Posts by jamiebowers

5

A year since I escaped

by MrFreeze in

jw
friends

it's been a year since i escaped the clutches of the watchtower.

yeah, i'm two days early but it's a thursday and it was a thursday that i attended my last meeting.. i'm posting this thread to sort of gather my thoughts of where i am.

so, are things better?

I was so sorry to not be able to attend TotallyADD's and Reopened Mind's apostafest, as I really wanted to meet you, Mr. Freeze. You're the same age as my stepson, and I can't imagine how difficult it's been for you. Things are so free and easy for him...lots of girlfriends, good job, parents who love him despite some of his mistakes. I still pack his lunch for him, for GAWD's sake! I hope you continue to find happness and success.

13

The Prodigal son...rejected.

by Londo111 in

i was a third generation witness, a ministerial servant twice in my life, a failed pioneer (i only made it six months).

when the article about higher education come out, my family finally decided it was okay for me to get a two year degree.

and that enabled me to provide for myself--before that is was impossible.

jamiebowers

I think you're setting yourself up for great disappointment if you believe that you can get family and friends out of the Watchtower cult by exposing them to the truth about the "truth". If you can manage to get reinstated, you'd have a much better chance of reaching jws by teaching them critical thinking skills and appealing to their non-cult personality as advised by Steven Hassan. But even then your chances are slim to none.

For your benefit, why not do things for yourself like working on your social anxiety before trying to get reinstated? The more you invest in your true self, the better. I know you must be lonely if you felt that you didn't fit in with other ex-jws in a meet-up group. Maybe you can develop friendships here and on Facebook that will result in real life relationships.

Click on the blue envelope in the upper right han corner to check for a private message from me. You may have to go back and refresh the page if you get an error message on your intitial try.

25

Sparks are gonna fly in my home

by marriedtoajw in

jw
friends

as i've mentioned in a previous post, my wife has been sending mixed signals to me for years on what she does concerning violating jw rules.

what i didn't mention at the time was that she has also gone through gung ho sprees from time to time.

she is now insisting on taking the kids to the hall.

jamiebowers

I've skimmed all of your posts and can't find the ages of your kids. Since you've been married for 20 years, I'm supposing and hoping that they're older. You've already stated that none of them are jws, studying to be jws or even attending the meetings, so at this point the kids must know that something isn't right with their mother's religion. Plus they've probably noticed how weird their mother becomes when she's a gung ho jw.

Educating your kids about cults, the Watchtower cult in particular, is not turning them aginst their mom. Just be honest with them, and say that their mom is going to be very angry at you for a while, because you will not permit her to take them to the meetings. Then ask them if they know why you are doing what you're doing, and go from there.

41

Wrecked my car yesterday

by NewChapter in

jw
friends

the other driver turned left in front of me and i hit him hard.

my car is a total mess.

i'm not sure if they are going to total it.

jamiebowers

Quick healing for you!

6

Interview with Ex-Elder: View from the Watchtower

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

this is from september 2011. i missed it when it was initially posted online.

i enjoyed it.

of interest to me was the man's shock when he was appointed as an elder, and the body of elders brought him up to speed on the congregation's dirty laundry.

jamiebowers

Marked

21

Hello From a Newbie

by AlphaQup2nite in

jw
friends

i found this site randomly the other day on an unrelated search, and its nice to find a place where people can discuss a relgion that in house cannot be discussed without either being quoted mantras or a very skewed view of the world.. ok about me.. im a 24 year old taiwanese-american, and i have been raised as a jw from the age of about three to the age of 17, when i unoffically left.

i started to have doubts around age 12, but did what i was supposed to to keep mommy and daddy happy.

my parents are jws, as well as my older 1/2 sister, and my younger sister.

jamiebowers

Welcome! Please read Hassan's books before you talk to your family. You will find comfort and solace here. And good for you fo figuring things out at the tender age of 12!

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