Posts by dobby

44

What Might've Kept You Still In The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

some people left the organization because of the united nations scam, 1975, the "generation" change, child abuse issues, not feeling the "love" of the brotherhood, etc.

in all honesty, is there something----that if it hadn't happened----would have kept you still in?

for example, if the child abuse issues were resolved properly, perhaps, some of those that left because of the mishandling, might still be at the meetings.

dobby

This is a great thread. It actually makes me shudder to think about this, because although I disagreed silently with a few minor things, I thought they would eventually "see the light".

What scares me is that I may have never left IF it hadn't been for my son needing surgery. I grew up a witness and didn't question much, but when my son had to have surgery I started to research bloodless surgery and alternatives to blood on the internet. I was really careful not to look at an "apostate" website, but what set me off was a completely innocent comment on a website that listed the beliefs of the world's major religions.

The website stated that JW's had once believed that organ transplants were cannibalistic and then later changed their view point. I never knew about this change in doctrine, I was a kid in the early 80's. I immediately thought of all the people that could have died during the 20 some years that organ transplants were considered wrong. And then I thought, what if eventually blood transfusions will be considered o.k.? what if my son dies in the meantime? Things came unraveled from that point on, until I found this site and others that helped me to leave.

So in the end, I am afraid I might still be in the organization IF I had decided to remain childless or IF my son didn't need surgery or IF I hadn't decided to do my own research on blood. That freaks me out, I feel that I narrowly escaped.

7

DISCO! . . . . . shake your groove thing, shake your groove thing, oh yeah!

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

below is a cut & paste of a kingdom ministry service meeting outline from 24 years ago.

i swear i can remember this exact meeting.

i was 15 at the time and could not belieeeeve what i was hearing!.

dobby

My disco memories as a dub - I was 10 in 1979.

I remember being fascinated with "disco" Watchtowers and looked with a secret thrill at the ladies in the spaghetti straps and slits. They were so bad but looked so good!

I remember the argument about disco having roots in ancient fertility dances. At the age of 10 this sounded like a lot of baloney to me because all dancing really has it's roots in something from the past that is likely religious. Besides it conjured up pictures of people stomping around in ceremonial dress - you know really "gettin' down" and frankly the hustle is pretty tame by comparison. Maybe The Freak was closer? Was that a dance or just a song? So Chic!

Finally, I was very confused by the word "discotheque" (I think that's how you spell it). I just knew the word disco and when seeing discotheque in print in the WT I wondered were they came up with such a word and how did you pronounce it anyway? But of course they would know the proper terms for these kinds of things.

3

Oh the Irony!

by dobby in

jw
friends

six months ago i took a new job and have a new co-worker that i work very closely with because our duties overlap.

i have gotten to know her pretty well and although she is a very sweet person, she is extremely religious.

she is a member of a fundamentalist christian religion that has many similarities to the dubs.

dobby

Six months ago I took a new job and have a new co-worker that I work very closely with because our duties overlap. I have gotten to know her pretty well and although she is a very sweet person, she is extremely religious. She is a member of a fundamentalist christian religion that has many similarities to the dubs. For example, the other day at lunch we saw some people reading the bible. She made a comment about the "sign of the times' and how we really need to study the bible because all of it's prophecies were coming true...etc. Fortunately my mouth was full of chicken so I just kept my head down.

However the most ridiculous thing happened the week of Halloween. Her church does not celebrate Halloween and she has never allowed her daughter to celebrate. A couple of months before Halloween I told her that my son was dressing up and we were taking him trick or treating. She told me very primly that her daughter would be going to a Fall Festival at their church. She told me that she had trained her daughter to tell the kids at school that they were all worshipping the Devil if they did Halloween. I just laughed and shrugged. The week of Halloween her daughter starts crying about not getting to go trick or treating. So my workmate decides to run to Wal-mart at lunch and by her some treats and put them in a nice bag and give them to her as a gift. She invites me to go along.

So get this..she does not want the bag to look like Halloween. No witches, pumpkins etc. I am standing in the middle of a Walmart looking for a gift bag with no occult-like images for a pseudo Halloween gift and I am no longer a JW. "Can I get a price tag on this seasonal, autumnal themed gift bag?" How the hell I got to that point in my life - I will never know. It was really funny, when I got home it hit me and I laughed hysterically!

One thing I have to say, knowing this lady, she is very smart - has a college degree and a fair amount of common sense - yet her religion is very real to her. I personally think her religion is about as wacko as the one I left behind and watching her has actually made me feel pretty good about myself. It's made me proud that I have changed so much and don't sound like her anymore, and it has also helped my self esteem as a reminder that even smart and balanced people can be pulled in by fanatical ideals. We are all just trying to find answers.

Not sure how our relationship will end up, we have already had some heated discussions related to our differing beliefs. However, she is willing to let me have my opinion even if it doesn't agree with hers, unlike the so called friends I have left behind. And fortunately she celebrates all other holidays!

4

Vultures are Circling

by dobby in

jw
friends

well in the last three weeks i have had three run-ins with local jw's.

it is interesting because when i moved to this area 2 and a half years ago i only attended a handful of meetings before becoming inactive and no one has come by to talk to us in at least two years.. the first meeting was a visit by a brother stopping at my front door out in service on a sat.

morning.

dobby

Well in the last three weeks I have had three run-ins with local JW's. It is interesting because when I moved to this area 2 and a half years ago I only attended a handful of meetings before becoming inactive and no one has come by to talk to us in at least two years.

The first meeting was a visit by a brother stopping at my front door out in service on a Sat. morning. I told him we were eating breakfast and it wasn't a good time.

The second meeting was in the grocery store (incidentally buying my Halloween pumpkins). A sister approached me and said "Do you go to the Kingdom Hall?" "No." I said "You look very familiar" she said, "Do I look familiar to you?" "Nope", I said. And walked away. Truthfully, I couldn't remember her from Adam, however my husband and I are an interracial couple which may make us stand out in people's memory. She must have seen me at the Hall one time.

Third meeting was literally two days later. Another sister comes by my house. I REALLY don't remember her from Adam, Eve or anyone else. She acts like we are long lost friends. Tells me that she has been thinking of me and my family, etc. She launches into this big long speech on my front porch. I just stare at her, wondering what would have happened if we had carved the pumpkins and placed them out already. Somewhere in our one-sided conversation she asks me for a hug. I oblige then say "Well it's nice that you were thinking of us." Before she leaves she asks me "what my name is again". I am sure she was sent by some elder with messy records to clean up.

Anyhoo...I think we are on their books and they want to take some action. Possible the CO was in town. I don't know but the whole thing just made me angry. I really don't care if they are trying to take action against us, I was more angered by people who treat you like they are your best friend and they can't even remember your name. Yet, if I told them how I felt about the society they would drop me like a sack of dirt. Frankly, I stayed stone-faced because I enjoy keeping them guessing. It's fun to watch them squirm.

45

Yesterday we bought our Very First Christmas Tree!

by cruzanheart in

jw
friends

well, actually, i did, but with the blessings of the family.

it's fake (too many allergies in the house to risk a real one), pre-lit, and 7 feet tall.

i think it's going to be gorgeous.

dobby

Congratulations! You are going to have so much fun. We celebrated for the first time last year. I bought a lot of inexpensive ornaments last year and then bought some nice ornaments on clearance after Xmas was over. I am going to add to my collection each year.

We are taking the big plunge this year and are doing outdoor lights. We had a blast driving around neighborhoods at night last year looking at everyone's outdoor decorations. We would go out almost every night with a thermos of cocoa, cookies and Xmas music and check out the light show. My son loved it - he was so sad when the lights went bye-bye.

Check out Hallmark for a First Xmas ornament - they do something like this every year.

Have a merry christmas!

33

What scams did you use for counting your time?

by Ivor Hope in

jw
friends

.

flowerpetals post and thread reminded me of some of the scams we would use to try to show the maximum numbers of hours spent in "service" for the smallest amount of effort.

here's some of the ones i remember...just wondered if any of you had any other memories.. .

dobby

Rural territory! I always volunteered to drive out into the boondocks. Yeah baby, you could drive for 6 hours and would only talk to a handful of people.

That was the only way to pioneer.

Fall is Here-Happy Halloween

by dobby in

jw
friends

fall has arrived in my corner of the world.

the morning air - crisp, thin, reminding me of palest chardonnay gives way to the smoky, mesquite air of dusk.

the leaves of the trees have begun to turn.

dobby

Fall has arrived in my corner of the world. The morning air - crisp, thin, reminding me of palest Chardonnay gives way to the smoky, mesquite air of dusk. The leaves of the trees have begun to turn. We see small patches of color, a few leaves here and there, like the glimpse of skin at the ?v? of a neckline or the slit of a skirt. The trees clinging to the green of summer, trying to restrain the final burst of flame ? red, gold, purple, orange.

There is something about this time of year. I do love summer with its promise of long days, lush fruits and trips to the beach. There is nothing like fresh snowfall on a perfect winter day. I have experienced moments in the spring, standing on my front lawn, when I feel I have stepped into the middle of an impressionist painting. The colors of spring are so surreal, the brightest green dotted with the purples, yellows and pinks of tulips, pansies and daffodils. But no season stirs such a deep feeling inside me as fall.

Perhaps it is my Celtic blood, the same blood that moved an ancient people to celebrate the dawning of a new year at the end of October. The festival of Samhain, celebrated on the new year?s eve, a night when the line blurred between our world and the world of the spirits. A night of bonfires and rites used by the priests to commune with the spirits of the dead in an effort to bring good luck for the coming year and a night of costumes donned to scare away evil spirits. How I long for Halloween. How I missed it as a witness! I can?t wait to walk with my son at Halloween. Despite the Power Ranger costume and mini candy bars, I feel the ancient rhythms in the walk, the carving of pumpkins, the costumes and decorations.

Don?t be fooled by spring and summer for rebirth is still birth, so much to learn, a couple of adolescents with nothing but sex and rock and roll on the brain. Fine for a time, but you gotta grow up. And winter?s silence, tight lipped and final, cannot be broken. Your only chance is fall, for the season possesses the answers to the mysteries of life, if you can hold still long enough to hear them whispered in your ear.

Happy Halloween!

45

What do you do with your old liturature?

by Gadget in

jw
friends

.

i'm in the middle of decorating my new house, and was a bit stuck as to what to use to mask off the furniture/carpets etc until i spotted an oldv pile of watchtowers that i'd been meaning to throw out.

i now have paint spattered watchtowers all over my living room.. anybody else got any good things to use old liturature for?

dobby

I took all of my old bound volumes (prior to 1989) and left them in boxes on the steps of a local Kingdom Hall.

I figured they might help someone to think since the old stuff is so outrageous. Then again, it's possible on Sunday morning someone found them and thought they were from Jah because they had been praying for a complete library. Oh well.

The rest went to the dump.

23

Story Time

by joannadandy in

jw
friends

hey--i could really use some input from parents and kids at heart.. i am volunteering to do a story time this saturday.

i am supposed to read whatever i want to the kids for an hour.

i left a message that i would take requests for stories, but so far no one has made any suggestions.. i am just wondering what some of you would suggest i read.

dobby

Check out Olivia the Pig. In particular How Olivia Saved the Circus. The books are large picture books with not much writing - one book won't go the whole hour BUT they are fabulous. They are fairly new and every book store has them. They are funny, Olivia is a very original thinker and independent little girl pig with a wild imagination. The illustrations are hilarious.

If you have kids 7 and older Arthur is a very good choice and his books are usually a little longer. Again - very original and stress the concepts of friendship and creative thinking.

Winnie the Pooh - very good for younger kids and often a little bit longer stories. A classic.

Clifford the Dog, great for kids of all ages - boys especially enjoy Clifford.

Dora the Explorer. She is new and based on a cartoon on Nickelodeon. Her books are interactive - the children have to say and do things. They also learn a few Spanish words and are introduced to the concept of diversity.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Good for all ages - teaches the concept of cause and effect.

And my favorite of ALL time The Very Snowy Day. The lovely, classic picture book about an African American city kid enjoying the snow. Wonderful story that teaches the sheer joy of simple pleasures and the warmth of family and friendship. Beautiful illustrations.

66

MY CONSULTING TRIP TO BETHEL (starting over) PART 6

by seven006 in

jw
friends

within a few weeks i leased a condo on the banks of the willamette river just out side the city of portland.

as she got into her car she looked at me funny again, laughed and just shook her head.. .

i told him that if i said i was sorry, i knew that is what they wanted to hear but it was not the truth.

dobby

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. So happy that you were able to make such positive changes in your life.

I have been looking forward to each post, will there be a Part 7? Sorry - I just had to ask.