Hmmm. Maybe that could be 3 or 4 signs, so I would need some volunteers...
(I am not planning on doing this btw, my weekends are spent recuperating from the first 30 years of my life as a JW...)
ok. me and friends are going to attend a memorial on 30 march.. what would be the best way to get our message across?.
should we just throw a hundred flyers into the hall in the middle of the memorial?.
should we drink the wine and eat all the bread and then stand up and say something?.
Hmmm. Maybe that could be 3 or 4 signs, so I would need some volunteers...
(I am not planning on doing this btw, my weekends are spent recuperating from the first 30 years of my life as a JW...)
was it a long process?.
is it still ongoing?.
did you have a long range plan?.
I resigned, blew up the bridge, and never looked back.
As an elder, you are taught that if you ever have to write a letter, you should try to get it on one side of one piece of paper, with no smaller then a 10 point font and some margins... (I shit you not) So it gave me great pleasure to say all that I had to say on one side of one piece of paper.
I know that sounds cool, and I smile as I type it, but it was painful. Nevertheless (I learned that word at the Theocratic Ministry School ) I couldn't have done it any other way.
my dad,an elder for 25plus years,concentration camp survivor,the works,died in a few weeks ago.i am df'd but have been the only one who helps him and my mum.my jw sister couldnt give a rats ass about them.i was at my mom and dads house after he died,helping my mom with everyting,hell,id been there for 2 months because i was afraid to leave them alone.i knew my dad wasnt feeling well.guess he was worse than i realized.he died.the witnesses came in droves.small kitchen.im sitting at the table.they not only didnt speak to me,but they didnt even acknowledge that i was in the room,about day 3,i stopped answering the door..one "lady" called.sister carol.when i answered the phone she hesitated and said",now you know,i caint tawk to yew"{strong southern accent.ala elie may clampett}"you orta let cher mawma ainser the phone.
"i told her to bite me and hung up on her...same here,when we got back home.i hate these people with the fury of a thousand suns,but for some reason,i am now in possession of some great elders notes.been laying low,but im going to start posting the juicy stuff.just cause itd be nice for calvin to know that he was seen "dancing recklessly" at a wedding and that sister renee was being councied for her weight and still insisted on gaining more.also that sister e wasnt giving her husband his "due"..{yik}and that certain concetration camp survivors were being coerced into saying that they were jw's at the time of incarceration.but one wouldnt.my dad refused to play their game,and as a result he was asked to step down as an elder at age of 80.that and that he refused to shun me.his notes have been very enlightening..nice folks thise jw's,no?
they were so mean to my dad, he really believed this crap,and tried to do the right thing.but because he wouldnt dance their way,and turn me,his favorite person{and he was mine|into the cold they treated him badly and mocked him and even his accent.i hate them.really.any ideas?the local elder here,just asked my mom about her financial situation...grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
My condolences on your loss.
ok. me and friends are going to attend a memorial on 30 march.. what would be the best way to get our message across?.
should we just throw a hundred flyers into the hall in the middle of the memorial?.
should we drink the wine and eat all the bread and then stand up and say something?.
Hey Sirona. This isn't meant to be a pile on, I wanted to express agreement for those that urged restraint. I think you made a great decision.
Today, I was thinking about this oddly enough, which is why I am responding to your thread now. I asked myself, "What would be the most effective protest to a JW gathering?"
To me, I think a big simple sign as people walked by at a convention would be best. It would say the following.
DO YOU KNOW WHY THE GOVERNING BODY DOESN'T WANT YOU TO RESEARCH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ON THE INTERNET?
IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT TO HIDE, AND MANY LIES
WHY ELSE WOULD THEY FORBID IT?
JUST GOOGLE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSEES WHEN YOU ARE ALONE. DON'T BE AFRAID. THEY WON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
THOSE WHO USED TO BE JW'S AREN'T EVIL, THEY JUST LEARNED THE TRUTH. THATS IT.
How I would fit that on a sign is another matter entirely.
But thats all you need, just implant this one idea, "What is the GB so afraid of?" Then, let nature take its course.
this economy is killing me.
many sleepless nights..
Hey Paul. Some times are made to thrive, and others to survive. This is the time to take pride in every day you survive. There will be other times for you to make some money and progress. Don't discount that. Not too many are thriving right now.... Peace to you my friend.
whatever your chosen strategy for leaving jws, the fundamental truth is that there is no clean / simple exit.
the mind control, the manipulation of normal family relationships etc will make any strategy very difficult at times.
the key issue is to know this ahead of time and be prepared, as best you can.. we've all chosen leaving strategies acording to our personal circumstances, preferences and learning from others.
I used to feel this way. I think it important to mention here that faders fade for one simple reason: to bypass via that small "loophole" that exists so that they can still associate with family and friends.
Otherwise, I can't think of a good reason to fade.
The consequences of leaving is the one thing that the GB still has, to be able to keep loved ones away from you as punishment for ever leaving the group.
I didn't fade, and I have discussed here many times the wisdom of fading. At first, I didn't understand, but over the years, I realize why those that fade do, and I applaud them.
I agree that fading has many disadvantages, and I think in fairness, one thing shouldn't be overlooked. In order to gain your family and friends, you do have to live an incongruent life, and play their game a bit. Even if it is playing it against them.
Having said that, the blowing up the bridge method that I and others took by resigning has its own consequences, and they shouldn't be minimized....
understanding jw recruiting concepts can help others to leave.
when i first left jehovah's witnesses (jw's), i was somewhat amused at the sheer amount of anti jw websites out there.
while websites like freeminds.org and jwfacts.com are great, (non hysterical sites that stress fact and presentation over emotional responses), there are at least 5 times as many other sites that act as if you should treat a jw at your door like you would a spreader of the ebola virus.. i don't disagree with the fact that jw's are somewhat dangerous and usually go for the low hanging fruit.
Hi hatchetmom! Welcome. Glad you avoided the sickness!
Shamus, anytime I use absolutes thoughtlessly, well, I get ashamed.... :) Good call. You are right of course, it isn't the only way. My point though is simply that for most JW's, the water is there. They know that "information" exists about their religion and that they are forbidden to look at it. They are curious. But they snuff out the curiosity.
So most who leave (as opposed to being kicked out) go to a place called factual information. That place has never changed, and never will. It's all history, and the only thing one has to do is read it with an open mind.
i'm inviting anyone to tell me what's wrong with me, what they don't like, what i suck at, where i start to fail, where i get off, and like that.
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... and yes, i will take silence as a sign i am a pretty great person after all :p.
Lets see, you are a leec with a lobster for an avatar, you are a former JW who likely has issues, Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries.
I hope I didn't leave anything out.
http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=1406.
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Oh, I get it... I read the right hand side of the column.
Time for me to exit stage right.
http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=1406.
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What the hell is this about again?