humbled

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Posts by humbled

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  63

  Are the Witnesses Really Losing Their Young People?

  by What Now? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  that article about jehovah's witnesses having the lowest retention rate for born ins keeps popping up every now again ... i'm just curious if any of you have noticed that this is actually the case.

  in the congregation that i grew up in, i'm going to say that 95% of the young people in their teens to mid twenties are either regular pioneering, regular auxiliary pioneering, serving in foreign language congregations or where the need is greater.

  both of my younger sisters are regular pioneers - and the young people in their hall even organize 8 pm to midnight service on friday nights of their own accord.

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  humbled

  The internet is a real danger to the WT. Young people use it.

  This is an interesting topic.
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  17

  Not A Captive got Humbled

  by humbled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar....... it is i, nac, with a new given name come back for a visit since i have internet for a while.

  i have missed you these three years.

  i've been in a far away land--the ozark mountains of nw arkansas.. because i've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.. any quality potty-humor (no naughty bm's---oops!---.

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  humbled

  Just up and about--having my coffee.

  Good morning! Lois, whatever time zone you are in, I hope you are well. The wild plum in the fencerows are preparing to bud and all the old homesteads are marked with yellow daffodils.

  Your mother may have felt the same tearing pain that I felt that when I was "in"--always working to buy out time to serve Jehovah. The Joy of life was always near and yet always unattainable. Perhaps her memories of the Ozarks and her grandpa and riding horse back--because they were so happy and so gone-- made her a little bitter...but you stayed sweet.

  Only two of my children were baptised. One DA'd the other was DF'd. My daughter who DA'd made me reflect on the blind crudity of the manner young ones are handled when they have honest doubts. She was amazing in how she managed herself at age 17. But for a time I was afraid she would kill herself. She is 34 now. It took her years before she felt free to pray.

  My husband is in good health but has had a lot of broken bones that act up every day--but he was surprised that his 'young' wife got sick. I am staying in a place with running water and a washer/ dryer while I am doing this cancer treatment. Much closer to everything.

  I wonder if I can do something to help the pain that JW lies have caused for others. I can see the topics under dicussion--and I hope there may be a way to invite local discussion. Everyone has their own way to help. That's how I feel.
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  80

  new member- my story

  by AndDontCallMeShirley in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  "that which can be asserted without evidence, can.

  be dismissed without evidence.

  " - christopher hitchens.

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  humbled

  Very honest to say the new perspective you have on your time in, the seductive pull of being "in". The class distinction among the royalty of Bethel. You wrote it well. Thanks.
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  17

  Not A Captive got Humbled

  by humbled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar....... it is i, nac, with a new given name come back for a visit since i have internet for a while.

  i have missed you these three years.

  i've been in a far away land--the ozark mountains of nw arkansas.. because i've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.. any quality potty-humor (no naughty bm's---oops!---.

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  humbled

  Laughing still, h@l !! I'm sure that happened!!!!

  Lois, Siloam Springs is only @25 miles from here. Small world--I haven't done much riding since I had the first of our 7 children. Been a-foot mostly.
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  17

  Not A Captive got Humbled

  by humbled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar....... it is i, nac, with a new given name come back for a visit since i have internet for a while.

  i have missed you these three years.

  i've been in a far away land--the ozark mountains of nw arkansas.. because i've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.. any quality potty-humor (no naughty bm's---oops!---.

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  humbled

  It has been turbulent. I was still "de-toxing" from my 22-year run with the Witnesses when I went up to live again with my husband on the family farm. One of my sons was becoming deeply involved with drugs--meth. During these past 3 years he was arrested twice and there was a lot -a LOT--of trouble on the mountain--Drugs and chaos. My husband broke his leg , etc. etc. It sounds like a bunch of made up stuff--drought, fights, car wrecks.

  The kind of stuff that often happens to a lot of us.But I have seven grown children and my husband works horses still--he is 80 next birthday.

  But I did get to go back to spooncarving at the farmers' market in Fayetteville, AR.There I got to be gently shunned by passing Witnesses. Some,apparently because I hadn't been expelled for any sensational sin, hadn't heard that I was "unavailable" as one put it. These would come up saying a greeting and I would tell them that I was disfellowshipped. And I became a hot coal to them. They never asked what happened or why.But I have a lot of friends, many good, wonderful people who are not witnesses. They have been incredibly loving to me.

  I have been laid open in front of God.

  How's life for you?
• 
  17

  Not A Captive got Humbled

  by humbled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar....... it is i, nac, with a new given name come back for a visit since i have internet for a while.

  i have missed you these three years.

  i've been in a far away land--the ozark mountains of nw arkansas.. because i've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.. any quality potty-humor (no naughty bm's---oops!---.

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  humbled

  Hallo!

  You are my Brit friend?!!

  There are some distressing things in all this but I am most grateful -for many reasons-that this didn't befall me in, say, my 30's, 40's. ummm-maybe even my 50's. "O, the horror!" It is easier to laugh at myself.

  That said, I believe my colo-rectal doctor is vastly underpaid
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  17

  Not A Captive got Humbled

  by humbled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar....... it is i, nac, with a new given name come back for a visit since i have internet for a while.

  i have missed you these three years.

  i've been in a far away land--the ozark mountains of nw arkansas.. because i've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.. any quality potty-humor (no naughty bm's---oops!---.

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  humbled

  I'm sure the more discerning of you thought that the silly, green, wooly-headed avatar called "humbled" that strolled on the scene here looked familiar......

  it is I, NAC, with a new given name come back for a visit since I have internet for a while. I have missed you these three years. I've been in a far away land--the Ozark Mountains of NW Arkansas.

  Because I've been blessed with anal canal cancer (nothing so hum-drum as rectal cancer) circumstances allow me to share your company 'til my sad bum can get radiated more-or-less back into shape.

  Any quality potty-humor (No naughty bm's---oops!--- I meant pms) that can pass the censors will be much appreciated.

  Other than that I have enjoyed a few days' lurk-about to see what's up topic-wise--Very lively!

  Maeve Courteau
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  69

  Do You Believe In ANYTHING That The Witnesses Taught At This Point In Your Life?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for example, they pride themselves in what they don't believe such as immortal souls, the trinity, hellfire, etc.. some exjws still believe it is the "truth" and support the basics.. .

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  humbled

  I am not interested in any original teachings generated by the Jehovah's Witnesss Corporation.

  The FDS inserts themselves between all believers and Christ, even requiring their "anointed" brothers (and sisters!) who are outside the FDS to follow their directives made in Bethel. Yet WT literature cites scripture that all anointed are supposed to "follow the Lamb wherever HE goes".

  The FDS deny that holy spirit operates in the lives of others as it does in them, the TRUTH DISPENSERS. Nobody else may trust that God or Jesus allows holy spirit to operate on a common person as it does on the FDS committee. This single teaching of theirs effectively destroys, denies, ignores, degrades, ridicules, corrupts all the truth, freedom and unity that Jesus described and invited between his Father and between us humans.

  The FDS Corporation or any other religious body that stands in for Jesus is "the disgusting thing standing in a holy place".
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  98

  It,s time to fight back, this is getting out of hand.

  by jam in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  any suggestions to bring a end to the attacks on us who have.

  left the borg and continuing efforts to alienate our love one still.

  in the borg.. how about this, we all send letters to hq, flood the mail room with.

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  humbled

  Did the placards ever create doubt or dialogue for anyone when they were really "in"?

  In our town everyone goes off to conventions and the shunned ones and the kids who were set adrift don't follow what happens there. I'm certain that the local papers would pick up on a meeting for support of Conscience. We need something gentle and not specifically set in opposition to the JWs. The newer generation of shunned ones just try to support one another and have a life. And, I kinda think, there should be ways to engage the larger community even beyond the witnesses/ex-witnesses issues.

  It is healthy to stand for principles that over-arch the narrow field the Borg is defending. Their "territory" gets smaller, meaner.

  The generous spirit of the brotherhood that Jesus lived and described is as attractive now as it was long ago. A focus of concern that invites honestycare of and love will be good for the ones of us still hurting from our brush with the Borg.

  Small is beautiful. It may be that looking to local needs will take care of larger issues as well.
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  44

  Is a slow fade being selfish when you have kids?

  by dissonance_resolved in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so i got some great advice to take things very slowly with the husband and kids in order to be able to fade and still maintain contact with my parents and siblings.

  but today i got a call from my son's teacher that he was having a meltdown because he was worried about all his friends and teachers being destroyed at armageddon.... first i felt like such a schmuck for ever having allowed that thought to enter my son's head, then i thought, is it psychological torture for me not to immediately correct the situation?

  i had a long talk with him about how god is perfectly just and full of love and he didn't have to worry about that at all, but it still seemed lukewarm.

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  humbled

  It is selfish to fade if your reason for doing it is for yourself. The kids don't know what's going on.

  The kids don't have any way to grow up strong if you are not honest with them straight through. They forgive us being deluded enough to become a Witness but the pain of leaving will be multiplied if you let their lives develop roots with the JWs after you KNOW it is a bad place for them. And if you make their life experience in the JW world be so shallow that they don't get to grow good roots in any community, how does that help?

  Tell them that you know that being whole-souled is the only way to go. They will love you for that. It will be all right.