when i was a kid,kingdom halls still had windows.thats a while ago..as a kid i was told in the last days,jehovah`s witness`s would be rounded up and be put into concentration camps..i was told,when the government came to take me away and seperate me from my parents,i should wear my warmest coat and boots.as i would have to fend for myself in the concentration camp..i was told never to give up my faith.even if they tied my parents to a stake and was foced to light the fire that would burn them alive.....jehovah`s witness`s are the "happiest people on earth!
".....do you have any happy memorys like mine?...outlaw
I used to(when I was in) wish I'd been born into that religion... I'd be an even bigger basket-case if I had been...
My old KH(built in the 80's I think) has no windows - not for claustrophobes! I think it matters when they're built - and what the elders decide. If they could save a few bucks on insurance by not having windows, I suppose that would influence their decision, or maybe it was solely the HQ's decision, idk.
w
i am the husband of an ex-jw.
she left when she was 18, because she was dating a non-jw.
they got married, and he began openly cheating on her.
Oops - went off on a jaunt and forgot to address the question, lol.
Planting seeds is what we do... so, no, you're not wasting your time by showing them real Christian attitudes. If the inculcation is deep - and the wt pumps them full of fresh vitriol at every meeting - then it'll take a lot of seed-planting. It's never a waste when all you're doing is letting your light shine and showing what real love is - what it looks like, how it acts and talks - how it feels. Seriously - they are taught to oppose love since, 'the heart is treacherous'. wt doctrines are a hot twisted mess... not really Christian, actually.
So if you think you can swoop in and save them all from the cult - which we'd all love to do for our loved ones caught in it's web - that's probably not going to happen... but who knows how those little seeds might grow, even in those adverse conditions some seeds may manage to sprout!
Happy planting!
Watkins
i am the husband of an ex-jw.
she left when she was 18, because she was dating a non-jw.
they got married, and he began openly cheating on her.
Another "Well Done, Sir"! And no, I don't think you drove the wedge - it was there, invisibly. You might find it hard to believe how jws talk about disaffected ones: walking dead, mentally diseased, satanic God-haters, bird food at Armageddon - it's revolting and completely UNChristian. Without doubt - the wt teaches HATE.
Because of that 'inculcation' some, but not all, jws have to work at not displaying basic natural affection, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. Those types have an especially hard time mingling with 'worldlies'(anyone NOT a jw). The nasty stuff would've boiled to the top sooner or later - it doesn't go away. You only shined a light that needed to be shone.
Your anger was more like righteous indignation, as you were speaking up for what's right and just. If the moment had passed and you'd said nothing... you might be kicking yourself right now for not doing the right thing - and it's always the right thing - to stick up for your wife when she's being treated badly.
Remember - You don't have to play by their rules... if you knew all the wt cult's contrived 'commandments' you wouldn't even think twice! If anything is good and true, it's that LOVE rules over all - and your words came from pure love.
BTW - what was your wife's reaction to all the goings-on of that day? Surely she doesn't blame you for anything, does she?
In Hope, Watkins
i think they know what they don't believe in, like no blood, no hellfire, no trinity....but they really couldn't explain what their beliefs are and why they believe as they do.
do you agree?
I've learned a lot more about what I was supposed to believe as a jw after I left the religion. I didn't know about the mediatorship, couldn't explain 607bce with a gun to my head... and a lot has changed since then. No, the majority simply can't understand what they're supposed to believe. That's sad... someone in a normal Christian church could probably list 2 or 3 major things they believe and that would suffice. The wt list of 'unique' beliefs is way too long to memorize... w
woman sues los lunas jehovahs witnesses, claims sex abuseabqnews seeker .
.entry-header by clara garcia/valencia county news-bulletin | 10 hours ago .entry-meta posted: 5:42 amlos lunas a former member of the los lunas congregation of jehovahs witnesses is suing the church, claiming she was molested by a former elder.. monica lynn jaramillo, 35, through her attorneys, terrence revo and irwin zalkin, filed a complaint for damages aug. 12 in the 13th judicial district court.
also named as defendants in the case is watchtower bible and tract society of new york, which oversees the church, and a former elder, who has not been charged with a crime.. attempts to reach the jehovahs witnesses kingdom hall in los lunas for comment were unsuccessful before the news-bulletin deadline.. according to the civil lawsuit, jaramillo allegedly was sexually abused as a child by the elder, who had served as a ministerial servant and an elder, which are leadership positions in the congregation.
“This lawsuit highlights a disturbing trend of victims coming forward to tell their stories about sexual abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations,” said Zalkin. “The allegations by this victim and the victims of other cases show an alarming tolerance for abusers of children within the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion.” YES! DISTURBING, QUITE - ALARMING, VERY! YELL IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS! w
on monday morning we had a pigeon confronted by our rotti.
he didn't hurt it.
noticed there were bands on its legs so we looked up the number on a racing pigeon site and there it was.
That's a very interesting story, thanks - you are a nice and caring person!
The good ones always get lied about by the label-makers... we just have to ignore 'em when possible, fight 'em when necessary.
That stupid religion, making what's good into bad and bad into good. But it's those little niggles of - wait. a. minute., that can't be right..." helped us get out. Now we understand they were teaching us to behave unnaturally, like: it's a good thing to watch a child die that could be saved by a medical blood procedure - that's the complete opposite of a rational and natural response. Or like: it's a good thing to refuse to talk to your children and grandchildren because someone doesn't believe in your religion anymore, and not only that, but you have act convincingly like you're happy to do it... for Jehovah. Something that feels so horrible on both sides cannot be good - and it isn't. They tried to redefine 'love' but what a huge fail. How they tried to warp our minds is... humbling. But wow, what a wonderful feeling is this freedom!
Of course you did a good thing - ya done real good! Now you'll probably be scurrying about doing nice, caring and normal things all over the place, without even thinking - no limits - no fears!
w
i thought of posting this on an ongoing thread regarding proof of noahs flood by poster *lost*, but i think a separate thread is needed.
this is why.. first my disclaimer.
this thread is a theory since so many people love the theory and so as not to hurt feelings and insult anyone, this is only a theory.. my personal observation is this, as long as you bash watchtower all is ok. as soon as you try to present any resemblance of christianity or any belief in the bible, such as the flood, you are personally bashed.
LisaRose - sorry, couldn't resist:
I eventually realized that the WTBTS was wrong abouteverythinghaving to do with evolution. Oh yeah, and they're wrong about evolution, too!
w
the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.
in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".
can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?
Expanded-Mind is right that there's been a 'mixed message' for a while now. They were setting up this pre-conceived conclusion, hinting at it all along. One reason, I think, has to do with 'the anointed' writing in to HQ with their 'insights'. The GB doesn't want to share their special acclaim. I also think that the GB thinks most of those who dare claim to be 'anointed' are a few bricks short of a load - bet some of 'em have written plum-crazy letters to Bethel, lol.
It really was an inevitable, foregone conclusion to the mystery of just how 'the anointed' fit into the wt's f&ds picture. (I asked that once at a book study and no one knew, but we all assumed 'the anointed' were in contact with HQ and asked for suggestions or spiritual imput... wrong!) Since the turn of a new century they've down-played 'the annointed's' role until it's now virtually nothing to write home about. I didn't think it could be, but it actually seems more culty now than when I was in!
w
I get it. Yes, my own arrogance in "having The Truth" was invisible to me at the time. But wow, once your eyes are open to others' arrogance, they're open to evaluate your own, too. That humbling and letting go of pride/arrogance is an important part of moving on, imho. :)
w
that is a question only you can answer.
there is no right or wrong answers unless you are steeped in black and white thinking.. some choose to stay in for family reasons, some are so heated up over being decieved they can't give them another minute of time or labor.
meeting are a tedious and tremendous bore once you see the man behind the curtain(wizzard of oz).
Yes, indeed. Victims on all sides. What a god-awful horrible cult to manipulate peoples' minds to the height of such insanity, and to even make the heart-breaking issue of choosing between family and mates over the wts. Pure evil.
lauriekendrick.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/the-sad-art-of-gaslighting/ The SAD Art of Gaslighting
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