Two things: 1 As a very amateur shutterbug, these are great photos 2 AS a homesick Aussie, these are great photos Can I ask what camera you are using, as I need to invest. My other half thinks you are near Dromoine (sp?). How close is he? My auntie is on the other side in Manly. Oh how I love to slum in Manly.
Stezza
JoinedPosts by Stezza
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21
Was this like Armageddon over Sydney yesterday?
by ozziepost inbeen off-air mopping up since last night.
the mother of all storms hit us and quite suddenly - one minute it was hot (as usual lately), the next all went dark and the most violent of thunderstorms hit us.
in a time of drought this was some reversal!
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16
Urgent: Moral guidance required
by sass_my_frass inlong story short: my nan, mum's mum (mum's a jw), has two living sisters, aunty a and aunty j; none of them are witnesses and don't like jws very much.
they're all in their eighties.
my nan lives in the state i grew up in but my (great) aunts live in the state i live in now and are visiting my nan.
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Stezza
Pain relief and healing rift are the most important things.
I have no idea how to find personal email address on here or anything so if you know how to get my email address or if you or anyone else can explain it to me I would be most grateful!
See you soon
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31
Tortured
by Xnived Shadow ini just got back from iraq..... i was a jw before i left.
i am readjusting to everything here in the real world and i gotta admit its kinda hard.
my military and jw training make for alot of sleepless nights and painful days.
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Stezza
Welcome to the board.
Firstly you need to lose friends that tell you that your life is pathetic, they are not needed.
I hate war but my heart goes out to young men such as yourself that put your self out there. I personally believe that when the government goes to war the first on the frontline should the sons of those in govenment. Maybe they would think twice. Doubt it.
What is important now is your emotional health. Make sure you are aware of PTSD symptoms so if you need counselling you can get it, and do not delay if you need to talk.
The only person that knows you is you and God, no one else can pass judgement on what you have done in your life, only you know if you have acted with honour with the knowledge you had at the time and forgive yourself.
If you know Sara's surname and her last location, maybe save towards a private dectective if you have found googling unsuccessful so far.
There may be an ex-jw meet up near you or near where you used to live, someone in the Meet Up may have some information. This could be a cheaper first option then the PI.
Please keep coming on here and reading as you will realise that this organisation has some real problems and you are not wrong to have a cognitive malfunction with what you were told and what you saw around in the congregation and on top of that the emotional blackmail that it is the truth. No matter how bad it is it is the truth.
I never had a JC and reading about them and about how you are treated as reproved or DF'd etc, I sure am glad. So I would not worry about that most would say you had a lucky escape and that they are quite psycholoically damaging, nobody needs that.
Look after yourself and look forward ot hearing from you again
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Getting my groove back
by Stezza infate (or something) has meant that my last day of work is friday and that i will be able to go home for about 3 weeks.
home is melbourne, australia, i live in ireland at the moment.. when i left the organisation in around 1998, i pretty much disappeared, i was fortunate enough to have to travel for work and move back home (no point renting if you are never there and you are not home so much your mother annoys you), so i never got the difficult questions, hauled out the back etc, anyway in their minds i was a single girl desperate to get married they probably thought i found a boyfriend, i actually would of liked to have been a missionary) .
after i travelled for work i resigned and did what many antipodeans do - travel and and live overseas.
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Stezza
Fate (or something) has meant that my last day of work is Friday and that I will be able to go home for about 3 weeks. Home is Melbourne, Australia, I live in Ireland at the moment.
When I left the organisation in around 1998, I pretty much disappeared, I was fortunate enough to have to travel for work and move back home (no point renting if you are never there and you are not home so much your mother annoys you), so I never got the difficult questions, hauled out the back etc, anyway in their minds I was a single girl desperate to get married they probably thought I found a boyfriend, I actually would of liked to have been a missionary)
After I travelled for work I resigned and did what many antipodeans do - travel and and live overseas. This was great as it was a complete break and I could concentrate on myself. And guess what no peer pressure to do drugs, drinks, sex all those things we were told worldly people are doing 24/7.
I think I mentioned in another thread why I left, it was because I became aware of how child abuse was being treated by these people. I could not in good conscience be linked to this as I do not feel I could be linked to any group that did/does such a thing. A little while after that I realised my nana who had been a witness for over 50 years was being treated quite badly as due to old age she did not recover as quickly as she expected to from Ross River Fever (There is nothing sadder then a fit healthy 80 year old having poor health, she thought she was 25 until she got sick). All those years of being told we are your family, you cannot rely on your worldly family to find the spiritual family have all buggered off leaving your worldly children there who do look after you!
The lack of respect to her convinced me I was right to leave.
This did not mean that I thought I did the right thing. I certainly thought the weakness was mine as I could not wait on JHWH and quite frankly as I prayed before I left 'I like you but I hate your friends!'
So all the books got packed up and I never told anyone why I left (bringing shame on Jehovah's name), when the witnesses caught up with me in Ireland I took the magazine and gave them a cup of tea, etc I also wanted my husband to know some stuff so he could understand my background. I never informed anyone why I left etc.
It dawned on me the other day reading a thread, I have forgotten which one, that all this behaviour was becasue I was ashamed of the fact that I left, I should be proud that I left that I said to God that it was now between him and me, because that is what the bible says.
So next week when I get home. I have decided to get some closure on some things as follows:
1. Throw out all the publications, I was going to leave them at the hall, or op shop but quite frankly the bin is where they belong.
2. Go the local police station and give them the name and address of the person who did those acts. I think he is still alive as he is still in the phone book. He lives opposite a local swimming pool, which has always been my greatest concern and I thought a good witness should be thinking of the wider community. My friend has a husband that is a police officer and my understanding is that they will keep an eye on him but not do anything too obvious.
3. Look up some people and see what they are doing. I will be honest with them, but not before I find out the gossip and other addresses. I have googled and found one girl I was friends with and last I heard she was out so fingers crossed!
4. If I meet anyone still in the company I am going to be direct and say that the bible says that we all have a relationship with God individually and that I am sure of my good heart condition, but what I was not too sure about was the moral ambivalence the company has to child abuse and I cannot represent this company at the doors anymore. There is no faithful and discreet slave class in the bible and your blood policy is a nonsense, how is anyone in the fog of emergency to seperate it all out like that, feel free to kill yourself but I will not be assocaited with the deaths of children.
5. Try and convince my mother this is a load of shite. ( I could write a whole thread on her)
BRAINWAVE: If children were not to get baptised as they had to have adult reasoning, then surely a child should be able to accpet blood transfusions as they have not reasoned it in an adult way. A parents first repsonsibilty is to raise a happy healthy child to an adult to make their own decisions on their faith, not to allow the child to die as what can be seen as some sacrifice to the company. Interestingly the Irish Court has delived a similiar decision. A mother in child birth (JW) lost blood and refused a transfusion, the court ruled that she was able to be given one. On of the arguments for it was that this woman being an immigrant was this newborns only parent, and the child (under the constition and human rights) has a right to a parent. Child also has a right to life, that is why they are not going to win many of these cases. And they will start losing the adult ones as well. But I digress.
Anyway I just thought I would let you know my plans for the next few weeks and I have to say I have you guys to thank as I know that I have not fallen short of these people but they have falledn short of me.
I will keep you informed of my adventures!
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16
Urgent: Moral guidance required
by sass_my_frass inlong story short: my nan, mum's mum (mum's a jw), has two living sisters, aunty a and aunty j; none of them are witnesses and don't like jws very much.
they're all in their eighties.
my nan lives in the state i grew up in but my (great) aunts live in the state i live in now and are visiting my nan.
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Stezza
Have you talked toyour mum and auntie??
By the way I fly home for 3 weeks next week and I would love to meet you.
When I left, I did not speak to anyone about it, this is my first time on this board and I would love to meet up with someone esp another aussie.
We can swap mad mother health stories and we can meet in public like a dodgy internet date!
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21
"Jehovah has blessed me"
by restrangled ini talked to my mom yesterday.
she just had to vent about some "brother" in her car group this week.
he had been in the hospital and racked up a $25,000.00 bill but had no insurance to pay for it.
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Stezza
I think that is the point, does he appreciate that false religion and apostates have contributed?
I knew a witness lady that always donated to the Salvation Army as they helped her family when she was a kid with an alcoholic father. She was an exception.
I would imagine he would think that in some way he deserves, Restrangled see if your mum can find out more information, she did not sound that impressed so she may be happy to dig further.
What is nasty is that if he did have spare cash he would not donate as that is supporting false religion.
My understanding of health insurance in the states is that it is more or less compulsory, why are witnesses not getting health insurance if they can afford it? My understanding is you are screwed without it. Does not the bible speak about not knowing what can befall us? Also the education thing that seemed far more 'right wing' then anything in Australia. Is that becasue you live on Campus wheras most college kids in Australia are still at home?
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"Jehovah has blessed me"
by restrangled ini talked to my mom yesterday.
she just had to vent about some "brother" in her car group this week.
he had been in the hospital and racked up a $25,000.00 bill but had no insurance to pay for it.
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Stezza
Someone needs to send an anonymous tip off to a charity. That is disgusting. Words do not even describe how horrible that is. But becasue it is just some worldy person denied it does not really matter.
You know the scripture that says says it is not easy to get in and that there were no guarantees, that we ourselves are not guaranteed, I used to remember thinking yeah and there are going to be some that are going to be absolutley amazed as to who does get in, I always thought 'worldly' people would get in to the shock of those in the congregation when the time came, there is a nice little catholic lady who genuinely helps people and she has just taken this asshole's place (if he had one to begin with).
Now I am cranky
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Urgent: Moral guidance required
by sass_my_frass inlong story short: my nan, mum's mum (mum's a jw), has two living sisters, aunty a and aunty j; none of them are witnesses and don't like jws very much.
they're all in their eighties.
my nan lives in the state i grew up in but my (great) aunts live in the state i live in now and are visiting my nan.
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Stezza
Well the legal system is quite strict on what these POA's do. If there is any thought that your mum is trying to unreasonably (in the courts opinion) influence a sick little old lady who does not practice that religion I cannot see how they can allow her to make such a decision. Your mum can influnce all she likes but if she is unconscious needing blood and the hospital is aware that auntie is not a witness, they will either ignore your mother or get an injunction and say that your mother unreasonably influenced her. I am sure the other auntie will say at the required houe she is not a witness. I think she picked your mother because she can hold her own, not because of her view on blood.
These POA's are practically worthless on anyone under the age of 18 as they are vulnerable. Elderly people are protected for a similiar reason. I would not be suprised if a rich old person gets sick, a witness with a POA with adult children in and out of the truth, if the one in the Truth has the POA and the old one is a bit potty or there is large estate at stake, I would not be suprised if the wordly children did not go to court to get some control. Perhaps this has happened already? Anybody?
I think you need to be honest with your mum and tell her that she had better speak to your aunties sooner then later about what she wants/does not. If she is that old and ill, there are going to be a few difficult decisions to be made, blood being only one of them. Let your mum decide if she thinks she can handle the stress on her biblically trained conscience and let her know you are only thinking of her. Is it possible you can have a phone call with your auntie and say something in jest like 'make sure mum lets you have a blood transfusion' ha ha. Old ladies want to hang around. This will put the fire under her.
Also if she gets very ill there will need to be a phone call to the sons to see her, and when they ask why is she dying and told as she would not take blood there will be tears. They could probably sue your mum and the hospital for wrongful death and the HLC will be in no way involved as your aunt is not a witness - that is quite a scary possibility. It would be a civil case and all that has to be proved is that on the 'balance of probabilites' that blood would have helped her treatment etc. If you get a son sobbing that the lack of blood transfusion, prevented him making amends, well it could get messy. This mind you is the worse case scenario, and due to expense probably would not get to court, but solicitors letters are expensive. The thing is your mum may have no intention of influencing, sound her out first.
Blood or no blood, it is a huge repsonsibility.
I can read you on the crazy mum health stuff. My mother has just told me she has cured her brain tumour and a sister at the hall (a nurse no less) said that was why she was tired because her system that had been fighting it. I know two people who have had brain tumours, one has survived only because her local hospital in the states is the hospital in the hospital in the US to go to and the other one died leaving 4 small children. What is it with kooky medical BS??
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time to introduce myself
by Sam87 inok, ive been posting here for quite a few days and i realised that i havnt actually introduced myself properly.
at the moment i am slowly gathering as much information about what the org has done wrong and i will be putting it into an easy to read (easy enough for jws to read i should say.
later on i would like to go to an assembly and put my new 'tracts' on the seats and under peoples window washers, anywhere where they can be seen, because i view this as my new form of witnessing, and let me tell you its going to be alot more fullfilling than anything ive ever done in the jehovahs witnesses!.
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Stezza
Fantastic that your family have left together, what do they say..the family that prays together stays together. You have proved that true. It will be nearly impossible to put them into Melton (unless you go weeks your circuit or district are not there) and are they still holding it in the Tennis Centre, dont they go into lockdown mode a day or before?
You could though:
* Cafes where they hang out (especailly your local area) ask the owner if you can leave something with the newspapers for folk to read)
* that strip shopping centre in Melton (destroy any good reputation they may have)
* On cars in shopping centre car parks (lots go to Chaddy for shopping, movies and bowling)
* The car park at Knox (near where the cinema is, they are crawling there)
* Eastland as well (another movie theatre)
As you can see I know the Eastern suburbs and some may be out of date.
I think that would be better as you would be getting return visits as well.
Please post it for us to read when you are finished.
Good Luck
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time to introduce myself
by Sam87 inok, ive been posting here for quite a few days and i realised that i havnt actually introduced myself properly.
at the moment i am slowly gathering as much information about what the org has done wrong and i will be putting it into an easy to read (easy enough for jws to read i should say.
later on i would like to go to an assembly and put my new 'tracts' on the seats and under peoples window washers, anywhere where they can be seen, because i view this as my new form of witnessing, and let me tell you its going to be alot more fullfilling than anything ive ever done in the jehovahs witnesses!.
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