Hortensia

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Posts by Hortensia

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  27

  Finally getting a shepherding call... or so I thought

  by Zoos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few weeks ago i got a visit from a sister from the old congregation.

  she was our uber pioneer, fearless, regular and often accompanied by her husband, a ministerial servant.

  she didnt know i lived here so it was a brief visit after she found out i had disassociated myself.. i got a knock at the door a few minutes ago and it was her husband this time.

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  Hortensia

  How nice of you, and how brave of him to approach you for some help and validation. I'd love to get a "return visit" like that.
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  6

  Interview with an Apostate: troubledmind

  by troubled mind in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  (she is just a person that is no longer troubled).

  we live in a small town in the midwest of the usa .

  i work several part time jobs ,do photography as a hobby ,and love collecting fossils ,rocks,and minerals .

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  Hortensia

  I still like to view the posts on the forum ,but i am interested in people stories

  Me, too. I'd rather read about what people are doing now, than debate about the wtbts or doctrine. Thanks!
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  9

  Interview with an apostate: Hortensia

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  tell us a little about yourself and your family.. divorced, no children.

  two sisters, various cousins, aunts, uncles.

  none of them jws any more.. were you a born in or a convert?.

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  Hortensia

  I wrote textbooks for massage and contributed chapters in cosmetology textbooks. I also did a lot of "content farm" writing for a couple of years, which was an interesting experience. I still write but just for fun, not making much money at it nowadays.

  Leaving the wtbts allowed me to do some fun stuff, traveling to amazing places, getting involved in politics, stuff like that. Also, something the questionnaire didn't really bring out was what kept me sane as a kid -- public libraries and the librarian at high school. Librarians took an interest in me and made sure I read things that would expand my mind and learn more than a JW usually would. I think that's why accepting evolution was a no-brainer when I finally got out of the org. The information was already in my head, I had read a wide variety of books the librarians considered essential. Once I could clear my mind of JW-think, I could understand what all that information meant.
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  9

  Interview with an apostate: Hortensia

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  tell us a little about yourself and your family.. divorced, no children.

  two sisters, various cousins, aunts, uncles.

  none of them jws any more.. were you a born in or a convert?.

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  Hortensia

  Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

  Divorced, no children. Two sisters, various cousins, aunts, uncles. None of them JWs any more.

  Were you a born in or a convert?

  .Born in

  Are your parents / family JWs?

  .My mother was, my father was not. My sisters are no longer JWs. All the JW relatives have either died or are out of the wtbts.

  How many generations have been JWs?

  Three

  Did you hold any position in the WTS? (MS, Elder etc...)

  .Regular pioneer.

  Did you *really* believe in the bible, in spirits (angels, demons)?

  .I don't think I ever believed. But I was really busy studying all the time, because I got approval for being smart and having all the answers.

  Did you get baptised? When and why?

  .Eleven years old. Who knows why?

  What was the initial trigger that made you start questioning things?

  .Never questioned anything until I was out. I quit going because of severe depression. I just gave up.

  Where did you find information? Internet sites? Books?

  .This was ove 30 years ago. No internet. The only book I read was Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's book about growing up JW.

  How difficult or painful was the process of leaving?

  I started feeling better almost immediately, so it was really quite easy.

  Was it a big dramatic exit or a careful quiet fade?

  .An unplanned fade, I guess.

  Did you convince anyone else to leave with you?

  .No

  How were your family relations affected by your decision?

  .Not much. My mother didn't change in her attitude to me or cut off association. My middle sister didn't care. My youngest sister was a serious JW at the time, she didn't understand for a long time but is now out of the org too.

  Were you or are you still being shunned by those who didn't leave?

  .I was dropped by close friends -- who cares.

  How long have you now been out?

  Over 30 years

  Was there anything you looked forward to doing when you left?

  Dying - I figured I was bird food at Armageddon, and was so tired/depressed I didn't care.

  What are you most proud of achieving since you left?

  .Got some education, ran a business, taught a work skill to a lot of people so they could make a better living, wrote a few books.

  Is there anything you miss about life in the congregation?

  .No.

  Red pill or blue pill? Do you regret waking up to reality at all?

  .I don't remember which is which, but I am definitely glad I woke up to reality.

  Did you become an atheist or transfer your faith elsewhere?

  .Atheist

  How do you now feel about religion in general?

  .Religion is evil.

  Do you feel any guilt celebrating xmas or birthdays or doing any other JW "no-no"s?

  .No.

  Have you attended any face-to-face meetups of ex-JWs?

  .I've met a couple of ex-JWs.

  Describe your circle of friends - mostly other ex-JWs or regular people?

  .Regular people.

  Do you tell people about your JW past?

  .Yeah, I make jokes about it, it makes for good stories.

  Do you feel animosity or pity toward current JWs?

  .No

  How do you respond to witnesses when they call at your door?

  "You look tired. Are you OK?"

  Storm the barricades or tend to the wounded? (do you favor activism or support)

  Well, I don't really care what other people believe as long as they don't preach to me. However, I find it very painful to think about the suffering of so many little children in that org.

  What do you think is the most effective approach to reaching people still in?

  No idea. But if they approach me, I tell the truth.

  Do you think the WTS can or should be destroyed, will continue on as-is or grow / change?

  Don't much care.

  How has your life been impacted by your JW past?

  Well, lack of education, severe depression for a while, that sort of thing.

  Are there things in your life you blame the WTS for?

  Not any more

  JW upbringing - a protection or a curse?

  Very harmful

  How do you fill your time now it's not filled with meetings and field service?

  I live in a gorgeous place, have friends, knit, read, computer, enjoy nature, that sort of thing.

  Do you still have an interest in JW beliefs and doctrines?

  No.

  How much of your time is still spent on JW related matters?

  Except for some time spent here, none of my time is spent on JW-related matters.

  What do you think of the ex-JW community?

  Bunch of people with very interesting quirks

  Do you see yourself still being associated with the ex-JW community in 5 or 10 years time?

  Who knows?

  Do you fear the future?

  No

  What advice would you give to anyone starting the journey of leaving the WTS?

  Take it easy, explore a lot of ideas, don't go too crazy with the freedom at first

  What would you change in your life if you could go back and talk to yourself?

  I'd yell at my 18-year-old self: "get out of that religion!! Go to college!!"

  Do you have any regrets about life since you left?

  Plenty, but doesn't everyone have some regrets? Mostly I have had a happy, interesting life with lots of opportunities.

  Can we read your life-story anywhere? (links to online or books)

  You could google me if you knew my full name

  Want to share your own story? Please use the Interview with an Apostate: Template and post it in the Personal Experiences & Reunions section with the title "Interview with an Apostate: [your name or alias]"
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  8

  lunch

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had lunch with two ex-jws today.

  i wish i could meet more of you -- it's fun to hear everyone's stories and find out what they are doing with their lives..

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  Hortensia

  Outlaw -- you're a nut. Seriously, though, wasn't the meat a little bit bitter?
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  44

  Could we quantify how many posters their are from different nations ? Would you like to know ?

  by smiddy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  maybe its just me , i`m just curious as to how many people on this site are from australia as i am .

  how many from germany , italy , zambia , etc.

  etc.. do two or three "countries " seem to dominate the threads ?

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  Hortensia

  I'm from the State of Jefferson
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  8

  I'm Watching Phantom Gourmet & Want To Know What Your Favorite Dessert Is

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i, this past week, had a delicious blueberry pie along with french vanilla ice cream!

  yum!!!!.

  i love whoopie pies too.. i hardly ate anything yesterday and now i'm thinking about goodies..

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  Hortensia

  I like a bowl of berries with cream. Yumm. I wouldn't turn down pie, either, or chocolate cake.
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  2

  World of Jehovah’s Witnesses setting for intriguing novel

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2013/11/28/world-of-jehovahs-witnesses-setting-for-intriguing-novel.

  by alexis kienlen, off the shelf.

  thursday, november 28, 2013 12:26:38 mst pm.

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  Hortensia

  Good book review, and typical asinine comments about it from JWs.

  Doesn't the phrase "The Truth" make you want to puke?
• 
  8

  lunch

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had lunch with two ex-jws today.

  i wish i could meet more of you -- it's fun to hear everyone's stories and find out what they are doing with their lives..

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  Hortensia

  I had lunch with two ex-JWs today. I wish I could meet more of you -- it's fun to hear everyone's stories and find out what they are doing with their lives.
• 
  34

  Interview with an Apostate: Simon

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i had an idea for coming up with a standard(ish) set of interview questions which members of the ex-jw community could use to provide insights into their lives as a kind of series (yeah, i was thinking of "interview with a vampire", lol).. anyway, this is the result to show the sort of thing i'm thinking of (applied to myself) and i'd like feedback on the format and the questions as well as who you'd also like to see "interviewed".. feel free to provide your own life story as a separate topic or ask any additional questions that i've missed.

  it's not meant to be rigid so questions / themes can be adapted as needed and split / joined as appropriate.

  the common questions will hopefully apply to everyone for some consistency and to guide the writing process with additional questions asked that make sense to each subject.. well, here goes .... tell us a little about yourself and your family.. im an independent software developer who grew up in manchester (uk) but now lives in calgary (canada) with my wife angharad and two boys, liam and dylan.

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  Hortensia

  I also had "apostate" scrawled on my car while it was in the kingdom-hall car-park during a meeting.

  Wow -- I never heard of that before. Some hard-assed JWs in your old cong.