Posts by shopaholic

20

Cracks in the Veneer

by mrsjones5 in

jw
friends

last night i was talking to a dear cousin of mine (if i had to classify her i would say she a liberal jw who firmly believes) and she said "they told me that i wouldn't graduate high school and now i'm almost 50".

after she said that i waited for her to follow that line of thought to some conclusion of perhaps "maybe they're wrong" but it didn't happen.

i don't have any desire to start working on her to leave the borg (though i would love it if she and other members of the family would wake up) but i do find it interresting to listen to and watch the cracks in the veneer.. josie.

shopaholic

Mrs. J,

I'm hearing the same from friends and relatives. I was catching up with a friend and she told me that the system was suppose to gone by now. Someone else said that they never thought they would be 31 in this system and if they knew the system was going to lasted this long they would have gone to college. My sister told me about someone in her hall that was considering having kids but was hesitant because we are so close to the end. My sister told her folks told her the same thing but now her son is about to turn 15. Many are going back to school because they didn't expect the system to last this long and now they have no way of supporting themselves and you would be surprised (or maybe not) how many JWs do not have retirement savings. I know of a few that are in their late 30's and just started contributing into some type of retirement account last year because "it looks like we are going to be here longer than we expected".

So many of these folks are just going with the flow its simply ridiculous. I remember a good friend said "What if the society said sex before marriage was okay under certain conditions?" Many want out but don't know how to leave.

I'm finding that this religion is starting to "crack" for many. I can tell you that MANY black JWS NEVER thought they would see a black president in the US of A. That alone should have made many do a double take at this religion.

23

How Many Sit on the Fence?

by sammielee24 in

i was checking out another topic and pulled off something that wobble said.. given that - how many of you would go back if the wts decided to enact shunning for everybody who was not active?

if tomorrow they decided that da'ing or fading or in simple terms, being inactive for any reason whatsoever, was a shunning offense - how many would start going back immediately just so their family wouldn't be cut off?

how many would not go back and would instead would be willing to stand firm on their belief that the wts is wrong in what they teach?

shopaholic

It would actually make things easier for me. I would not go back.

20

Sorry, I need your help

by wobble in

dear all,.

i know this has been covered,but my pioneer sister said in a letter to me about what convinces her dubs have the truth,re the worldwide preaching of hope of life on a paradise earth, "who else does that?".

now i know other religions teach a kingdom on earth,but she will say they don't preach that worldwide.. could you give me some ammo.

shopaholic

Hi Wobble,

I served in another country for several years while pioneering. I returned to the States just a few years ago. I was surprised at the number of missionaries from other religions that I met while preaching abroad. And like Ynot said, they not only preached but also ran charitable organizations that greatly benefited the locals.

When I recommended that we (the JWs) did something similar, I was told by Gilead missionaries that we were there to preach and not provide charity.

That were several other comments that they made that caused me to seriously question the whole religion. Unfortunately most witnesses are not exposed enough to the world around them to know they are not the only ones that preach worldwide, don't celebrate christmas and preach abstinence till marriage.

50

Who is your favorite U.S. president?

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

you didn't even have to live during his term to pick him on this thread.

.

still, i'm going with clinton..

shopaholic

John F. Kennedy

Lyndon B. Johnson

Barack Obama

25

Time to start living again

by lola28 in

jw
friends

time to start living again.

i have come to realize that for the last two years i have put my life on hold, i have not been living i have just been floating just existing but not living, not really living.

it is time for me to change this.

shopaholic

Lola,

Go do it girl!!! Live your life! You won't regret it!

14

Most parents would be proud...

by Odrade in

about a year ago, he had an emotional crisis and questioned a lot of things, including his faith.

i thought (and hoped) that he would consider his beliefs and come realize that his beliefs were part of his crisis.

this was not the case, but he and i continue to be on good terms.

shopaholic

It can be extremely irritating. If they truly believe the bible they would know that everyone has the right to choose which road they will take. You simply decided that you want to take a different religious road than your parents. It seems so simple but is the cause of so much grief. I'm so sorry that you still have deal with this so many years after making a stand for yourself.

The whole "they are worried about your life" bit, I get that one too from JW friends. I tell them my life is fine and that I feel so hopefull and then they respond with "But for how long? That what Satan does. Lures you out in the world, make it seem all happy and then he has the world chew you up and spit you out. Then you will be sorry that you left. By then it will be too late." Total downers.

And you're right, most parents would be proud of you. Just keep being you. Maybe your mom will come around one day. As long as you don't expect it, you'll be less irritated and one day pleasantly surprised.

94

did anyone on here ever have a paedophile in thier congregation?

by looloo in

if so, did it bother you that he had been reprooved and forgiven rather than reported to the police?

shopaholic

Yep.

One of them was not in my congregation but was my friend's husband. He was so nice and was a real crack up, everyone loved this guy. He molested a neighbor's kid that was not a JW and the boy's mother called the police. Turns out he had also molested little boys in the congregation but the elders kept it under wraps and even his wife didn't know about the congregation molestations. He was arrested, and then checked into a mental hospital. Turn out he and several other JW men were molested as children by an elder. It was a whole big mess with special investigations by the authorities and even bethel sent in a special committee. There were several disfellowshippings and a number of folks were reproved and a couple of arrests. Just think, all because a non-JW called the authorities. The JW elders had known for years about this guy.

The second one was in my congregation and happened a long time ago. He molested my cousin on several occassions. This was when JWs had gatherings at their homes all the time and blindly trusted zealous adults in the org with their kids. The elders did nothing except study with him and pleaded with her mom not to call the police. Her mom had studied with the witnesses for many years but was never baptized. Their pleading worked because she didn't call the police. The molester is still a JW in good standing but does not have any privileges. I saw him about 3 years ago. He came up to greet me. I walked away.

17

Biggest Full Moon of 2009 tonight....

by Snoozy in

jw
friends

they say we are having the biggest full moon of 2009 tonight..and some can see it tomorrow night.. http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090109/sc_space/saturdaynightspecialbiggestfullmoonof2009 .

the thing is it will cause hightides and they can trigger earthquakes, especially around areas of water... http://www.livescience.com/environment/041026_tidal_earthquakes.html.

some believe that this will also affect our bodies... http://www.skepdic.com/fullmoon.html.

shopaholic

Its still out for those that missed it. Its really bright and I can tell that its closer. Absolutely beautiful.

11

Lost years

by Newborn in

jw
friends

friends,.

i feel so bitter right now that the wt & co stole my best years...made me live with constant guilt, stay in a bad marriage, miss out of joy etc etc.. i just can't stop thinking abt it right now.. i feel my background makes me un-normal and that it's in some ways a handicap.. /newborn.

shopaholic

Newborn, I totally understand. I felt seriously robbed and cried for weeks. It was baaaaaad! After about a year and a half I am finally starting to feel a little normal and realize that its not to late to live a normal, happy life.

Get busy living!!!!

31

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 01-11-09 WT Study (STRAY)

by blondie in

jw
friends

comments you will not hear at the 01-11-09 wt study (november 15, 2008, pages (8-12)(stray).

review comments will be in red.

wt material from today's wt will be in black.

shopaholic

Thanks Blondie!

I hope they don't start calling me again! Anyway, I find it interesting that they don't talk about addressing the real issue of why people leave. The "encouragement" is actually evoking emotion that guilts a person into coming back to the religion.