I LOVE Christian FREEDOM!!!

I have learned that the more I put Jesus on the 'throne of my heart', the happier I am and the smoother things are. I LOVE the two community churches I go to each weekend! I think Christ wants to use us in relationships and that can come through church or at work.

Having Christ means having the Spirit operate within and through you. So JESUS owns us and no church. When church takes Christ off the throne of it's heart things begin to go bad and it turns into a 'man' thing.

In the end, it's ALL about JESUS! There you will find your joy!

ps - an interesting podcast that talks about this matter is 'The God Journey'. I find it very interesting. They are amusing. It helps me to see that it all is about - Jesus, love, and relationships. You can't go wrong when you follow that.

Much success to you all!

Ethan

60

I thought I was alone

by elinor in

i just could not believe it when i stumbled across this forum recently.

i was actually doing research for my dad who wanted to see the world's viewpoint of the failed 1975 prophecy.

he came into the truth less than three years ago and though my mom has been a witness since she was a teenager she never spoke of that particular time period to him.

esw1966

WELCOME

You are NOT alone!

This is a good place. There are many here who will help you.

Welcome!

Ethan

20

How long will you post?

by return visitor in

jw
friends

i've just noticed that some here have been posting for years, thousands of posts, some average 2, 5, even up to 10 posts per day, every day for years.

i am relatively new to the site, just wondering, what keeps those long time posters comming back?

i can actually see in my own case a time when my interest will wane.

esw1966

I've been here for around a year and am still a NEWBIE.

I LOVE this site!

In the beginning of my time of questioning, it really helped me to understand the answers to the questions that I had. It gave me courage to continue to find out truth.

When I have things come up in my life, I come here to the board for guidance. It is VERY helpful to have people understand where you have come from and what you are facing. In my daily life, there is no one facing the things we all face as ex jws; so it is wonderful to have a place to turn to.

I feel it is also very important for me to come here to help others who are now in the shoes that I was in not so long ago. It can be a very scary road to go alone. Having this site gives those shunned and those who have been manipulated into thinking that they are SO bad a place of refuge.

4

Should I send my old jw friends CHRISTMAS CARDS?!!!

by esw1966 in

jw
friends

when i was a jw, i always wondered what happened to people who got df'd and left 'the truth'.

i always figured they were living in the gutter or living a sinful, selfish life.. i was wondering if sending a pleasant note in a christmas card would let some know that life on the outside isn't the condemned life they think it is.

i know that the christmas card will show that 'i have fallen that far', but i liked the dig in sending it.. i live 1500 miles from my old home so no one knows my situation.

esw1966

When I was a jw, I always wondered what happened to people who got df'd and left 'the truth'. I always figured they were living in the gutter or living a sinful, selfish life.

I was wondering if sending a pleasant note in a Christmas Card would let some know that life on the outside isn't the condemned life they think it is. I know that the Christmas Card will show that 'I have fallen that far', but I liked the dig in sending it.

I live 1500 miles from my old home so no one knows my situation. So, just living a good life doesn't show them I am fine.

Any ideas as to sending them? I wanted to send one to the elder who df'd me as well as other friends.

Also, what are things YOU would send in a Christmas Card to those you knew as a jdub?

Ethan

32

Demonic expereiences

by Tyrone van leyen in

all bs and religion aside we've all heard the demon stories of the witnesses but has anyone actually had an personal experience such that you can't explain with your rational mind that shocked you and may lend credence to the possibility of something paranormal.

not something hyped, or emotional,but something your gut told you is just couldn't happen and did?

esw1966

I had just recently purchased a Meat Loaf cd, (which I still like, but am now confused about the whole matter) The Very Best of Meat Loaf. It had all sorts of 'questionable' pictures in the cd cover.

I woke up at 2 in the morning to go to the bathroom. No one was up and I was in the dark. As I was sitting there, the hall light turned on by itself...

That was my most 'dramatic' event. Our entire family also has heard footsteps walking up the stairs when no one was there.

These events only happened when I WAS a jw. Since I have been out of the hall for 2 years I have NOT had ANY events despite my 7 year old telling me that I would have demonic attacks now that I was 'leaving' Jehovah.

My kids ARE in fear of demons and it DOES affect their thinking and this is taught to them by the Society and I feel it is the Society's way of emotionally abusing them and ruling them through fear. (Didn't they say that is what 'false' religion did with their 'hell doctrine'?)

Ethan