hey gang,.
how important is ritual to you?.
many who leave the watchtower find ritual to be very healing and meaningful in our lives.. anyone here found the same to be true?.
Randy:
How important is ritual to you?
Many who leave the watchtower find ritual to be very healing and meaningful in our lives.
Anyone here found the same to be true?
I have found ritual to be very comforting. I am newly Catholic, and I love the wonderful prayers and rituals of the Church, many of which are very ancient.
The article you posted is very interesting ;-) I have also enjoyed reading some of Thomas Howard's writing on the subject.
Pax,
Ruth
i am now roman catholic :-).
the easter vigil mass (at which i was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the church yesterday morning.
so i went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.. so who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so i was home all day) but two jw elders.
Inquisitor:
Our resilience will grow with time.
Thank you, Inquisitor. I know I tend to be hard on myself. I just keep thinking how bizarre is it that a grandmother is hiding in her room so she doesn't have to talk to somebody LOL.
nomoreguilt:
Did he perhaps INVITE them to your home to talk and reason with you? Just a passing thought, as many spouses are well intended.
nmg,
I have told him on more than one occasion that I would not meet with/talk with the JW elders under any circumstances. I suppose it is possible that he invited them, but he didn't know precisely when I would be home so the timing is still bizarre.
Hope4Others:
I think it is just the inevitable to happen.I am now Roman CatholicSome how they have become aware of this, I think your reaction to the visit would be normal to many especially when it's unexpected.
Hope,
I became aware a couple of weeks ago that my conversion was now "common knowledge" in the congregation. This did not disturb me, I have not been hiding my Catholic pursuits from anyone.
It is only inevitable when viewed from the mindset of the Witnesses. If a Catholic stops coming to Mass and starts going to a Baptist Church, for example, the Church takes no "action" against that person. They PRAY FOR THEM!! They WANT them to come back. They certainly do not shun them.
The Witnesses pursue an us/them mentality that leads them to this rather bizarre behavior. In the final analysis, all they wanted from me (I am certain) is a clear statement that I am no longer a Jehovah's Witness. I chose to make that statement by being received into the Church, not by cooperating with the JW power structure. Behavior like mine makes them beyond furious, because it is beyond their control.
choosing life:
Congratulations on your baptism. Does your husband talk to others about your new faith? It seems rather unusual they would come at such a specific time, if no one tipped them off.
Thank you, Choosing. My husband has been trying to avoid acknowledging my new faith. I started wearing a Crucifix last Wednesday and he has yet to mention it. I haven't taken it off, even once, and it is in plain view. So it is clear that he is ignoring it.
I thought a Saturday afternoon visit was rather odd. As I mentioned above, I am certain they have heard about my conversion. But the fact that they caught me home when I was only there a relatively short time is odd.
Gayle:
But you know what,,last week two fellas came by, I answered the door, I dominated the conversation for 6/7 min., they don't know me in this area.
Good for you!! I have lived here all my life, so I can't exactly hide out. But if I ever get the opportunity to talk to a Witness (in a circumstance where they are not trying to "hang me" LOL), I will try to make them think a little.
Thank you all for your kind comments,
Ruth
i am now roman catholic :-).
the easter vigil mass (at which i was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the church yesterday morning.
so i went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.. so who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so i was home all day) but two jw elders.
I am now Roman Catholic :-)
The Easter Vigil Mass (at which I was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the Church yesterday morning. So I went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.
So who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so I was home all day) but two JW elders. They were from the local congregation but I didn't know them (that's how long I've been gone). My daughter answered the door and I went in my bedroom and closed the door. My husband went out to talk to them (they didn't come into the house because my granddaughter had a virus supposedly).
My husband came to the bedroom door and knocked. He said that the "brothers" wanted to talk to me. I told him that I did not want to talk to them. Then he insisted that I open the door, and told me I "had" to talk to the "brothers". I told him I DID NOT have to talk to them and that I would not talk with them and I closed and locked the door.
My husband told them (according to my daughter) that HE was coming to the Memorial, and they left.
I wanted them to know that they no longer have power over me. They can do whatever they want (and I am sure they will), but I will be no part of their kangaroo court. I was angry with myself that they engendered any feeling in me at all, but the adrenalin was definitely up while they were there. Fight or flight -- I chose flight.
I have not presented myself as a Witness for many years. I didn't even attend Memorial last year. I have been inactive at least ten years. And still they came...
On the plus side, they must consider me a pretty dangerous person if they feel they need to brand me as untouchable by members of the congregation. On the minus side, they are still trying to warp my husband's mind (he is not attending Church with me).
More on the happy events of the day in another post.
Pax,
Ruth
after reading the thread about what is acceptable to wear and not wear in a factory run by jehovah's witnesses, i wondered whether any here ever got counseled or in trouble because of their fashion sense or attire.
Yup!
I played piano for our Circuit Assemblies. In the Spring of 1977, a couple of months after the birth of my daughter, we had a CA. Since none of my pre-baby clothes were breastfeeding friendly (and mostly didn't fit anyway), my Mom helped me pick out a couple of outfits and she paid for one while I paid for the other.
When I got to the Assembly on Saturday, the brother in charge of the music said that my clothing was "too casual". I had on a matching skirt and top, the skirt was a wraparound skirt with plenty of overlap and length midknee. The top buttoned in the front, had topstiching and pockets, and was belted. I would call it a "safari style", but with a skirt. He asked me if I would please go and change before the meeting.
I told him that I didn't have anything to change into, and that he could either let me play or he could play the piano himself (I always was cantakerous LOL).
I played in what I was wearing. Later I told my father what the brother had said and he thought it was ridiculous.
Next assembly, there was a different brother in charge of music (thankfully!).
To me it was an example of letting personal opinion get way out of hand. No way was I improperly dressed, except to this one brother (who was probably trying to figure out how to see what was behind that wrap-around-skirt *ugh*).
I hate JW flashbacks...
Ruth
jws, and christians in genreral, are taught that god answers prayers of sincere believers.
on the other hand, there is a popular bumpersticker which reads "nothing fails like prayer".. what has been your experience in this regard?
did god answer your most heartfelt prayers, or were they ignored?.
Yes...
Ruth
ha ha ha, i just got my memorial invite, on my friggen cell phone!!!
so funny, they took a picture of the invite and sent it to my cell, with a line that read, "u r invited"
Andre:
Do you know who sent it to you? My husband has to pay for each text message sent or received. He would be mad if he got a message like that on his cell!
We got one stuck in the door over the weekend. My daughter was home and she said they knocked "very lightly", put it in the door, and disappeared. She didn't get a good look, so we don't know if it was someone who knows us or not.
Pax,
Ruth
the memorial is supposed to be held in nisan 14, jewish calendar.
that day is april 19, 2008. why is the memorial being held this coming saturday march, 22?
does anybody know?
Since in the Catholic Church, the celebration of Easter (Easter Vigil) begins at sundown on March 22, and the JW Memorial is held after sundown on March 22, the dates of Easter (celebration of the resurrection) and the JW celebration of the Lord's Evening Meal fall on the same date exactly this year.
This is particularly significant for me, with my Catholic baptism occuring this Saturday (not quite 41 years after my JW baptism).
Pax,
Ruth
hey, im not sure if any of u remember the other time i said that i liked this jw girl, but im gonna jump that.
well, she's invited me to her gathering on the 22nd.
which is like according to them, jesus's b'day.
I recommend you go to the Easter Vigil instead, since you are Catholic.
Ruth
each time i go, i see a bunch of happy people, young and old.
some smile more than others, but just about everyone seems happy to be there.. maybe we left because we weren't that happy, rather than finding flaws in the religion.. maybe they look happy because they aren't allowed to look sad..
Prozac?
Ruth
Seriously, I would put on a happy face when I went, because if I didn't then I knew somebody was going to give me the third degree...
greetings, my friends:.
the above question is not in regard to one's weight.
that would be a rude question .... in terms of your jw experience, have the losses you've suffered been offset by the good you've gained?.
Hi CoCo:
I've gained (since leaving the JWs) MUCH more than I've lost.
On the lost side, I have cousins with whom I've lost contact. My only sister emails me RARELY and only when she needs to discuss "family business". People who have known me all my life get a "deer in the headlights" look on their faces and walk faster when I say hello in WalMart (yes, I always say hello...).
On the plus side, I have gained amazing friends (IRL) who mean the world to me. I have a new-found faith (Catholicism) and a wonderful prayer life (that I didn't even know existed before). I am planning to be baptized in the Catholic faith -- hopefully on March 22 (take that, Brooklyn!). I even still have contact with some active JWs (quietly) who know all about my apostate tendencies and don't care. I hope to be a good influence on them!
I have met lots of great people online (such as yourself, CoCo). I have corresponded with some of the researchers on this board (Atlantis and Cabasillas rock!).
I know now that I can be with Jesus forever when I die!
Yup, much more in the "gained" column than the lost column. I could go on, but you get the picture...
Pax (Yeah, peace of mind, that's another BIG gain! As a JW, I had anxiety attacks...),
Ruth
