well, it had to happen one day - only claire and i thought we'd be somewhat older and karl would have finished his university course.
karl telephoned earlier this week to let us know we're to become grandparents!
as karl is only 21 and has just started university i felt like reading the riot act - but what's the point!
Congratulations on becoming a grandad very shortly. You will soon have every excuse, license and obligation to be grumpy, leave your slippers lying round in front of the fire, swear and mutter under your breath when spoken to, move your tongue round your mouth while eating so that everyone can see, and make all sorts of painful noises whenever you move any muscle in your body.
LMAO!
Congratulations to all the family, I think he/she will be a very lucky baby with all that love around him/her.
http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/content/yarmouthmercury/news/story.aspx?brand=gymonline&category=news&tbrand=gymonline&tcategory=news&itemid=noed28%20sep%202006%2015%3a26%3a37%3a993.
(edited to get the link to work, if it don't get you straight there go down to "more news" "couple's faith tested").
couple's faith tested miles jermy.
(edited to get the link to work, if it don't get you straight there go down to "more news" "Couple's faith tested")
Couple's faith tested
28 September 2006
THEY were once devoted believers - but a husband and wife say their faith has been tested and their family torn apart after they were thrown out of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Members of the Bradwell congregation - including their only child, a daughter - are now forbidden from speaking to David and Brenda Gibbons since they were forced to
leave.
They were thrown out by a judicial committee at Great Yarmouth Kingdom Hall in July, after writing a letter containing personal criticism to another member of the congregation.
Declared “revilers”, people who speak ill of others, the decision to “disfellowship” the couple was upheld on appeal to the Jehovah's Witnesses' British branch in London.
They have not seen daughter Leah, 25, since being forced
to leave the organisation.
Retired merchant seaman
Mr Gibbons, 62, and Mrs Gibbons, 64, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, are devastated by the experience.
Mrs Gibbons told the Mercury: “It is heartbreaking that Leah is not allowed to speak to us because of a scriptural point of view.
“I do regret joining the Jehovah's Witnesses because then we would still have our daughter.
“We were renowned for being a close family; to love a child who has died is bad, to
lose a child who does not want to talk to you is quite heartbreaking.
“People need to know the consequences of stepping
out of line - so many families have been split up and
now we have lost a dear daughter.”
She added: “No religion should impose that on people, but there is very precise manipulation of the way believers think and feel.”
Jehovah's Witnesses are instructed to shun expelled members, who are allowed to attend services and receive spiritual guidance, but cannot be welcomed back into the congregation until they apologise for their actions.
Mr and Mrs Gibbons are adamant they have done nothing wrong and cannot return to the movement that was, until recently, central to their lives.
Mr Gibbons said: “The elders could have helped resolve the situation, but I believe they wanted me out because I was outspoken and this was an opportunity to remove me.
“Our Christian brothers and sisters would like to speak to us, but are fearful of what
action might be taken against them.
“We were loved by so many people, but now when they see us in the street they turn away The body of elders has created a climate of fear amid the congregation, which is divided into cliques.
“Even if I had committed a crime I would expect my family's support, but Brenda and I have done nothing wrong and yet we are completely isolated.
“What is the good of any religion that takes your daughter away from you
and does what has been done
to us.”
Mr Gibbons was stripped of his position as a ministerial servant in June; he
and his wife had been worshipping with the Gorleston congregation until their expulsion.
Worshippers are not told why a member is removed and
Mr Gibbons, who had managed the accounts at Bradwell Kingdom Hall, feared they would think he had been thrown out for stealing
money.
The last few months have been an ordeal for the couple after losing contact with a daughter they had been so close to and who encouraged them to join the Jehovah's Witnesses 14 years ago.
All they are left with now is memories of their time with Leah and a gallery of family photos at their home in Kingfisher Close.
Mr Gibbons added: “It was really Leah who got us into the church as she had a friend at school who was a Witness.
“Her father came round to visit us; we had a Bible study and joined after going along to worship for a year.
“We were renowned for being a close-knit family and well known for riding around together on a tandem cycle. We shared so many jokes and good times.
“This is tearing us apart,
we were always so full of
fun, laughter and life but
now just do not feel whole anymore.”
The Gibbons' daughter, Leah, refused to talk to the
Mercury when she was approached, and Trevor Gaskin, the presiding Jehovah's Witness also declined the comment.
"Revilers", haven't heard of anyone being d'fd for that. I think Mr Gibbons didn't keep his opinions to himself and became a pain to the elders. But at 62 and 64 how heartbreaking it is to have your daughter disown you.
This may make the daughter see the WT for what it is. It seems they were a close family and Mr Gibbons was probably one of those "characters". Don't know, just guessing.
i am going to send my jw relative the c of c book.
with it i am going to enclose some postings.
from this board.
As far as Franz goes, I can't believe the intelligent people on this board say things like "he isn't venting, he's just showing the facts in an un-biased way". GAG ME. He knew when he wrote that book that if he came across ANY other way, people would be like, "Oh he's just bitter and venting." Franz is smooth. The most successful people in debate are the ones that stay cool and collected, and that's what he does from an author's standpoint.
For instance, if I want to discourage somebody from going to a certain restaurant that I got fired from, I could say, "OH MY GOD WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T EAT THERE! THE MANAGEMENT ARE ASSHOLES AND I WILL PICKET THEIR PARKING LOT FOR ETERNITY" ........or..........I could say in a cool and calm tone, "Ah, that place has great steaks and awesome entertainment. I would eat there myself, BUT they purposely mix in toilet water with their salads. As much as I hate to, I think I'll stay away."
Ya'll know what I mean?
Exactly!
That is why it is an excellent read for someone exiting.
i just read the many responses and i apologize that this was offensive to some, and likely not the right place for it.
however, the truth is, i am still a jw--i am an inactive, secretly hateful, bitter jw and i will soon da.
did i make known that i was a jw in order to secure trust with a client?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4167204.stm
A quarter of 3,000 CVs submitted with job applications in 2004 had a lie in them,
It happens, we may not like it. But I bet we have all distorted the truth at some time to gain from it.
i am new to the site, although i have been a lurker for quite some time.
i was very nervous to create an account.
all of the people i work for and with are jw's and we are all family.
Welcome IWonder, I too was a long time lurker just joined.
Firstly don't give up on your husband. My wife knew of some of my issues for years, we very rarely spoke about them (only if she brougt things up) and I would always avoid an argument. It was a long term exit plan to. In fact after she came out I showed her, in an old diary, my goals. One of them read "Allow xxxxx to see the truth about "the truth". She couldn't believe it!
She thoroughly believed the truth even when she saw all the flaws.
Don't feel bad about going on the ministry if you have to let people take responsibility for themselves. You have to focus on your mission which, I guess would be to get out with hubby and without losing family.
I would work on a weekend (sorry, but it is an important contract etc.). I would "go out" during the week and report time and magazines. Once your hours have dropped, which it seems they are, you will be (probably are) labled as "weak". That is good because then not too much will be expected of you. The elder is just doing his job in trying to get you to go out with the group. He won't actually expect you to go out. IMO
Anyway, call in when you can and let us know how things go. But remember it could be a long process and "keep your eyes on the prize".
i had no idea there was such a strong support line for ex jehovah's witnesses.
i was raised from birth as a jw, son of the presiding overseer in my congregation.
i was groomed for "great works" according to the elders, and started giving my own talks at the age of 8. my father died when i was 9, and i think that if he hadn't i would still be a witness today.
Hi and welcome pgwvp,
This place is certainly a great resource.
Look forward to hearing more from you.
i often wondered this myself a lot growing up, and i must know.... if there was no paradise hope, no promise of living forever or having your dead loved ones resurrected....would you still serve your god and follow the organization?
would you have ever began studying with the witnesses for that matter or stayed in the ''truth'' if you were raised in it?.
because isn't that the golden ticket that jw's wave in front of their studies or interested ones?
Oh dear
It seems like I was the only idiot here to be of the notion "If there was no Paradise, this is still the best way to live; serving Jehovah".
Analyzing now I reckon it was because I never really bought all the lies about the New System. I remember arguing that "the generation" was one verse in the bible and how can that be used to say the end is so near. I would put it off, because I just knew it wasn't going to happen, things didn't add up.
I have spoken to others who "put it off", in their minds and that way you can't be wrong about The New System, because you may die but it is still going to happen.
Why did I become a JW probably because my wife was one. I thought the WT taught good morals and I thought we had good friends.
Having said that it may have been easier for me to come out because I wasn't afraid of dying. My wife struggled with that on her exit (she was brought up JW) especially by then we had a baby boy (Wow, is he gorgeous), are we now pleased that he won't have to through what she did.
an interesting public talk some years ago, there was an interesting talk based on noah's ark and.
the brother giving the talk had a full model display scaled down so that .
individuals could appreciate the type of work that went into such a .
I still have the outlines of the talks I gave plus some others.
One of the talks "The Sacredness of LIfe and Blood" dated 8/00 was the talk I never gave. It was while preparing for this talk I decided I ought to actually find out what the "abstain from blood" meant.
Well I did find out.
if it's called 'judicial', i don't see why you can't
Just found this from the Pay Attention Manual.
http://www.dbhome.dk/carlo/unit5b.htm
If the accused wishes to bring witnesses who can speak
in his defense regarding the matter, he may do so.However, observers are not permitted.
You can only take a witness for the defence no-one for support or to witness the meeting
yes, it's official!
in the new system jehovah's witnesses will still have to attend the terrible meetings for all eternity!!!!!!.
the watchtower, november 1st, page 31, para 16:.
Following on Bubble thought, does it mean the ministry will still be done to convert those resurrected ones.. HAHA no saturday mornings off even then
Just imagine a thousand years of meetings and ministry before you will finally be free Oh, but after the 1000 years do you think they will have a meeting on a Saturday morning to make up for it.
I just don't know how they will have time for all the gardening.
