Posts by Open mind

29

WT wants members to auxiliary pioneer in place of vacations now!!!

by EndofMysteries in

the may 2014 km, posted in another thread is a link to download it.

page 2, for week starting may 19th under the service meeting:.

discussion.

Open mind

I grew up in a family where the mentality was:

"If you're not in some form of full-time service, you're a loser."

The only exceptions were: (1) Kids during the school year, (2) SOME people with disabilities that passed the scrutiny of judgemental JWs, (3) Moms with tons of kids, and (4) people with serious financial problems who hadn't yet figured out how to "balance" making money and pioneering.

As a kid, I didn't like the fact that I was EXPECTED to auxiliary pioneer during summer breaks. But, aside from the damaging cult aspects, I think it helped build a decent work ethic in me as well as time-management. Let's face it, how hard is it for a kid with no other obligations to get in 60 hrs? For me it was just a necessary chore to get through before I could either go have fun or make some bucks.

Having said that, everyone would have been better off if my parents had required us to get summer jobs instead of pioneering.

om

45

Hello

by GoUnion in

jw
friends

hello everyone it's nice to finally be able to post i had trouble getting emails last month and was never able to sign up.

this has been a very informative site which has really helped me grow and to think for myself.

please allow me to introduce myself.. i was born into a witness family and was baptized at a young age an was part of a small kingdom hall.

Open mind

Welcome GU!

What a carefully crafted first post. Designed to lure unsuspecting sheep away from God's True Organization (tm).

Just teasing. Your story has the refreshing aroma of honesty and truthfulness.

Take your time. Go VERY easy on your wife if she's not ahead of you in reevaluating the JWs.

I'm sending you a PM.

Best regards,

om and wife

64

I'm not trying to brag, but being an EXJW is awesome!!! Status Update-

by Coffee House Girl in

jw
friends

hello jwn!

i don't get to check in here or comment as often as i would like because i have been working so hard at school...but i just have to share my news in hopes that newbees can see that taking the leap to enroll in higher education is worth it-.

i am graduating this spring with a bachelor degree in art history, minor anthropology...many people (including nonjw's have given me flack for choosing a "dead end" career path) but since leaving the watchtower organization's group-think mentality and "leaning on my own understanding" instead... i decided to say fuck everyone else's opinion...i am going to pursue my passion to work in a museum as a curator or archivist-.

Open mind

Congratulations and kudos to you CHG!!!

Folks like you are the "keepers of the culture".

May your path be fulfilling.

om

97

I did it !!!!

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

7 years ago i started on a path i had long ago given up on as impossible.

i met with my elders and told them i could not justify carrying on as a jw.

i went and got my high school qualifications and my higher education diploma (a levels with distinction) in just 12 months.

Open mind

Congratulations!!!

(And ditto on Mag's comment.)

om

74

Billy's Comments You Won't Hear at the 01-19-2014 WT Study (7 Shepherds, 8 Dukes)

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

16-20. we shall also have to raise up against him seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.mic.

what is the most important thing that you can do now to prepare for any future attack on gods people?.

all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. .

Open mind

Darn! Sister Magwitch beat me to my "comment".

It is such a blessing to Jehovah's people that they have the Slave Class here to tell them that "8 is one more than 7".

LOL!

When I read that I just about spit out my coffee. I was reminded of a Circuit Assembly where they reminded everyone in attendance how important it is to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

Really? Thanks Watchtower! I don't think I could get my shoes tied in the morning without your spirit-directed guidance.

om

42

New to JWN and excited!

by sunny23 in

have been visiting jwn for about a week now and it motivated me to join.

i look forward to meeting everyone i can and learning from their experiences and wisdom as i search for more and more reasons not to get reinstated.

here's most of my story:.

Open mind

Welcome to JWN!

Really enjoyed reading your exit story.

If you'd like to read an irreverent, hilarious (imo) critique of The Bible, try reading Mark Twain's "Letters from the Earth".

It's in the public domain and you can get it free as a PDF, EPUB or Kindle doc here:

http://www.globalgrey.co.uk/Pages/Books-Classics/Letters-From-The-Earth.html#.UsGbD_scqRM

All the best to you on your path,

om

50

Anyone here close to Grace Gough/Mouthy?

by satinka in

jw
friends

if anyone knows mouthy/grace gough, it would be awesome if someone would look in on her.

she is feeling the effects of the ice storm and is all alone and it is christmas eve.

i just sent her an email and received this reply back:.

Open mind

Merry Christmas to all! (and especially to our resident Granny Grace!)

om & ms. om

17

Been a long time...but here is an update.

by crazy2try in

i haven't posted in 3 years.

my husband and i haven't gone to a meeting or memorial in 2 years.

what a great feeling!

Open mind

thanks for taking the time to share your very positive story with all of us.all the best to you and yours in the years ahead.

5

Training the child regarding right and wrong

by man in black in

interesting experience i had friday morning :.

here is illinois we had freezing rain, so while waiting for the train at 8:00 am people were slipping and sliding all over the place.

i was on the platform, 5 minutes before the train pulled in, quite a few people were also waiting.. a lady ( about 40 years old) was holding onto her mother, who looked to be in her mid 70's as they crossed the track platform.. suddenly the mother slipped and fell, i dropped my coffee and ran over to help her along with one other man.

Open mind

Thanks for sharing this bittersweet event with us maninblack.

Half-way through reading it, I thought one of the ladies was going to be a JW and try "witnessing" to you.

A variation on this kind of situation that I'm sure you're familiar with is when a JW does a good deed and then tells the person they helped to make sure to "listen to JWs the next time they knock at your door".

Even as a true-believing JW, that kind of thing always seemed wrong at a gut level. I never could bring myself to "advertise" in that manner.

Here's to humans helping out fellow humans!

om

83

WATCHTOWER IN A PANIC!

by JW GoneBad in

jws are in need of more kingdom halls in many major u.s. cities.

at this years agm where it is expected that most of the faithful will be able to listen to the meeting (being tied in by video), dont be surprised if the wts 8 gb members take part in a symposium delivering some long winded appeal, petition, plea, proposal, proposition, solicitation or otherwise hit-on the masses for $$$ in order to lighten the burden and overuse that many kingdom halls are experiencing.

an acquaintance from the west coast mentioned to me that in late august thru early september of this year that a number of pow-wows involving close to 5,000 elders from numerous areas (riverside, los angeles, ventura and orange counties) took place to drum up financial support from the 800+ (not sure) congregations in those areas.

Open mind

Any LA-area, long-time posters able to verify?

om