Posts by jamiebowers

65

need your advice again, please

by outsmartthesystem in

jw
friends

so here's the latest in my pathetic saga.

i've tried to fly under the radar for the past year, but it isn't working so well.

i've learned not to engage my wife in debates but rather to ask questions.

jamiebowers

You asked for opinions, so here goes! The first thing I think you should do is consult a very good divorce and child custody attorney who is either willing to learn about or able to handle jw issues just to have her/him at the ready in case the worst happens. Second, start exposing your kids to crirical thinking skills and the real world NOW! Third, reiterate to your wife how her social standing will be ruined if/when you're df'd and ask her to compare you being shunned with how her father was treated by her grandfather. Then review the questions that you have with her. Fourth, send them to the elders and not the Watch Tower, so you'll be following the chain of command.

Then let the chips fall where they may. If she divorces you for doing exactly what she wanted you to do, then fight her tooth and nail for at least joint custody with you having decision making ability for educational and medical issues for your kids. Try to stay as calm and reasonable as possible throughout this process, so the kids don't become afraid of you. If it comes to all that, there are attorneys and counselors who can be provided for the children, and orders can be written into the divorce/custody agreements that forbid your wife to trash you for your df'd state.

375

The Governing Body intends to announce significant changes in academic literature (DOCTRINES) - Brazil

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

dear randall.

good morning!.

here is the daniel of brazil (former bethel).. this week at the forum of former jehovah's witnesses had an interesting news!

jamiebowers

Mickey Mouse:

Something in Candace Conti's lawyer's comments makes me wonder if it's to do with the field service. The reason the org was held responsible for Jonathan Kendrick being able to molest children was that he was participating in the ministry as an ordained minister. Perhaps they will make the ministry a personal decision (which they have to know would mean an end to field circus for at least 50% of dubs). Cost saving in literature and less liability for them.

I think you may be onto something. What with the Watch Tower article about changes to the preaching work and the attorney's comments, the big change must involve field service. But as Wasblind pointed out, the Watch Tower already claims that the door to door work is voluntary, so it can't be that the announcement will make it a personal decision to engage in the ministry.

I'm wondering if the Watch Tower will make it a rule that only family members can go out in field service together or forbid children from participating at all. They've already changed the book study to family worship night, so why not change field service into family ministry day?

63

Email from my grandmother yesterday.

by elder-schmelder in

here is an email that my grandmother sent me yesterday.. .

shawn, it's very difficult & sad to come to this decision, but because of your attitude towards the truth & us personally (thinking that we are stupid) we're going to treat you as a disfellowshipped person from now on.

actually, you're worse than them because usually they know they have not kept their oath to jehovah & don't speak abusively of the organization and don't turn apostate.

jamiebowers

This is terrible, but enough outrage. Quickly and quietly start looking for another job or a way to start your own business. Keep copies of all correspondance with her about your current position. If she fires you, sue her. You'd win if the firing was over religion. Then she may not have anything to leave anyone if she wants to keep her business up and running.

I know the emotional part of this is devastating, but you have to go into survival mode now. My jw ex-husband tried to hold our home over my head by refusing to sell it, rent it out, or buy me out. He lost all power over me whe I told him he could have it. You should've seen the look on his face. Granted, I lost out on thousands of dollars and lost most of my possessions, but I was free!

Thankfully you won't have to go this route, because although your grandmother is acting badly, at least she's not threatening to kill you. Time and the law is on your side as far as your job is concerned. Imagine the freedom you'd have if you completely got away from her.

10

neighbor studying with JW's

by loosie in

if you knew your neighbor was studying with the wj's what would you do?.

jamiebowers

I stopped one study of a distant relative by telling her about the abuse problem in the organization. She seemed doubtful at first, but I think she checked with some other relatives who know my story.

3

Thank you very much Zid!

by factfinder in

jw
friends

it was a very nice surprise and a big help!.

have a good weekend,.

ff.

jamiebowers

I looked back at FactFinder's posts, and s/he similarly thanked Zid two days before he thanked you, Granny.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/225881/1/Thank-you-very-much-Zid

3

Washington Post article by Director of Jehovah's Witness PBS Documentary "Knocking". 3 years later.

by Balaamsass in

the director of the famous pbs film "knocking", is the gay son of a jw.

he is currently running for supervisor in san francisco.

good read from 2010 washington post ;.

jamiebowers

Unless there's significant proof that this guy has changed his ways, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Aside from directing that so-called documentary, he had several apologist videos on Youtube where comments weren't permitted. Apparently he can only stand his point of view. From the interview you posted it seems he's made some progress in understanding the truth about the "truth". But if he's so concerned about gay jw kids, why doesn't he do another documentary about how they're treated by their family and friends due to the hatefulness of the Watch Tower?

38

New YouTube video: Candace Conti tells her story

by cedars in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfhsewwd3wa.

.

cedars.

jamiebowers

Is there anymore?

35

Judah Ben Schroeder - where is he now????

by dreamgolfer in

did he ever get his law degree (old thread) does he practice law?.

or did he take over his in-laws sell cars to the wtbts dealership?.

what happened to the book ?.

jamiebowers

Someone posted this a while ago, and I found on line again. It's from 2007.

http://fhc82.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/fhc-bio-book-11mb.pdf

Edited to add: Page 13 is Amber's synopsis of their life thus far.

6

JW Guest on Humanist Views

by Shepherd Book in

humanist views: how to talk to a jehovah's witness.

humanist views - august 2012.

jamiebowers

Very interesting to see a "worldly" person react to the truth about the "truth".

55

No atheist in A fox hole.

by jam in

first of all iam a agnostic.

i,am curious, you who are atheist.

what or how do you deal with a life or death situation.

jamiebowers

Jam, I do not mean any disrespect to you, especially since you prayed for your life while serving in Viet Nam. But what bothers me about prayer, and the reason I stopped doing it, is because I wonder why everyone's prayers aren't answered. For instance, why don''t all of the people fighting in wars survive? Another example is a good friend of mine who is a born again Christian. She's survived a little more than a year after being diagnosed with a cancer that kills 80% of the women her age who have it. Did God hate that 80%? She thinks Jesus spared her life.What makes her so special and the other 80% rotten enough to kill?

On November 22, 2010 my husband was dead for a full five minutes, (proven by data retrieved from his pacemaker). The only reason he didn't have brain damage was because the CPR we did kept enough blood circulated to his brain. He was revived by a defibulator, and thankfully, alive today. He saw no white light and wasn't greeted by his deceased parents, siblings, and friends. He remembered nothing of that terrible Monday morning or the weekend before it.

I didn't pray during that awful ordeal or during his two-week hospitalization and surgery to install a pacemaker and defibulator. Instead I spent the whole time, from beginning to end, begging him not to leave this earth and leave me behind. It never dawned on me to pray, yet I'm in the same situation as you. I call myself agnostic, because I don't have the balls to be atheist, and sometimes I'm not even sure of agnosticism.

I guess we just have to take life one moment at a time and learn from every experience.