Posts by Jerohobobonadad

8

Just thought I'd share this with you.

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

i was just browsing the excellent jwfacts.com site and it just clicked....jw is bloody cult!

it can't be anything else!.

as some may know i've only been around on here a month or so.

Jerohobobonadad

When I realized how much time I wasted - 21 years and putting my kids through hell - I cried and cried. The guilt led me to the point of suicide. And then I got help. I've had many talks w/my kids who told me, "Mom. We know you did what you thought was best." That made me feel a little better and I love them to pieces for being so forgiving. But to this day, I still have a hard time forgiving myself and wasting so much precious time when they were growing up w/o enjoying holidays and putting up w/crap from other kids and teachers, and not having worldly friends.

That is why I spend a lot of my time with them and their families (my grandkids). I feel "alive" once again and now enjoying life, peaceful times and self-worth. All of that was taken away before from this religion. It's something that I have to continually remind myself that we will be o.k. We will survive.

I accept that I've been very, very lucky (single, no kids, still young, always did pretty much what I wanted anyway) and many, many, many others have not been so lucky and did not laugh or find it funny when they realised that they had been duped. I do not mean to downplay anyone elses experiences related to this. I am pleased for you about your children. In a similar way, I do not feel any differently about my parents - i was not allowed to do a lot of the things "normal" kids did (sports, going to kids houses etc), but I know my mum and dad had my bests interests at heart. Better that than to not take any interest at all. I just hope they will be reasonable when I finally "come out" as an unbeliever. Dad will probably be ok. Mum will be heartbroken. I wonder how my friends will react? My grandparents? I wonder if I'll find it funny in the months ahead?

It is a strange feeling to discover that everything you had been brought up to believe as infallable "truth" is, in fact all wrong.

8

Just thought I'd share this with you.

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

i was just browsing the excellent jwfacts.com site and it just clicked....jw is bloody cult!

it can't be anything else!.

as some may know i've only been around on here a month or so.

Jerohobobonadad

I was just browsing the excellent JWfacts.com site and it just clicked....JW is bloody cult! It can't be anything else!

As some may know I've only been around on here a month or so. Although I haven't believed for some time, I always thought that calling JWs a cult was a bit harsh. Reading the excellent research on the jwfacts site just now, I suddenly smiled and it dawned on me - JW is definately a cult!

I've spent the first third of my life in a cult! I'm laughing - I think it's hilarious!

Here's to the next two thirds of living. Cheers!

84

The Great Taboo Discussion---Suicides among former Jehovah's Witnesses

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

the great taboo discussionsuicides among former jehovah's witnesses to write about this discussion neither appeals to me nor does it make me feel comfortable to discuss it.. however, it is necessary to consider in light of all the trauma, negative experiences, and personal traged-.

ies that have happened to individuals on this board.

(what inspired me to write this subject was a bone chilling account .

Jerohobobonadad

A sad subject, but one I have pondered over. I have never considered suicide myself, so this may be a biased view point.

I knew 4 people - 2 personally quite well. Ages 17, 21, mid-late 30s, early 40s. One was an ex-missionary. One was a pioneer. One was a beautiful, popular young girl.

The official JW position as I know it is that these ones get no resurection. My, obviously not expert, view is that there must be a mental health element to all suicides. It cannot be a truly rational decision to end one's life. I think this is under-estimated by the org. It must be crushing for a believing witness family to have a suicide within the family and have the belief that God has cut this one off for eternity.

The following applies if you believe the JW teachings by my reckoning. Mental illness is still an illness. People cannot help and generally do not choose to be depressed, it just happens to some people to varying degrees. Therefore, would a suicide mean no resurrection? If a smoker becomes a witness then finds out they have a cancer caused by smoking and dies, will this one be excluded from a resurection? The smoking definately caused their death, it was just unintentional as opposed to intentional (meaning suicide). The wages sin pays is death. Since were were, according to doctrine, born into sin (so will die) through no personal fault of our own, God made a bargain with the ransom to "buy back" our lives - if you die before the big A you get a resurrection, if you are around at the big A then faith in the ransom gets you through. Dying before the big A fulfils a humans part of the bargain. God would be duty bound to give you a resurrection.

Does that make sense?

62

Hardships and Assemblies

by Sunspot in

jw
friends

i just left a post on the "pa convention" thread concerning some of the hardships and difficulties that jws had to (or some here still have to?

) endure just to either get to a convention or what they go through after getting to the convention.. having to trot around from designated doors to the restrooms (rather than being ordered to use the door they told you to) no matter where your family was sitting..... or having you and your family have to climb way too many stairs on the last upper tier to find seats.....while plenty of empty seats remained on the ground floor that were never used that whole day?.

or the designated wts-regulation-sized cooler you had to lug into the stadium because you weren't allowed to leave the site to get a snack or a drink?.

Jerohobobonadad

Hello all I hope you are well.

No one is going to like me for this....

I just left a post on the "PA Convention" thread concerning some of the hardships and difficulties that JWs had to (or some here still have to?) endure just to either GET to a convention or what they go through after getting TO the convention.

Having to trot around from designated doors to the restrooms (rather than being ordered to use the door THEY told you to) no matter where your family was sitting....

Or having you and your family have to climb way too many stairs on the last upper tier to find seats.....while plenty ofempty seats remained on the ground floor that were never used that whole day?

Or the designated WTS-regulation-sized cooler you had to lug into the stadium because you weren't allowed to leave the site to get a snack or a drink?

Or being told that you should not go outside the arena for lunch in order to "please ~~Jehovah~~ the WTS?"

Or being told which hotel/motel you had to stay at every year?

These can hardly be described as "hardships". Balsam can say these were hardships, some others with other family/ personal problems can say these were hardships, but for most able bodied humans (which I assume most here are) - 3 or 4 days (ok the week long ones if you were around then) with the relatively minor inconveniences described above are not hardships. I accept that there is a finacial burden on going to assemblies - my family included - but having to climb a few stairs to get a seat is hardly a big deal.

Turn on the news or visit a cancer ward. You'll see hardship there.

13

What went on in Mexico and Malawi?

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all i hope you are well.. forgive my ignorance again, but what happened in mexico/ malawi?

when did it happen?.

i keep seeing references to these places in various topics.. anyone got a good link that explains it clearly.

Jerohobobonadad

The jfiles.com site is excellent.

13

What went on in Mexico and Malawi?

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all i hope you are well.. forgive my ignorance again, but what happened in mexico/ malawi?

when did it happen?.

i keep seeing references to these places in various topics.. anyone got a good link that explains it clearly.

Jerohobobonadad

"For the most part they were able to return to their villages and rebuild their homes and Kingdom Halls. Many of those who had once mistreated Jehovah’s witnesses now came and asked forgiveness, and a number of them are now Witnesses themselves. During this time the Witnesses in Malawi might be said to have “entered into a period of peace, being built up,” much as did the early Christians under similar circumstances."

They returned to rebuild their Kingdom Halls. Lucky them. They are like the early Christians - How nice.

This is awful.

I read the links on voting also, I am shocked.

16

A THANK YOU to the board

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello again.. i just thought i'd say "thanks" to all of the contributors to this board (and other boards/ websites, but mostly to this board).. i only started looking on the internet for info on the wtbts about 2 months ago.

for years i had huge doubts about the org, but no facts to rationalise these doubts.

some individuals have obviously spent many hours going through the societies literature and researching the history of the org and made this research widely available on line.. i can only imagine what it must have been like 10 or 20 years ago if a "witness" had doubts - where would you go to find out the facts?

Jerohobobonadad

Hello again.

I just thought I'd say "Thanks" to all of the contributors to this board (and other boards/ websites, but mostly to this board).

I only started looking on the internet for info on the WTBTS about 2 months ago. For years I had huge doubts about the org, but no facts to rationalise these doubts. Some individuals have obviously spent many hours going through the societies literature and researching the history of the org and made this research widely available on line.

I can only imagine what it must have been like 10 or 20 years ago if a "witness" had doubts - where would you go to find out the facts? I have a great deal of respect for those who made an exit back then. It must have been a lot more difficult than now. When I saw this board, I suddenly realised that I was not alone with the questions and opinions I had. I had known for a few years that questions were not allowed or you would be labelled apostate so just kept myself to myself. I could have carried on like that for years. I now have my exit strategy and feel a lot better for it!

So, thanks everyone.

Jerohobo

13

What went on in Mexico and Malawi?

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all i hope you are well.. forgive my ignorance again, but what happened in mexico/ malawi?

when did it happen?.

i keep seeing references to these places in various topics.. anyone got a good link that explains it clearly.

Jerohobobonadad

Hello all I hope you are well.

Forgive my ignorance again, but what happened in Mexico/ Malawi? When did it happen?

I keep seeing references to these places in various topics.

Anyone got a good link that explains it clearly. I have tried looking around, but have only found out that Malawi involved Government ID Cards or something - I'm not jus being lazy!

Thanks

Jerohobo

1

Strange Experiences

by Jerohobobonadad in

jw
friends

hello all i hope you are well.. i've had very strange experiences recently.. i've had discussions with a few friends, who i would never have thought would say anything against da troof, who agree with all i've said about the inaccuracies of the org and said things i hadn't realised.. i've had discussions with one of my siblings and they said they didn't believe any of the wtbts teachings, then later that week had discussions with my parents with sibling present, where sibling has sided with parents and disagreed with everything i've said, even though they agreed a few days before.. i've had discussions with a friend, who hasn't been to meetings for ages, say how disappointed they were with some of our friends who have stopped going to meetings.

the friend could only talk about when the big a would come - why don't they go back to the org then?.

i have learnt recently to never be amazed by the ability for rational humans to state beliefs in private, yet publicly say the absolute opposite.. i feel as though i'm on the outside looking in when i talk to these people.

Jerohobobonadad

Hello all I hope you are well.

I've had very strange experiences recently.

I've had discussions with a few friends, who i would never have thought would say anything against da troof, who agree with all i've said about the inaccuracies of the org and said things i hadn't realised.

I've had discussions with one of my siblings and they said they didn't believe any of the WTBTS teachings, then later that week had discussions with my parents with sibling present, where sibling has sided with parents and disagreed with everything i've said, even though they agreed a few days before.

I've had discussions with a friend, who hasn't been to meetings for ages, say how disappointed they were with some of our friends who have stopped going to meetings. The friend could only talk about when the big A would come - why don't they go back to the org then?

I have learnt recently to never be amazed by the ability for rational humans to state beliefs in private, yet publicly say the absolute opposite.

I feel as though I'm on the outside looking in when I talk to these people. I just cannot understand how people can hold such conflicting thoughts, yet still rationalise them in their own minds. I feel like I am talking to brainwashed people.

I really hope my siblings and friends can wake up from this stupor.

Does anyone else feel like this?

36

Sex before marriage = a miserable marriage according to WTBTS!

by Gill in

jw
friends

the anti sex beatings from the wtbts go on and on!.

november 1st 2006 'awake'.

this particular mag has an article on 'does romantic love justify premrital sex?'.

Jerohobobonadad

I'm afraid I have to agree with the WTBTS.

Sex before marriage is CERTAIN to cause an unhappy marriage.

Consider a young witness who has premarital sex with a nubile sex kitten/ adonis (delete as appropriate) from the world then enters into the divine marital arrangement (TM) with a clueless spazzo from the hall. The couple of minutes thrusting under the covers after reading the Awake!, will always remind the young witness of what is being missed out on.

Conclusion: pre-marital sex = unhappy marriage.