Posts by EnlightenedMind

24

Thank you.

by BridgeOverTroubledWater in

jw
friends

i've been out for about 4 years and for the first time i've been able to find a place that understands how hard it was for me to get to where i am today after being raised a jw.

i feel like all of you can relate to having to start a new life from scratch after years of living a completely different one.

so, thanks..

EnlightenedMind

Welcome to the board! We look forward to hearing more from you.

73

Most annoying Kingdom song

by Billzfan23 in

jw
friends

mine would have to be "dark days are here!

men live in fear!....

" followed by the annoying change to a happy beat before the chorus "but the bible gives us a reason for cheer.." .

EnlightenedMind

I LOVE this thread! lol It's been so long that I can't even think of any on my own, but this thread really brings it back!

17

brody and ebony.....my new mutts

by purplesofa in

jw
friends

its hard to get a pic of an all black dog..going to try again with ebony.

they are brother(brody) and sister(ebony) the mother was a stray that a neighbor took in not knowing she was pregnant.

of course i had to help out in helping the litter find good homes.

EnlightenedMind

Awwwww, so CUTE! You have your hands full there! I have a dog, a cat, and a 4 year old, so I should know! lol

18

What do so called wprldly people think of Witnesses

by Axeman in

the wt would have us believe that worldly people admire and respect witnesses for their fine conduct.

not my experience when i left and sought candid expressions of what they really thought about the witnesses i found for the most part rather than admire them they think they are a little weird that there is something wrong with them.

those that do have a personal experience to relate tell of the negative effect the religion had on a family member that got involved with them.

EnlightenedMind

I learned that the "world" rarely thinks about the witnesses at all, whether it be to laud them or to persecute them. For those who haven't had a personal experience with them, they're little more than a Saturday morning nuisance.

29

The Best Email I have Ever Gotten - From a Jw student....

by AK - Jeff in

as some of you may know - my lifestory as it relates to jw, is being written and posted here.

in addition, randy asked to post it on freeminds and did so a couple weeks back [though it is still incomplete at this point].

i allowed randy to include my email link and real name, with a view to aiding any readers if possible.. yesterday, i got the most fabulous email i can imagine getting;.

EnlightenedMind

Congratulations Jeff. I know that email warmed your heart, as well it should. We all have different reasons for sharing our stories, and knowing that yours has helped someone else makes it all worth it.

And I didn't see anywhere in the email where the writer indicated that he would cease his study of the Bible, only his study with the JWs, so I'm not sure what the dissent is about.

14

What do you feel is your greatest achievement?

by avidbiblereader in

jw
friends

something simple as raising your kids?.

schooling?

leaving the witnesses and breaking tradition?

EnlightenedMind

Those are good examples, abr. Mine is a actually a combination of all of those. I'm proud of all of the things that I have accomplished in spite of the JW influence in my life.

I'm glad that I had the gumption to not just passively accept all of the JW propaganda that had been shoved down my throat since birth. Along those same lines, I'm glad I had the common sense to realize the value of a college education, despite all of the admonitions to the contrary.

The strict rules and constant nitpicking of the JWs breeds doubt and self-consciousness in those that grew up in the "truth". Applying to and actually getting accepted into law school was a huge accomplishment for me, because for the first time, I saw a real manifestation of my potential.

My biggest achievement, once it is realized, will be instilling the same sense of confidence and self-worth in my daughter, so that she grows up knowing her potential and believing that she is capable of achieving whatever she sets her mind to.

26

QUOTE OF THE DAY: IT'S OK TO CRY

by nvrgnbk in

jw
friends

crying doesnt make me any less of a man, said the 1-12 commander, lt. col. morris goins, who tears up as he recounts how one of his soldiers drowned in a canal, trapped in his bradley fighting vehicle.

to not show emotion, youre an idiot, or youre living a pipe dream.

if someone were to tell me not to show emotion, id hit them in the lip..

EnlightenedMind

This is an interesting thread. One of the few things that I dislike about being a woman is my inability to control my crying. Most fathers condition their little boys to "suck it up" and hide their emotions. I don't know how this affects men otherwise, but I know that whenever I've had the urge to cry at work, I certainly wish I had whatever mechanism you guys use to shut off the waterworks!! I've cried in front of one of my bosses before, and I absolutely hated that I wasn't able to control it. Of course I've been called a cyborg by one of my exes, so I may just have an unnatural aversion to showing emotion in general...

18