Oldhippie, I'm with you...I can't imaging non-existence. When it first hit me that all of this being a lie meant that I would die and cease to existence I was in a severe funk for several days. It was pretty bad then it finally dawned on me to make the most of right now.
shopaholic
JoinedPosts by shopaholic
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33
From 'Everlasting Life' to just a few more years. How did you handle the realisation that you WOULD die?
by nicolaou inthe thing is, a lot of us thought we'd never die.
do you comprehend what a truly massive mind-fuck that is?
when i was embroiled in doubts and knew i was heading 'out of the truth' i remember waves of nausea hitting me.
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4/26/09 Parade Magazine question about Serena Williams/JW's
by frozen one inq: how does tennis star serena williams justify wearing such sexy clothes when she's a jehovah's witness?
- ron ryden, riverview, fla.. a: the winner of 10 grand slam singles titles dresses conservatively when attending kingdom hall services, but there's no religious dress code preventing her from wearing revealing clothes on or off the court.. .
i wonder who wrote the answer to that question because that is not how i remember the jw "dress code.
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shopaholic
I wonder who supplyed the answer to that question.
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What Did You Do With All Your Watchtower Publications?
by minimus ini needed room when i moved so i sadly threw my entire library away.
i mentioned this to an exjw.
he and his wife took all the hundreds of books, including bound volumes from the 1800s and are now using them for research and proof of watchtower lies.. what did you do with your books?.
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shopaholic
I couldn't stand the sight of anything JW so just about everything went to the dumpster. The videos and large hardbound books were dropped off at the SA. I kept a bible, songbook, pioneer school book. The photos from all of my JW travels have been packed away in a box.
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For the faders and inactive - is it possible to be a regular Joe?
by truthseeker indid you ever wish you could be an average joe and forget everything you knew about the watchtower society and its teachings?.
what do i mean by average joe?.
for those not familiar with the expression, "the terms average joe, average jane, and joe shmoe are used primarily in the united states to refer to the average american.".
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shopaholic
Witnesses taught me that success is a sin and education is dangerous.
This was true in my case as well. Thank goodness my dad is not a JW and wanted me to continue my education. Anyway, feel more and more like a regular Jane. I'm volunteering, organizing social functions for non-JWs, preparing to take a vacation with non-JWs and just living life. You really have to get out there and just live.
For a while, after learning the truth about "the truth" I didn't feel real. I questioned everything almost to the point of insanity. Then at some point I had to give in to the fact that I been duped since I was 5 years old. It takes while but helps if you are not trying to live your life in limbo. Its not for everyone. I know some folks on this board do it and I tried it for awhile but I just couldn't take it anymore, not even just for show.
Have you spoken to any of the well-known members of this board, either in person or on the phone? They can really helps put things in perspective. When I went to my first meet-up I was super late because I almost didn't go even though I had arrived in town the prior night. Once I got there everyone was nice and normal and I wasn't stricken with leprosy. It was a bday present to myself although I didn't tell anyone at the meetup it was my bday. My advice...is to live life and enjoy your freedom on your terms. After a while you learn to control the indoctrinated thoughts that pop up every now and then.
Anybody who says money won't buy happiness doesn't know where to shop. Beautiful... adding Gary to my list of heros.
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God helps those who help themselves so....he's a useless imaginary friend?
by Witness 007 init's like me saying my imaginary friend will get me some money....but i just have to make some calls, get some interviews in, get a job, start working...pay tax, get a wage....wallah!
my imaginary friend comes thru again!...thank you imaginary friend!
!...i will leave $50 dollars contirbution in you box!.
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shopaholic
Exactly. They think everything is a miraculous blessing from Jehovah.
My sister and her husband were having serious money issues. When I was town they asked if I could help them out with a few bills. So I did. Later that day at a dinner at my parents house my sister said several times that Jehovah blessed them with a means to take care of their bills. I decided from that moment on to not help them with financial troubles again since it seems like Jehovah has it covered.
I was not looking for acknowledgement but a much better response would have been along the lines of "We were able to work something out" or "Its not an issue for now. We're fine, thanks for asking."
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In Two Weeks: Follow the Lamb (Watchtower Study)
by united states inis anybody else courious about this discussion.
it seems as though they hide the fact that it is about the governing body up until the end when it says that they represent the fds.
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shopaholic
Thats something that NEVER made sense to me since I was a kid. How can the GB be the FDS? What about the anointed JWs around the world? They have no say in what goes into the articles or how the org is being led. I've asked that question since I was a kid and all I was told was not to question God's organization.
When I was kid and they talked about the anointed and the FDS...I asked this older sister who was of the anointed (maybe she was just crazy) which parts of the watchtower she had written and when was her next trip to Bethel. Then she told me that she did not write any part of the watchtower and that she had never even been to Bethel so I told her that she was not part of the anointed. My mother was sooooo embarrased. I was told to never question a JW adult again.
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How would you respond to a Witness calling worldly people "wicked?"
by BonaFide inthis morning in the field ministry a brother in our car group was talking about wicked people.
i asked him what he thinks of when he says "wicked people.
" (i am working undercover) he said, "those that don't worship jehovah.".
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shopaholic
I would have replied..."That would make them sinners not wicked...like Jesus said "If any one of you is without sin..."" then I would have added "BTW, did you know Jesus wasn't real?"
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How common is swinging among JWs?
by JimmyPage inmy wife and i recently heard about two couples we know who switched partners in the past.
we then got to talking about a different couple we ate dinner with a while back who i thought gave off the vibe of wanting to swing.
my wife said she got that vibe too... thus the question: how common is this in wt-land?.
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shopaholic
OTWO - You probably came off as too spiritual. They probably dropped hints but you and your wife didn't catch on so they didn't push it any further.
Anyway...I think its more common than believers think. I know of several groups of swingers in different areas over the past 10 years.
One congregation used to confuse the living daylights out of me...because so many of the kids had a different the last name than their parents and that of a JW male in congo or of one in a neighboring congregation. I simply thought everyone was cousins or something...
Then one day this older single JW lady, who prides herself on her lifelong chasity, gave me the lowdown after I talked about how confusing it was with the names. She told me to be careful about what I say because everyone is practically related to everyone across the two congregations. Apparently about 7 or 8 years ago there was a lot of wife-swapping between these two neighboring congos. A number of folks were df'd, many of them divorced their spouse and married one of the other folks from the swingers circle. Just about everyone was reinstated or got their privileges back by 2005.
This congo was interesting...the elder body comprised of 2 fathers and their sons...practically no one went in field service...monthly avg of 3 hours...2 phantom pioneers...they were very happy to get a pioneer (me). Here's the thing...brothers in this congo winked at me all the time...friends of mine told me that it just meant the brothers thought I was cool...if I were funny and fat I would believe that...plus it felt like an invitation.
Anyway, one of the elders eventually told me that it would be best if I went to a different congregation...so I did and a crazy accusatory letter followed. Little did I know it but that was the beginning of the end for me and the JWs.
JWs are a real trip...LOL...bunch of freaks.
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Abortion
by Luo bou to ini know the wt says a sister can have an abortion if her life is endangered but what if she is raped must she give birth to the child of her rapist?.
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shopaholic
If its not a situation where lives are in immediate danger, yes, she must give birth to the child of her rapist if she doesn't want to be disfellowshipped. Even if she has the baby and decides to give it up for adoption she will be heavily criticized and counseled unless its a JW family that adopts the kid.
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shopaholic
Asilentone,
Did you even read my post? I know entering a free sweepstakes is NOT gambling. However, depending on your BOE it may be considered gambling. In fact I could refer you to an entire circuit that would tell you its wrong. I attended a congregation that had a problem with you winning anything and even gave a local needs talk which clearly stated that free sweepstakes, even named a few, is putting your faith in chance and "luck" (he even did the quote gesture) which boiled down to gambling, in their opinion. Again, I know that is bunch of garbage.
BTW, I personally know a brother that was counseled because his teenage played and won (a very nice price) several years ago in a game held by a popular fast food chain.
Here's the thing many of you understand but MANY of you do not, regardless of the what the GB says...many BOEs make up their rules. Maybe most of you only attended one congregation during your time with the org or were never really in the thick of things.
Anyway you turn it, this religion is screwed up.