sweet pea

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Posts by sweet pea

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  42

  ethical question - maybe you can help

  by besty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is hypothetical, but it must happen and i don't recall it being addressed before on jwn.

  we are df'd about 2 years now.

  our jw friends shunned us.. if one such friend now reaches out to contact us that would surely be a good thing, yes?

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  sweet pea

  It takes a lot of humility for a previous friend to contact you once they have shunned you.

  From my experience so far, friends previously shunning me who have decided to make contact were nervous about how I would react - almost expecting me to give them the cold shoulder.

  However all our previous friends who are still in, are trapped in a mental prison. If they contact us, they've escaped somehow and need help in adjusting to 'normal' life. If they are still somewhat mentally trapped, i.e. still believe it's the 'truth', then they need treating with kid gloves - it takes time to come to a realisation that they've been sold a bundle of lies.

  2/3 of friends who have been in touch realise they've been in a cult only after a considerable amount of reasoning and time. Why should this situation be any different?

  And, another thing - if they openly want to be your friend on facebook having shunned you because they view you as a 'dangerous apostate' - something radical has happened in their life.
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  74

  I'm Still Torn About the Blood Issue

  by palmtree67 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i left the org.

  the blood issue wasn't an issue for me.

  my best friend was on the blood committee for years and i could see many cases where either blood wouldn't have saved the person anyways (like when a person is in a serious car accident and their liver is in pieces), or blood actually killed the person and/or hindered recovery.. then my little nephew got leukemia.

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  sweet pea

  An excellent thread on this subject. Thanks everyone for your input.

  When you leave the org I think there is always this small place in your sub-conscious, regardless of what research you have done to the contrary, that tells you that somehow the organisation did get something right about the dangers of using blood.

  They did but they screwed up the rest.

  And for that they are bloodguilty.
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  126

  MY BROTHER-IN-LAW HAS DIED

  by Mary in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is one post i had always hoped i would never have to do, but after a long and brave battle, my beloved brother in law has died.

  i have done a couple of threads on this in the past, so many of you know the battles he was facing.

  he had been diagnosed earlier this year with myelodysplastic syndrome and the mortality rate of this disease is quite high.

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  sweet pea

  dear Mary

  Our heart goes out to you - it's hard to imagine what you must be feeling - powerless to prevent losing the one you love - a tragedy for all concerned.

  Sending big hugs and thinking of you.

  Sam & Paul
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  57

  I'm new, let me introduce myself

  by no lies please in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been lurking here for many months.

  i served as an elder for many years, and regular pioneer for much longer until recently.

  i'm also a mts grad and was used extensively on the circuit and district level.

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  sweet pea

  Welcome NLP, thanks for sharing a snippet of your story - I am sure your story is an interesting one and that you have many gems to share.

  A good friend of ours was in a similar position to you - he agreed to meet with the elders and all he had to say on the matter was that he'd made an informed decision not to attend for the time being. He answered no other questions and kept repeating his original reason for his fade. It worked out for him - they stopped pursuing him, mind you his father was a PO in his cong.

  I hope things work out for you - if it does all go 'Pete Tong' as others have said - you will survive and you'll be a better person for it. It's not a pleasant thing to go through but it does have its upside.
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  86

  Opening Pandora's Box - By Barbara Anderson

  by flipper in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  barbara wanted me to ost this information about her discussion at a seminar which was held in europe first, then chicago just a week or two ago.

  you'll find this link interesting.

  all comments welcome.

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  sweet pea

  just for reference the correct link for the original article is:

  http://freeminds.org/blogs/musings-of-a-watchtower-insider/opening-pandora-s-box.html
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  42

  On my way out of the "organization" and feeling very lost...

  by 2pink in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  firstly, thank god i found this forum!

  i've spent the better part of today while my kids were in school reading many threads.. some background...i am in my mid 30s, married, 2 kids.

  i was born and raised a jw...came from "good" stock...elders, pioneers, etc.

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  sweet pea

  Welcome 2pink. You've come to one of the best places to find support and answers.

  It's perfectly natural to feel confused initially. When we left (with boys aged 2 years and 8 weeks) I was terrified of losing faith so joined a church (which was quite satisfying to start with) much to the horror of my friends and family (and husband who had been a secret atheist for a while). I bought myself a New International Life Application Study Bible (which I'd recommend). However, having finally given myself permission to explore the dark side (atheism), I now don't go to church and am not convinced there is a magic man in the sky and as for Jesus - there is no proof he ever existed.

  So, take it slow, don't panic, explore any and all religions you want to but indulge your secular passions too, start building a solid network of non-JW friends and have faith in yourself. You're a brave soul coming this far and you have my utmost respect for daring to follow your heart and show integrity. You have a tough journey ahead but the price of freedom is worth the pain.

  We're here for you.
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  40

  New ex-JW Magazine / Journal

  by Moxie in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  some of you may already be aware of the new ex-jw magazine that's been in the works for some time.

  well, the day has finally come and i'm happy to let you know that jwrecovery magazine is now available online and for free download at www.jwrecovery.org.

  it features articles, interviews and columns by many ex-jws throughout the community including:.

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  sweet pea

  Very impressed. A lot of hard work has gone into this, thank you for all you and those who have been involved have done.
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  11

  Little Things That We Missed Along the Way!

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. social
  2. entertainment
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  sweet pea

  AKJ - have you seen the film 'Brassed Off' with Euan McGregor? - worth a look, I think you would enjoy it.
• 
  11

  Little Things That We Missed Along the Way!

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. social
  2. entertainment
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  sweet pea

  Marching bands are the best! Glad you had fun :-)
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  65

  How about a new happy thread...the best thing that happened to you this month!

  by restrangled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the best thing for me..... my son stopped over and he realized he needs to buy a home....so we quickly did a run on the internet in our neighborhood and he found a jewel.. whether he gets it or not....it was fun for both my husband and myself to go see, help him ask questions and give him the ok.. it's probably just a dream, but reminded us of our younger days.. how was your day?

  something happy please!!!!

  we have enough horrible negatives going on right now..

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  sweet pea

  Moving to the beach.

  Going to Vegas and seeing family and friends old and new (Bubble/South African Beef).

  Finally speaking to my old JW girlfriend (who's now an ex-JW and might even be reading this...) having not spoken for 3 years.