Posts by LisaRose

9

Enjoying autumn

by kaik in

for some reason, i love autumn .

i always did as kid.

warm days, and cool nights, changing leaves, sunny days of the indian summer or eastern european equivalent called "grandma summer".

It's been a beautiful fall where I live, the weather has been perfect. People think we don't have seasons in California, but we do, the days are shorter, the leaves turn color, it's a bit nippy in the morning. After a warmly than usually summer it's nice to have cooler weather, it just about perfect right now.

Halloween is huge in my neighborhood. It has gotten a reputation as the best place to trick or trick, people come here from all over, we got 600 trick or treaters last year, we will spend $60 on candy alone and will probably still run out. We decided to just go with it, so we decorate and wear costumes, last year we did steam punk, this year my husband and I are going to be minions. We just sit our porch and hand out candy all evening, it's so much fun seeing the kids in their costumes.

My husband used to wear a costume I originally made for myself, an over the top flower fairy outfit. After several years of use we retired it, as it was getting worn out and a bit small for both of us, but we have gotten so many requests for it I think I will have to recreate it for next year. It had a huge pink tulle skirt with silk roses inside, a huge floral head piece, a bodice covered in rose with a giant rose in the front, and of course wings. I called it the over fifty fat and flirty flower fairy and it was funny on me, but with my husband's hairy chest and beard and white running shoes it really made people laugh. He even wore it at work, and he works for a very conservative government organization whose name I can't mention. I didn't think he would actually have the guts to do it, but he did and won first place too, beating out Elvis and wonder woman.

9

TWO WITNESSES IN VITERBO (ITALY)

by Giorgio Cardellini in

jw
friends

it 'was given to man to govern alone for some time trying any form of self-government, but was not successful, then from 1914 satan has taken control over the nations, but failed, ruined land and forced men at great sacrifice and austerity.. 100 years have passed since 1914, jehovah had given one hour to the nations, the time is up, jesus christ came back at the end of 2013 and his slave was found faithful, jehovah himself has anointed with a baptism in the holy spirit, with oil of gladness more than all of his anointed brothers, he has delivered humanity enslaved, he is the chosen one, the four winds have passed (4 comets in the sky of 2013, ison, lovejoy, linear, encke) the last the saints have been chosen and their number is complete, 144,000, the heavenly tribunal was convened and then satan has been judged and fell (daniel 7:26).

1 corinthians 10:13 - what you had to refine it is perfected, it happened!.

the world has got a new jehovah's prophet like elijah.

LisaRose

The world was moving and she was right there with it (and she was)
The world was moving she was floating above it (and she was) and she was

35

Hello from an exmormon

by Cold-Dodger in

jw
friends

someone named john free popped in on one of my posts at exmormon[dot]com and mentioned this website.

i have a lot of questions.

i never knew much about about the jw church.

LisaRose

Welcome! I know a few ex Mormons, including my daughter-in-law. While the beliefs are different, the culture is very similar. We also used to think the Mormons were weird and couldn't understand how they could believe such far fetched things, lol.

We also were taught that Satan was always trying to deceive us, so we should not trust anything but the organization. Family life was pretty similar, life revolved around meetings and field service. They now have two meetings a week, about two hours each, usually one on Sunday and another on a weeknight, but there used to another one hour meeting in small groups in people's homes. Saturday morning was usually field service. Families were encouraged to study together one night a week. All were required to do field service, at least ten hours were expected to be spent in door to door work a month.

It's like any small closed group of people anywhere, some nice, some not so nice, a few nutters and some real jerks. Meetings are pretty boring, rote question and answer sessions where the answer is given, content of talks (sermons) are from outlines provided by the governing body or leadership. Unity and obedience is strictly enforced. There is little tolerance for individuality or independent thought.

Mormons believe in "milk before meat," which means they will not tell you certain things about their beliefs until after you have progressed another circle in towards the most inner circle.

JWs study for at least six months with interested individuals before baptism. They also don't tell them certain things until they have been properly prepared, as in mind control, some things you don't find out until after you are baptized. They practice disfellowshipping, or shunning, people can be shunned for just about anything that three elders agree on, but they are especially alhard on apostacy or disobedience to authority. It's a very rigid heirarchy. Three elders meet with a person, if they agree they are disfellowshipped, an announcement is made and you will lose all your family and friends overnight, they are not told the reason and you will have no recourse. Shunning is pretty strictly enforced, more so than the Mormons, from what I understand.

As in any religion, it's not all bad, I had many friends that I miss now. There are some biblical principles they teach that are good, honesty, integrity, morality, etc, but you can get that from any religion.

All in all I regret wasting thirty years of my life in this. They constantly make you feel guilty for not doing enough, they discourage higher education (at least Mormons don't do that), I made so many bad decisions. But like any cult, they have you convinced they, and only they have the path to salvation.

If you haven't read this yet I recommend the book Mistakes were made (but not by me), why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisionand and hurtful acts. It explains cognitive dissonance, and why people reject facts when it conflicts with a cherished belief system.

82

INSPIRED ERROR: new phrase among JW CO

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

there is no end to their madness.

the co gave a talk on inspired error.

i have never heard of it.

LisaRose

Stay away from newspapers and news on the internet???? Have they ever done that before? Child abuse cases must be hurting them badly. I think if I was a JW I would be scouring the internet to find out what they were on about. If what is on the news is not true they should be easily able to debunk it, this just make them seem more guilty.

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

71

Doing the Right Thing, Making a Choice (shunning)

by Simon in

jw
friends

continuing a topic that is dear to my heart because of my experience as both a shunner and a shunnee .... some people seem to get very agitated when i talk about the responsibility people have to make the right choices and that despite all the wrongs within the wts, people themselves have a role to play and some personal responsibility for the experience.. notice i said "some" responsibility, not "complete" - this doesn't absolve the wts for the things they do wrong in any way shape or form.

so please don't get argumentative about possible meanings and absolutes - of course the wts has a significant role to play but we need to decide what we're trying to achieve here and why the personal choice is so important.. i'm also not talking about actual crimes that the wts should answer for.

if they cover up child abuse for instance, they absolutely should be reported immediately.

LisaRose

It's like the people in Natzi Germany who made a defence that they were just doing what they were told. It didn't work for them, it isn't an excuse here. No matter what the Watchtower does, each individual has a responsibility to do what is right. Shunning is really one of the most cruel things you can do to a person, and it certainly isn't needed just because a person made a mistake or simply chose not to practice the Watchtower flavor of Christianity. Many times the reason for shunning a person isn't even known. If you don't know what someone did, what right do you have to judge them? The Watchtower has twisted the scriptures to suit their agenda of maintaining control, if you blindly follow their decisions on shunning you are as guilty as they are.

61

Stranger in my own house, Since my wife and i don't talk much anymore nor sleep in the same bed. i feel like a stranger.

by goingthruthemotions in

my wife is shunning me.

she is always in cult mode, we don't talk anymore, we don't sleep in the same bed.

i have been sleeping on the couch.

LisaRose

Have you considered counseling? If not with the two of you, then by yourself. You need to improve the communication between the two of you. If you love her, then you should fight for your marriage. The bible says that a wife should stay with her unbelieving mate. She can't have it both ways, either she is a good JW and obeys all the scriptures, or she isn't a good JW in which case she has no reason to shun you. Of course you cannot force her to love you, but the way you are right now is no way to live, you both need to figure this out one way or another.

21

Double Standards in the JW world

by nevaagain in

jw
friends

no other organization has so many written and unwritten rules like the jws.

so it comes to no suprise that there are a lot of double standards.. even though the end is "near", wt is building new and bigger offices.

while the small jw should live in a closet and should make plans to have a bigger house in the new world.

LisaRose

The Watchtower is the master of the double standard.

We hate child abuse! (but we don't call the authorities unless it's required by law).

A person who sexually abused children would never be appointed an elder! (well, hardly ever, just under certain circumstances, like a whole year passed since he got caught, or we really need elders, or no one found out about it, or....)

We never pass the collection plate, because God loves a cheerful giver! (but we send multiple request for donations in a month and forced congregations to pony up all their cash).

We value honesty in all things, going so far as to disfellowship chronic liars! (but we use 'theocratic warfare' and lie about our history, beliefs and practices).

The United Nations is the scarlet colored beast as spoken of in Revelations, it's existence is an affront to god! (but we secretly joined it, then lied about the reason).

Families are very important to us! (but we break them up with our harsh disfellowshipping policies).

We care about our young people! (But we have the lowest retention rate of any religion).

We don't allow gossip (unless it's done by the elders of course).

Our congregations are a spiritual paradise ! (but don't ask us about the suicides and depression rates).

Jehovah is a happy God! (But he is really, really hard to please, mess up and you die at the big A).

Preaching the good news about God's kingdom is the most important thing we do! (But most of the hours reported are either exaggerated, completely faked or spent on aimless driving around and coffee breaks.

40

We missed you at the meetings

by punkofnice in

a vomit inducing comment.. i asked why do they have to specify 'meetings'?

they never miss us in tesco or the showcase cinema bar.. in their defence, a friend of mine said: 'that's because the meeting is where they normally would see you.'.

well, if they want to see you they can arrange a meal out or something.

LisaRose

I guess it's better than not saying anything, but it really is an implied criticism, it's about what they are NOT saying.

We miss you at the meetings *loser*.

We miss you at the meetings *what the hell is wrong with you?*.

We miss you at the meetings *get your act together, then we can be friends again*.

I briefly attended a liberal church. It was interesting that those who were sick or feeling down were greatly missed and talked about at every service, they would arrange for dinner to be supplied or a visit. There wasn't a hint of any judgment for them missing services, just concern. I thought, well this is what normal people do, it's a support system, which is what church should be.

9

Interesting day yesterday

by LisaRose in

jw
friends

i have started walking every morning for twenty or thirty minutes.

so yesterday i had to work and almost didn't go, but decided to get in a quick ten minute walk.

i don't usually take my phone, but decided to take it, and i was so glad i did because a block from my house i came upon an older chinese man face down on the sidewalk and bleeding profusely from his mouth/face.

LisaRose

I have started walking every morning for twenty or thirty minutes. So yesterday I had to work and almost didn't go, but decided to get in a quick ten minute walk. I don't usually take my phone, but decided to take it, and I was so glad I did because a block from my house I came upon an older Chinese man face down on the sidewalk and bleeding profusely from his mouth/face. It was kind of unreal, at first I thought it might be a Halloween decoration, our neighborhood goes all out for decorations, but it was real.

He was quite dazed, and didn't speak English, but he nodded when I asked if he wanted me to call 911. While we were waiting for the paramedics he was able to tell me a phone number and I held the phone so he could talk to his family. They got there shortly after the paramedics and so could translate. Apparently he tripped and fell, hurting his hands and face. They thought he was going to be OK, but advised him to go to the hospital.

I will never go on a walk without my phone again, you just never know what could happen, next time it could be me on the ground.

10

Tough Day & wanting to escape

by Olivia Wilde in

so today after my workout at the gym, i was driving away from the parking lot, notice 2 witnesses on the sidewalk with their witness cart, one older man with a young female, related?

not sure but as i drove away it finally hit me, all this buildup & staying strong since my awakening finally hit me .... just crying & saw my life flashing before my eyes just couldn't keep myself strong anymore, especially thinking of my child & other things happening in my life currently, which are hitting reality...... i came home & had a conversation with my son about our weekly mtgs, we have missed the ms mtgs for a few times/days in a row now, does anyone check on us?

... anyway i finally told him that for the time being mommy needs to figure out some things with god & jesus first & for the time being won't be making the ms mtgs & will be doing our bible study at home... thankfully he understands & just told him that god understands how i feel & is ok with it.... it's difficult to feel alone in this, i feel broken with the other things happening in my life, not wt or jw related, & just want to escape & run away, i don't have many friends & my non jw family is not a close family, we were never close, & i feel like i don't have anyone to talk to.... people that know me & interact with me have no clue the turmoil i'm going thru inside, i pretend like nothing is wrong with my life .

LisaRose

I am so sorry you are going through this right now and have no one to talk to. Don't forget we all are here, but do you not have anyone at all? Keeping a stiff upper lip is fine, sometimes you have to do that to get through, but we all need a shoulder to cry on sometimes. Perhaps you could start looking for somebody in your life you could promote to friend status?

I work from my home and it can get lonely sometimes, so I force myself to get out and talk to people, I know I need that to stay mentally healthy.

Feel free to PM me anytime. I check in several times a day.