wow i turned 21 today and for the first time i'm genuinely excited about it.
i got alot of b'day wishes and just said "thank you" instead of trying to explain my way out of it...i felt so special and i even went to the store and bought a bacardi my parents laughed at me...and i don't feel guilty for enjoying the day i was born like i used to......baby steps to mental freedom!!!!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
My birthday is on the 22nd and I am starting my celebration this weekend and carrying it all through till the end of next weekend...
It will be drinks, friends, bbq's, dinners and who knows what surprise my man has in for me!!
Celebrate everyday like it's your last!!! woo hoo!!!
i was just wondering if anyone has heard of any lawsuits against the jw organization being held accountable for sexual, physical or mental child abuse?
if a child goes to an elder and asks for help, aren't they legally responsible to ensure the childs safety by going to the authorities (police, not governing body)?.
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I was just wondering if anyone has heard of any lawsuits against the JW organization being held accountable for sexual, physical or mental child abuse? If a child goes to an elder and asks for help, aren't they legally responsible to ensure the childs safety by going to the authorities (police, not governing body)?
<!-- .style1 { font-family: arial; font-size: 18px; } .style2 { font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; color: #000066; } .style3 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style4 {color: #ff0000} .style5 {color: #000066} --> did being one of jehovahs witnesses kill your drive?
it is understandable how someone who has been a jehovahs witness .
for a number of years could become complacent and except their lot in life.
The one thing that was killed while I was a JW was that I was never allowed to participate in extracaricular (sp?) activities. I resent that now as I would love to play things like hockey and baseball etc. Because of this, I find that at 36, I'm new to it all and no one really wants me on their team... ha ha ha...
It's one thing I wish I would've taken up all through school just for the fact that physical activity is healthy!!
In regards to other things, I left at a fairly young age (17) and figured I had 2 ways to go... drug addicted, street kid that supports her habit through prostitution.. OR get job, work your ass off and accomplish all the goals you want to! So I chose number 2 and am happy for it!
my girlfriend that i brag to everyone about, and treat like a queen, is leaving me.
i actually got df'd over her, and have been with her for over 5 months.
we were so close, i just totally never, ever saw this coming.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation...
on a lighter note and one that might bring a smile to your face... if you go on YouTube and look up "text message brakeup" you might get a good laugh and you can send it to your ex... :-)
Keep smiling... you never know who's looking.. ;0)
my girlfriend that i brag to everyone about, and treat like a queen, is leaving me.
i actually got df'd over her, and have been with her for over 5 months.
we were so close, i just totally never, ever saw this coming.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation...
on a lighter note and one that might bring a smile to your face... if you go on YouTube and look up "text message brakeup" you might get a good laugh and you can send it to your ex... :-)
Keep smiling... you never know who's looking.. ;0)
a jw i used to know died recently.
she was almost exactly the same age as me - we were born just days apart.
she had battled cancer for almost a decade.
Scully,
I'm truly sorry for your loss. I'm sure that your friend that passed away though was probably a meek and loving person and would probably look down on the situation with understanding. That's the sad part of it. Only the true believers in God and not an organization, those that strive to do what is right and are somehow misled by this organization seem to pass us by so quickly. I am a believer that God, or whatever you would like to call the higher power that leads us, would truly read the hearts of those that are sincere in doing what is best no matter what religion or organization they belong to. At least you and all those that truly loved your friend can go to sleep at night with the memory of your friend in your heart. Those that condone this type of act and disregard for human life will be judged when their time comes.
All the best to you.
having been in the organization for 30 years, after i got out i reflected on this.
as a teenager i was told to not let my hair grow over my ears because i might stumble other young ones in the congregation.
also, in order to carry the microphones i was told i couldn't wear white socks, had to wear black or dark blue socks.
Gotta admit I like the one with the Elder watching for sunrise... ha ha ha... it's unbelievable how rediculous some of the things are and that people still follow this org....
yes, there are several of us that either have to go to the crap-assed assembly this year, or simply because we plan on taking notes and posting them here.
knowing how bloody boring the entire thing is, i've made some tips up on how you can keep awake during the 2007 borefest:are you really going to the assembly this year?
are you ready to fall asleep by 10:05am when the opening song and prayer are over?
when I was about 14 I got out of going to one of the assemblies in Vancouver at the PNE by pretending the gum I was chewing was full of spider eggs. It made me throw up outside the colleseum and I was allowed to miss then next 2 days and spend the time at home alone with my gramma making peanut brittle and perogies... yummy!!
having been in the organization for 30 years, after i got out i reflected on this.
as a teenager i was told to not let my hair grow over my ears because i might stumble other young ones in the congregation.
also, in order to carry the microphones i was told i couldn't wear white socks, had to wear black or dark blue socks.
well one time I remember I went and got a hair cut and I was so angry that it was so short as I always wanted long hair. Some idiot lady in the cong. complained to an elder about how short it was and that I looked like a boy and they were going to put me on public reproof!! ha ha ha... Man, I was mortified! They didn't publicly reprove me but I had to wear a hat for a while as I was causing some sort of misguidance for this idiot woman and her kids! unbelievable!!
just wondering if ex-jws find it hard to trust others since their bad experience or are they still gullble souls?
just wondering because some of the stories i read about past experiences are off the charts!
some of you, your childhoods, your parents are seriously jacked up!
Well I haven't read through the entire postings of this subject but there is definitely one thing that I can agree upon and that is that Borean must be a "troll".
I grew up a JW from an early age and left at 17 when I decided to leave home. I always had questions and always wondered if the "small crowd" the bible talked about was maybe the crowd of people that don't put any one religion or organization ahead of another. That aside, I too question the bible. What I've come to terms with is that the bible has a lot of useful information in it. A lot of common sense though and a lot of that same stuff is used by various other religions/orgs.
Personally, I live by the rule to treat others they way I myself like to be treated. One of the things that I don't like is to e judged and I have found that the JW organization judged me all the time. I had to turn in reports for field service and if it was felt that I didn't do enough, I was talked to about it. The fact alone that I had to track it seemed rediculous. After all, if your actions speak louder than words, and you live under the word of God then wouldn't your report mean that you are active 24/7?
As for Borean (not sure if I'm spelling his name right or not as I'm going by memory) I find it really hard to believe that he is an Elder with the JW's. But then again, the JW's claim to be a united org but yet I found that each congregation has it's own set of rules within it.
I left the organization as I was going through a difficult time with my abusive mother and asked that I be granted some time to sort things out. I was 16 years old and didn't have a home or any possessions. I stayed with an Elder and his wife who I really liked and I found that this Elder was quite liberal in his views much the same as Borean but maybe not THAT liberal as he was still guided with the ORG and had his manual (yes something I found out about recently) to guide him in how to handle certain situations. The thing that disturbed me and actually resulted in my disassociating myself from the organization was that I was the one that was told that I would be on public reproof and disciplined within the org for leaving home when my mother tried to kill me. All the elders in our cong. knew that she was physically abusive as my sister had went to them serveral times before with her injuries ( my sis is 4 yrs older). However, because I had left home and my mother denied what she had done to us as children, I was the one that was being disciplined by them. I received no assistance from anyone in the cong. and was told that I still had to attend all the meetings where my mother was also present and that I had an obligation for field service. When I explained that I wasn't comfortable with that as she was threatening to me and they knew she was a threat and very manipulative, I was told too bad. When I asked for the time away until I could get a home (I was under the protection of Social Services) I was told that that wouldn't be possible and that no matter what, I would have to figure things out on my own and if I didn't attend meetings I would be disfellowshipped because it would APPEAR as though I was involved in some sort of wrong doing. The Elders told me that my sister (who I was staying with at the time) would have to leave me alone and not have anything to do with me. She would not be allowed to talk to me or have any association with me if I chose to take what I considered "a leave of absence" as I would be disfellowshipped, plain and simple. I was told that the only couscelling that I needed was with the Elders and that they would be able to repair things between my mother and I. I was in total shock and disbelief and made the decision right then and there, that I did not want to be part of any organization that would so quickly disown a follower in a time of crisis because they were not putting in their "time". During all this, my mother was the one that received all the support.
I have no hard feelings towards my mother at all. I pitty her because I know she is mentally ill. She is very manipulative and abusive and continues to be so. Her sisters find it very difficult to have anything to do with her but do maintain a distant relationship as their mother (my grandmother) is very old and in a home. I find this very commendable due to my mothers recent actions of physical abuse towards her mother and the fact that she took all her mothers money and spent it on herself. All this and yet my mother maintains a strong standing in the JW organization.
I cannot ever see me going back to that organization. I do believe their basic teachings of right and wrong. And I would like to believe that there will be a paradise. However, I do not believe in any man judging me for my thoughts or my beliefs.
Borean, I would like to know as an Elder, how would you handle the situation that I discribed? The same way as it was handled? What does your manual tell you to do? And if you would handle it different then the JW's are not a united flock as they claim to be (which has already been proved to me time and time again). And if you would handle it the same, then shame on you for allowing such wicked, hateful, greedy people in your organization and allowing a young hurt youth to find their way on their own.
As for me, I am a very strong individual mentally and am very level headed. I am a kind caring person that loves life and loves people. I feel passionate about helping people and making sure that life is as good as it can get.
Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated.... what a great statement to live by.
