Posts by SnakesInTheTower

21

New grandson!

by mimimimi in

our youngest son and his wife (matt and star) welcomed a baby boy yesterday at 7:04 p.m. ivan tomas, 7 lbs.

11 oz., 20 1/4" long.

he is their second child.

SnakesInTheTower

Congrats...I still have difficulty not thinking of your kids, and all the kids of that peer group, as being grown MEN. How time flies. I seen the pcs on FB, beautiful baby.

Snakes

56

JW's came to my door 6 weeks ago. I told them I was inactive.......

by Alchemist in

6 weeks ago some jws came to my door.

i've been inactive for 8 years.

after they gave their presentation i told them i was inactive.

SnakesInTheTower

The JWs are just a nice warm hug that can ruin your life.

The rat being squeezed by a python has no dilusions that it is being hugged.

The Watchtower Society is the python.

Don't be the rat. Once squeezed, it is hard to get away.

Take it from me, a former elder, WT squeezed me until age 42.

Snakes (

11

Could this happen to you?

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

there was a jw who was a born in and faded about 10 years ago near a congregation i attended.

he never married or had children and was in his late 30's.

his parents shun him for the most part but then he had a major stroke.

I have a childhood friend, currently DF, who is my age (48), just a couple of months older than me. I found out he had a stroke and is now in a nursing home. He is divorced (I believe not just separated now), his JW mother died a couple of years ago, his younger brother has his own health issues and cannot help. His sister not in the pic either, don't think his siblings are dubs.

Took me awhile, but I finally located him in a nursing home about 20 miles away. He was sitting near the door when I arrived. He has some long term memory but his short term seems damaged. He thinks he has been in the home 10 months. The CNA pulled me aside and told me it had been less than 2 and reminded me he had a stroke and doesn't always make sense. He recognized me immediately and seemed genuinely happy to see me. Physically fine, mentally has TBI. Don't know the prognosis long term. How awful to be 48 and maybe in a home the rest of your life...and not a real high end one either.

Oh, the good news.... the JWs happened upon him and are trying to locate his former congo to consult with them about possible reinstatement.... I just threw up in my mouth a little. On one hand I want him to have people to look after him, on the other, I am saddened it is the dubs. I am not in a position to help or I would.

Sigh. I need to get a new Advanced Directive for my wife and I. This is just a reminder to myself.

Snakes ())

6

Swahili Congregation in the Midwest -- Why?

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

i almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, i almost thought it was a joke.

my family and i were driving through a suburb of st. louis, missouri this afternoon on the way back to illinois and home.

i took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last kingdom hall i attended in 2007 before i left for good.

SnakesInTheTower

If you grew up in the area, Black Jack is the municipality the KH is located. I think it is Riverview, Halls Ferry, Jamestown,Spanish Lake, and not sure what else. It is a double auditorium with 2 apartments. Look at it on Google Earth, along with the Assembly Hall in Spanish Lake (Larimore and Laredo). Very near Florissant and Ferguson.

Beautiful properties not on tax rolls, whitewashed graves full of dead dead men's bones.

Snakes

6

Swahili Congregation in the Midwest -- Why?

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

i almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, i almost thought it was a joke.

my family and i were driving through a suburb of st. louis, missouri this afternoon on the way back to illinois and home.

i took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last kingdom hall i attended in 2007 before i left for good.

SnakesInTheTower

I almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, I almost thought it was a joke.

My family and I were driving through a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri this afternoon on the way back to Illinois and home. I took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last Kingdom Hall I attended in 2007 before I left for good.

At the time I attended, I think there were 4 English and 1 Spanish congregation there, maybe an ASL group, not certain. When I drove by today, the sign had changed, English KH sign on top of the roadside sign, but an unknown language on the bottom. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked it up on the evil j dub org site (I refuse to type the address in and link it). Sure enough, it was Swahili. What? Now the pic on google maps is older so it shows the old sign.

Black Jack, MO KH google maps

After further research, I found this information about Swahili speakers in the U.S. There are 36,390 speakers in the U.S. But only 940 in Missouri, and to give benefit of the doubt, 1,225 in neighboring Illinois. Another source says maybe a larger number speak Afrikaans, of which only a small subset is Swahili.

My point? EXACTLY. Is WTBTS so desperate that they will tuck a Swahili group into a suburb of St. Louis in the middle of nowhere?

Jehober must be pleased with the increase and the bringing in "from all Nations."

Snakes ())

30

How many times were you told, "You Just Don't Qualify Yet to be an Elder"

by John Aquila in

you think it's the holy spirit that appoints the elders, at least that's what new jw males are told.

the culture within the organization dictates to all young male jehovah's witnesses that unless you are an elder, you will not get the sultry, passionate- brunette, the voluptuous, curvaceous,- blond, or the seductive, erotic, red headed-vamp..

so unaware of the social forces that are shaping your mind, you succumb to the dictum issued by the governing body to conform to the structure already in place- if you want to be successful.

SnakesInTheTower

you know what John? I am sooooo glad I am out of that racket. Fast forward to Winter 2006, I was removed as an elder. To expedite my fade, I had moved KH's, states, circuits. But never moved physically from my house. (New KH just a 15 minute ride across the river LOL). Made a few meetings, massive remodel scattered everyone for the summer, I disappeared. I showed up for one last meeting on a Sunday. Left after the talk. Drove to a nearby cemetery, changed out of my suit and tie, got into jeans and tshirt, and never looked back.

Ironically, I drove past that KH today. Hadn't thought about it in awhile. Smiled as I drove by. Never again playing the "reach out for greater privileges" game again.

Snakes

30

How many times were you told, "You Just Don't Qualify Yet to be an Elder"

by John Aquila in

you think it's the holy spirit that appoints the elders, at least that's what new jw males are told.

the culture within the organization dictates to all young male jehovah's witnesses that unless you are an elder, you will not get the sultry, passionate- brunette, the voluptuous, curvaceous,- blond, or the seductive, erotic, red headed-vamp..

so unaware of the social forces that are shaping your mind, you succumb to the dictum issued by the governing body to conform to the structure already in place- if you want to be successful.

SnakesInTheTower

I was on the fast track to elder until I was derailed in 1991. A made up JC (years later when I attended MTS as an elder I confirmed even organizationally it wasn't a JC) was held against me with false accusers. So I was scrubbed as MS/pioneer. I changed congos, same KH. Old congo kept putting their nose wher it ought not. Eventually made MS, same song and dance about elder. Only when a single MTS grad named Michael Emilio came through as CO did I get elder. And only because I got advance notice did I know about Emilio, I got to him before anyone in my town did, invited him to lunch, became friends. He forced my elder appointment through, as well as my MTS ap.

The longer version is in my old post in 07, 08 after I left the cult. Having been behind the curtain, I can tell you THERE IS NO HOLY SPIRIT BEHIND ELDER APPOINTMENTS. ONLY POLITICS.

Snakes

24

having a dark night of the soul

by Miss Behaving in

jw
friends

i'm writing this here because i need someone to talk to, and you're the only folks i know who will understand.

most of the time i think i'm a pretty happy and together person, but lately, i'll see something that reminds me of my family and i'll spontaneously start crying.

i miss them so much and my heart keeps breaking, and even though i have kind people i work and volunteer with, i feel so incredibly lonely sometimes.

SnakesInTheTower

Just remember that WT wants you to think the grass is greener on THEIR side of the fence...until you get back over there and find you are ankle deep in a septic tank overflow.

You are in the right place...OUT of the cult. NOW you have to replace what occupied that time/space in your life with something/someone useful. Or the cult will try to seep back into your life. I know, I was raised in it, was an elder, etc., so leaving leaves a big hole to fill. Take your time, breathe. You will get through it.

Snakes

75

Our hall is asking for money...

by thedepressedsoul in

i guess the branch isn't happy with the amount being sent each month since we are way lower than our loan amount.

we now have to another financial survey to see the max amount that can be given.

it is "encouraged" for all to be in attendance and give much forethought and consideration to the amount you can donate each month.

SnakesInTheTower

After the donation arrangement went into effect for literature, I put what I thought it was worth. Yep. ZERO. And for local needs I would purchase needed supplies, TP, towels, toner for the copier, cleaning supplies, but NEVER cash. I quit donating entirely in 06. I left in 07.

Good riddance to the money grubbing f#$kers.

Snakes

21

How do you feel when you see the Witnesses in the door to door work? Angry, Sad, or dumbfounded?

by John Aquila in

im here sitting and listening to youtube video songs and practicing on my guitar and checking out posts on jwn.

and one more thing, im seeing the spanish jws going door to door in my street.

they work my street every single week.

SnakesInTheTower

I remember sitting in a Hardee's burger joint one morning on a rare day off, reading the morning paper and drinking coffee, looking out the windows, glad I wasn't outside in the early morning heat. Soon, I overheard a conversation at a nearby table of old guys.

Old Guy in Hat: "Hey, what are those people outside doing?"

Old Man in Plaid: "Protesting I think."

OGH: "I thought, maybe they were striking somewhere."

OMP: "Dunno, too damn hot if you ask me," shaking his head, slurping his coffee.

Yep, not one set, but two sets of pioneer sisters out at 7 a.m., getting in their time before it REALLY got hot.

This was probably one of the things, way back in the late 80's that stsrted putting doubts in my head. See, I was often out there too, a regular pioneer, doing the same damn thing. Old guys were unknowingly also talking about ME. I just happened not to be out that day. How ridiculous we looked, walking, talking too each other, no clear purpose to the onlookers we were supposed to be witnessing to.

I often went door-to-door as an elder and pioneer, especially in later years, by myself. I would be in an odd numbered car group. I would take one for the team and drive and go by myself so the sisters wouldn't have to. Between the aforementioned "pioneer shuffle," going back and moving the car so others wouldn't have to, and the fake doorbell rings and light taps meant not to be heard, I rarely actually talked to anyone.

Did I mention I once or twice stated from the platform during public talks that I hated door-to door? Most witnesses hate the ministry. Feel compassion for them unless they get stupid. I finally quit door-door in 06 and left for good in 07.

Should have paid attention to the old guys.

Snakes