Posts by StephaneLaliberte

15

Glad to see someone in the WT Art Dept has a sense of humour! "Church Lady" spotted singing!

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

you can't make this shit up!

lol!!!!

someone over on reddit posted this illustration from some wt publication or website or whatever.

StephaneLaliberte

First of all, this is really funny!

BUT, let's be honest, it could be a coincidence based on a solid reason: SNL's church lady is a caricature based on the fact that many women in churches resemble her. No style, single, short hair, bad-looking glasses. In fact, when I saw the picture before catching the SNL reference, I thought she looked the most natural and "belonging" there, contrary to the ones with their arms straight down. But then again, I guess that's what happens when you take away the songbooks? Still, I'd imagine I'd be tapping the beat with my hands, strumming with my fingers, doing something? Anyways.

Still very funny because, in the end, JWs try to be so different from other religions and end up being so similar to them that they fall within the stereotype of the church lady!

7

Help to find brothers in Dubai

by victorflorez85 in

hi brothers/sisters my name is victor, recently in move to dubai for job reasons, during the last 3 weeks i have been trying to find a congregation or brothers to contact with them because i would like to go the meetings and continue my personal study, but i hasn't success.. if anybody here have some contact in the united arab emirates or know somebody that have it, i will appreciate a lot that can help me to contact with them.. thank you!.

StephaneLaliberte

The best advice I can give you is to go through proper channels: Contact the elders of your old congregation that knows you well so that they may contact bethel in your behalf and provide you with the assistance you need.

Though I don't agree with your religion and its beliefs, I'd fight for your right to believe it.

Its just sad that, like the Muslims, JWs themselves don't believe in freedom of religion: Anyone who was raised a JW (and likely got baptized) is subjected to shunning by their friend and family, that is, their whole social circle, when they stop believing in the religion of their parents.

48

What's the Worst Advice You Heard of an Elder Giving Someone?

by Sea Breeze in

jw
friends

i believe an an elder told someone who's daughter (14 yo) became sexually active with a 26 year old in the neighborhood, that maybe they should get married.

so, they did... with parental consent.

he turned out to be a ex-convict who shot his first wife in the face with a shotgun.

StephaneLaliberte

When my sister died in a car accident, two elders came to my house and told me to limit contacts with my disfellowshipped mother to a bare minimum, if possible, none at all.

While they talked, I contemplated the idea of kicking them out. Instead, I said "thank you for your advises, I appreciate your visite, etc, etc". Then, once they left, I called my mother.

8

Taylor Swift an Opposer?

by Vanderhoven7 in

https://youtu.be/ckupcatqzm0?si=mhsaudw_ij_p555v.

StephaneLaliberte

While I have many grievances against the JWs, at least she won't receive death threats for referencing them disparagingly.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

StephaneLaliberte

Sounds like you had a commie teacher if you ask me.

Believing in freedom of religion even when some believes appear to go against patriotism is not being a commie. In fact, that's exactly the opposite of how communism is implemented in other countries, to name a few: China, Russia and Cuba.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

StephaneLaliberte

Another instance was in science class, the teacher singled me out at the beginning of the class.

Back than, the teachers used to let the JW stand in the hallway outside of the classroom and walk into class once the national anthem was over. This way, we didn't have to stay seated in front of everyone in the class. At the beginning of the year, we'd tell them about it and the teachers would usually follow that arrangement.

But not with that science teacher. She insisted that I stay seated in class. She actually went a step further, every now and than, when the national anthem was about to play, she'd say: "Everyone stand up for the national anthem. Except for Stephane. Stephane is a JW and JWs don't stand up for the national anthem."

Now, come to think of it, that's the class where one of the kids threatened to beat me up and that I wrote about earlier in this tread.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

StephaneLaliberte

When I was young, I was often late for classes and often ended up in the principals office. In one of those occasions, while the principal was lecturing me about getting to school on time, the national anthem started playing on the intercom of the school. So, he looked at me and was shocked that I didn't stand up. I don't remember word for word what he yelled, but it was along the line of : " I don't care what you believed, you better stand up for the anthem when your in the office in front of me." I responded that the JWs fought this in courts already and if he wanted to keep his job, he better turn around and listen to his own anthem. I was insolant, and he was furious. He turned red and turned around. While he listened to his anthem, I prayed, asking Jehovah to rescue me. When the anthem was over, he was no longer red, gave me a paper slip to get in class and calmly told me to get out of his office.

Back than, I was sure it was Jehovah that intervened for me. I told some elders about it, but none of them wanted to use this as an example in the congregation due to the fact I was "often" in the principal office for being late!

Now, all those years later, as an adult, I believe that when he turned around, he probably came to his senses, realizing that his career was indeed on the line and the better path was to simply let it go.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

StephaneLaliberte

I am simply asking if the WT asks parents to kick their minors out of the house when they are disfellowshipped.

No, they don't, never did. However, I have seen many kids leave before adulthood, or before getting any higher education. Now, indeed some parents have thrown their kids out as soon as they turned 18, and yet, I believe that the topic is more complexe than some may think.

Ex-JW kids around 16 often want to draw their own path, away from an over bearing cult that comes with its mental abuse. Mental abuse that is channelled through their loving parents and all their friends. And so, understanding that they can take small jobs and move away, they do, even if this is against their parent's wishes! They are thinking: "Well, even if I have it hard, it won't be as hard as getting that look from my parents that says I'll die at Armageddon soon".

And then, there's the kid who's behavior is abusive towards his family for several years. Fighting, disrespecting, cursing, lying, yelling, stealing, breaking things, never participating in any house work. Such behavior can have its toll on the parents and at some point, when the kid is old enough to work, the best think for everyone is to send the kid out, often with the assistance of social workers. This type of thing happens with JWs and non JWs alike.

In the end, all I'm saying is that its not possible to make a broad general statement about this.

37

s-395 Adjustments-to-handling-serious-wrongdoing-in-the-congregation

by gavindlt in

this was posted on jw leaks.. my truth's | dad seeking truth.

.

StephaneLaliberte

"Appeal committee: If a wrongdoer demonstrates that he is repentant by the time he meets the appeal committee, he will not be disfellowshipped"
Is there an objective criterion for demonstration of repentance? Or does everything still revolve around the subjective opinions and biases of the elders, JCs and appeal committees?
Have JCs and appeal committees been ordered to be more lenient?

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is if the "wrongdoers" get married in between the first JC and the appeal JC.

Roughly 20 years ago, one of my friend got disfellowshipped, than got married and thought it would stop the elders from announcing his name the following Thursday night. Boy was he wrong! Well, today, that would no longer happen.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

StephaneLaliberte

There was a kid, a tough and strong kid, who's grandpa died in a war, I don't know which. Anyways, when he saw that I remained seated for the national anthem, he told me to get up or he'd kick my ass. I told him bluntly that even if he'd threaten me with death, it still be seating. I also said that he should be quiet as he was, himself, lacking respect for the national anthem by talking while it played.

Somewhere during class, he told me that his grampa died at war. I told him that his grampa died for freedom, which included my freedom not to stand during the national anthem.

He said he's still beat me up anyways. So, I spent the next two weeks running away from him after classes until he finally let it go.

As for the teachers, they weren't all nice, but they usually didn't push it as word got around that some teachers had been suspended for lacking respect in this regard.