Posts by aligot ripounsous

38

What is your biggest problem with the JW religion?

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

if i had to be tied down i would say disfellowshipping.

totally unnecessary and i really think it spans itself into a lot of other wt policies/mindsets.

"disagree with us and you are a dead man"

aligot ripounsous

It causes people to throw away their future (college and retirement planning)

honestly, I think that the above were practices you found with JWs 30 years ago but not anymore. Able young JWs flock into the university nowadays and pension schemes are compulsory by law in France, and I believe in most western countries. JWs are getting acustomed to the idea that A is not going to occur very soon and that they have a lifetime to achieve, whatever the WTS may write in magazines and say from the platform.

IMO, the prohibitive flaw with this organizatio is that it minds more for its own preservation than for the defense of the truth and the flock's well being. It is therefore inwardly repressive and crushes any attempt on the part of those who wish to alleviate the stifling atmosphere that permeates congregations. It will expell as an alien element anyone who wants to excercise free speech, through shunning. One doesn't even have to DA or be DFed to be shunned, since the 'unhonorable earthen pot" theory is conveniently here at hand to justify actual shunning within the congregation by means of marking. The result is that JWs are basically unhappy, and it shows...

23

Freedom of Speech

by Scully in

my family has had an interesting evolution over the past few years of being exjws.. as jws, it didn't even occur to us to use profanity or vulgar language.

jehovah's witnesses don't speak that way - at least that's how i was brainwashed to believe - although i knew plenty of jws who do.. once we started experiencing the real world, it no longer seemed like such a crime (or sin, to be more precise) to say the occasional word that might get *bleeped* on tv.. after a while though, it grew old.

i started to feel that it wasn't my nature to talk that way, and using that language was not conducive to who i wanted to be as person and a professional.

aligot ripounsous

Jgnat

ou will never let us believe that you're not the JW element in the household, or it means you have total command of the JW spirit and are immersed in it through fine osmosis with hubby to the point that you aren't even aware of it : your list of rules seems to come straight from a WT or AW article. So, you find JW culture is not so bad after all !

20

What to do?

by adam1989 in

ive currently been dating a jw girl for aboit 10 months now.

i met her at college and eventually we started going out.

at first is was difficult with me it took her a while to open up to me especially with holding hands and kissing.

aligot ripounsous

Hei, Adam,

first of all, welcome from a almost-as-new JWD poster as you are.

I won't try to give you a comprehensive answer to your questions, which have several facets, just bits of opinion :

I'll first situate them within the frame of your envisaging marriage and not just a romantic and sexual adventure, since I assume you are a fair guy who doesn't want to get your sweetheart engulfed in remorse and guilty feelings, due to her JW upbringing. Real love is putting the other's interest first, isn't it ?

Second, you are obviously quite young and must let yourself, and herself, get maturity. So, I 'll advise you the same thing as written above : go for your academic studies, they will make you even more desirable to a realistic girl.

I don't mean that there's no real love whis teenagers, just don't rush. In my opinion (which is worthy only as an opinion), you both can keep on going out together, in as much as she's able to manage the situation with her family and congregation. That's a very sticky point, if you really love her you 'll have to be understanding and not be easily put off by adversities which are CERTAIN to arise. Now, it's up to her to see if she wants to go steady with a non JW boy, that's her share of responsability.

Third, don't engage in JW religion just to get the girl, you would repproach her afterwards and you won't be a happy JW, if there is any. A good clue to the seriousness of both's commitment is your ability to talk about your beliefs, even more so if they are divergent. That will make you measure your maturity to tackle problems.

In the end, I can't see why a JW wouldn't marry a non JW. Eeach one can evolve and, until the contrary is proved, both have a brain and a heart.

Good luck in finding your way in this labyrinth

55

Nothing.

by Narkissos in

jw
friends

perhaps this paradoxical "topic" is one with which we here have dealt a little more, or a little more consciously, than the average population.. we used to have our heads full of beliefs (which we called "truth") in every direction: on theology, on cosmology, on paleontology, on past history, on so-called prophetic future, on heaven above, on earth, on she'ol beneath.

on many things -- current events, traditions, other peoples' beliefs and behaviours -- we had strong opinions which were directly or indirectly (the famous "conscience" matters) part of the same deal.

and of course our life was filled with activities and relationships, a community of "friends," people to "help" or "teach," etc.. then, gradually or suddenly, we came to suspect, often with a measure of terror, that all of this was not what we had thought and might sooner or later turn into... nothing.. this "nothing" is perhaps one of the most scary thoughts to people contemplating leaving the org one way or another.

aligot ripounsous

Hei, Nark,

It's a shame it's so late, I tell you tomorrow. Bonne nuit

64

Board Demographics

by snowbird in

jw
friends

maybe this thread has already been started before.

please forgive me if it has, but i would like to know how many on board are active witnesses, inactive, da/df''d, or never been witnesses.. i am inactive since 2005, black female, separated, head of household, etc.. rsvp.

snowbird.

aligot ripounsous

French male, white (don't belong to the national soccer team), my best half is colored and we have 2 teenage children. Still active if you call activity 1 hour a month preaching (my wife does more). Very flexible on attending meetings and assemblies, wondering not if but when I'll leave for good, but what else instead ? Not found the answer yet.

BTW, I'm astonished at reading that some who left 10 or 20 years ago are still resenting so much against the WTS that they feel the need to join an ex JW site to talk about their experience and bruise. Nothing judgemental, just an established fact. It tells a lot about how this organization is able to shape people's mind, and that is precisely what I don't want for my kids.

166

Sixteen Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits against Jehovahs Witnesses Are Settled

by Dogpatch in

press release 5/10/07.

http://www.freeminds.org/history/16lawsuits.htm.

sixteen child sex abuse lawsuits against jehovahs witnesses are settled.

aligot ripounsous

Can I just rise to plead on Mad's behalf ? In the Revolution's declaration of the citizen's rights, we read

Article X.
Nul ne doit

être inquiété pour ses opinions, même religieuses, pourvu que leur manifestation ne trouble pas l'ordre public établi par la loi.

Article XI.
La libre communication des pens

ées et des opinions est un des droits les plus précieux de l'homme ; tout citoyen peut donc parler, écrire, imprimer librement, sauf répondre de l'abus de cette liberté dans les cas déterminés par la loi.

Nobody is saying here that the WTS is the victim but everyone has a right to be defended, even the WTS. If Mad wishes to do it, let him do it. Besides, I've not read in his post that he insulted anyone. In addition, we appreciate to express ourselves on this board, all the more so that we would'nt be allowed within the WTS. Lady Liberty, help !

11

WTS uses church vocabulary to hide its purpose

by ozziepost in

so often the wts uses 'respectable' language to obscure their true intent.. a recent news release sees them using the word "outreach".

03.19.07international outreach for millions more to attend.

this surely is not in their usual vocabulary, in fact if you were to ask the average dub i suggest they would find it difficult to give a clear description of its meaning.. yet in describing the distribution of the "special invitation" to the memorial, the wts describes that as 'outreach'.. interesting, i wonder what will be next?

aligot ripounsous

In France you are not disfellowshipped anymore, you are excommunicated, just like any catholic evildoer. Is it the same in english speaking countries ?

Also, the french WTS branch committee has turned into protestantlike Consistoire.

10

This Is My Current Stage

by R.F. in

i'm currently in the stage of mixed feelings.

i feel torn at times because of this.

i've built up courage to come to this website, and recently i've built up enough to take part in it.

aligot ripounsous

RF,

from what you let know in your post, I wonder if your dad and I haven't, to some extent, a similar approach to educating children in the JW religion. My teen daughter and son asked me lately the crucial question : Dad, if it were now, would you become a JW ? They are puzzled at my insisting on the family to attend the WE meeting but apart from that I'm not fussy about other weekly meetings or full lenght assemblies and I tell them that it is entirely up to them as regards their becoming publishers and getting baptized. I had to explain that I was baptized past age 30 and I expect them to make their decision free of all parents or peer pressure. I see the real benefit they will get from being taught christian principles and, as any JW parents do, my wife and I find that the congregation provides a sort of parapet to the common silly things teenagers are prone to. On the other hand we are all too aware of the limited social surrounding this organization is in an actual fact and how marginalizing its education standards and practices are. In the end I have to admit to them that, had I found, 30 years ago, all the information I now get from the internet about the historical record of the WTS, I would probably not have become a JW. I guess this uncomfortable position is fairly common to JW parents who are squizzed between the desires to provide their kids with religious training and, at the same time, make them socially fitting.

10

This Is My Current Stage

by R.F. in

i'm currently in the stage of mixed feelings.

i feel torn at times because of this.

i've built up courage to come to this website, and recently i've built up enough to take part in it.

aligot ripounsous

It's late now, I will post tomorrow on this if it's re'levent, as it is about what my attitude toward my children is

28

I am so angry and frustrated right now

by elinor in

jw
friends

i cannot be very specific with this because i do not know who is patrolling these boards to try to catch faders (like me).

my mother has been very ill for a long time due to multiple health issues, all of them stemming back to a very low blood cell count.

before i even began to have doubts, as well as my father asking me about the 1975 debacle, i kept wondering why god (i can't call him jehovah now that i know the truth) would allow such a wonderful and selfless person to suffer if all they needed was something that was produced naturally in our bodies.

aligot ripounsous

Elinor,

please allow me first to convey to you my most heartfelt sympathy in the trial you are going through currently. Six months ago I myself have assisted my mom, day after day, in the process of passing away, and I understand what you feel. Now, as I'm certain you care about having your mum reach death in a peaceful mind, I feel that,whatever you personnaly think about how having a blood transfusion is justified or not, the most important point, since I understand that, as a JW, she doesn't want any, is to respect her stand so that she won't add the burden of guilty feelings, helpelness or anger to the suffering of her agony. She has a right to have her convictions respected at a time when someone else has to made the decision on her behalf. In doing so, I think you will help her go peacefully and that is what matters.