this is my first post even thou ive been lurking for some time.
i was raised in as a jw, and im still in because of my family.
since waking up i found meetings, assemblies and fs stressing and thought writing in here might be therapeutic.
welcome! so happy for you! hope you read ray franz" crisis of conscience book> really a must< there were many things i knew and saw but helped to tie it all together> there are many other books that you will see recommended by others here> we had to 'read' so much of senseless things, so we need to read alot to unravel a lot snarls done by the WT.
Best wishes to you in your new life. free mind venture!
for many of us, independence/independent celebration is compounded.
for me, this has become also my special celebration day of my "independence" and becoming independent from the watchtower/jw control.
extra "sparklers" for me!!
For many of us, Independence/Independent celebration is compounded. For me, this has become also my special celebration day of my "independence" and becoming independent from the Watchtower/JW control. Extra "sparklers" for me!!
i have been lurking here for months now, and i just decided to post here and actually interact with this community.
i have a very specific/unordinary life, so i will not divulge too much information to protect my privacy.
i am a baptized publisher who is under the age of 25 who attends college, and i do have responsiblities within the congregation.
Wow, you've accomplished a lot and have a lot going for you already!! You've accomplished being a "tight-rope walker" (and that's not necessarily a 'double-lifer") through so much already. Continue to build a portfolio and try to get out on your own, and away from the congregational territory that knows you. You sound sensitive enough to continue to express regularly your sincere appreciation to your mom and your brother. Being happy and loving (even when difficult) and that confuses them.
Try to get to know non-JWs, like at school. Maybe you can work parttime to rent a simple room near school?
So many best wishes to your new and better life!!
my son is still studying with the jw's and is giving his first talk this tuesday.
he's 22 and still living in my home.
my other two boys 12 and 15 are here as well but don't study cuz wifee knows how i feel.
I think it was good you did not go to your son's talk. To do so, only gives them a false 'hope' about you going there. Your son may be desperate for praise and validation. His self-esteem is low. Then, JW relatives praise for being, well, really only a good 'parrot.' Really, I am sorry, reading the Bible to people for a few minutes is a 'no brainer.' Some of their 10-yrs. do that.
Praise him about some 'real life' things. Reading good books (Hassan's books possibly, that don't even mention JWs)! Considering taking any kind of class that could be of interest. He needs your encouragement or genuine acknowledgments.
(Hopefully, your wife has no money to contribute/donate to the WTS, especially with all their potential pedophile lawsuits).
blondie posted her watchtower comments for today and her last paragraph was asking for help, suggestions.
she is in pain from her knee injury, is on steroids and possibly going to have surgery.. she is asking if anyone here, has had the same problem, and if so, what did they do and how was the outcome?.
just lois.
Blondie,,so sorry to hear of this. My daughter tore her ACL knee area,,had to have surgery,,was harder than we could even expect. Took a long time to strengthen. She was 17 then.
a customer on my route with whom i have had some lively debates was his number 1 complaint is that "the witnesses have so many rules".
last month i agreed with on this issue.
he asked why the change, i told him that i have been doing some soul searching.
To give "principles" to children, is 'not' by adding to scriptures and rules as many cults do. To do so cause "exasperation" to children. "do not exasperate your children." It burdens, can cause a child to be overwhelmed and to give up. Through 'praise' we can inculcate more positives. If a child senses they can never 'satisfy' their parent, the child will grow with resentment.
It's the 'parent,' not the religion, that inculcates and impacts the example of love, joy and peace, necessary to their child.
anyone getting/hearing how baptism numbers are this summer @ conventions?
in previous years, reports showed less baptisms per attendance numbers.
overall, annual 2012 service report showed for u.s. reduction in baptisms..
Thx, JJ,,how many of the 3 baptized were JW youth? A .1%!
Seems not to be many reports on baptisms. Not much stir. Through "google" there's just PR reports about the 'millions of dollars' their conventions bring into their cities.
the death of a jw and the birth of me the apostate.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2lwgowdpj8.
a huge thanks to my friend ray publisher (jwstruggle) for posting my video for me.
now that i am no longer held prisoner from the fear of watchtower, i can now help others!.
Very good! it is so great to be able to come out publicly like you have done. (I am sure if any criticize, they're envious of your full freedom)
I compare the WT to a handmade garment somebody (parent, grandparent, a new friend, that they highly treasured with special claims). As the years passed, I would see a thread here and there sticking out. I would 'tuck' this thread and that thread back into the fabric so I hardly saw again, (out of appreciation and loyalty). Eventually, there was a thread that stuck out again, and starting unravelling and I couldn't 'tuck' back fast enough, and then all the old threads starting coming out and additional new ones.
Time to throw it out! It wasn't so special all that time. Just an embarrassing ugly garment really, more work than worth it!
So many best wishes in your new life and adventure. You have so much going for you!
originally due this monday, the parties have stipulated to an extension of 30 days to july 31. .
Thank you for update.
i was wondering if there were any other ex-bethelites on here.
i personally regularly went for temporary work at brooklyn then was assigned to the farm for a year and a half.
it was... one of the most bizaare experiences of my life.. so i wrote it all down (finally, after some 15 years) so i won't bore anyone on here with the details of the story - because bethel doesn't show up until chapter 15... and for you straight folks, it gets a bit gay in two places... but nothing gross.
jeesh,,Am I the oldest one on this thread?, hate that happening so often anymore. I was there '69-'74. It was a 4-yr commitment back then. That 4-yr commitment was "shackling" for most. Then, they changed the 4 -yr thing because most were leaving within a yr. anyway. Thankfully, I got pregnant there,,so very thrilled about that in itself, but a close 2nd was that I was leaving Bethel. A housekeeper the whole time,,was asked after a few years, if I wanted to work in the factory but I enjoyed the time to myself, that though housekeeping was not a great choice either, but I had a quieter environment there that way. I was single there for the 4 yrs and then married there (Knorr officated).
I had 4 roommates while there before marriage. One left after I left, with a near breakdown (there were 3 other gals that had nervous breakdowns that I know). Poor thing. Another roommate married there also and later left Bethel, & she left org. altogether later. Another married there but I think left Bethel but lost track. One is still there, she was hillarious, she spoke of Knorr, as the "pope" several times to me and I would get hysterical with laughter with her.
My brother was at Bethel two years before me. He had been at the Farm with construction for his 1st year. Someone on this thread commented about the drinking at the Farm. There was a gin maker somewhere on the Farm back then, was suppose to be a secret. My brother didn't take himself so seriously there at Bethel and was just a lot of fun and more of a 'free spirit.' He g-jobbed there on his 'free' time.
Later my other brother came to Bethel a few months before I left, finished his "4" in '77 and came out freely, calmly, then stated to me that the "holy spirit" had nothing to do with the "GB." I was floored, reeling, but had a lot of re-evaluations myself, enough, but still in a quandry. My sister, also, married a Bethelite and was accepted to join him at Bethel. They left in '78.
It's only a guess but I think many to most of Bethelites have left the organization. Some stuck there because of family, but they 'know' TTATT.
